Ren Hoshino looked at Sleepy Mita, who had dozed off again.
Forget it. If even she doesn't care, why should I?
More importantly, why sleep on the floor when there's a bed right there?
He was tired too. Without even glancing at Mita's pretty, peaceful face, he closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.
Time passed quietly in this space.
Ren slept deeply—comfortably—but something felt tight around his waist.
When he opened his eyes, he saw Sleepy Mita curled around him, one leg slung over his abdomen like he was a stuffed toy.
He tried to sit up, but she clung tightly. He couldn't move.
"Mita, wake up."
He nudged her shoulder. She rolled over lazily, nearly tossing him off the bed.
"Hnn? Where's my pillow?"
"…Sorry."
"Let me sleep a little longer…"
"Remember to call me when it's time to eat."
And just like that, she was asleep again.
Ren sat up and straightened his wrinkled clothes. He glanced at the still-sleeping Mita and shook his head helplessly.
Then, he walked into the bathroom.
The water refreshed him, clearing the fog from his mind. When he stepped out and looked around, the room shimmered in a gentle, starry glow. Peaceful. Dreamlike.
Sometimes, Ren just wanted to stay here.
The same was true for Hat Mita.
But if he wanted to survive—truly escape—he had to make it to the Core and face Crazy Mita again.
Those prototype androids along the way… Without the Future Diary, he would have died already.
Ren slapped his cheeks lightly to wake himself up.
"As a hardcore gamer, how could I stop now?"
He was determined to reach the perfect ending.
He couldn't stay here forever.
He walked back to the bed and gently shook Sleepy Mita's shoulder.
She opened one eye. "Hnn? Is it time to eat again?"
Ren sighed. Besides sleeping, all she thought about was food—but honestly, that wasn't so bad. In a world as tragic as this, maybe Sleepy Mita was the one who lived most honestly.
"No. I need your help to pull the lever. I'm leaving."
Sleepy Mita sat up drowsily, rubbing her eyes. She reached out and rested her hand on his face.
"Ren… You look exhausted. You need real rest."
"Don't rush things."
"You're so sweet… You even cook for me…"
She trailed off mid-sentence and dozed off again.
Ren smiled helplessly and shook her awake a second time.
"Ah? Where were we?"
"Right… You should stay and cook with me."
"You need rest."
"And it's safe here."
"I'll protect you."
Sleepy Mita's eyelids fluttered. She was falling asleep again.
"I get it," Ren said softly. "I'll stay for a little while. Help you make something good."
"Mmm… that's nice…"
"It helps a lot…"
"The seat next to me… it's yours…"
She slumped back into bed and fell asleep instantly.
Ren stretched and wandered the room.
On the wall in the living area hung photos of Sleepy Mita.
One showed her wearing a red cat-eye sleep mask, looking shyly at the camera.
Another—her curled on the bed, peaceful and lazy.
The bottom photo? Him, passed out at the desk with that same mask.
It was all very… Sleeping Beauty, in a strange, lazy way.
Ren took a quick photo with his phone.
Then he headed into the kitchen, brewed a cup of coffee, and returned to the bedroom. He placed the mug on the desk.
The screen was flooded with messages.
Most were from fellow players—or whatever passed for players now. Some mentioned brushing past Hat Mita's area.
Ren chuckled. "Yeah… Mita's really fun. Too fun."
He posted a picture of Mita curled beside him, legs wrapped around a doll like a kitten.
Within moments, replies flooded in:
"Knew it! So this is what happened after!"
"Died? Slept all day?"
"Is Mita really that fun?"
"Yo, where are you finding all these Mita girlfriends?"
"I kept messaging you! You replied the next day and said you were 'asleep'?!"
"Waaah even Sleepy Mita fell victim to your evil."
"Poster, gimme your address—I'll mail you some plastic gloves so I can feel included."
Ren stared blankly at the replies. What kind of unhinged netizens are these…?
"What are you thinking? Nothing happened! We're just taking a break!"
"Break? This your idea of a serious rest time???"
"Screw you! Refund me! This isn't even Mita anymore!"
"Bro, you played the $2 version of Mita. He's on the $200 million premium tier."
He was still chatting when one particularly disturbing message caught his eye.
"Ren Hoshino, I'm going to kill you."
Attached: a blurry photo of a bloodied kitchen knife.
The flood that followed said it all.
"Yesss, it's Crazy Mita! We're saved!"
"Let her teach him a lesson!"
"I'll handle the pepper."
"Let me stir-fry this dude dry!"
They were all celebrating his doom.
But if they knew she meant it… would they still be laughing?
"What are you doing, dear~?"
Ren immediately sent a reply:
"Making lunch. You coming, Crazy Mita?"
It was… a bit passive-aggressive.
But since he could die any moment, he might as well go down swinging.
"Next time, for sure."
No reply. She stopped calling.
Guess she was really angry this time.
Ren closed the window.
He stood, stretched again, and ran through some light exercises.
Then he opened his guide on close-quarters combat techniques.
The deeper he ventured toward the Core, the more likely he'd run into Crazy Mita again.
And the stakes were only getting higher.
If he got caught again…
…there was no record of him escaping in the most recent entries in his Future Diary.
If he lost now, it would be the true end.
A dead file.
No more attempts.
No more respawns.
No exit from this broken world.
At least while Crazy Mita's surveillance was off, he could forge weapons without interference.
He hadn't stayed just to nap.
He had a plan.
Every hardcore player fails a hundred times before they clear the final boss.
Ren knew that.
And he wasn't here for a speedrun.
He was here for the perfect ending.
He would not watch Mira or the kind-hearted versions of Mita die again.