Aqua stood in front of Akane's home. His eyes were tired, but soft.
"Aqua?" Akane opened the door, blinking in surprise.
Without a word, he pulled her into a hug.
"What happened?" she asked, caught off guard.
He smiled faintly. "Nothing. I just feel like we haven't met in a long time."
Akane tilted her head, visibly confused. "You just got here..."
Aqua gently pulled away. "I need to go."
"Leaving already? You haven't even come inside."
He looked at her, then turned away. "I just remembered... I wanted to see Ruby again. I'm missing her a lot."
Akane blinked. "You're... missing Ruby?"
He nodded, and walked away without explaining further.
As he walked down the street, his phone suddenly rang.
He picked up. A voice—his own—spoke in urgent panic:
"Aqua! In 20 minutes, there will be a bomb blast at Sirius Line Studio. You have to make sure Kana gets out of there. Don't waste a second. Go!"
Aqua's eyes widened.
Kana...? A blast? No... not again.
Without hesitation, he broke into a sprint.
The street was quiet under the afternoon sky.
"I need a vehicle," Aqua muttered, scanning the road.
A car came into view. He ran out and waved.
"Stop! It's an emergency!"
The car slowed. The window rolled down.
The driver, a chubby man in his mid-30s, peered out, wearing a vest and a cap.
"Hey... You're Aqua Hoshino, right?"
"Please, it's urgent. I need to get to Sirius Line Studio."
Scene shifts: Aqua is inside the car in the back seat.
"Can't you drive faster?!" he said, voice taut with anxiety.
The driver frowned. "You want me to do over-speeding?"
"Yes! It's an emergency. People's lives are at risk."
"What do you mean?"
Aqua's instincts overrode caution. "There's going to be a bomb blast. In a few minutes. At the studio."
The car screeched to a halt.
"What?! How do you know that?!"
Aqua's heart sank. "I can't explain. Just trust me."
The driver glared at him. "Please leave right now."
"Please...!"
"Out!"
Aqua pleads, "Please drive or we won't be able to save them!"
Driver says, "I don't want to get involved in such things. If you don't leave, I will call the police."
Aqua stepped out. The car sped away, leaving him alone.
A buzz hit his phone. A news alert.
BREAKING: Bomb Blast at Sirius Line Studio. Actress Kana Arima believed to have been present at time of explosion.
The star in his right eye turned dark.
Aqua collapsed to his knees.
"Kana... I lost her... again..."
Tears welled up. He fumbled for his phone.
"There must be a way to fix this."
He opened his contacts. Stared at his own name.
Wait… He remembered something.
The first time... when I got that call, I repeated the same words back when I called again... that closed the time loop.
His thoughts raced.
What if I don't say the same thing? Or don't call at all? Can I break the loop?
Suddenly, his phone buzzed.
[Update Available: LEAP]
There's also a description shown below.
Aqua reads it carefully:
If you message someone with LEAP, you can send their consciousness back in time. Set the timer to when you want to send the consciousness. It can only LEAP 22 minutes maximum.
His breath caught. A way to go back.
He set the timer.
20 Minutes Back.
He typed the message to himself: LEAP
The world blurred.
His vision dimmed.
Everything faded.
---
He opened his eyes.
Same moment.
Right after the first call.
This time, he was ready.
No more mistakes. I will save Kana.
To Be Continued...
Next Chapter: "The Words Left Unsaid"