Kaito Ishida stood in the school hallway, still as a statue.
The faint buzzing of the overhead lights.
The distant chatter of students.
The ticking of a nearby clock.
Everything felt muted. Like the world was underwater.
He slowly turned his head—left… right…
Then tilted it up to the ceiling, then down to the floor.
Same hallway.
Same day.
Same nightmare.
He looked at his arms, flexing his fingers like he had to make sure they were still attached to him. Still flesh. Still real.
But he didn't feel real.
"This is… the third time, right?" he whispered, his voice barely a breath.
No one heard.
His lips curled into a bitter smile. "Or was it the fourth? I can't even remember anymore."
The weight of guilt sank into his chest again, heavier than before. He pressed a hand against the wall to steady himself, but his legs were already moving.
Slow steps. Slower breaths.
His shoulders slumped. His eyes dark and hollow.
His thoughts were a storm:
"Why do I keep coming back?"
"What am I supposed to change?"
"Why can't I save them?"
He stopped in the middle of the hallway and clenched his fists.
"Dammit…"
The rage boiled over. He pulled back and slammed his fist against the wall.
Thud.
Pain shot through his hand immediately. It wasn't even a clean punch—he wasn't strong. He wasn't tough. He wasn't a hero.
He was just a kid.
A weak, stupid kid.
"Ah—" he hissed, pulling his hand back and clutching it with the other.
His knuckles were already turning red.
But the pain didn't stop the storm in his head.
"Why can't I do anything right?!" he shouted quietly, voice trembling with frustration.
"Um… excuse me?"
The voice cut through the silence like light through fog.
Kaito turned, startled.
A girl stood a few feet away. Around his age.
Long blond hair, neatly brushed. Warm Blue eyes behind delicate glasses. She had a soft presence—like sunlight after rain.
"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice gentle but worried.
Kaito straightened up quickly, trying to act like he wasn't just yelling at a wall.
"Yeah. I'm fine," he said, his voice tight.
The girl looked at his hand. "You're bleeding a little…"
Kaito stuffed it in his pocket. "It's nothing."
She hesitated, then smiled slightly. "Well, okay. If you say so."
There was a pause. Kaito looked away, unsure what to do. He wasn't used to random people talking to him—especially not after the mess his life had become.
"So…" she began again, trying to break the awkward silence. "What's your name?"
He glanced at her, almost surprised. Then sighed softly.
"Kaito. Kaito Ishida."
Her eyes lit up slightly. "That's a cool name."
He blinked. "Cool? Really?"
"Yeah," she said with a small laugh. "It sounds like someone out of an anime or something."
He let out a chuckle—surprised it even came out. It felt strange, hearing someone talk to him like this. Like he was just… normal.
"What about you?" he asked. "What's your name?"
The girl smiled.
"Naomi. Naomi Ishikawa."
He repeated it under his breath. "Naomi…"
"Yeah?" she looked at him curiously.
He scratched his cheek, suddenly awkward. "Nothing. Just… your name's kinda cute."
Naomi blinked, and a blush crept up her cheeks. She turned her face slightly, trying to hide it.
"Stupid," she muttered, but there was no venom in her voice.
Kaito smiled for real this time.
It was the first moment in a long time he forgot about the fire. About the loop. About the pain.
But then—
Boom.
The rumble echoed like thunder in his chest.
Kaito's eyes widened. "No…"
He turned sharply, heart pounding. Ran to the nearest window.
Black smoke.
In the distance.
The same direction.
The same sick feeling in his stomach.
"No, no, no—!" he bolted, adrenaline pumping through his veins.
Naomi called after him, confused and alarmed. "Kaito?! What's wrong?!"
But he couldn't stop.
He ran faster than he ever had. His legs burned. His chest ached. His lungs screamed. But he didn't stop.
Street after street. Corner after corner.
And finally—
There.
His house.
His street.
The smoke was everywhere now. Red and blue lights flashed.
The fire had already been put out, but it was too late.
He saw the ambulance.
He saw the stretchers.
He saw the white sheets.
His legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the pavement, fists clenched tight on the ground.
"No… four minutes. I was only four minutes late…"
Tears finally spilled from his eyes. The sobs came out in sharp, uneven gasps.
"Why can't I save them…? I come back. I try. I run. But nothing changes!"
He buried his face in his arms, screaming into the ground as the world around him blurred.
And then—
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
BAM.
The hallway.
Again.
He was standing. Alone.
Same time. Same place.
Same silence.
He blinked, and tears still clung to his eyelashes.
"Again…" he whispered.
But this time, it wasn't fear in his voice.
It was anger.