The evening breeze blew softly, carrying the sweet scent of cherry blossoms just starting to bloom. Pink petals drifted through the air, dancing like gentle snow, covering the ground in a pastel carpet. There they were—three teenagers beneath a cherry blossom tree... two teenage girls and one teenage boy. Caught in a moment that felt heavy and endless.
A teenage girl with her blonde hair tied up in a high ponytail and a bright blue ribbon, stood a little tense. Her clear blue eyes, usually sharp and full of energy, now avoided the boy's gaze. A faint blush colored her cheeks, though she tried her best to hide it.
She pressed her lips together tightly, then suddenly let out a small huff, as if this whole thing was the silliest moment she'd ever been in. Her hands clenched at her sides, trembling just a bit.
"Listen, you idiot!" the blonde girl finally broke the silence. "I… it's not like I want to say this or anything, but… ugh, whatever! The point is, I… I like you!" She turned her face away quickly, ...but her blue eyes still stole quick glances at the boy, betraying her nervous anticipation, waiting for him to say something.
A few steps behind her stood another teenage girl, She stood with a calm, graceful posture. Her wavy black hair fell gently over her shoulders, some of it tucked behind her ear, showing off the silver frames of her glasses, perfectly perched on her nose.
"Theo," she spoke, her voice soft and steady, almost a whisper, but clear enough to be heard among the wind and the falling sakura petals. "I… I love you." That was it. Simple, honest words.
The boy stood there, frozen, his eyes blinking quickly, trying to process the words that had just hit him.
"I can't… I can't choose between you two," he said finally, his words careful and slow.
"So… yeah. I'll accept both of you." He forced a thin smile, but it looked stiff on his lips.
And in that beautiful moment, far in the distance, up on the school rooftop, someone was watching. A faceless boy with brown hair leaned against an old rusty railing, looking down at the three under the sakura tree.
"At last… I've finally reached the ending of this romance story," he said, gripping the rusty railing tightly.
"Now… Can I finally be free from the chains of this world's fate? Honestly, I'm tired of repeating this loop 1,203 times," he muttered.
The faceless boy watched the setting sun. "The sunset looks so beautiful today—" His words caught in his throat.
The once serene atmosphere suddenly shattered. The faceless man's vision, which had been focused on the setting sun, now widened slowly. His brows were deeply furrowed, creating vertical lines, ...as if his mind were struggling to process what he had just seen.
'Crack'
He looked up at the sky, now darkening, and saw it—a crack was spreading across the sky like broken glass.
His body trembled, his breathing quickened, sweat poured down his face, and his skin turned pale. He stepped back, staring at the sky as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"No..." his voice was hoarse, barely audible. "This isn't right... This can't be!" he shouted loudly.
"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" he shouted, his voice rising, echoing loudly.
The crack in the sky continued to spread, signaling that the world was on the verge of collapse.
"If a happy ending isn't the end for me, then what am I supposed to do to finally get my freedom? Damn it!" He yelled at the sky, as if protesting to some god who trapped him in this strange world.
He collapsed to the ground. Tears fell even though he had no eyes. He shook as he watched pieces of the sky start to fall.
"Someone… please, tell me… what should I do now," his voice sounded bitter, completely hopeless.
Just as the sky was falling to pieces, a meteor fell from the sky. As if to give an answer to the man who had given up hope to continue suffering.
He leaned against the school's rooftop wall, watching the meteors draw nearer and nearer. Then, he slumped to the floor, with his head down. Not wanting to see the horrible scene that was happening in the sky.
He closed his eyes for a moment.
In the darkness behind his eyelids, a flicker of memory emerged—so faint, it felt like a dream. A girl laughing under the summer sun, tugging his sleeve and pulling him toward an ice cream cart. The warm feeling of her hand. A name he couldn't remember anymore. A name that once meant the world.
"I… I just want to go back to my real world… If that's too selfish to ask…" He let out a bitter laugh before continuing.
"Then… just kill me, let me rest in peace," he said, his voice utterly defeated.
The sound of the rooftop door creaked open.
"Ca▅▃▄▂!" Someone shouted.
The faceless boy lifted his head.
That glitching sound, it only happens when someone calls my real name! Is Luna coming up here?!
He turned to the rooftop door and caught a glimpse of a girl with hair as white as snow.
Before he could say a word, the meteor crashed into the school building.
And then, everything went dark.
The world reset, and the loop started all over again.
----
'Ring! Ring! Ring!'
A cheap alarm blared from the bedside table, its shrill sound stabbing through every nerve in the faceless boy's head, tearing apart the peaceful morning air. It wasn't just an alarm; it was his own personal hell, a song he'd heard thousands of times. Thousands.
He opened his eyes. No surprise, no relief. Just a deep, endless exhaustion and the same old darkness wrapped around his soul.
'Ring! Ring! Ring!'
The alarm kept screaming, demanding to be turned off. But he didn't move. His body felt heavy, paralyzed by the weight of bitter awareness. Nausea twisted in his stomach. He knew what would happen next. He knew every line, every event.
"No... not again..." he whispered, his voice hoarse, barely audible. He raised his hand, looking at his trembling palm, as if it no longer belonged to him. The images of the scenes that would happen flashed through his mind, all his failures, all the attempts he would make - flashed through his mind like a broken movie. He had tried everything: screaming, pleading, fighting, running away. Everything ended the same. Fate always finds its way.
'Ring! Ring! Ring!' The alarm finally felt like a cruel taunt. The faceless man stared at the alarm, his eyes red, filled with burning anger and paralyzing despair. He could not change it. He could not escape. He would forever be trapped in this repetitive circle of hell, watching it all unfold like a powerless background character. A hollow, dry, laugh escaped his throat.
He was trapped forever in this hell called the Loop.