It was a normal day at Akademi High School.
A boy sat at his desk near the window.
Average height. Black hair with a straight fringe. Dark gray eyes. Fair skin.
Taro Yamada.
[Insert image of Taro Yamada]
Taro sat quietly reading a book.
A hand suddenly pulled it away.
He looked up.
A girl stood there with orange eyes and long twin-tails that reached almost to her knees. The ends of her hair faded into blonde. She wore a red bow on the side of her head and thigh-high stockings with white polka dots.
[Insert image of Osana Najimi]
Osana Najimi crossed her arms.
"Tch. Stop ignoring me."
Taro blinked.
"Oh. Hi, Osana."
She stared at him like he had personally insulted her existence.
"Really? Because you've been doing that all morning."
Taro closed the book.
"I'm not ignoring you."
Osana's eyebrow twitched.
"Really? Because after saving me from that dog this morning you have."
Taro scratched the back of his head and looked away.
"Sorry. I was just thinking about that."
Osana huffed.
"Fine. Ignore it."
She turned and walked toward the hallway.
Taro stood up quickly.
"Osana, wait. I'll come with you."
She stopped near the stairs and glanced back.
"Why?"
Then something moved.
A silver blur.
A bucket tied to a string swung from above.
Taro reacted instantly.
His body moved like he had seen this before.
He reached out.
Too late.
THUD.
The bucket slammed into Osana's head.
She stumbled backward.
Her foot missed the step.
Then she fell.
One step.
Two.
Three.
Her body hit every stair on the way down.
Students froze.
The sound of bones breaking echoed through the hallway.
Then—
Crack.
Her neck snapped.
Osana lay at the bottom of the stairs.
Blood slowly spread across the floor.
Taro stood still.
Completely still.
'32.'
He looked up.
The bucket rope hung from the ceiling.
And beside it stood a girl.
She had pale skin and dark gray eyes. Her black hair was tied into a high ponytail. Two strands framed her face.
She looked ordinary.
Too ordinary.
[Insert image of Ayano Aishi]
Ayano Aishi stared down at the scene.
Then her eyes met Taro's.
Her face went pale.
"S-Senpai..."
Taro stared back.
Then the world started buzzing.
A loud static filled the air.
The hallway blurred.
Students froze.
The blood vanished.
The stairs vanished.
Everything began moving backward.
Like a tape rewinding.
The world filled with static.
And then—
Darkness.
---
Taro opened his eyes.
Morning sunlight shined through the classroom window.
He sat at his desk.
A book rested in his hands.
Someone grabbed it.
"Tch. Stop ignoring me."
Taro slowly looked up.
Osana Najimi stood in front of him.
Alive.
Taro stared at her for a long moment.
Then he sighed.
"...So that's what this is."
Osana frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
Taro closed his book.
"I found out."
Osana looked at him confused. "Found what out".
Taro looked at her. "No, just a game I was playing".
Osana just looked at him. "Really, your think about game while we are taking".
She started to walk away.
Taro hold her hand. "Osana, I wasn't".
Osana removed her hand. "No, I guess that's more important to you".
He followed her.
They where in the steps.
The bucket came again
But then time
Taro hold and pulled her back hard, as they both fell.
But this time, it was on the floor. Of the 3rd floor.
Taro made heavy breath, as Osana was on top of him. 'I did it'.
Osana blinked.
She was still on top of him.
Her twin-tails fell over his face.
For a moment she just stared.
Then her face turned red.
"Idiot! Why did you pull me like that?!"
She pushed herself up and stood.
Taro slowly sat up. His chest still moved fast.
The bucket swung above them.
But this time it missed.
It hit the railing with a loud clang and stopped.
Students nearby looked over.
One girl said, "What was that?"
Another student picked up the bucket. "Why was this here?"
Osana dusted her skirt and glared at Taro.
"You could have just said something instead of tackling me!"
Taro looked at the stairs.
The same stairs.
The same place.
But Osana was alive.
No blood.
No broken bones.
No body at the bottom.
Just a loud bucket.
He let out a slow breath.
'So it works.'
Osana crossed her arms.
"Are you even listening?"
Taro looked up at her.
"...Yeah."
Osana narrowed her eyes.
"You look weird today."
"I'm fine."
She leaned closer and studied his face.
"You sure? You look like you saw a ghost."
Taro looked past her.
Up the stairs.
At the third floor.
At her.
Ayano Aishi stood there.
Still.
Watching.
Their eyes met again.
This time she did not panic.
She just stared.
Like she was thinking.
Taro looked away first.
'So it's real.'
He stood up.
Osana grabbed his sleeve.
"Hey! Don't ignore me!"
Taro blinked.
"...Sorry."
Osana huffed.
"Tch. You're acting strange today."
She started walking to the bucket.
Taro followed quietly.
But his mind raced.
'So that's how it works.'
'When she dies…'
'Time goes back.'
He looked at his hand.
'And I remember.'
He glanced back toward the stairs.
Ayano was gone.
Taro felt a chill.
'And she was there both times.'
Osana looked at the bucket.
"That bucket?"
Taro nodded.
"Yeah."
She walked up to it.
The bucket still hung from the string. It swayed a little.
A few students stood around it.
One of them poked it with a finger.
"Who even set this up?" the girl muttered.
Osana didn't answer.
She stared at the bucket.
"It was gonna hit me," she said quietly.
Her eyes moved to the stairs.
She took a small step back.
Taro watched her.
He knew that look.
Even if she didn't remember it… her body did.
Osana crossed her arms.
"This isn't funny."
A boy scratched his head. "Maybe it was a prank?"
Osana snapped back, "A prank that drops a bucket on someone's head?"
No one answered.
The bucket creaked as it moved again.
Osana flinched.
Just a little.
Taro noticed.
'So some part of her feels it.'
He stepped forward and untied the string.
The bucket dropped into his hand.
Clank.
Everyone looked at him.
Osana frowned.
"Why are you acting like you knew this would happen?"
Taro paused.
For a moment he said nothing.
'Because I watched you die.'
Instead he said, "Lucky guess."
Osana stared at him.
"...That's not a lucky guess."
Taro set the bucket on the floor.
Students slowly started to lose interest and walked away.
Classes would start soon.
Osana was still watching him.
"You've been weird all morning," she said.
Taro rubbed the back of his neck.
"Maybe I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed."
"Tch."
She turned away.
"You're annoying today."
But she didn't leave.
Taro noticed that too.
She looked at the stairs again.
Then back at him.
"...Thanks, I guess."
The words came out fast.
Like she didn't want anyone to hear them.
Taro blinked.
Then he smiled a little.
"No problem."
Osana turned red.
"Don't look so proud! I only said it once!"
Taro chuckled.
For a moment things felt normal again.
Then he looked up.
Third floor.
Empty.
Ayano wasn't there anymore.
But the feeling stayed.
Like someone had been watching the whole time.
Taro's smile faded.
'Thirty-two times.'
He picked up his book again.
'And this is the first time I saved her.'
He walked beside Osana toward class.
'So the loop only ends…'
'Because she lived'.
Osana and Taro walked back toward class.
Osana kicked a small rock on the floor.
"...You're still weird."
Taro glanced at her.
"I always am."
"Tch."
But she didn't argue.
They entered the classroom.
Students talked. Chairs moved. Someone laughed.
Normal.
Too normal.
Taro sat down.
He opened his book again.
But he wasn't reading.
'First trap stopped.'
Across the room…
A pair of dark gray eyes watched him.
Ayano Aishi sat at her desk.
Perfect posture. Quiet. Invisible.
Just another student.
But her eyes stayed on Taro.
'That shouldn't have happened.'
She replayed the moment in her head.
The bucket.
The timing.
The fall.
Everything was correct.
Yet he moved.
Not like someone reacting.
Like someone who already knew.
Ayano lowered her eyes to her notebook.
Her pen moved slowly.
But she wasn't writing notes.
She was drawing a line.
A straight line.
'Senpai interfered.'
Her grip on the pen tightened.
'Why?'
She glanced at Osana.
Osana laughed at something a classmate said.
Alive.
Ayano's chest felt tight.
Not anger.
Not sadness.
Something colder.
Something empty.
'If Osana remains… she will take Senpai.'
The pen snapped.
A quiet crack.
Ayano looked at the broken tip.
Then she calmly set it down.
'Then I will try again.'
Her eyes moved back to Taro.
This time she watched him carefully.
Not the girl.
Him.
Elsewhere.
Far from the classroom.
A small room glowed with the light of several monitors.
Camera feeds.
Hallways.
Classrooms.
The stairwell.
The bucket.
On one screen…
Taro pulling Osana away.
The video replayed.
Paused.
Replayed again.
A girl sat in a chair.
Feet up on the desk.
Her phone spun between her fingers.
A quiet chuckle escaped her.
"Heh."
She leaned closer to the screen.
Taro froze on the moment he grabbed Osana.
The girl smiled.
"He's learning."
She tapped a key.
Another monitor appeared.
A counter.
RESET: 32
She tilted her head.
"Most people take way longer."
Her phone buzzed.
She ignored it.
On screen, Taro walked into class.
Alive.
Osana alive beside him.
The girl leaned back in her chair.
"Well then, Senpai."
She smirked.
"Let's see how long you last."
Her finger hovered over the keyboard.
Then she stopped.
"No."
She leaned back again.
"This is more fun if I just watch."
She muted the room.
And kept smiling.
Later once school time was over.
Osana looked at him. "I will be fine".
Taro looked at her. "Still, let me walk you back home".
Osana looked at him. "Jesse, we live in the same neighborhood".
Taro looked at her. "Still, can I not accompany you?"
Osana blushed as she looked away. "Baka fine".
She started to walk
Osana started walking down the street that led away from the school gate.
Taro followed a step behind her.
Students passed them. Bikes rolled by. Someone shouted goodbye to a friend.
Normal.
Osana glanced back at him.
"You know… you're acting really weird today."
Taro shrugged.
"That's my charm."
"Tch."
She crossed her arms but didn't slow down.
They turned onto a quieter street.
Houses.
Vending machines.
Telephone poles stretching down the road.
Osana kicked a pebble.
"...You really think that bucket was meant for me?"
Taro answered without hesitation.
"Yes."
She stopped walking.
"...Why?"
Taro also stopped.
For a moment he didn't answer.
Because the honest one was impossible.
'Because I watched you die thirty-two times.'
Instead he said the closest thing he could.
"It was tied above the stairs."
"So?"
"So someone set it."
Osana frowned.
"...You think someone is trying to hurt me?"
Taro rubbed the back of his neck.
"I think someone is being stupid."
Osana huffed.
"Yeah well whoever did it better hope I don't find them."
She turned and kept walking.
Taro followed.
'Three blocks.'
'Loop twelve.'
'Two men come out from the alley.'
He glanced toward the street ahead.
There it was.
The alley.
A dark gap between two apartment buildings.
His steps slowed.
Osana noticed.
"What now?"
Taro pointed.
"Shortcut."
Osana blinked.
"...Since when do you take shortcuts?"
"Since today."
She stared at him for a long second.
"...You're definitely weird."
But she followed anyway.
They turned down the alley.
Halfway through—
Two men stepped out from the other end.
Exactly as Taro remembered.
One tall.
One short.
Both wearing hoodies.
The taller one grinned.
"Hey there, sweetheart."
Osana froze.
The shorter one looked at Taro.
"Beat it, kid."
Osana grabbed Taro's sleeve.
"T-Taro…"
But Taro just sighed.
"...You guys are early this time."
The two men blinked.
"What?"
Taro stepped forward.
"Normally you appear five seconds later."
Silence.
Osana stared at him.
"Taro what are you—"
The tall man frowned.
"Kid, you got a problem?"
Taro looked at him.
Completely calm.
"Yes."
Then he pointed behind them.
"You should run."
They turned instinctively.
A police patrol bike rolled past the alley entrance.
The officer glanced in.
Two suspicious men.
One nervous girl.
One calm boy.
"...Everything alright here?"
The men swore under their breath.
"Tch."
They walked away fast.
The officer kept riding.
Silence filled the alley.
Osana slowly turned to Taro.
"...How did you know?"
Taro kept walking.
"I guessed."
Osana grabbed his arm.
"No."
Her eyes were wide.
"You didn't guess."
Taro looked down at her hand.
Then back at her.
For a moment he almost told her.
Almost.
But the memory came back instantly.
Loop 4.
He told her everything.
Static.
Reset.
Back to April 1st.
So instead he just smiled.
"I'm lucky."
Osana stared at him.
"...You're an idiot."
But she didn't let go of his sleeve when they started walking again.
Behind them—
On top of a nearby building—
A girl lowered a pair of binoculars.
She hummed.
"Huh."
She tapped something on her phone.
A small note appeared on her screen.
TARO YAMADA — ANOMALY CONFIRMED
She smirked.
"This year is going to be fun."
Then she pressed record on the camera again.
And kept watching.
To be continued
Hope people like this ch and give me power stones and enjoy
So you maybe be asking why I made this fic, personally Speaking, I am tried of waiting for Yandere Dev making this famm game, and also I always wanted to do something with Taro Yamada, so here it is, so yeah, a passion project in short. Also Happy Birthday Taro Yamada