Morning came without a sound.
A faint light slowly crept through the gap in the window, touching the bedroom wall with a pale glow.
Arou opened his eyes.
He turned toward the clock on his bedroom wall.
05:46.
It was still early, but his body had already gotten used to waking up around this time. He got out of bed, quickly fixed his hair, and walked out of the room.
The house felt alive.
From the kitchen, the quiet sound of the television could be heard. Arou glanced over.
In the dining room, Airi, Lumina, Hikari, and Nora were sitting in front of the screen. A morning show was playing at a low volume, simply keeping them company at the start of the day. Their faces looked relaxed, as if today had nothing waiting to trouble them.
Shi and Priscilla were still asleep in their respective rooms. The house wasn't completely lively, but it wasn't quiet either.
Arou headed toward the bathroom.
His hand was almost on the doorknob when he stopped.
He heard water running inside.
He blinked, then knocked softly.
"Knock, knock."
"Akari?" he called.
A slightly surprised voice came from behind the door.
"Eeh… yeah, what is it?"
"Are you done?"
"Yeah… almost."
"Alright."
Arou stepped away from the door and turned around. He decided to head to the living room instead, then sat down on the sofa right beside Hikari.
The girl turned to him and smiled faintly.
"Good morning, Dad."
"Yeah. Good morning, Hikari."
Hikari turned her attention back to the television. A few seconds passed in comfortable silence.
Nora, who had been in her cat form the whole time, suddenly jumped down from the chair. Her small body glowed for a moment before transforming into her human form. Without saying much, she headed straight to the kitchen and grabbed something to drink.
Not long after, the bathroom door opened.
Akari came out while drying her hair.
"Arou, I'm done."
"Okay."
Arou stood up and immediately entered the bathroom. After taking a few steps, he stopped.
He had forgotten his towel.
Without complaining, he walked back out, went to his room, grabbed the towel, and returned to the bathroom.
Cold water touched his skin. Arou brushed his teeth slowly, staring blankly at the mirror. Without realizing it, his thoughts drifted toward the figure that had appeared in his mind yesterday.
Zata.
The name crossed his mind again, faint but annoying. He let out a short sigh and pushed the thought away. Morning wasn't the right time to get lost in strange thoughts.
A few minutes later, he finished showering.
Arou returned to his room and quickly put on his school uniform. His bag was ready. Nothing was left behind.
"Knock, knock."
Someone knocked on his bedroom door.
"Arou… are you ready?" Akari's voice came from outside.
Arou opened the door.
He was already dressed neatly, his bag hanging from his shoulder.
Akari glanced at him, then raised an eyebrow.
"That was fast."
"Why take so long?" Arou replied simply.
Akari only shook her head slightly and smiled.
The two of them left the room, passed through the living room, and said their quick goodbyes. The front door opened, and the morning air greeted them.
Arou and Akari walked side by side.
Their steps matched, without much conversation, but there was no distance between them either.
A new day had begun.
---
The school bell rang loudly, signaling the end of the day's lessons.
Chairs scraped against the floor, and conversations immediately filled the classroom.
Arou packed his books with the same familiar movements. His expression was flat, like his mind was still somewhere else.
Akari stood beside his desk.
"Arou, are we going home together?"
Arou slowly shook his head as he put the last book into his bag.
"Not today. I have work."
Akari let out a small sigh.
"Just like usual, huh?"
"Yeah," Arou replied briefly. "You go home first."
Akari looked at him for a moment, as if she wanted to say something, but eventually she only nodded.
"Don't come home too late."
Arou didn't answer. He simply gave a small wave before walking out of the classroom.
---
The afternoon sky was clear, but for some reason, it felt colder than usual.
Arou walked alone toward the bookstore, his steps steady while his thoughts were all over the place.
Last night's events came back to his mind.
Time stopping.
The frozen world.
And the being named Zata.
"Come to the bookstore with me tomorrow…"
The words echoed in his mind again.
Arou sighed.
"No way," he muttered. "He was probably joking."
When he arrived at the bookstore, the little bell above the door rang as he entered.
"Ah, Arou," the boss greeted him from behind the counter. "You're right on time."
"Yeah," Arou replied. "Is it busy today?"
"Pretty busy. We've had a lot of customers since noon."
Arou changed his jacket for his work apron and started his usual routine: arranging books, tidying the shelves, and helping customers who had questions.
At first, everything felt normal.
Too normal.
---
About half an hour later, the atmosphere inside the busy bookstore suddenly changed.
Not because of a sound.
Not because of the lights.
But because someone walked into the store.
Her footsteps were light.
Calm.
Graceful.
A woman with long, light-blue hair that shimmered softly like morning light. Her clothes were simple, yet clearly not ordinary. Every movement she made felt… too perfect.
The conversations inside the store gradually quieted down.
Some customers stopped reading.
Others unconsciously stared at her for too long.
One person even dropped a book from their hands.
Arou, who was arranging books on a shelf, felt something strange in his chest.
He turned around.
And the moment he saw her, his heart started beating faster.
"What…?" he whispered.
The woman walked toward the counter and spoke to his boss with a gentle smile.
"Excuse me. May I speak with an employee named Arou?"
Arou's boss looked surprised.
"Eh? Arou?" He turned toward him. "Do you know her?"
Arou slowly stepped forward.
"Who are you?"
The woman raised a finger to her lips.
"Shhh… don't pretend you've forgotten me."
Arou frowned.
"Forgotten? I don't even know you."
The woman looked surprised, then let out a dramatic sigh.
"Oh my… We only met yesterday."
Arou tensed.
"Yesterday? When?"
The woman leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice.
"On your way home from work."
Arou's eyes widened.
"Wait… midnight?"
The woman smiled widely.
"Yep. Exactly."
For a moment, the world seemed to stop around Arou.
"Don't tell me…"
He swallowed.
"Are you… Zata?"
The woman clapped her hands softly, her face lighting up.
"Wow~ You still remember me."
Arou covered his face for a moment.
"Of course I do… Why did I ever hope this wouldn't happen…"
"But," Arou continued, lowering his hand and staring at her sharply, "why do you look like this?"
Zata—now in the form of a woman—casually twirled a strand of her hair around her finger.
"I just wanted to see you work."
"And you had to look like this?"
"Of course," she answered casually. "If I showed up looking like I normally do, you'd immediately assume I came to mess with reality."
Arou let out a long sigh.
"Haah… forget it."
Arou's boss, who had been watching them the whole time, finally spoke.
"Arou… is she your friend?"
Arou was silent for a moment.
"…Yeah. A friend."
Zata smiled in satisfaction.
---
Arou went back to work, even though he couldn't focus anymore.
He could feel Zata's presence, even when he couldn't always see her.
A few minutes later, Zata appeared beside him.
"So," she said casually, "what am I supposed to do?"
Arou didn't turn around.
"Just watch me work."
Zata tilted her head.
"…Boring."
Arou clicked his tongue.
"I knew it."
Zata then turned around and walked toward the bookshelves.
"Then I'll grab a few books to read."
"Go ahead," Arou replied. "Just don't make the shelves disappear."
Zata chuckled.
"Don't worry. I promise I'll be a good guest today."
She picked up a book, then sat in the corner of the store and began reading with a serious expression—far too serious for someone who claimed to be bored with reality.
Arou glanced at her.
"A being that can change the world…" he thought to himself,
"…yet she chooses to read a book in a tiny bookstore."
For some reason, for the first time in a long while, Arou felt that
his workday wasn't completely ordinary.
And that made him uneasy.
At the same time… curious.