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Chapter 122 - The Quiet Shift

-SAPPORO CITY, EARLY MORNING-

-6:18 AM, MARCH 9, 2017-

The city woke slowly.

Snow rested quietly on rooftops.

Streets were calm.

Ordinary.

Unaware.

-ARAKAWA RESIDENCE-

-6:32 AM-

Rikuu stood in the kitchen.

Silent.

Thinking.

The conversation from last night—

Still fresh.

Still heavy.

Ichika entered quietly.

"…You didn't sleep."

Rikuu didn't deny it.

"…Neither did you."

She gave a small, tired smile.

"…I guess not."

A pause.

Then Ichika spoke.

"…Do you regret it?"

Rikuu looked at her.

"…No."

A beat.

"…But I understand it."

Ichika nodded slowly.

"…Yeah."

-SCHOOL ROAD-

-7:48 AM-

They walked together.

Side by side.

But more alert now.

Every movement.

Every person.

Felt… noticeable.

"…They said things would become unstable," Ichika said.

Rikuu nodded.

"…Which means they already set something in motion."

-AURORA ACADEMY-

-8:12 AM-

The school looked normal.

Students talking.

Classes beginning.

Nothing out of place.

But—

Rikuu stopped walking.

"…Do you feel that?"

Ichika paused.

"…Yeah."

A subtle tension.

In the air.

Classes continued.

But something small changed.

A flicker in the lights.

A brief system glitch.

Students murmured.

Teachers brushed it off.

Minor.

Insignificant.

But Rikuu noticed.

"…It's starting."

-CITY STREET-

-12:14 PM-

Elsewhere—

A traffic signal malfunctioned briefly.

Causing confusion.

Then it reset.

Normal again.

No one thought much of it.

-ARAKAWA RESIDENCE-

-4:51 PM-

Rikuu returned home.

His grandmother sat quietly, preparing tea.

"…You're back early," she said gently.

"…Yeah."

He sat down.

Watching her for a moment.

A quiet pause.

"…Grandma."

She looked at him.

"…Yes?"

Rikuu hesitated slightly.

Then—

"…Be careful these days."

She smiled softly.

"…That's my line, isn't it?"

A small silence.

"…I'm serious," he added.

She nodded.

"…Alright."

-UNKNOWN LOCATION-

-6:22 PM-

The man stood in front of multiple screens.

Displaying city systems.

Traffic.

Power.

Infrastructure.

"…Phase one is active."

Another voice spoke.

"Small disruptions?"

The man nodded.

"…For now."

A pause.

"…Let him feel it."

-SAPPORO CITY, NIGHT-

-9:37 PM-

The city lights flickered.

Just slightly.

Then stabilized.

People barely noticed.

But the pattern—

Was growing.

-ARAKAWA RESIDENCE-

-10:11 PM-

Rikuu stood by the window again.

Watching the city.

"…This isn't random."

Ichika stood beside him.

"…They're building something."

Rikuu's eyes narrowed slightly.

"…Yeah."

A pause.

"…And we're in the center of it."

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