Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how incredible, must be the truth.
The man before him, three or four years his senior and looking like a college student, was a chuunibyou who hadn't even graduated high school.
Kurisu Makise edged a little closer to Chihaya Kaiser. Compared to the loud, scruffy man opposite them, she felt safer and more willing to be near the quiet, stable, and likable boy.
In her peripheral vision, she caught his profile; his pink, choppy hair and gray eyes made him seem quite handsome. The double effect of "Natural Affinity" on the opposite sex was kicking in.
The commotion over there stopped.
Without Dr. Nakabachi present, Rintaro Okabe calmed down. He was furious about the plagiarism and appropriation, but he didn't feel that way toward anyone else.
He was still putting on his one-man show when the girl in the blue dress approached, smiling at the two of them.
"I'm sorry, we must have disturbed your lecture."
"It's fine," Kurisu Makise said, shaking her head.
"This is Rintaro Okabe, and I'm his childhood friend and girlfriend, Mayuri Shiina."
Her smile was radiant. "Okarin is actually a very nice person, he just expresses himself a little too excitedly."
"I can see that. His prefrontal cortex might be overactive. I'd suggest he see a doctor."
After hearing Kurisu Makise's words, Chihaya Kaiser finally realized who she was. Just as Rintaro Okabe had said, she was a genius brain scientist who frequently published papers.
He hadn't expected the beautiful girl he was supposed to "capture" this time to possess such a special talent.
Her cool, calm demeanor was a unique aura born from her knowledge, the biggest thing that set her apart from other pretty girls.
Didn't this mean that if he wanted to complete the mission, it would surely be harder than with anyone else?
For a more superficial girl, his current looks, combined with his passive talent, should be enough to secure a date without much trouble.
He'd never tried it, so he couldn't be sure.
Chihaya Kaiser glanced over, concluding that Kurisu Makise was definitely not that kind of superficial person. The mission difficulty had increased, which only made him want to do it even less.
To put it bluntly, he just didn't want to be in a relationship.
While he was lost in thought, Mayuri Shiina took a few steps forward and studied him closely.
"Hm? Hmmm~ I haven't asked your name yet."
"...Chihaya Kaiser."
"Oh, so it is you!" She had an 'I knew it' expression on her face. Once you'd seen him, he was hard to forget.
"Mayushii saw you a while ago.
It was at the photo studio. My friends and I were in the room next door. You were taking pictures of a really pretty girl, right?"
"Sorry, I don't really remember."
Chihaya Kaiser was taken aback. Her boyfriend was right there, so he felt awkward sizing her up.
"I did have a job that day. A client booked me for a photoshoot. My apologies."
"It's okay, it's okay! Mayushii was in cosplay too, so it's normal that you wouldn't recognize me."
Mayuri Shiina waved her hands quickly and asked with a smile, "We've rented a room nearby for our activities. Would you like to come over for a cup of tea?"
"It's a laboratory!"
Rintaro Okabe, still not out of his chuunibyou state, struck an incredibly embarrassing pose, one hand on his forehead and the other pressed down.
"The Future Gadget Laboratory."
"I..." Kurisu Makise didn't say anything. She looked at Chihaya Kaiser and gently tugged on his sleeve.
"Sorry, our work here isn't finished yet, so we can't leave for now."
Of course, he had to help his employer out of a bind. The job he'd agreed to really wasn't done yet.
Mayuri Shiina looked a little disappointed. Her eyebrows drooped as she held her bag with both hands in front of her.
"Well, maybe some other time then."
"Yeah, some other time."
"Oh, by the way, can I ask something?" She leaned forward slightly, perking up her ears.
"What are your usual rates for photography?"
"It depends on what you want to shoot." Chihaya Kaiser glanced at Kurisu Makise and cleared his throat.
"A full cosplay set is usually three thousand. We shoot until you're satisfied. Convention photos are a bit cheaper, a thousand for ten pictures.
Commercial work is more expensive, eight to ten thousand. That's the rate for my skill level."
"That's already really cheap." She took out her phone. "Can I add you as a friend? Mayushii might want to hire you next time."
"Sure." They added each other.
Gaining a new client made the trip worthwhile. It was a fruitful day.
After saying goodbye to Mayuri Shiina, he and Kurisu Makise exchanged a look.
"Should we go back?"
"Yeah. I just need you to help me take one group photo, and then the job will be finished."
Kurisu Makise looked at the papers in her hand, pursing her lips as she thought about the text message.
She turned her head and asked, "Do you believe time machines exist in this world?"
"...I do. Emotionally, I want to believe. Rationally, I think it's unlikely."
Chihaya Kaiser had always been chasing the fantastical; science fiction seemed pretty good too.
His steps paused. "This lecture was about time machines. Anyone who came must believe there's a chance of success, including Rintaro Okabe just now."
"Is that so... You're right."
Kurisu Makise pinched the edge of the papers, her pupils darting back and forth. Her small leather boots made a crisp sound as they struck the floor.
Even Chihaya Kaiser could easily sense her hesitation. So even a genius girl has things she's unsure about.
That's only natural.
There are so many fields of study in the world. When you encounter something beyond your own understanding, you're bound to waver.
Time machines are purely creations of science fiction novels. In reality, they're impossible.
Otherwise, the world would be like Doraemon, with people from the future constantly traveling back in time machines as if they were sightseeing.
The fact that it hasn't happened yet means the possibility of it happening in the future is very small.
Kurisu Makise took a deep breath, lifted her head, puffed out her chest, and her clenched fists relaxed and tightened again.
"The possibility of a time machine might not be zero."
"Yeah, it's definitely not zero," Chihaya Kaiser said, merely fulfilling his photographic duties by placating his client's mood.
They were about to reach the lecture hall, so they stopped talking. When they pushed the door open again, they found it completely empty.
The air was filled with the smell of dust. Many of the documents hadn't been taken, suggesting most people didn't believe in time machines.
He glanced to the side. "What should we do?"
"I..." Kurisu Makise made up her mind. "I'm going to find Dr. Nakabachi. Can you come with me?"
"Of course."
"It's not that I need you to accompany me, it's just... you still owe me a photo, right?"
She crossed her arms and turned her head away.
"Yes, yes. I won't leave until the job is done. I'll stay with you the whole time." He held his camera, his thumb rubbing against its body.
"Right. You can leave after the job is finished."
Kurisu Makise quickened her pace, stopping every so often to check the distance between them. If he fell a bit behind, she would wait for him to catch up before speeding up again.
You're such a tsundere.
He couldn't possibly say that second part out loud; it would be unprofessional.
Under the lights, the tips of the boy's pink hair were slightly transparent, adding a touch of etherealness.
They followed the stairs, looking for Dr. Nakabachi.
Kurisu Makise seemed to already know where he was, leading Chihaya Kaiser to a small room.
It was very dark, with almost no light.
They could only rely on the small light in the hallway, which only illuminated the area around the doorway.
The middle-aged man was very impatient, constantly tapping his foot and making a series of "tap, tap, tap" sounds. When he saw Kurisu Makise, he yelled out.
"You're so slow."
"..." Kurisu Makise flinched, her forward steps halting.
When he saw Chihaya Kaiser, his brow furrowed, and he let out a "tch."
"You followed me here? I told you, I have no money, and I'm definitely not reimbursing your train fare."
"This has nothing to do with you. My client is here."
Chihaya Kaiser was just doing the job he was paid for. He raised his camera, aimed it at Dr. Nakabachi, and continued.
"I still have work to finish."
"..."
The moment the camera appeared, Dr. Nakabachi's eyes instantly cleared up.
Kurisu Makise took a few steps forward, stood in front of him, and nodded at Chihaya Kaiser.
Click!
The shutter flashed, and the photo was recorded.
All the work was done.
Chihaya Kaiser put his camera away, ready to pack it into his camera bag before going back to get the tripod.
He looked at Kurisu Makise. "Do you still need me to stay with you?"
"No, it's fine."
Kurisu Makise shook her head, gently closing her eyes. When she opened them again, her earlier hesitation was gone.
Her eyes reflected the boy, his pink hair particularly striking, and she felt a great deal of fondness for him in her heart.
Quiet, soft-spoken, never suddenly shouting, and able to accompany her all this way.
She thought that even after she returned to America, she would never forget what happened today.
She would never forget this special boy.
The boy who was like the coming of spring.
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