SAI SHINU
When I opened my eyes, the ceiling above me was the same as always—but the clock said 5:00 p.m. Jiro still hadn't shown up.
The time limit was up.
With a heavy sigh, I packed my few things into my backpack, double-checking each one. Once everything was in place, I swung the bag over my shoulder, opened the door, and stepped out.
For the first time in hours—maybe days—I was out of that room.
The hallway stretched before me, unfamiliar yet strangely liberating. I walked downstairs, reached the ground floor, and finally pushed open the main doors.
The wind hit me instantly. Cool, fresh, alive. I closed my eyes and breathed it in, feeling it on my skin—the first real taste of freedom in what felt like forever.
And then—
Someone was running toward the hospital, phone pressed to his ear. My own phone vibrated in my pocket.
It was him. Jiro.
He was about to rush past me when I reached out and grabbed the back of his jacket. "I'm here."
He froze, turned around, and locked eyes with me.
For a moment, I couldn't breathe. He hadn't changed at all.
But he didn't say anything. He just walked closer… and hugged me.
My body stiffened. Jiro had never been like this—never this emotional. Not once in all the years I'd known him.
"Are you okay now?" I asked quietly.
His heartbeat thudded against my chest. His voice cracked as he whispered, "Yeah… I think."
Tears rolled down his cheeks before he wiped them away quickly, as if ashamed. I gripped his shoulders firmly and said, "I really missed you."
His eyes shone, and for a brief moment, the weight of three missing years didn't matter. We were still us.
I pointed to a café across the street. "Come on. Let's talk there."
We ordered drinks and sat at a corner table. As soon as I leaned back in my chair, a familiar notification flickered into my vision.
[System Notification]
Create character profile?
→ Accept
→ Decline
I tapped Accept, curiosity winning over hesitation. Instantly, a window opened.
Character Profile
Name: Jiro Ikigai
Age: 20 years old
Class: Unknown
Title: Master of the M Room
Weapon: Sword
Skills: None
I frowned. Master of the M Room…? Another puzzle. But now wasn't the time. I closed the window and focused back on him.
JIRO IKIGAI
We talked. Really talked.
I told him about the darkness I'd been trapped in. Endless, suffocating, but real. For three years it felt like I wasn't even alive—just… waiting.
To my surprise, Sai didn't look shocked. He believed me. He had lived something just as strange, trapped in his own void.
Piece by piece, we built the truth: someone had put us there. Someone had taken control of our bodies and lived our lives for us. Three years gone… stolen.
I wanted to tell him the other things I'd seen when I escaped, the flashes of impossible visions—but I held back. Maybe they were dreams. Maybe they were warnings. If I told him now, I might just make him worry.
Two hours slipped by in what felt like minutes.
At last, I glanced at the clock on the wall—7:15 p.m. My chest tightened. "Oh, damn… I've got a meeting."
He raised an eyebrow, but only said, "Yeah. Bye."
"Bye," I echoed.
And just like that, we parted—walking in opposite directions