"That was about 10 years ago, wasn't it?"
Hearing that, Okabe Rintaro took a deep breath and closed his eyes:
"This kind of thing is simply the guidance of fate, the choice of steins;gate!"
Makise Kurisu sighed, "Here we go again."
Ultimately, that steins;gate thing itself was meaningless.
Led by the other party, Okabe Rintaro and Makise Kurisu arrived at the warehouse together, then, after some searching, opened the dusty cardboard box.
Inside the box was precisely the IBN5100 he had been desperately searching for!
"IBN5100 Portable Computer." Makise Kurisu softly read out the incredibly clear text printed on the computer in front of her.
Although it was an old computer that existed in legends, surprisingly, the one preserved in the shrine felt very much 'fresh from the factory.'
The text printed on it was incredibly clear.
"That's right." Okabe Rintaro also nodded.
"Is that all?" Urushibara Ruka's father asked from the side.
Okabe Rintaro turned his head and made a request:
"Excuse me, may we borrow this?"
His words carried a hint of hesitation.
Although he was trying his best to find the IBN5100, and although it was for world peace, he had no money.
The Laboratory had no funds, no capital to exchange with the other party.
It was already quite embarrassing for him to have learned the location of the IBN5100 from Rukako, but he still had to use the word 'borrow.'
After all, the Laboratory truly had no funds.
"Of course." Rukako's father smiled gently.
"Ah, thank you!" Okabe Rintaro's words were full of gratitude.
After expressing his gratitude, he immediately ordered the Assistant in front of him:
"Let's move it, help!"
"But I refuse." But Makise Kurisu refused without hesitation.
"Aren't you an Assistant?! Christina!"
"I am neither an Assistant nor Tina!"
The two completely disregarded the presence of Rukako and her father, and started arguing fiercely in front of them.
Rukako's father couldn't help but look at Urushibara Ruka, and after a moment of hesitation, he said:
"I'll go get a handcart for you."
...Okabe Rintaro was stunned: "You not only lend it to us but are also so polite..."
His gratitude grew even stronger, and at the same time, his dissatisfaction with a certain person also intensified.
He suddenly stretched out his hand, pointed at Makise Kurisu, and scolded:
"Hey, Assistant! Can't you be a bit more considerate?!"
"Huh?" Makise Kurisu couldn't take it anymore: "How can you say such a thing?"
Isn't he the least considerate one?
"Haha." Rukako's father couldn't help but laugh: "You two get along so well, Ruka, you should get along with them too."
Urushibara Ruka smiled and nodded, "Okay."
Rukako's father's timing was perfect, and his words were quite appropriate; perhaps this was the room that adults should possess, as simple words easily quieted Okabe Rintaro and Makise Kurisu.
"Please wait a moment." With that, he walked out.
Watching him leave, Makise Kurisu couldn't help but exclaim to Urushibara Ruka beside her:
"He's truly a good father."
"Hehe, is he?" Rukako chuckled softly.
Behind them, Okabe Rintaro quietly watched Makise Kurisu's back, and Makise Kurisu's previous words echoed in his ears.
'I will not repeat my father's failures!'
"What is it?" As if sensing his gaze, Makise Kurisu turned her head.
"Nothing." He said.
Then.
"I'm sorry—" Rukako's father, who had returned, shouted with an apologetic look: "The handcart seems to be broken."
What???
No, you're ending it here?
Wait, wait, wait, no, this isn't right, is it?
Is this episode over?
Did I watch anything?
I saw the Assistant's casual clothes, Okabe Rintaro's self-destruct plan, Rukako, her father, and then, nothing.
Come out, where's the promised path dependence? Where's the promised twist every episode?
Regarding that, you should ask Tang Sanshui, he's the one who said there would be path dependence.
If you say the pace was slow, it seems slow; if you say the pace wasn't slow, the IBN5100 was acquired so quickly, it seems incredibly fast.
I don't understand anymore, let the judges decide.
"Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo—"
Makise Kurisu was panting heavily, and amidst her ragged breathing, she couldn't help but complain:
"Why do I have to do this with you?"
—"Shut up and keep moving, it's still a long way." Okabe Rintaro retorted her complaint with an incredibly pained voice.
...Makise Kurisu pouted, about to voice her Lack of abundance .
But suddenly, she remembered the expression on Okabe Rintaro's face that she had glimpsed earlier in the warehouse.
"Um..." she suddenly said.
"What is it?" Okabe Rintaro asked with a very bad tone.
Seeing him like that, Makise Kurisu rolled her eyes and swallowed the words she wanted to say.
"Nothing!" Saying that, she abruptly lifted the box containing the IBN5100 further back.
His rhythm disrupted by her sudden action, Okabe Rintaro also got angry.
"You! What's with that provocative attitude?!" Saying that, he pushed the box towards Makise Kurisu.
"Ah, ah, ah, hey, wait." This time it was Makise Kurisu's turn to be dissatisfied: "Doesn't that mean I have to walk backward?!"
"Head up, chest out, walk tall, Assistant!"
"Tsk, no, I really can't walk backward."
"As an Assistant, you should be able to!"
"I appreciate you thinking so highly of me, but no, you turn around and walk sideways!"
"You turn around quickly, I'm going to fall!"
Makise Kurisu and Okabe Rintaro's grimacing expressions were repeatedly shown in close-up, the two going back and forth, give and take.
But, the seemingly endless comedy routine still came to an end, accompanied by Makise Kurisu's high-pitched wail, the camera quickly turned upwards...