['Heartbeat Arrest']
['The feeling of a huge discrepancy between what you know and reality is truly terrifying, especially when it's something your friend should obviously know, but when you ask, he turns around and tells you it never happened.']
['So, Okabe has already changed the past once, right? According to John, that is, what's-his-name, the worldline changed? From a worldline where John Titor had already come once, it's now one where he's just arriving?']
['I don't know, but I think we should start trying to solve this mystery now.']
['But what I'm thinking now is, where is my Makise Kurisu? Normally, shouldn't it be an argument, some bickering, and then they get to know each other?! Why did Okabe lose so quickly, he didn't even get her contact information!']
['Wanting contact information in this situation, you're being too hard on the chuunibyou.']
The numbers of time rapidly jumped, and Okabe Rintaro's inner voice resonated with them.
"I spent almost the entire night investigating John Titor."
"Checking every single search result online."
"Collecting any potentially relevant information."
Below the tall buildings, people bustled to and fro.
"But..."
The blurry text of information scrolled rapidly downwards, and Okabe Rintaro's questioning voice rose with the statements he had left:
"Please, Titor, answer this: 10 years ago, that is, in 2000."
The voice representing Titor also sounded with the text:
"What you're saying is very interesting, but unfortunately, I haven't been to 2000."
"And I have no intention of going."
John Titor gave a negative answer.
He himself denied Okabe Rintaro's memory, rejected Okabe Rintaro's impression; the only one who could give him a correct answer, Titor, personally denied the knowledge in Okabe Rintaro's memory.
Okabe's expression was very gloomy; he lowered his head, his face like still water, amidst the crowd, waiting for the traffic light at the crosswalk to change.
"Click, click, click-click-click—" Suddenly, shutter sounds came from his ear.
Okabe Rintaro paused for a moment, then raised his head, looking left and right, searching for the source of the sound.
Soon, he saw a pretty brown-haired woman, holding a phone pointed at him, wearing glasses, with a calm expression, but a good figure...
"Hey! Stop!" He reached out and shouted, trying to call out to the other person.
But the woman in front of him seemed not to have heard at all; she turned around expressionlessly, about to leave.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey—"
Okabe Rintaro jogged up to her, gesticulating wildly with his hands, speaking incoherently:
"That guy, no, this young lady, stop, ah, please wait a moment."
His subconscious words were quickly corrected back to polite speech; the college student's subconscious respect for others considerably eased his anger at being secretly photographed.
But he still felt it necessary to stop her wrong behavior of taking pictures without obtaining consent.
"Did you just take a picture of me?! Delete it quickly! For your personal safety!" he advised with an agitated tone.
"..." The woman was silent for a moment, then averted her gaze and said softly:
"I apologize if I made you uncomfortable."
"..."
Seeing her reaction, Okabe Rintaro wasn't as agitated as he was at first.
He relaxed a little and asked aloud:
"What did you take a picture of?"
"Proof," she said.
"Hm?"
"I, today," she said:
"Where I went."
"What I saw."
After explaining, she added: "I want to ask something."
Saying this, she turned her phone, aiming the screen's image at Okabe Rintaro.
It was a photograph of an old model computer.
A black and white image, a bulky design, a small screen.
"What an ancient computer," Okabe Rintaro said, pinching his chin.
The woman asked, "Have you seen it?"
"Ah, no."
The woman pressed, "Do you know anyone who understands it?"
Okabe Rintaro thought for a moment and said:
"Perhaps Tonz would know."
"Who is that?" she asked.
Okabe Rintaro was clear-headed now; the woman in front of him seemed a bit abnormal, and he didn't really want to get too involved.
"It's none of your business. Remember to delete the photo for me." With that, he turned to leave without hesitation.
But the next moment, his hand was grabbed by her.
"Tell me, the email address, that person's," she said.
"I refuse!" Okabe Rintaro replied without hesitation.
But then, the other person quietly raised her phone and showed it to Okabe Rintaro.
On the screen was the photo of Okabe Rintaro she had just secretly taken.
"You, are you trying to threaten me?" Okabe Rintaro was stunned.
"If you tell me, I'll delete it," she said.
Undoubtedly, these were words of threat.
If it were a more assertive person, they probably wouldn't agree, but Okabe Rintaro's expression merely changed, and he said:
"Alright, alright."
He suddenly shook off her hand and said, "But! I cannot betray my comrades."
"The only thing I can tell you is my email address."
['Mom! I like this!']
['No, bro, you're at it again, huh?']
['This guy clearly has some mental issues, right? Speaking in broken sentences, and proving things by taking pictures... If it were me, I wouldn't want to interact with her either.']
['The computer she's looking for... Why does it look so much like an IBN5100 to me?']
['I feel like it's definitely a foreshadowing.']
['Originally, the moment Okabe agreed to give her his email address, I was already ready to blast him. He was threatened and just accepted it? How disheartening! But, I have to admit, you're still one step ahead; no wonder you're surrounded by beautiful girls.']
['Throw out Tonz's existence to tempt her! Retreat one step to lure the enemy deeper! Remain calm in the face of threats! Seemingly agree but actually seize the opportunity to give out his own contact information! Very good, I've learned, I'll put it into practice immediately!']
['Don't go, you won't find a pretty girl with mental issues.']
Okabe Rintaro pulled out his phone and displayed his email address.
"Name," the woman paused for a moment and asked.
"Doesn't it say 'Hououin Kyouma'?"
The woman finished typing the noted name on her phone and then turned the screen back.
'Hououin Brooch'
The same pronunciation could yield very different results.
"..." Okabe Rintaro sighed and extended his hand: "Give it to me."
"?!" Faced with Okabe Rintaro's outstretched hand, the woman seemed to be under attack; she hugged her phone tightly, hunched her shoulders, and made a defensive movement.
Her gaze was incredibly wary, fixed on Okabe Rintaro, constantly watching him, preventing him from reaching out to snatch her phone.
The woman's breathing was rapid, her body rising and falling, her frightened posture fully exposed.
Okabe Rintaro was stunned for a moment, then sighed.
"Send me a blank message, and I'll reply to you."