"That's slander, Christina."
Chihaya Kaiser's tone was calm. Getting defensive would only make him look like a siscon.
He explained further, "Besides, it's not set in stone which of us is older. We're always arguing about who's the big sibling.
Our parents never told us who was born first. They explained that they didn't want us to fall into the stereotype of the older one having to give way and take care of the younger one, just because of a small time difference."
"That doesn't prove you're not a siscon."
Kurisu Makise glanced over, clearly seeing his concern for his sister. She let out a soft hmph, the true feelings in her heart not showing on her face as she expertly suppressed them.
Seeing how close the siblings were, hearing him talk about their parents' care for them.
Her heart felt like it was being squeezed.
She maintained her poker face and asked again.
"Wouldn't it be rude if I didn't say hello?"
"It's fine. We can go over later." Chihaya Kaiser propped his chin on his hand and perked up his ears. It wasn't exactly eavesdropping, but his attention was definitely focused on their conversation.
Their voices weren't very clear.
Kurisu Makise accepted her drink, said thanks, crossed her legs, and rested her elbow on the back of the chair.
"Let's continue our talk about the soul, shall we? Do you really remember things from before you were five? Are you sure they're not false memories?
The human brain sometimes deceives itself. If you look back at written records from a decade ago, you might find your perspective on the same event is completely different.
Perhaps your family told you stories about your childhood, which led you to form false memories."
"But I can recall most things perfectly. Even what it was like before I was born," he replied.
"That…" Kurisu Makise frowned. "The hippocampus wouldn't have been fully developed. Without a subject to anchor to, memories are suppressed, and neural pathways might reconnect."
"And that's why I insist on the existence of the soul. If there were no soul, I wouldn't be able to remember these things."
Chihaya Kaiser didn't mention that he could also remember his past life. Without a soul, he wouldn't remember anything at all.
His constant pursuit of the fantastical was deeply connected to his reincarnation.
Kurisu Makise's fingers rubbed the outside of her glass. "It's an interesting topic. A lot of my knowledge tells me that souls don't exist, and time machines don't exist."
"That's not a conflict. Isn't science constantly being overturned? As long as something can be proven to exist, it becomes science."
Chihaya Kaiser continued, "Maybe there are other world lines where time machines do exist."
"..." She was silent for a moment before saying, "I'll keep an eye out when I have time. The time machine research is a higher priority."
"Okay."
Chihaya Kaiser's drink was brought over by the long, straight-haired waitress. After thanking her, he took a closer look. She was probably also one of Anon's bandmates.
Her face was completely stiff, clearly working while emotional. She put his drink down and left, returning to stand by Anon's table.
Based on the names he'd overheard in the last few minutes, Chihaya Kaiser figured out their roles and names.
The bassist was the girl with flaxen hair, named Soyo Nagasaki. She seemed gentle and was acting as the mediator, handling friction within the group.
The waitress with long, straight black hair was the drummer, Taki Shiina. Same last name as Mayuri. She had a bit of a temper and seemed to be the main source of friction with Anon.
The quiet one seemed to be the vocalist, named Tomori Takamatsu. And she started things off with a bombshell.
"Can we be in a band for life?!"
Both Chihaya Kaiser and Anon were stunned. A shiver went down his spine, while Anon waved her hands dismissively.
Both of them sensed something was off. He didn't know Soyo Nagasaki's whole story, but that Taki Shiina girl was probably fine.
Friction isn't a bad thing in a band; having people who clearly express their needs is crucial. If there's a conflict that can't be resolved, you can just go your separate ways.
But starting with talk of 'a lifetime'...
Chihaya Kaiser broke out in a bit of a cold sweat. The emotional weight was a bit much.
Kurisu Makise noticed the situation and turned to ask him.
"Do you think anything can last a lifetime?"
"I don't know." He shook his head. "But it's highly unlikely for a band to last a lifetime. Unless their plane crashes."
"Well, that would certainly make it last a lifetime," she couldn't help but retort. "I have to take a plane back to America, you know."
"If you die on the plane ride back, I'll remember you for the rest of my life," he said in a dead-serious tone.
"Seriously..." She turned her head away, not letting him see her expression.
"Let's forget about that kind of 'lifetime.' Of course I don't want anything to happen to you."
Chihaya Kaiser put on a gentle smile. "I made plans with Shiina-san to go to the comic con on Saturday. Will you be going?"
"...Mhm." Kurisu Makise's face was taut, her tone even. "It depends on whether I have anything else to do."
"Besides presenting your paper, do you have other things to do on this trip?" Chihaya Kaiser had only known her for two days, so naturally, he didn't know her situation.
"Of course. I'm very busy."
Kurisu Makise lifted her chin, revealing the elegant curve of her neck, and crossed her arms.
"I still have reports to write, and another project is waiting for me the moment I get back."
"I see." Chihaya Kaiser was a bit disappointed. If this didn't count as a date for the System, he wasn't sure he'd get another chance before she went back to America.
The red-haired girl finished her drink, the reflection within the glass disappearing completely. Thinking that going back to the hotel just meant staring at a computer and phone with nothing to do, she said, "I'll be at the lab tomorrow, too."
"Is that so? I have work, but I'll see. If it ends early, I'll head back to the lab with Shiina-san."
Chihaya Kaiser hadn't expected one trip to the lab would get him the title of Lab Member 005.
He found it rather amusing.
A time machine truly had a certain sci-fi romance to it.
Besides, Kurisu Makise was the first girl for whom the System had issued a direct 'romance quest'.
Everyone else had just been normal quests.
Just then, his attention was drawn back to Anon's table. The long, straight-haired waitress slammed her hands on the table and glared at her.
"You're so damn annoying!"
"Aww, Rikki~ I'll just add your name in then. Having the last name Shiina is so unfair."
Anon's taste in names was not something most people could handle. She used to give Chihaya Kaiser all sorts of nicknames when they were little, but he rejected them all, and they finally settled on the common 'Little Chi'.
Taki sat back down with a long sigh.
"You... that's not the issue at all. What are we even supposed to be discussing?"
"Now, now, Taki, don't be so hasty." Soyo Nagasaki's voice was just as cloyingly sweet as Anon's.
After observing them, Chihaya Kaiser concluded that Taki was too hot-headed and already looked down on Anon on a subjective level.
Her former bandmates were part of the reason, but the more significant factor was probably that Anon couldn't play the guitar at all.
He shook his head, his gaze returning to Kurisu Makise.
The red-haired girl raised an eyebrow. "Very worried?"
"It's alright." Chihaya Kaiser said with a smile. "If I really meddled in everything, I'd just be admitting to being the perverted siscon you claim I am."
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