Lu had officially entered his paranoia arc.
He wasn't just noticing things anymore.
He was obsessing over them.
His routine had completely changed.
Every morning, he did a full scan of his room to check if anything had moved. Every night, he set up CCTV cameras and motion sensors in case he started moving things in his sleep. Every time Gojo and Subaki even looked at him funny, he wrote it down in a notebook.
Lu wasn't just investigating anymore.
Lu was in full detective mode.
And Gojo?
Gojo was about to crush what little sanity he had left.
Step One: Time Manipulation Shenanigans.
One day, Lu woke up early.
Or at least, he thought he did.
He went about his morning routine, completely unaware that Gojo had subtly messed with the timeline.
He checked his phone. The time said: 8:32 AM.
He sat down, booted up his laptop, opened a bag of chips, and started browsing anime forums as usual.
A few minutes later, he glanced at his phone again.
8:32 AM.
Lu frowned.
He checked his laptop clock.
8:32 AM.
He looked at the wall clock.
8:32 AM.
The chips in his mouth suddenly tasted stale.
"…No way."
He grabbed his remote and turned on the TV.
The news anchor was mid-sentence.
"—and now, for the weather, it's currently 8:32 AM and—"
Lu froze.
His entire body broke out in a cold sweat.
"No. No, no, no, no, NO—"
He checked the clock on his microwave.
8:32 AM.
He checked the digital clock on his PlayStation.
8:32 AM.
He ran to the window, looked outside, and saw that every single pedestrian was frozen mid-step.
Lu screamed.
Meanwhile, behind him, Gojo and Subaki were barely holding in their laughter.
Phase One: Success.
Step Two: The Phantom Voices.
Lu was now on edge 24/7.
So naturally, Gojo decided to make it worse.
It started with little whispers.
At night, when Lu was in bed, he'd hear faint voices right outside his room. In the shower, he swore he could hear someone calling his name. When he sat down to eat, he'd hear a quiet, "You forgot something."
And when he turned around?
Nothing.
No one.
Every time, Gojo and Subaki were just chilling.
Lu was losing his mind.
And then, it escalated.
Step Three: The Doppelgänger Incident.
One night, Lu couldn't sleep.
His brain was fried from all the weird events happening around him.
So, he decided to go to the kitchen for a midnight snack.
As he opened the fridge, he suddenly heard footsteps.
From behind him.
Slow. Deliberate.
Gojo was asleep.
Subaki was asleep.
So, who the hell was in the house?
He swallowed hard and turned around—
Only to see himself.
Standing in the hallway.
Staring right at him.
For a long moment, neither of them moved.
Then, the doppelgänger smirked.
And whispered, "You're getting close."
And then, in the blink of an eye—
It was gone.
Lu dropped his sandwich and ran back to his room.
He didn't sleep that night.
And Gojo?
He was in the other room, wheezing into a pillow.
Step Four: The Final Blow (AKA The Ultimate 5 Yen Betrayal).
Lu was done.
Completely mentally wrecked.
He needed answers.
And so, desperate, he did something he never thought he'd do.
He went to Gojo for help.
"Dude." Lu sat down across from him, face pale, dark circles under his eyes.
"I need to tell you something. I think… I think I'm losing my mind."
Gojo, sipping his coffee, nodded seriously.
"Yeah, man. You've been acting super weird lately."
Lu twitched.
"I mean it, dude! I've been hearing things. Seeing things. My stuff keeps moving, and the other day I—I SAW MYSELF."
Gojo widened his eyes.
"…Whoa. That's crazy."
Lu gripped the table.
"What do I do, man? I need answers. I need to find out what's happening to me!"
Gojo rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Hmm. Maybe try a good luck charm? Something to reset your energy?"
Lu perked up.
"…That's actually a good idea."
Gojo smirked.
"Here. Take this."
He pulled something from his pocket and placed it in Lu's hand.
A single, crumpled, old 5-yen coin.
Lu blinked.
"…A 5-yen coin?"
"Yep." Gojo nodded solemnly. "Super powerful. Will clear your mind instantly."
Lu stared at it.
Then his face drained of all color.
Because something clicked.
Something deep in his subconscious.
Why did this feel familiar?
Why did he feel like—
Like this was important?
Like this was the key to everything?
For a moment, his mind felt like it was cracking open.
"…Wait a minute."
He looked up at Gojo.
And Gojo was just grinning.
And in that exact moment—
Lu knew.
He knew.
"YOU—"
Before he could even finish, Gojo bolted.
"IT WAS YOU!!!" Lu screamed, flipping the table as he charged after him.
Gojo leaped over the couch, cackling.
"I HAVE NO REGRETS!!!"
Subaki, who had been watching from the kitchen, was laughing so hard she couldn't breathe.
Lu was chasing Gojo through the apartment, throwing whatever he could grab.
A pillow. A shoe. His damn laptop.
"FIVE YEN?!!! FIVE YEN?!!! YOU DID ALL THIS FOR FIVE YEN?!!!"
"IT WAS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE!!!"
And thus, the chase continued.
One geek, completely broken.
One god, laughing his ass off.
One sister, enjoying every second of it.
And in the end?
It was all, still, for 5 yen.