Sakura and I set the last of the plates on the table, the soft clink of ceramic the only sound in the room. I turned back toward the kitchen, arms full with a stack of pancakes—far too many for just us, enough to feed an entire family—when something in my peripheral vision caught.
Down the hallway.
I slowed.
A girl stood there, perfectly still, watching me.
Her face was… elegant, almost doll-like in its refinement—but there was something wrong beneath it. Empty. Like the expression didn't quite reach her eyes. It sent a faint, uncomfortable chill crawling up my spine.
I forced a smile anyway, shifting the weight of the plate in my hands.
"H-hello… I'm Pondaru. Thanks for having me."
"Hmph."
The response was sharp and dismissive. She flicked her hair back with a small, irritated motion, then brushed past me without another glance, heading straight for the table as if I hadn't spoken at all.
I stood there for a second longer than I should have, the warmth of the pancakes suddenly feeling a lot heavier in my hands.
"…."
"Pon-chan, let's eat!" Sakura called, popping out of the kitchen. Before I could react, she grabbed my sleeve and tugged me forward, dragging me along like I was some toy she refused to leave behind.
"R-right…" I managed, stumbling a half-step—my eyes drifting toward the table, toward her—
And then him.
The blond-haired boy sat beside her, but unlike the cold stillness I'd expected, he looked… relaxed. Almost too relaxed. He leaned back slightly in his chair, a small, easy grin tugging at his lips as if this were all mildly entertaining.
When he noticed me looking, his expression brightened.
He straightened, lifting a hand in a quick, eager wave—fingers wiggling just a bit, a bright, open smile tugging at his lips.
Like he'd already decided I belonged there—like he was silently asking, Hey—who're you? Come sit with us… maybe even play after.
I blinked at the energy, still caught in that small, warm moment… and that's when it happened.
I walked straight into something familiarly solid. Firm. Unyielding. A wall of muscle pressed into my face, and for a heartbeat, my mind went completely blank. My gaze snapped upward—and the owner of that body leaned down, grin wide.
Then her voice slammed into me—loud, sharp, dripping with both amusement and scorn.
"Finally up, you lazy little bastard! What the hell took you so long?!"
Every word hit like a whip, cruel and teasing all at once, leaving me frozen, cheeks burning, heart hammering against the solid wall in front of me.
Seriously… how can she even say that? When not too long ago she was dead asleep and didn't even wake up after assaulting me?!
From the table, Sakura's voice cut through: "Pon-Chan, Pon-Chan! C'mon, let's dig in!"
I brushed past her, ignoring her words, and made a beeline for Sakura. I didn't even try saying anything—my annoyingly cute voice would've probably earned me a laugh… and more teasing anyway.
Before I could get far, she latched onto my arm, a wicked grin plastered across her face. "And to think… I could've made some cash off of you."
Time froze. My chest tightened. My legs locked. For a moment, I couldn't even think—until she finally let go. I stumbled forward, resuming my path to Sakura, while Ammo Tits scratched the back of her thigh and walked out of the room—probably to fall back asleep somewhere else.
I slid into the seat next to her just as she set a plate in front of me.
"Don't mind Korai-sama," she chirped, eyes sparkling. "She says mean things, but she probably doesn't mean them. Hehe."
That… "probably" wasn't reassuring at all.
"Y-yeah… thanks," I muttered.
Korai, huh… so that's Ammo Tits's real name.
"Here, Pon-chan! Eat up and get big and strong for me, okay?"
I hadn't realized how good we'd done on the food until I finally picked up a fork. Staring at the pancakes, eggs, and biscuits, it hit me just how long it had been since I'd had a decent meal.
This should've made me at least a little happier… right?
So why did I feel so bad right now?
I was supposed to come back and make dinner for them… and I hadn't even eaten that morning. By now, I should've been starving.
I tightened my grip on my fork, trying to just eat like normal—
—but before I could, Sakura leaned in and held out her own fork, pushing a bite toward my mouth.
"Mm—?!"
"Big and strong!" she smiled.
"Sakura, Sakura—me too! Me too! I wanna be big and strong!" the boy shouted from across the table.
"Then eat all your food and maybe you'll be as big as Usumi one day, okay?"
"Usumi? Alright!" He dove face-first into his plate.
No way eating alone is gonna get you as big as that guy… I thought as I chewed.
"Sakura-chan, this is amazing!" he added, coming up for air.
"It's because it wasn't just me this time—it was our new friend Pondaru too!"
It actually shocked me. That was the first time I'd heard her say my name right—not shortened with '-chan,' like we were already best friends.
"Pon-chan, that's Juna right there—the blonde one," Sakura whispered.
I leaned in, lowering my voice. "I whispered back—they're both blonde, Sakura."
"Oh… right." Sakura added, lightly knocking her head.
Juna finally spoke up. "What are you guys talking about over there?"
"N-nothing! You're Juna, right? I was supposed to give this to yo—"
"You better not be talking about me or my brother."
"N-no, we're not!" I quickly stood, stepping away from the hot food and closer to her. "Usumi asked me to give this to you—it's a description of my home so he can help me find it."
She took the paper without a word, her movements precise, almost delicate. Her eyes scanned it once.
"This is your handwriting?"
"Y-yes… it is."
A faint pause. Then—
"Hmph." She scoffed, then raised her arm in front of her. Her skin shifted—splitting open—and revealed a small screen underneath.
"What the—what is that?!" I blurted.
Her eyes flicked up to mine, unimpressed. "You don't know?"
"N-no…"
A small exhale left her nose—barely there, but heavy with judgment.
"You can read. You can write." Her tone stayed even, measured. "And yet you don't know what a cybic- nano screen is." She tilted her head slightly, studying me like a puzzle already solved. "…How strange."
Her gaze shifted, just briefly, toward Sakura.
"Though I suppose it makes sense. That level of ignorance usually comes from the same place."
I turned back toward Sakura. She'd already looked away looking ashamed of the words that came from Juna's mouth.
"Hey, that's a bit—" I started, trying to defend her—
—but Juna folded the note once… then crushed it in her hand without a second glance.
"Hey—why'd you do that?!"
"I don't need it anymore." Her voice didn't rise. "It's already saved."
"Saved… where?"
She didn't even look at me this time.
"My port."
"Port…?"
A pause. Then, finally, the faintest hint of irritation.
"…You really are inconvenient."
She stood, smoothing her dress absentmindedly—elegant, composed, like none of this mattered.
"Come." She turned toward the stairs without waiting. "I don't have time to entertain a lost child."
Her wording felt older than she looked—but not quite as mature as someone saying them should've been. Calling me a child… like she wasn't one herself.
"Where do you think you're going with that funky-ass smelling jacket, huh?" The voice cracked through the hall like a whip—sharp, loud, impossible to ignore.
"You really want this little fuckin' piss-stinking wretch in your precious room?" Ammo Tits's voice rose, theatrical and biting, every word dripping with contempt.
"It is… an unpleasant smell, but Korai… what is it you want?" Juna asked cautiously, clearly trying to keep things from spiraling out of control.
Ammo Tits stomped forward, movements sharp and exaggerated, like she owned the damn place. "Want? The hell kinda question is that? There ain't shit I want from you—unless you're offering something actually worth my time." She smirked, mean and crooked. "You're damn lucky Usumi found y'all first and not me."
"Then?" Juna pressed, one brow twitching at Korai's insolence.
Ammo Tits jabbed a finger at me. "I found her. Me. I saw this little runt first. That makes her mine." She sneered. "And I'm not letting my shit walk around smelling like ass."
"'Yours'? How absurd. A person is not something to be claimed as property, Korai."
Ammo Tits didn't answer. She just stepped closer—too close—and yanked off my jacket, exposing my chest.
"W-wha—what are you doing?" I sputtered, stumbling back.
"Then do something about it," she snapped, voice sharp as broken glass. "Look at her. I could drag her off right now and do whatever the hell I want to her. Who's gonna stop me? You?"
"Please—no! Let me go!" I begged, panic rising in my chest.
Juna didn't move. "…By all means. I fail to see why it should matter to me."
Ammo Tits froze.
"…The hell did you just say?"
Juna's gaze remained steady. "If you are so intent on it, then proceed. It changes nothing for me."
"You really are a little cold-ass bitch, huh?" Ammo Tits muttered, clicking her tongue. "Tch. Lucky for you I'm not in the mood to actually ruin your day."
Before I could react, something smacked into me—cloth hitting my chest as Ammo Tits shoved a pink hoodie at me.
"Don't just stand there, dumbass—put it on."
In the next second, she grabbed the hoodie back and shoved it over my head. Her hands were rough and impatient as she forced my arms through the sleeves, yanking the fabric down hard over my chest, straightening it with quick, irritated tugs.
"God, you're useless…" she muttered under her breath.
Ammo Tits stepped back, looking me over like she was judging a half-finished job. "Now get the fuck outta my sight…" she growled, voice dropping low, dangerous. "…Before I stop joking and actually do something you'll cry about," she added, shoving past us and leaving the hallway.
I tried to slow my racing heart, taking deep, shaky breaths.
Then Juna started walking forward—silent, deliberate—her expression still unreadable as ever, giving nothing away. We went up the stairs and passed by the room I'd woken up in, taking a left into the first door.
"Please, sit there," she instructed, her voice calm but commanding.
I obeyed.
She pulled a cord from the desk and plugged it into a massive, projector-like screen that floated in midair, nearly touching the corners of the walls. The other half of the wire went straight into her arm.
I stared, mesmerized by the clicks as the connection completed, feeling a strange mix of awe and unease.
"This is the web server," she explained, her tone casual despite the bizarre setup. "I'm just going to poke around for anything matching that note of yours, alright?"
"This… this is incredible," I whispered, leaning closer. "It's… like a whole world just… floating in midair. How does it even work? I mean, there's no keyboard, no mouse… it's just—just wires and lights and some kind of… screen projecting itself from your arm?"
"Yes. Essentially," she replied, her voice flat and precise. "The projection is generated through a localized field emitter. The interface itself is linked directly to my neural port, allowing me to interact with the system without the need for external devices."
I circled the desk a little, careful not to touch anything. "So if I put my home address in here, or even landmarks I remember… it should be able to find them? Like, I could see the streets, the houses, maybe even… people?" My voice trembled slightly, half excited.
Juna's eyes flicked toward me, unimpressed. "Do you not know what a computer is?"
"I-I do! I just… I was wondering…"
"Hm. So you're not completely incompetent," she muttered. "Yes. It updates in real time—data pulled from traffic cameras, surveillance grids, public feeds. I built it a while ago. It functions adequately."
"You made this?!" I blurted, staring at the projection in disbelief. "That's amazing!"
"So, by updates in real time you mean… can it show changes? Can it track things that move?"
"Yes," she replied. "Movement is reflected as it occurs, within system limits."
I bent closer, squinting at the glowing projections. "And these lines… what are they? Connections? They look like veins or circuits. Are those like pathways? Like information running along wires, but everywhere at once? How can one screen handle all that?"
"They are data routes," she said flatly. "Visualized for efficiency. The system condenses large-scale information into a manageable interface."
My fingers twitched, itching to touch the glowing lines. "I… I've never seen anything like this… it's so huge, so… alive, almost. It's like the city itself is inside this thing. And all I have to do is… type or point? Just point at it and it does the work?"
"Yes," Juna said. "Input is interpreted and executed accordingly."
Then I paused, a little breathless. "Wait… so… if you plug this into you… that means you're part of it, too. You're like a living interface… like your mind can… talk to it?"
"Y—"
A strange noise buzzed from the screen—zzzz-eep. Juna's voice cut off instantly.
Then I glanced back at her—and froze.
Her upper body slammed forward onto the desk with a dull, heavy thud, the cord tugging where it connected to her arm and swaying slightly from the sudden drop.
Juna had gone completely limp. Her body slumped forward, head hanging low, nearly touching the desk. Her arms dangled uselessly at her sides, her jaw slackened at a terrible angle. Her eyes were wide open—glassy, unblinking—staring straight through me like she wasn't even in the room.
It was… wrong. Wrong in a way that made my stomach turn. Every part of her posture screamed lifelessness, as if all the energy had been drained from her body. I could feel my chest tighten, my hands trembling.
"J-Juna?!" I called, my voice rising. "Are you—are you okay?!"
I reached out and grabbed her head—but it felt heavier than it should, her skin cold and slack beneath my hands. I shook her gently, panic clawing at me.
"Hey! W-wake up!"
And still… nothing.
A cold shiver ran down my spine. It reminded me of the driver on the day of the crash—the way I had promised him I'd help, that we'd make it through, and then watched him… slowly die. I couldn't go through that again. Not again.
My hands trembled, my chest tightened, every nerve screaming at me to do something, anything, before it was too late.
So I closed my eyes for a fraction of a second and whispered the only words I could think of, my voice barely more than a breath:
"Please… please be alive. Please, don't let her—don't let this happen again… let her be okay."
My fingers dug into the edge of the desk, knuckles white, as if gripping it could somehow channel my hope into reality. My heart hammered against my ribs, each beat a frantic prayer in its own right.
Then—suddenly—
"WawWawawwa-what are you doing?!"
"Y-You're… alive…" I held her head, staring into her eyes, telling myself she was okay. She wasn't dead. She was awake. "Thank god."
"Get the hell off me, you insignificant brat!"
Her legs shot up with sudden, precise force, pressing into my small frame and launching me backward onto my butt. Pain shot through my stomach, and I felt like breakfast was about to make a violent reappearance.
I clutched my midsection, gasping. "W-what was that for?!"
"What the hell is wrong with you!" She snapped, her voice sharp and cutting. "Never touch someone in the finite!"
"I—I didn't know! I thought—"
"I don't care what you think! I'm trying to help you with your made-up story, and you couldn't just sit down like I asked you to—"
"Made-up story?" I echoed, my voice barely above a whisper, confusion twisting in my chest.
"Nothing in your writing exists! The street names, the corner stores, that house two blocks down with number 625! Your note is completely wrong, and everything you're doing here is an absolute hoax!"
"No, you're wrong! It's real!" i said. Why the hell didn't she find it? Maybe she didn't look right… Maybe she missed something obvious… No, no, it has to be here. It has to be.
"Real? Maybe the train lines exist, but that doesn't change anything!" She stepped back, voice sharp and trembling. "Do you have any idea what could have happened? One wrong move—and I could have been gone! Completely erased! My mind, my body… everything!"
Her hands flailed, eyes blazing with terror and fury. "You—YOU ALMOST KILLED ME! I don't care about your notes, your proof, or your stupid obsession! Now get out of my room before I—" She took a sharp step toward the door, chest heaving. "—before I lose what's left of my patience!"
"Wait please, w-where's Usumi? Let him see it, maybe he'll—"
"That's all you want, is him…"
"what!?"
"You never cared about going home! That city—you couldn't possibly be from there! It's impossible! You're a fake, a fraud! Go back to where you belong, and stop clinging to Usumi-senpai before you get him killed too!"
Every nerve in my body screamed, heat crawling up to my head. "I…Is that what you think this is? You think I want to be here… you think I'm making all this up just to be with you people?!"
She stayed staring at me, unblinking. "I believe you are exploiting Usumi's kindness for your own gain."
I shook, clutching at my chest as my voice broke. "My family… they're gone! I don't know if they're alive or dead… every minute I think about them, and it's like a knife twisting in my chest! I can't… I can't stop imagining what might have happened… and it drives me insane!"
My breath hitched. "Do you… do you even understand what it's like, to feel like the world swallowed them whole? To wake up and realize there's no one left, and maybe never will be?"
Her expression faltered for a fraction of a second. Then she shrugged, eyes hard. "That's not my problem."
I stepped back, chest tight, fists clenching at my sides. "I don't need you. I don't need Usumi. I don't need anyone. I'll find them… on my own." I got up slowly from the floor, every movement weighted with anger and desperation—
—and the next thing I knew, Juna lunged at me.
"If that's true," she snapped, grabbing me by my legs, "then why the hell are you wearing my underwear?! You claim you don't need anyone… yet here you are, using my things like some desperate little thief!"
"I-I didn't take it! Sakura gave it to me—" I started, but she yanked on it with impossible strength, cutting me off before I could finish.
I tried to push her away, but she was beyond my strength — heavier and bigger than Sakura, she was stronger than anything I could handle.
The fabric stretched to its limits, groaning with every tug. I squirmed, twisting toward the door in desperation, but it was no use. With a loud snap, it tore completely off me, the threads ripping apart like paper.
Her eyes went wide, then burned with pure fury. "You—YOU RUINED THEM!" she screamed, her voice jagged and trembling with rage. She clawed at the torn remnants, as if the world itself had betrayed her. "Do you have any idea how—MUCH USUMI SAVED TO GET ME THEM?!"
I stumbled backward, heart hammering, as she lunged forward, hands flailing, her fury echoing through the room. "GET OUT! And don't you dare ever come back, YOU STUPID CHILD!"
I bolted, crashing into the doorframe in my haste. Pain shot through my shoulder, but I didn't stop. Tears blurred my vision as I darted to the room where I had first seen Sakura.
I flopped onto the bed, burying my face into the pillow. Frustration, despair, and exhaustion poured out of me like a tidal wave. A raw, desperate cry tore from my chest, a release my body had been holding back for far too long.
"Why… why me? Why now? Why is everything like this?" I whispered, my voice trembling, each question scraping against my throat.
I lifted my head, staring out at the wasteland beyond the window. Dust swirled in the pale light, a reminder of everything I'd lost—and everything I still had to find.
And then I made my decision.
It had all been a waste of time. I couldn't rely on anyone. I would leave. I would go alone—the way it should have been from the very beginning.
Just as I reached the window, the door creaked open behind me. Sakura's soft voice stopped me in my tracks. I pulled away from the window.
"Hey… what's up, Sakura?"
"I know what you're doing," she said quietly, almost blankly, as if she'd known this outcome all along.
"Why not wait a bit longer? Usumi… he'd help you," she added.
I turned back to the window. "Then why hasn't he done it by now?" I muttered.
There must be a reason he isn't here… he's a kind man, I'm sure he wants to help—but he must still be figuring things out.
"I don't have time to just sit around and wait when he's not even here! He told me we'd talk after breakfast, but where is he? He's gone… he obviously doesn't care that much," I snapped, frustration spilling out.
"Pon-chan, you're being too hard on him. He's not like that—he cares just as much as I do," Sakura replied gently.
"Then where is he?!" I lashed out, voice rising.
Her face faltered, eyes shifting to the side—the same look she'd worn when Juna had called her out at the table.
I took a deep breath, my chest tightening. "Sakura… I'm going to find my family. Nothing you say will change my mind, alright?"
"R-right… o-okay. Here," she said, holding out something. "I washed these for you. I can't have you running around without… underwear," she added with a nervous little laugh.
I took them, noticing the care in her small hands. "You're not going to try and stop me again?"
"There's no point, Pon-chan," she said gently. "The truth is… I never really had a family before. Usumi-senpai is the closest thing I've ever had, so… I'm truly rooting for you. I hope that when you find them, we can see each other again—and be friends," she said softly. Then, before I could respond, she hugged me tightly. Her arms wrapped around my tiny frame like a bear's, warm and unyielding.
"I'll be back, I promise… I just need to do this now," I said, trying to reassure her.
"D-don't…"
"Don't what?"
"N-never mind," she stammered. "It's nothing. I'm sure you'll be back, so… I'll be waiting for you, okay?"
I grabbed her hand, holding it tightly as I looked into her eyes. In that moment, her face suddenly flashed in my mind alongside another—my little sister. I had been searching for her so desperately, and Sakura's expression flickered back and forth in my thoughts.
"I'll be back for you," I whispered, voice firm. "No matter what happens… I'll find you."
For a brief second, her eyes welled up with tears. Then she blinked, forcing a small smile, tilted her head, and gave a thumbs-up. "A-alright, Pon-chan!"
She leaned over me, sliding the window open with a soft creak.
I darted behind the bed, pulling up the spats and snugging them into place. Heart hammering, I took a deep breath and whispered my goodbyes.
"Bye, Sakura…"
"Bye, Pon-chan…" Her voice trembled slightly, but she tried to sound cheerful. I spared her one last glance, memorizing the curve of her smile before climbing out the window.
The ground hit my feet, cold and solid, and I started moving away from the house.
"Pon-chan!"
I paused. "What?"
"The city's that way!" She pointed sharply in a direction different from where I'd been about to go.
"R-right… thanks," I said, forcing a small laugh and adjusting my path.
"And here—these are my shoes. They might be a little big, but it's better than walking barefoot, right?"
"Yeah, thanks," I said, picking them up and slipping them on, tightening the laces until they fit as best they could.
"I'll bring them back, okay?"
"I'll be waiting!" she called, waving both hands energetically. "And Pon-chan—"
"What now, Sakura?!"
She paused, her voice barely above a whisper. "I… I'll miss you…"
The words lingered in the air, fragile and heavy, and for a moment I couldn't move. My chest tightened, and I felt heat creeping up my neck. I looked away, scratching the back of my head, trying to keep my face from betraying me.
"…M-me too," I said quietly, my voice rough around the edges. I gave a short, half-smile that barely reached my eyes, then took a slow step back, forcing myself to walk away.
Even as I left, I could feel her watching, and the echo of her words followed me down the path, sharper than I wanted to admit.