Part 74: Okabe Rintarou changes the past for personal reasons

Did she not meet her father in that condition...? And then, did she leave town on her own?!

"That's unacceptable for Hououin Kyouma...! For she is a test subject!"

I fly out of the lab.



I don't know, so for now, I can only go to the station. If she's going to leave town, then she should be using public transportation. If she uses the Hibiya line, then I've struck out... but if she's going to Tokyo Station or Ueno Station, then she'll definitely pass through here.

I carefully look around the Akiba Station area where the crowd has thinned. Where. Where is she...?



My vision suddenly focuses on a single point.

One silhouette, walking towards Chuo Dori.





On closer look, she's wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands. Is she crying...?

I don't see anyone walking together with Suzuha. Seems she couldn't meet her father after all.

"Working Warrior!"

Suzuha raises her head in surprise when I rush over, calling to her. She reveals her weeping face. Our lines of sight cross-- no, they didn't connect.



"Wait!"

Exposed to surrounding suspicious eyes, I chase after Suzuha.

I lost her...











Do I have the animalistic trait to chase things that run away? Am I stupid? I'm not a wild predator!

If Suzuha ran away, then shouldn't I just leave her be? It's not like we're that close to begin with?



"You might've taken a load off my back."



Maybe I'm the only one she talked to about her father. Then in that case, more than just listening... more than just being relied upon...

I feel like I should at least do whatever it is I can.



But I've reached my limit. Just running to the station stopped my feet from lack of oxygen. With my hands on my knees, I keep gasping for air. My breath grows irregular. My lungs sting. My sides throb in pain.

I take a lap around the station, but can't find Suzuha in the end.

I guess this is also Steins;Gate's choice.



I wipe the sweat off my brow, turn right, and head back the lab.





Everyone is still at the lab.

"It's already late. Go home, everyone."

"But..."

"What happened in the end?"

"Yeah. Don’t decide things by yourself."

"Suzuha ran away from me... It seems like she couldn't meet her father."

"I see..."



Everyone falls silent with sad expressions.

"Hehh... heheheh..."

I begin to laugh.

"Heheheh, fuhahahaha!"

"O-Okabe? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Didn't he just run too much and deprive his brain of oxygen?"

"Okarin... you're disgrossting."

"Heheh, no, it's just rich that you all are so depressed! Everyone last one of you is depressed."



With a snap, I point behind the curtain to the development room.

"Going to use a D-mail?"

"But the Microwave Ophone's discharge phenomenon won't occur at this hour, will it?"

"If it won't, then let's send it tomorrow."

D-mails jump over time. Send time doesn't matter. Received time does.

"What are you sending, and to whom?"

"To myself this afternoon. The contents..."

I smile a grin of victory.



If I do that, then I won't lose her for sure. And then we can have Suzuha experiment as a test subject...!

I suddenly hear the sound of rain. When I look out the window, rain has started to fall.



The rain strengthened over time, eventually becoming a thunderstorm.







The sky cleared up as if yesterday's rain were a lie. I keep looking down the window to see how things are going at the Braun Tube Workshop, but daytime comes without Suzuha appearing. She's probably long gone from Akiba by now.

Heheheh, don't underestimate us, Working Warrior. You must fight as a piece in Ragnarok. You won't get away with independent action.



The destination is my phone, yesterday around 4 PM.



The floor shakes violently. While squinting through the glare, I send the mail...



Video: D-mail Sent