She was sleeping.
In Yuuka's small apartment, night fell, bringing a rare quietness. After a day of struggling at school and the ramen shop, the tired 16-year-old body demanded rest. I sank into sleep, a hazy state that even the System couldn't intrude upon.
But sleep was not entirely peaceful. Fragmented memories began to surface.
Not Yuuka's memories. Hiroshi's.
I saw myself sitting in front of the computer screen. The familiar clatter of the mechanical keyboard. The thick smell of coffee. The sickly green light from the screen shone into my eyes. Then the scene changed abruptly.
The spilled water cup.
The screen lagging, distorting. Colors flashing wildly. The piercing "beep" echoing, tearing through space.
The feeling of my body being torn apart, pulled into a cold vortex.
Blinding white light.
Vivid red light.
SCREEECH! A terrifying tearing sound.
These images flashed by like lightning, in no particular order. They weren't a dream with a plot, just fragments of sensations, sounds, images from the moment of transition. I saw my rough man's hand squeezing the gaming mouse trigger, then Yuuka's small girl's hand touching the hospital bed sheets. My own face (Hiroshi's) frowning in frustration from losing the game, then Yuuka's face bewildered in the mirror.
They overlapped, causing a deep, uncomfortable restlessness. Like two corrupted data streams trying to run parallel in an incompatible system.
While immersed in those chaotic memory fragments, another sensation suddenly appeared.
A "Pika!".
Not a real sound, but a dazzling sensation, a "light" flashing in my consciousness, even though my eyes were still tightly closed. It came with a strange sound, like very faint glass shattering, or wind whistling through an invisible crack.
The sensation was very close. Very close! As if it was happening right within this building, or right next to my apartment.
My whole body flinched slightly. My heart pounded in my new chest. The shattered dream dissolved, my consciousness abruptly pulled back to reality.
[Warning: 'Drop Item' has occurred.]
The System's emotionless voice echoed in my head, cold and clear, overriding all other sounds.
[Item: Handgun. Type: G17. Location: Vicinity of Host. Estimated distance: Under 50 meters.]
What?!
My eyes snapped open.
I lay in the darkness, breathing heavily. Moonlight shone faintly through the window. The room was quiet, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
But I knew. That sensation, that "Pika!", and the System's notification... they were real. A handgun, type G17, had just appeared somewhere very close by. Under 50 meters. Maybe the hallway outside, the apartment next door, or even... on the rooftop.
A G17. A gun. Right near me.
Sleepiness vanished completely. Adrenaline surged. A tingling sense of worry and fear spread throughout my body.
I lay still, listening. The only sound was the pounding of my own heart.
Why so close? Was it because I, or Yuuka, was once involved in a major 'Drop' incident (the Shibuya incident)? Or was it simply random? The System said it was random, but... what kind of random 'drops' right next to an important witness like me?!
This world... it never gives me a moment of peace. Not even when I'm sleeping.
I slowly sat up in bed. The 16-year-old body was still trembling slightly. Darkness enveloped the room.
A G17 handgun. Less than 50 meters away.
Did anyone else know? Did anyone else sense this 'Drop'? Or was it too small, too close, only detectable by the System and those with a special "connection"?
I thought of Inspector Tanaka's words. The Shibuya incident involved criminals. Were they searching for witnesses? Was the appearance of a gun nearby a sign that they were operating in this area?
Too many questions. Too many potential dangers.
I looked towards the door. Behind that door, not far away, there might be a G17 handgun lying somewhere, waiting for someone to pick it up.
I was a weak 16-year-old girl (even with an 84-63-91 body and limited System assistance). A 30-year-old programmer who had never held a real gun in his life.
Should I... go check? Recover it?
The thought flickered, immediately extinguished by fear. Too dangerous. I didn't know who else might have detected this 'Drop'. There might be criminals lurking nearby.
But... what about leaving a dangerous gun lying around in a residential area?
I bit my lip. The feeling of helplessness was frustrating. I had the System, I had information... but I lacked the ability to act.
I lay back down on the bed, but couldn't sleep. My eyes were fixed on the ceiling in the darkness. My ears strained to catch the slightest sound from outside.
Out there, a G17 had just appeared. And I, Yuuka Hatsumina, could only lie here, knowing of its existence, and worrying about who would find it first.
This world... it truly was an unexpected battlefield.
And I, a little girl carrying a big secret, was just a player trying to survive through dangerous game levels.
.