Part 36: Future Gadget Laboratory and Braun Tube Workshop are set in conflict

During that time, every D-mail went back in time without a single failure. We're all hungry, and except for Mayuri, everyone stayed up all night, so we take a break.



She used to be so against time machines, but now Kurisu's eyes are red and she's still enthusiastic. Maybe she lost herself to her researcher urges. We found out various things, but we postpone the discussions for now, and have a meal. Daru and I leave the two girls to watch over the lab as we go shopping at the convenience store.

When I come back from the convenience store, the Braun Tube Workshop's Working Warrior is standing in front of the building. She's stretching her body.






She notices me and calls out while stretching.

"You doing something blithesome this early in the morning?"

Blithesome... every so often, she says weird things like that.

"Indeed. Don't be surprised, okay? We're making a time machine that will be remembered throughout human history."

"Hmm, is that so."

"H-Hey, shouldn't you be more surprised?"

"Well, isn't it natural to not believe? I was half in doubt at first, too."
"Anyway, is it really okay to reveal our secret so easily, Okarin? Wasn't that top secret?"

"Crap...! Working Warrior, please keep what I just said a secret."

"Okay, but that's not what I mean. Manager's really irritated."

"Meaning?"



"He grumbled 'What the hell is he doing? I'mma raise his rent, dammit!' Maybe you should go apologize."

"Gegege. Won't it be bad if he kicks us out?"

"Alright, leave it to me. And Daru, go stop Assistant's experiments for a while."

"Roger... you're shining the brightest right now."

Daru salutes and rushes up to the second floor.



"...So, did Makise Kurisu come?"

"Yeah."

That reminds me, Working Warrior picked a fight with Cristina yesterday.

"Do you know her?"

"Mmm... no. Yesterday was our first velitation."

"Velitation?"

What does that word mean? Felicitation... Facilitation... Confrontation!

"Ohh, I see. Wasn't that hostility a little... random for a first encounter?"

"...Antipathy."

A subdued mutter. Another difficult word. It's bothersome, so I thought of asking her again, but Suzuha's hanging her head, not saying any more. Basically, it's like she doesn't want to explain.



Anti. Pathy. Like... the opposite of sympathy.

"Oh. So you have a personal grudge against her, huh. But... even though you just met?"

"Well, yeah."

"What happened?"

"Nothing, directly."

"So you mean you're indirectly connected? If you'd like, I could go talk things over with Cristina."

"It doesn't really matter."

"Maybe you're simply putting the blame on the wrong person?"



"Geez, you're so persistent!"

Working Warrior explodes emotionally, pouting her lips.

"Shouldn't you be apologizing to Manager instead of talking to me, Okabe Rintarou?"

Heheheh, actually, I'm getting cold feet... But I am Hououin Kyouma. The mad scientist who calls chaos to the world. There's no way I can stumble here. I prepare myself, and enter the Braun Tube Workshop door, along with the part-timer.



Manager's sitting at the counter inside, slurping delivery ramen. Even when I enter, he doesn't move his sight from the huge 42" Braun tube TV. It's showing a daytime variety show, reporting on a celebrity divorce.

Working Warrior doesn't say anything. She comes in attentively with bated breath.

"Oh, Okabe. Just what are you doing up there?"

Straight to the punch. Manager doesn't take his eyes off the TV, and he doesn't stop slurping his ramen while sweating his glands out... And yet, he exudes an extraordinary force. I can't falter now.

"Actually, we're in the experiment of the century. Namely, the device which will repaint human history, the time--"



"It's a fairly worn-out building. You guys keep making a ruckus, it echoes through the walls, and I can't concentrate."

I'll keep quiet about the dent in the floor...

"Heheheh, Mister Braun, don't tell me... this building didn't fake its earthquake certification, did it?"

"What if it did?"

I honestly go pale. M-Maybe we should seek shelter soon...

"It's been properly reinforced. But regardless, you guys are still shaking it too much."

"Hmph, this building has collapsed once or twice, is that what you're saying?"

"Ahhh?"

"I've said it before, but our current experiments are of grand importance to the history of science, no, they can repaint all of human history itself. It's more important than prolonging the life of this building for ten or so years!"



Something like dust, or concrete fragments, or I don't know what, starts falling from the ceiling. The 42" widescreen Braun tube TV's image becomes disarrayed. Tch, Daru! What are you doing?! I thought I told you to stop Assistant's experiments!



He starts glaring at me.

"Looks like it's calmed down, eh. Some got into my ramen, so what are you gonna do about it?! Anyway, no more shaking, or I'll raise your rent 10,000!"

Wha...?! If you raise it 10,000 yen, we're ruined!

"Leave it to me, Mister Braun! On my honor, I swear there won't be any more shaking today!"

I so declare as I rush out of the Braun Tube Workshop.



When I rush into the lab, the three of them are having a carefree lunchtime. Mayuri has juicy karaage number one. Daru has a convenience store boxed lunch. Kurisu's eating cup noodles with a fork.

"Sorry, Okarin. Just now, Mayushii tried to warm up some karaage. And out of habit, I put it through reverse rotation, and then it discharged..."

"...I-I see."

"You should've gotten mail. Did you look at it?"

She says it so nonchalantly, but there's no way I could've looked at it. My phone's hooked up to the Microwave Ophone (Temp)! Man, she's such a sarcastic woman. I grind my teeth and disconnect my phone from the Microwave Ophone (Temp)



"Don't screw around! Mister Braun blames me, you know!"

"But I even advised you five days ago."

The timestamp certainly was five days ago, but...!

"Was Manager mad?"

"Yeah... I felt waves of murderous intent."

Daru turns pale, but the two girls don't seem to care.








"Anyway, today, all further experiments are canceled."

"Well, we did get sufficient experimental data."

Then Kurisu yawns, hiding her mouth with her hand.

"I'm dead tired, and my hair's dried out. I want to take a shower and go to sleep."



It got cold, so I toss it into the Microwave Ophone (Temp) and set the timer normally.

"If you want a shower, there's one here... It doesn't have a bathtub, so I guess I should call it a shower room? Okarin always uses it, right?"

"Seems kinda filthy..."

"I won't lie and call it clean. This entire building is in shambles."

"In the first place, I refuse to use the same shower room as Okabe."

"I know how you feel. Nobody's telling you to use it, you know. After all, since we stayed up all night, you, Daru, and I are all pretty smelly. Heheheh."

It's the heat, and we kept the window closed the whole night. Just sitting is enough to make you sweat.

"That's why I'm going home once I finish eating."

Kurisu slurps her cup noodles indignantly. I bought them at her request. She was raised in America, yet she likes cup noodles. How strange.

"Celebrity bath time at a high class hotel, eh... I want to come along."

"I refuse."

"Mayushii wants to come too!"

"Mayuri's welcome to come."

"Really? Thank you♪"



"Hey, hey, Okarin, I've been wondering, but why do you drink soda while you eat rice? Do they go well together?"

"I don't really see a problem."

"Me neither."

"I don't give it a second thought."

"Ehh..."

"Mayuri's the weird one. It's normal to drink carbonated drinks while eating."

"It's normal, durr."

"No objection."

"No way, you guys are the weird ones..."

Well, I'm a pure Dr Pepperian, Daru loves cola like a typical pizza otaku, and Kurisu lived in America, home of carbonated drinks. I admit our opinion is biased, but that doesn't matter right now.