> "He walked back into school like nothing had changed.
But everything had.
Including us."
— Rias Gremory, organizing emotional evidence with a trembling teacup
---
[Location: Kuoh Academy – Monday Morning, Post-Multiverse Collapse Recovery]
The birds chirped.
The sun shone.
The air was suspiciously light.
And MC?
MC strolled through the front gate wearing the same calm expression he'd always had, as if he hadn't just humbled the Plot, rewritten existence, and made irony itself weep.
MC (thinking):
> "It's just school.
How hard could it be?"
The moment he stepped into class, every single student stared like he was about to summon a final boss or confess to someone. Possibly both.
---
[Scene: Homeroom Panic]
A new seating chart placed him at the front of the room.
The teacher actually asked him a question.
The intercom tried to glitch when he spoke. It failed.
Issei (sweating):
> "He just said 'present' and the school flag started waving itself…"
---
[Scene: Clubroom Investigation – Emotional Loose Ends]
Rias, Sona, Akeno, and Koneko held an emergency tea-fueled summit.
Each had notes.
Charts.
Personal diaries.
Rias:
> "He saved reality.
But when I asked him how he felt…
He offered me tea. No words. Just tea."
Sona (tight-lipped):
> "He blinked at me once and I restructured my emotional database."
Akeno (blushing, annoyed):
> "He said 'maybe next time' when I offered to walk home together.
It's been four timelines since then!"
Koneko:
> "He smiled yesterday.
Not sarcastically.
Just… smiled."
All:
> "He's planning something."
---
[Scene: After-School Rooftop – Final Confrontation (Again)]
They cornered him.
All four.
> "What do you want, exactly?" Rias asked.
> "Why do you keep stepping back after stepping in?" Sona added.
> "What are we to you?" Akeno whispered, almost pleading.
Koneko just stared. Quiet.
MC (quietly):
> "You're everything… that made the shadows warm."
They froze.
> "I never wanted the spotlight.
But I'll stand here…
as long as you want me to."
They broke. Emotionally.
Koneko actually dropped her snack.
---
[Scene: Final Twist – The Class Asks The Question]
Later that week…
A random student asked:
> "Hey… you.
You've been here all year. You helped us. You saved us.
But no one… knows your name."
The class went silent.
Even the wind held its breath.
MC looked up.
Smiled.
> "Names are for those who plan to leave."
> "But since I'm staying…"
He whispered it.
Just once.
The class gasped.
The narration glitched.
Even the chalkboard turned blank.
---
[System Notification]
> True Name Revealed: ???
Title Upgraded: "He Who Stayed" — You are no longer passing through the story. You are part of it.
---
End of Chapter 67: The Smile That Stayed