The safehouse apartment wasn't large.
Old walls.
Low ceiling.
No unnecessary furniture.
Every window had been covered with dark film from the inside.
The hallway cameras had been removed.
The door locks had been completely replaced.
"I prepared this place in the previous loop."
Yume spoke calmly.
"It's not under my name."
"No data."
"No traces."
Ginji let out a dry laugh.
"Sounds like a criminal hideout."
"We're already being hunted."
Yume replied casually.
…
The sound of the TV echoed through the dark room.
"…a major chain-reaction accident occurred in Minato district last night…"
The pale blue light from the screen reflected against the worn-out walls.
Kairi sat silently on the sofa.
Without saying a word.
"…according to initial reports, the collision left seven dead and more than twenty injured…"
Images from the scene flashed by.
Broken glass.
Blood.
Ambulances.
And—
that café.
The front glass wall had been almost completely crushed by the out-of-control truck.
Kairi stared at the screen for a long time.
Silent.
"…Tch."
Ginji was sprawled across the sofa nearby, pressing an ice pack against his head.
"Don't look at me like that."
He grimaced.
"If I hadn't used my skill yesterday…"
"…the death toll would've been even higher."
No one replied.
The atmosphere in the room felt unbearably heavy.
The news report continued.
"…the police are still investigating the cause of the accident…"
"…several traffic cameras near the scene experienced unusual malfunctions…"
Yume narrowed her eyes slightly.
She stepped forward.
Paused the TV.
A distorted frame appeared on the screen.
At the far corner of the road—
a black sedan was parked there.
No visible license plate.
No way to see who was inside.
But—
it appeared on all three traffic cameras around the scene.
Yume stared at it for a few seconds.
Then turned the TV off.
"…What is it?"
Kairi asked.
"Nothing."
She answered a little too quickly.
Kairi frowned slightly.
But didn't press further.
…
Kairi leaned back into the chair.
Just a few days ago—
he had still been nothing more than a failure who had regressed.
And now—
he was hiding in a secret apartment with two other Time Breakers after being hunted across the city.
"…This is seriously insane."
He muttered.
"Welcome to the game."
Ginji replied.
And right at that moment—
CRACK.
The chair beneath him split in half.
"OH SHI—!!"
BAM.
Ginji fell flat onto the floor.
A brief silence followed.
…
Kairi looked at him.
"…Negative points?"
"Minus four."
Ginji winced while clutching his back.
"Don't laugh."
Kairi turned his face away.
"…I'm not even laughing."
The corner of Yume's lips lifted slightly.
Just a little.
…
A while later.
Yume spread a stack of documents across the table.
"There's more information about Kyouya."
Kairi immediately looked over.
That name—
the group had already started investigating him earlier.
Ginji lit a cigarette.
"The kid who won the quiz show?"
"Yeah."
A photograph was placed on the table.
A young man.
Thin-framed glasses.
A face so ordinary it was hard to remember.
"Twenty-two years old."
"Applied mathematics student."
"At first, I thought he was simply lucky."
"But the deeper I investigated…"
She paused for a few seconds.
"…the stranger he became."
Yume opened a video clip.
"One month ago."
"He switched train cars three minutes before the electrical system exploded."
Next video.
"One week later."
"He stopped in the middle of an intersection right before a runaway car crossed through."
Third video.
"Three days ago."
"He left a restaurant minutes before a gas explosion."
Silence.
Yume placed the files back down.
"Too many times."
"It doesn't feel like coincidence anymore."
Kairi watched the videos.
His gaze slowly darkened.
"…Seeing the future."
"At least that's the most reasonable theory right now."
Yume answered.
But—
Ginji remained silent.
He stared at Kyouya's picture for a long time.
"…Doesn't feel right."
Kairi turned toward him.
"What do you mean?"
"Don't know."
Ginji rubbed out the cigarette ash.
"Just a feeling."
"People who can see the future…"
He paused for a moment.
"…don't usually act like that."
Kairi frowned slightly.
"Act?"
"Yeah."
Ginji pointed at the laptop screen.
"Look carefully."
"He doesn't look like someone who 'knows beforehand.'"
A brief silence.
"…He looks more like someone who's constantly afraid something will happen."
The atmosphere suddenly became quieter.
Kairi lowered his eyes back to the video.
Kyouya stood among the crowd.
His expression looked normal.
But his eyes—
weren't calm at all.
"…If he really can see the future…"
Kairi spoke softly.
"…then why does he keep appearing in dangerous places?"
"Only to leave right before something happens."
"…It's almost like he wants people to notice him."
No one answered.
…
Yume changed the subject.
"For now, let's put that aside."
She pulled out another sheet of paper.
"The plan is simple."
"Approach him."
"Observe his reaction."
"Confirm whether he's a Time Breaker or not."
"If he really is a Time Breaker…"
Yume continued.
"…then we might be able to bring him to our side."
Kairi stood up.
"Then we definitely need to meet him."
…
Night.
Another apartment.
Kyouya Manabi stepped inside and locked the door.
Click.
First lock.
Click.
Second lock.
Click.
Third lock.
The apartment was extremely organized.
Everything sat exactly where it belonged.
Not even slightly out of place.
Kyouya placed his phone on the table.
The first thing he did—
wasn't changing clothes.
It was checking the cameras.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four small screens appeared.
Hallway.
Staircase.
Parking lot.
Emergency exit.
Nothing unusual.
But—
his expression still didn't relax.
…
Kyouya pulled the curtains shut.
Checked the gaps near the windows.
Placed another chair behind the door as a barricade.
Only then did he let out a quiet breath.
His phone vibrated.
A new message.
From an unknown number.
"We found you."
Kyouya stared at the screen.
For a long time.
Without replying.
…
Then—
he opened his laptop.
The screen filled with countless windows.
Traffic maps.
Public cameras.
Train schedules.
Weather forecasts.
Accident reports.
Data covered the entire display.
Kyouya sat motionless.
Expressionless.
Only the mouse cursor kept moving.
Calculating.
Comparing.
Eliminating.
…
Then he stood up.
Opened a drawer.
Took out—
another phone.
A new SIM card.
A different-colored jacket.
Even his shoes were changed.
…
Before leaving—
Kyouya stopped in front of the door.
His eyes darkened slightly.
"…So they found me."
Click.
The door closed behind him.