"But isn't this topic very interesting?"
But it was clear that Hashida Itaru had no intention of ending the topic.
"Suppose we are characters on a screen. Could we discover this ourselves?"
He posed this hypothesis.
"No." But Okabe Rintaro gave the answer without hesitation.
"An immediate answer?!"
"Therefore, this discussion will not have a conclusion." Declaring this, Okabe Rintaro decisively ended the topic.
"Throwing out a question like this at this time?"
"Although Okabe denied it, I think it's still possible, right?"
"Aren't there many works where characters eventually realize they are part of a story and then break out of the box garden?"
"That's just how the author wrote it; fundamentally, they haven't truly broken out, have they?"
"That's why Okabe said it; this discussion won't have a conclusion."
The brief discussion in the comments quickly passed, and soon, their attention returned to the story.
Under Okabe Rintaro's usual chuunibyou pronouncements and Hashida Itaru's casual conversation, Hashida Itaru casually picked up a 'Future Gadget' that looked like a toy gun and pulled the trigger behind him.
The Alpaca-san screen switched instantly, and breaking news appeared.
"This is a suspected satellite debris found today around 12 PM in Akihabara, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo."
"Please look, it's extremely large even when viewed from the ground."
As the reporter spoke, the screen panned upwards, revealing a strange machine embedded next to the tall Radio Kaikan Building, the same one Okabe Rintaro had seen on the rooftop at the very beginning.
"What is that thing…?" As Okabe Rintaro muttered to himself, the screen began to flash back like a memory.
"This morning, Mayuri and I went from the Laboratory to the Radio Kaikan Building to see Dr. Nakabachi's presentation."
"But when I came to my senses, the satellite had crashed there."
"Not only that…"
"The first episode is already flashing back???"
"No way, I'm not that forgetful yet."
"Quiet down, just watch!"
"I said that?" Along with Okabe Rintaro's surprised voice, the memory abruptly cut off.
Below the Radio Kaikan Building, amidst the crowd, Mayuri smiled and nodded:
"Yeah, when we saw the news of the crash on TV, Okabe said, 'The Organization has finally started to act,' so that's why we came to see it, right?"
Immediately after, the scene returned to the Laboratory.
"Canceled?" Okabe Rintaro asked, utterly surprised.
Without turning his head, Hashida Itaru responded inexplicably:
"This morning, didn't Okabe you get angry and say, 'That doctor chickened out'?"
"That was Dr. Nakabachi's presentation, held at 12 PM at the Radio Kaikan Building!" Seeming to realize something was wrong, Okabe Rintaro's tone became a bit off.
"That's why it wasn't held," Hashida Itaru said somewhat helplessly. "Isn't it a good thing? If it had been held, Okabe you might have been crushed by the satellite, right?"
Okabe Rintaro frowned.
"This discrepancy in memory… could it be the Organization's memory manipulation?"
After a moment of thought, Okabe Rintaro's brows suddenly relaxed, and his lips curved into a smile:
"Ah, I see, this is the choice of steins;gate!"
He abruptly swung his hands down, letting his white coat flutter in the wind, revealing a look of immense satisfaction.
"Another setting?" Hashida Itaru's retort came right on time:
"From that 'Steins' thing, it's already meaningless."
Before he could respond to his retort, the TV screen in front of Okabe Rintaro flickered and then turned black.
"Huh?" After a moment of stunned silence, Okabe Rintaro quickly lifted his legs, running towards Hashida Itaru and shouting, "Tonz, give me Future Gadget 1!"
Taking the toy-gun-like remote from Hashida Itaru's hand, he returned to the TV. After pressing it several times without a response, Okabe Rintaro said through gritted teeth:
"Damn Mr. Braun, he gave me a defective product!"
"Didn't he give it to you for free?" Hashida Itaru retorted again.
After a pause, Okabe Rintaro lifted his head and shouted loudly, "Tonz, come help me move the TV!"
"But, I refuse."
"?"
"Look how hot it is today, and don't assume fat people are necessarily strong!" Saying this so righteously, Hashida Itaru had no intention of moving his butt from the chair… Under the dazzling sun, Okabe Rintaro carried the TV on his shoulder, walking forward with great difficulty.
His destination was the shop below the Laboratory, which read 'Braun Tube Workshop'.
Inside the shop, a bald, bearded strongman leisurely drank tea, surrounded by numerous televisions.
"Mr. Braun…" Okabe Rintaro's pained voice came from outside the door.
"Hmm? Didn't I tell you to call me Mr. Tennoji?" The bald man called Braun raised an eyebrow.
But Okabe Rintaro didn't care about that. After setting down the TV, which was incredibly heavy for him, he collapsed onto it, let out a long sigh, and said weakly:
"Please fix it quickly…"
"It's already broken?" Braun said with great dissatisfaction: "Good grief, your love for Braun tubes isn't deep enough."
"Repair fee: 1000 yen."
Braun's words seemed to choke Okabe Rintaro. After going through so much trouble to carry it down, he still had to pay?
He suddenly propped himself up, pointed forcefully at Braun, and repeatedly said:
"If there's anyone to blame, isn't it you for giving me a defective product—"
"Is that how you speak to your landlord?" Braun's single sentence stopped Okabe Rintaro's rant-like attitude. He casually turned away and quietly said:
"Please waive the repair fee."
Sighing deeply, Braun kindly offered advice to Mayuri, who was following behind him:
"Mayuri-chan, it's better not to continue associating with people like him."
Mayuri watched the anime playing on the TV and replied very softly:
"But Mayushii is Okabe's hostage."
"A hostage, huh." Braun was noncommittal.
"Ah, this one is broken too. Repair fee: 2000 yen."
"Ugh—" Okabe Rintaro made a very strange sound.
Mayuri watched the anime with an incredibly innocent smile, while the struggle between Okabe Rintaro and Braun was far from over.
"If you don't want it fixed, take it back."
"What do you want?"
Okabe Rintaro showed an expression of extreme pain.