It was supposed to be an ordinary afternoon, if such a thing even existed in the loop anymore. Yuto and Aira were walking home together, pretending—just for an hour—that everything was normal. No loops. No shadowy figures. Just two teens sharing snacks and sarcastic banter.
"So," Aira said between bites of fried mochi, "what's the plan if the world ends again tonight? Karaoke or ramen first?"
Yuto shrugged dramatically. "Obviously karaoke. If I'm going out, I want to die hitting a high note."
Their laughter echoed down the street.
That's when Yuto noticed it—a letter sticking out from the mailbox at his house. Not in the mailbox. Just barely peeking out, like someone had wanted him to find it, but not too easily.
He pulled it free.
Aira leaned in. "Ooooh. Secret admirer? Or is past-you finally learning to mail stuff to present-you?"
The handwriting on the front read: To Yuto, when it matters most.
Inside was a single piece of folded parchment:
> You forgot me once. You will not forget again. The loop is not just time—it's memory, it's people. Pay attention to those closest to you. They are not just NPCs.
> One of them is lying.
Aira blinked. "Creepy. Also weirdly poetic."
Yuto's younger sister, Yuzu, peeked over his shoulder from the front door. "Are you two being dramatic time travelers again?"
"Only on weekdays," Yuto said quickly, stuffing the letter away.
Yuzu rolled her eyes and walked inside muttering, "Nerds."
But Aira's face had changed. "Yuto… what if your sister's memory's different? What if she remembers a different loop?"
The realization hit them like cold water.
Their friends. Their families. What if they weren't just background noise? What if the loop used them, hid secrets in them?
They weren't alone.
Not anymore.