The moment his own voice echoed within his mind—calling out a name he could not fully recognize—Ryu felt his thoughts come to a sudden halt. It was as if something deep inside him had been struck, sending a quiet shock through his consciousness. The name lingered there, heavy and unresolved, and no matter how many times he turned it over in his mind, he couldn't grasp the person attached to it.
Who is Angela?
The question pressed against his thoughts, growing heavier by the second. He was certain the voice belonged to his younger self—that much felt undeniable. Yet the memory connected to it was blurred, sealed away beyond reach, leaving behind only a hollow sense of familiarity.
Why does my child-self remember her so clearly… while I can't?
What kind of connection did I have with Angela?
And if she was important enough to be remembered back then, why does she feel like a complete stranger now?
He felt an urge to force the memory back—to dig deeper, to tear open whatever was blocking it. The thought crossed his mind that maybe, if he tried hard enough, the image of her would finally surface. But another part of him hesitated, uneasy at the idea of what might happen if he pushed too far.
Unbeknownst to him, sweat had begun to form along his temples.
Salem noticed first.
Without a word, the detective reached into his coat and handed Ryu a clean piece of cloth. It smelled faintly new, as if it had been bought recently. The sudden gesture pulled Ryu out of his thoughts. He blinked, momentarily startled, before accepting it without hesitation.
"Thank you, sir," he said politely.
Ryu wiped the sweat from his face and placed the cloth neatly beside him on the bed. Salem cleared his throat, his tone shifting back to something more distant.
"I'll be taking my leave now," he said. "I was supposed to guide you from this point onward, but there are other matters that require my attention. More important ones."
Before Ryu could gather his thoughts—before he could voice the countless questions piling up in his chest—Salem had already turned away. He walked toward the exit without looking back, opened the door, and closed it behind him, leaving Ryu alone in the nurse's office once more.
Silence settled in.
Ryu stared at the ceiling, his mind refusing to rest. Thoughts came rushing in one after another—about Angela, about his father, about the sealed memories and the world Salem had spoken of. The more he thought, the heavier his head became, a dull ache forming behind his eyes.
With a quiet sigh, he shook his head.
Thinking like this won't help…
Carefully, he lay back down on the bed, deciding to let his body rest, if only for a moment.
Barely a second after he settled in, the door opened again. This time, the figures that entered were familiar.
It was Kenny and James.
***
1:02 PM — Ryu's Dorm
Ryu sat quietly on the edge of his bed, his posture slightly slouched as the weight of the day continued to settle into his body. The dorm room was silent, almost unnaturally so, a sharp contrast to everything that had happened just hours earlier. James and Kenny had personally walked him here, insisting that he rest, and although Ryu hadn't argued, he wasn't entirely sure rest was something he could achieve so easily.
James had stepped out to buy snacks, claiming he would return soon—at least, according to his own optimistic estimation. Ryu didn't mind waiting. In fact, being alone felt preferable right now. His thoughts were too loud already.
Kenny, on the other hand, had left for a more serious reason. He needed to meet his sister, Jenny, and possibly check on Ruka as well. Earlier, Jenny had messaged him, explaining that she wanted to bring Ruka in for a mental check-up, or perhaps some form of therapy, following the incident. Kenny hadn't hesitated. He told Ryu he would come back once everything was settled, though neither of them truly knew how long that might take.
Before Ryu had left the nurse's office, Dr. Lovia had handed him a small set of ordinary pills—the kind people commonly took for headaches or migraines. She had spoken lightly while doing so, but Ryu could tell she didn't want him returning anytime soon. The nurse's office, in her eyes, was meant to remain quiet and undisturbed, and she clearly preferred it that way.
Miss Buron had already returned to her duties as well. Even though there were no classes scheduled, she remained in her office, occupied with her own responsibilities. Just like the others, she had advised Ryu to rest, her tone gentle yet firm, as if she knew he wouldn't listen unless everyone said the same thing.
Rest.
He wasn't sure if he truly could.
An assignment still awaited him, unfinished and unavoidable. Regardless of what had happened, deadlines didn't change, and neither did expectations. Yet now, with his life suddenly tangled in things he never believed existed, he found himself uncertain of how to proceed. The memories Salem had returned to him, the unnatural warmth of that glowing hand, the image of an angel wrapped in darkness, and the woman in a white gown—all of it lingered in his mind, refusing to fade.
It was overwhelming.
How am I supposed to accept all of this so easily…? he murmured under his breath.
His hands lifted to his head, fingers pressing against his temples as if the pressure might keep his thoughts from spilling over. For a brief moment, he looked like someone on the verge of breaking—but he didn't. He exhaled slowly, steadied himself, and let his hands fall back to his sides.
He wasn't panicking.
Not yet.
There's no time to doubt things, he told himself.
If it's real… if this is the reality I'm living in now… then so be it.
The acceptance came quicker than he expected, even though his mind and body were far from ready to face the unnatural. Perhaps it was instinct. Perhaps it was survival.
Ryu stood up and walked over to his desk, turning on his desktop computer. The familiar hum of the machine starting up grounded him, if only a little. He opened the application he had been working on for his assignment—a game app, the final project that stood between him and graduation. Once it was completed, he could move on, study peacefully, and step closer to the future he had envisioned.
At least, that was how it was supposed to go.
His goal had always been clear: finish the assignment before the deadline, graduate, and earn the diploma in game development required to work at an elite game company in Japan. That dream was the very reason he had chosen this department in the first place. He couldn't afford to fail now.
And then—
Suddenly, his thoughts drifted back to something else entirely.
Something his father had said to him the night before, during their phone call.
Ryu remembered what his father had said during their phone call the night before—that once he graduated, he wanted Ryu to come home. His father hadn't explained why, nor had he given any hint of what awaited him there. Yet for some reason, the words lingered heavily in Ryu's mind, carrying an unspoken weight that made him uneasy. It felt as though something important had already been prepared for him, something beyond his imagination, something he wasn't meant to know yet.
The more he thought about it, the more unsettled he became.
He couldn't help but wonder whether his father—or perhaps his entire family—had been hiding things from him all along. Secrets layered beneath years of ordinary life, buried so deeply that he had never once questioned their existence. And now, with everything that had happened, the idea no longer felt far-fetched. It felt disturbingly possible.
Ryu didn't know what to expect anymore. The world had already drifted far beyond what he once considered normal, and each revelation only pushed that boundary further. Still, for now, he chose to focus on what was directly in front of him. College. Assignments. Deadlines. If life was slowly shifting into something like a hardcore difficulty mode in a game, then the only way to survive was to maintain his rhythm—live as he always had, at least until things twisted beyond control once again.
He turned his attention back to the monitor, running the game and reviewing it carefully. Every animation, every mechanic, every line of logic mattered. He forced himself to concentrate, pushing aside the noise in his head. There were only two days left before the deadline. He couldn't afford distractions. He had to finish this as soon as possible.
So absorbed was he in the screen that when the doorknob suddenly twisted and the door opened from the outside, the sound jolted him violently. Ryu flinched, nearly jumping out of his seat, and instinctively grabbed the nearest object he could use for self-defense—a plastic bottle resting on his desk.
Only after turning toward the door did he realize the figure standing there was James, a plastic bag hanging from his hand.
"Oh, hey!" James said casually. "I bought some chips you like. And also some water—"
He stopped mid-sentence the moment he noticed Ryu's defensive stance.
Ryu frowned and snapped, "God damn it, James. You could've knocked first. I was about to throw hands."
James immediately lowered the plastic bag to his waist and raised his other hand to scratch the back of his head, his posture awkward and apologetic. "Sorry," he said nervously. "Guess I'm still the same as before."
"You're always the same," Ryu muttered, lowering his voice but not his irritation. "Never knocking before entering. You're lucky I observed before actually doing something."
James slowly closed the door behind him, then walked further into the room. He sat down on Ryu's bed and placed the plastic bag beside him before glancing over.
"You gonna eat or what?" he asked, his tone already back to its usual cold, casual manner—as if he hadn't just walked in like a prince rescuing a startled princess.
Ryu didn't hesitate.
"Finally. I couldn't be more grateful. I'm starving."
He quickly moved over and sat beside James on the bed, immediately reaching into the bag. He pulled out a pack of chips, tore it open without hesitation, and began eating almost aggressively.
James stared at him, momentarily stunned.
This guy… he thought. He's way hungrier than usual.
The thought amused him more than he expected.
After a brief stretch of silence, broken only by the faint crunch of chips, Ryu finally spoke—his mouth still half full.
"How's Leon?" he asked. "Is he… alright?"
James took a second before responding. He turned his head slightly toward Ryu, as if weighing his words.
"He is…" he began, then paused. His gaze drifted downward toward the floor, his voice lowering unconsciously. "He's got a really bad headache. I didn't catch everything the doctor said, but… from what I understood, it's something like a migraine mixed with a fever. I think they also mentioned his blood pressure was low. Or maybe just low blood in general."
Ryu stopped chewing.
The sound of crunching faded, and his eyes followed James's gaze to the floor. He sat there for a few seconds—three, maybe—before speaking again.
"He never told me he had migraines," Ryu said quietly. "Could it be something that only started recently?"
James shifted his position on the bed, adjusting himself restlessly. He tried to stay seated, but after a few small movements, he stood up almost involuntarily, as if remaining still had suddenly become uncomfortable. It wasn't a conscious decision—more like a feeling that told him he needed to move.
Turning to face Ryu, James spoke plainly.
"Honestly… we don't really know much about Leon."
He began pacing slowly as he talked, taking a few short steps across the room.
"Even though he was your friend before he was either of ours," James continued, "we still don't know much about him. And I can tell—you probably feel the same way."
That statement caught Ryu off guard.
He looked up at James, then shook his head slightly as thoughts rushed through his mind.
He's right…
Even though I was the first one to be with Leon, I don't actually know him that well.
I know his name, a bit about his family, his goals, the way he talks… but that's it.
It always felt like there was more to him—something he never showed.
Then another realization followed, stopping his thoughts abruptly.
Wait… isn't it the same with the others too?
Ryu's eyes widened slightly as he looked back at James.
"You dumbass," he said bluntly. "I feel the same way about you and Kenny."
James stopped pacing.
He stood there in silence for a moment, staring at Ryu, before scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
"Well…" he admitted, "you're not wrong. I feel the same way about you and Kenny too. And honestly, Kenny probably feels the same about us."
He let out a small, embarrassed sigh.
"Guess that was a pretty bad assumption on my part."
For a brief moment, James had no words. Slight shame settled in as he turned back toward the bed and sat down again. Without saying anything else, he reached for the snacks and started eating.
"Whatever," he muttered between bites. "To answer your original question—no. Leon isn't alright. He'll be resting in his dorm after they finish treating him."
A few more minutes passed quietly, stretching into something closer to an hour, as Ryu and James filled the time with random, meaningless chatter. They talked about trivial things—games, classes, small complaints—nothing important, yet comforting in its simplicity. For a brief while, it felt almost normal, as if the day hadn't been filled with hospitals, sealed memories, and unsettling truths.
Eventually, James glanced at the time and decided it was best for him to leave.
Once the door closed behind him, Ryu found himself alone in the dorm again. The silence returned, heavier than before. He exhaled softly and looked around the room, immediately noticing the small mess James had left behind—crumbs, empty packaging, things abandoned without a second thought.
Ryu rubbed his temple and muttered inwardly.
Damn it… he could've eaten more carefully. Now I've got to clean this up.
He spent a short while tidying the room, picking up wrappers and wiping down surfaces until the dorm looked somewhat presentable again. The mundane task helped clear his head just a little, grounding him back into routine.
When he finally sat down and turned his attention back to the monitor, the assignment awaited him exactly where he had left it. He stared at the screen for a moment longer than necessary before resuming his work, fingers hovering above the keyboard.
Leon crossed his mind again.
I wonder when Leon will be back…
At the very least, he should be able to work on his assignment while resting.
It'd be stupid to fail just because he doesn't have his laptop.
The thought lingered, refusing to go away.
After a brief hesitation, Ryu reached for his phone and called James, explaining the situation and suggesting that Leon's laptop be brought to him. Once the call ended, he placed the phone back down on the desk, feeling a small sense of relief for having done something—anything—to help.
With that settled, Ryu leaned forward.
This time, he fully committed.
His eyes fixed on the screen, his hands returned to the keyboard, and his focus narrowed to the task in front of him. Whatever strange truths awaited him beyond this moment, for now, there was only the assignment—and the ticking clock counting down the days left to finish it.
***
5:33 PM
Ryu leaned back slightly in his chair, his eyes lingering on the monitor in front of him. He had stopped working—not because he was tired, but because the assignment itself was finally done. Or at least, done enough to reach the next stage. The core of the work was complete, but before he could truly feel relieved, it still needed to be tested thoroughly.
Without wasting time, he ran the game application he had created and began reviewing it once again, paying close attention to every detail. For several minutes, everything ran smoothly. The mechanics responded as intended, transitions felt clean, and nothing stood out as an obvious flaw. Yet, that very smoothness made him uneasy.
It can't be perfect… right?
Unable to fully trust his own judgment, he decided it would be better to have a second pair of eyes look over it. He picked up his phone, attached the application file, and sent it to Miss Buron through the chat app, politely asking her to run and review it for him when she had time.
As soon as he sent the message, another sensation crept up on him—hunger.
He paused and realized that he hadn't eaten a proper meal since earlier. Snacks could only get him so far. With a quiet sigh, he decided to head to the grocery store himself.
After changing into more appropriate clothing, Ryu left his dorm room and made his way out of the building. The evening air greeted him as he stepped outside, cooler than before. As he walked along the familiar path, his eyes caught sight of the same group of students he had noticed earlier—a study group gathered at the hut once again.
He slowed slightly.
A part of him felt an unexpected urge to greet them. Maybe it was loneliness. Maybe it was the subconscious desire to anchor himself to something normal after everything that had happened. He considered, just for a moment, what it would be like to walk over and introduce himself.
But he didn't stop.
Instead, he kept walking forward, only glancing in their direction as he passed. Because of that brief distraction—walking while looking elsewhere—he collided with someone head-on.
The impact wasn't strong, but it was enough.
A soft gasp escaped the other person as the stack of books she was holding slipped from her arms and scattered across the ground. She wore glasses, and her dark red hair framed her startled expression as she instinctively stepped back.
"Ack—! S-sorry," Ryu said immediately, panic flashing across his face. "I wasn't looking—"
He dropped to one knee at once, reaching out to gather the fallen books. The girl stuttered as well, her voice rushed and flustered.
"W-Well, uh… it—it's okay!"
She quickly crouched down to help, and together they collected the books. There weren't many, so it didn't take long. When they finished, they both stood up at nearly the same time, Ryu carefully handing the remaining books back to her.
Ryu felt it again—the peculiar mixture of nervousness and excitement emanating from the girl in front of him. He watched her with a strange combination of curiosity and cluelessness, unable to place exactly why his attention was drawn so strongly.
Noticing his gaze, she seemed to shrink slightly under it. Her face betrayed her emotions in a faint blush that crept across her cheeks, subtle yet unmistakable. She stammered softly, "I—I'll excuse myself…" before carefully maneuvering past him.
Ryu remained standing for a moment, perplexed by the fleeting encounter. Something about the way she had reacted—shy, flustered, almost embarrassed by his stare—made him pause. Yet it didn't trigger any memory, no recollection of meeting her before. Instead, he found himself silently questioning, What's gotten into her…?
He watched her walk away, the movement somehow graceful yet hurried, before finally turning back to his own path. This time, he kept his gaze firmly forward, determined not to make the same mistake again. The memory of bumping into someone earlier lingered uncomfortably, and he didn't want a repeat of that awkward collision. Carefully, he made his way to the grocery store, each step measured and deliberate.
Upon reaching the door, Ryu opened it and stepped inside. The familiar hum of the store greeted him, along with the sight of the same cashier behind the counter. She seemed different this time—less lively, her expression distant, not acknowledging his presence as he had half-expected.
Perhaps she hasn't noticed me yet, Ryu told himself optimistically. He recalled how he had been unnerved by her before, plagued with strange, unsettling thoughts, but this time he felt calmer.
His eyes scanned the name tag subtly visible from afar. Sarah Wayne, it read, the letters clear even from a distance. She was scrolling through her phone, absorbed in it, still unaware that he had entered the store.
Ryu took a few steps toward the counter, intending to draw her attention. He made each step slightly heavier, deliberate, hoping to catch her notice. Yet, just as he neared the counter, he shifted direction, veering toward the display shelves instead, intentionally altering his approach.
The moment he changed course, she finally looked up. An audible "Oh" escaped her, soft and startled, as if she hadn't realized he was there all along.
Ryu paused and slowly turned to face her, letting his expression relax into a casual, easygoing look. Sarah blinked rapidly, clearly caught off guard, and hastily set her phone aside. A nervous bead of sweat formed on her forehead, but she forced a small, uncertain smile and asked, "W-when did you get here…?"
Before he could answer, she quickly added a greeting, the tone polite yet noticeably low on energy this time. "Welcome to our store…"
Even as she spoke, the subtle tension in her posture betrayed her lingering surprise, leaving Ryu quietly observing, intrigued by the contradiction between her words and the emotions behind them.