Part 145: The outcome of the gamble is revealed

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Faris, who had been drinking iced milk tea, releases the straw from her mouth and furrows her eyebrows.



"So your dad is... still alive?"

"How rude, nya. Please don't just kill off papa, nya."
"Something's fishy with Kyouma today... What's wrong, nya?"

"Nothing..."

I see. Faris's dad is still alive. Thank goodness. Now all that's left is to make sure if Mayuri dies or not. Will Mayuri die, or will she survive? That question alone can make this successful gamble take a 180 into failure.

"And... is it true... that you and I... are lovers?"

"Eh..."

Faris's face freezes. Her lips start to tremble.



"Ooh, how mean, nya... How could you seduce the heart of a pure 17 year old maiden?"

I see Faris is going overboard just as much as ever. Smiling wryly, I slump to the back of my chair and look up at the sky. I notice the emptiness in my heart.

Ahh, so that's how it is. This world line changed a lot without looking like it changed at all. And the only one out of place is me.

So lonely. All of my lab partners who I got along with now have no idea who I am. Mayuri isn't my childhood friend.







That decision back then no longer happened. Mayuri is no longer my 'hostage'.

I desperately tried to save her. That's why I trampled over Suzuha's feelings. But even then...

No, there's no need for Mayuri to die now that she's a stranger. I think it should be okay to sacrifice our memories if it'll save Mayuri.

But it's still lonely, after all.

"Hahaha..."

I unconsciously start to laugh dryly.

"Kyouma? What's with this pretentious aura, nya?! We're still in the middle of an important conversation, nyan!"

"Hey, Faris... It looks like I have amnesia now..."

That wasn't a lie. I have none of my memories of this world line.



"Did Kyouma know about the location of the stolen nyuclear weapons, and The Organization desperately tried to take back those memories?"

"..."

"...Kyouma?"

After she makes a dubious face, Faris bends forward and stares straight into my eyes. Could she possibly be using her special ability to see through people's thoughts - uh, what was it, Cheshire Break?

"..."

"..."

"No way, Kyouma..."

Faris quickly turns pale.

"Really...?"

"Yeah..."

"So that's why Kyouma was acting so fishy today... Terrible, nya! Since when? What happened?"

"The world line changed... not like you'd understand what that means. I'd call myself a space-time castaway."

"This is nyo time for jokes! This is a serious scene nya! I'm worried, so answer meow honestly, nyan!"

"Not one word I've said is a lie. You of all people should know, right?"

"Well, nyeah, but..."



"Ooh, you really don't remyember?"

Faris is moved to tears. She firmly clasps my hand.





I did RaiNet...

"There we hit it off, and Faris and Kyouma became partners, nya. We were a perfect match, and kept advancing even to the grand championships, barely losing any matches, nya."

Then Faris starts bashfully fidgeting. She blushes a little and looks with upturned eyes.

"And then... while fighting side by side, Faris... started to want to know more about Kyouma... I would always chase you with my eyes... Nyah, Faris began... to fall in love with Kyouma, nya... I thought I wanted to be together as partners, not only in RaiNet, but in private, too, nyan. So, after we won that last semifinal, I made up my mind, and confessed, nya. And then Kyouma said he loved meow too... and then we shared a sweet kiss, and officially became lovers."

A, A sweet kiss, huh...



Was I really that good with women?

"By the way, Faris and Kyouma live together, nya."

"WHAT?!"

Living together, when we just only started going out?! The me of this world line really does smell like a normalfag...

But Faris answers that problem with a wry smile.



"Which means, well, we haven't done anything like sex yet, nya..."
"Wait, what are you making me say, nya?!"

She's awkwardly flailing her arms and legs.



"Kyouma, did today's talk ring any bells, nya?"

I silently shake my head side to side. This isn't something I can remember in the first place. It's not like I forgot, it's that those memories never even existed in my mind.

"Faris. I have a favor to ask."

"Nya? What is it, nya? I'll do anything Kyouma asks if it's to recover your memories, nya."

"No, it's not about my memories... it’s about Mayuri."

"Mayushii? Now that you say it, you did call out to her in the store back there, nya..."



"Eh...?!"

"So, could you please look after her?"

"Kill her, how...? Are you joking this time, nya?"

I gaze straight into Faris's eyes.

"I am not lying. She may or may not die. Chances are about half. You don't really have to do anything. Just look over her. Report the results to me. Can I rely on you?"

"I simply don't get it, nya... but..."

Faris once again clasps my hand. Tightly. Very tightly. I can feel her warmth emanating through her palms.



"I believe nya. I believe Kyouma."

"Thank you."

The only one I can rely on now is Faris.





I was told to wait at Faris’s house, so I've been waiting here for two hours. I haven't heard from Faris after she told me she was going to do karaoke with Mayuri.

Several hours have passed since Mayuri's scheduled time of death. I haven't been contacted yet, so it would be the most appropriate to think that nothing happened, but that's only wishful thinking after all. Feelings like prayer.

If Mayuri were to die now, then the bet would be a complete failure, and I'd have no means to return to my original world line. I'd have no means to rescue Mayuri. The lab is no more, and I also lost the Microwave Ophone (Temp). I can no longer time leap, let alone send a D-mail.



Faris's dad and Faris's mom make an appearance. They see me and show me warm smiles.

Now that I think about it, this is the first time I've seen Faris's mom, but she seems like an elegant lady.



"Ah, no. She went out to play with her friend."

Faris's dad is alive. I heard this fact from Faris before, but I feel relieved again to see his face. At the very least, I ended up not killing this man.



"You need to warn her too, Okabe."

"Understood."

"Sorry about my daughter always bothering you. Please take care of her from now on, too, okay? I think highly of you, you know."

"Thank you very much."

I doubt I've really done enough to warrant that sort of praise, though...



At this hour?!

"Our butler, Kuroki, will stay, so if you need anything, just ask him. Well, then, we'll be going."

"Take care."



He's a very tolerant man. I feel a little self-satisfied to have saved him.



Faris comes back in time to take their place.

"Ah, that was fun!"

"Faris, why didn't you contact me? What happened to Mayuri?"

I ask, even though I could guess just by looking at her smile.

I won the bet.



"Almost like a gentleman escorting her, nya. Faris made such a deep impression on Mayushii that it might have raised some yuri flags, nyan. Nyahaha!"

"Really..."

Mayuri didn't die. In the end, Faris's dad didn't die, either.

So many memories disappeared in the process, though. But as long as these two are alive, that's fine by me. It doesn't seem like I can fulfill the memories entrusted to me by Suzuha, but I can't do anything about the future.

But this is fine.



I no longer have the lab nor any partners, but I won't be lonely as long as I have Faris.

I'm dead tired after my adrenaline runs out. I fall on the sofa and close my eyes.



"Yeah, just let me sleep a bit. Just a bit..."

Let's leisurely think about what to do from now on. I don't have anything to rush about anymore.