The crisis at the third stop was over. Next came Chiba Station, the real human stop where they could finally disembark and return to normal reality.
In the direction the bus was traveling, light began to appear ahead. Warm and comfortable, the quality of real sunlight represents hope and brightness after so much darkness.
The light grew stronger as they approached, golden rays piercing through the windows and illuminating the bus interior properly for the first time.
Sunlight. So warm. So comfortable.
It dispersed all the oppressive darkness and cold that had been weighing them down.
Nanase Ren's whole body warmed up as the rays touched her skin. The gloomy anxiety that had been festering in her heart disappeared completely, replaced by pure anticipation for getting off this cursed bus.
Tonight she was going to celebrate. She wanted tonkotsu ramen with extra pork, wanted fragrant grilled wagyu beef, wanted to eat so many delicious things until she couldn't fit another bite. Her mind filled with images of food and normal life, things she'd taken for granted before tonight.
She couldn't hide her anticipation, couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face.
The blue-haired guy wiped cold sweat from his forehead with a shaking hand. After such a difficult journey, he'd finally made it. He could survive, could get off this nightmare bus and return to his normal life.
"Approaching the next stop. Passengers exiting, please prepare."
The announcement came through the speakers, and everyone's attention sharpened immediately.
The bus slowly decelerated, the engine noise changing as it came to a complete stop.
Click...
The front and rear doors opened simultaneously.
Swoosh. The blue-haired guy immediately jumped to his feet and hurried toward the exit, moving as fast as his shaking legs would carry him. His knees were weak and he stumbled a few steps, nearly falling, but managed to steady himself with the handrail.
He was getting off. He was going to step into warm sunlight and leave this horror behind forever.
Hayato stood up and reached out to help Nanase Ren to her feet, his hand steady and warm in hers.
The nurse made a soft sound of thanks, her voice almost too quiet to hear.
She'd already decided to treat Hayato to a proper meal to express her gratitude. Everything else, their relationship and what happened next, could be discussed over dinner.
"Boss, this great kindness needs no words. I, Miyazaki Akira, will definitely repay this debt in the future."
The blue-haired guy paused just before stepping off, lowering his voice to deliver this promise. His real name, given freely, was a sign of genuine gratitude and respect.
Then he took that step down onto solid ground, ready to embrace the warm sunlight and return to the living world.
Hayato, holding Nanase Ren's hand, prepared to follow. But out of habit, he glanced toward the front door.
A man who'd just boarded caught his attention. There was something familiar about the figure, something that made Hayato pause.
He'd seen this person somewhere before. Recently.
"What's wrong?" Nanase Ren asked carefully, noticing his hesitation.
"Nothing..." Hayato started to say, but that sense of familiarity wouldn't fade.
He activated time stop immediately, freezing the world around him.
When facing Death Game situations, Hayato's attitude was to never rush anything. Better to spend extra time thinking things through than to make a fatal mistake from impatience.
He walked directly to the man who'd just boarded and studied him carefully in the frozen moment. After several seconds of observation, memory finally clicked into place.
"It's him."
Hasegawa Takayuki.
The only person who had died directly at the scene in the Chiba Station fire incident. One death, three injured, according to the official reports.
Hayato had seen this man's photograph in the accident-related materials at Chiba Municipal Hospital when reviewing the case files.
Realizing this connection, his mind raced. He immediately looked outside through the windows, searching for confirmation. His eyes found the electronic clock hanging high on the station wall.
April 8, 2024, 2:15 PM
Monday
The afternoon of the Chiba Station fire incident. The same day his train had been stuck for two whole hours due to the emergency.
"Left the hospital at night, but now it's afternoon."
The discrepancy hit him like cold water. He'd almost overlooked this crucial hint in his eagerness to escape.
Time wasn't flowing normally. They'd traveled backward somehow, or sideways into a different moment entirely.
This wasn't the right stop to get off. Despite the sunlight and the familiar station name, something was fundamentally wrong.
They couldn't exit here.
Hayato turned immediately to look at the route map displayed inside the bus.
To the right of Chiba Station, where it had previously been pitch black and empty, another stop had appeared. The text was clear and readable: Chiba Municipal Hospital.
Hayato's eyes narrowed as understanding crystallized. That was the real stop, the actual exit point where they needed to disembark.
Everything else had been a trap, a test, a way to sort those who paid attention from those who didn't.
Having figured this out, Hayato grabbed Nanase Ren's hand again and pulled her back toward their seats.
Time stop ended, reality resuming its normal flow.
But that blue-haired guy, Miyazaki Akira, he couldn't be saved.
Hayato had tried to help him even after watching him sacrifice the middle-aged man. Despite that betrayal and cruelty, Hayato had still attempted to bring him back onto the bus. After all, having another person to test things out could be useful for whatever dangers remained.
But Miyazaki had one foot and half his body already off the bus, already committed to stepping onto the platform. Hayato's time stop couldn't reverse that. He was powerless to pull the man back.
"Take care," Hayato said quietly, knowing the blue-haired guy couldn't hear him.
After stepping down and landing firmly on the ground, Miyazaki looked confused. Under his shocked and bewildered gaze, he saw Hayato pulling the pretty nurse back to their seats instead of following him off.
Questions formed instantly in his mind.
What's going on? Why are you going back? Are you not leaving? We made it, this is Chiba Station!
The next moment, he saw the four anomalies in gray work uniforms stand up and exit through the rear door, passing right by him on the platform.
Understanding dawned with horrible clarity.
Wrong stop. This was the wrong stop.
Let me back on! Miyazaki turned and ran toward the bus, sprinting at full speed with everything he had. But no matter how fast he moved, he couldn't get even one step closer to the vehicle. The distance remained constant, the door impossibly far away no matter how much ground he covered.
He tried the front door with the same result, running full tilt only to find it was a threshold he could never cross again.
Meanwhile, Nanase Ren, forcibly pulled back to her seat by Hayato, looked completely bewildered. She'd even struggled initially, trying to break free and exit while she had the chance.
Why sit back down? Why weren't they leaving?
They'd reached Chiba Station, hadn't they? Shouldn't they get off like Miyazaki was doing?
The moment the doors closed with a final click, sealing them inside once more, Nanase Ren's face filled with complete despair.
It was over. They couldn't go back now. The chance had passed, and they'd missed it.
She was going to die here on this bus after all.
She couldn't go home anymore, couldn't see her parents again. She'd never eat delicious tonkotsu ramen or tasty grilled wagyu. Everything she'd been looking forward to was gone.
Hope had been right there, and now it was ripped away.
She was going to die here.
Nanase Ren's expression shifted through sorrow to helplessness, her whole body going limp against the seat back. Her beautiful eyes welled up with tears that threatened to spill over and run down her pale cheeks at any moment.
Hayato placed both hands on her shoulders, the contact gentle but firm. He withdrew his right hand after a moment, checking that she wouldn't scream or make a loud noise in her distress.
Seeing that she was holding herself together despite the despair, he immediately began typing on his phone.
We can't get off at Chiba Station. When we boarded, it was nighttime, but outside right now it's daytime.
He turned the screen toward Nanase Ren, giving her time to read and process.
After a while, the cherry-haired nurse's eyes moved from their fixed, hopeless stare. She began to register the discrepancy he was pointing out.
It was daytime outside. The angle of the sun, the quality of light, everything indicated mid-afternoon. The timing was completely wrong unless they'd somehow spent an entire night riding this bus without realizing it.
She took the phone from his hand and typed slowly, fingers still trembling.
What if we did spend a whole night on the bus? Time flow rates could be different.
Nanase Ren had watched plenty of movies and anime involving time travel concepts and alternate dimensions. Maybe this was something similar.
Hayato typed his response and showed her.
We boarded on April 12th, Friday night. The electronic clock at the station outside shows April 8th, Monday afternoon.
He pointed toward the route map mounted above the bus compartment.
I saw the next stop is Chiba Hospital.
Chiba Hospital. The hospital where she worked, where this whole nightmare had started when she left after her shift.
A sense of belonging washed over Nanase Ren despite everything. The feeling of potentially going home, of reaching familiar territory, appeared in her chest.
She stared at Hayato, studying his face and the certainty in his expression. Then she made her decision.
Trust him. She would trust him completely.
This guy made absolutely no effort to hide his attraction to her, occasionally said embarrassing things that made her blush. But when it came to protecting her and keeping her alive, he never compromised even slightly. Every decision had been aimed at their survival.
The exit door had already closed. They were stuck on the bus regardless of whether his reasoning was correct. Besides trusting Hayato, what other choice did she have?
"The bus is about to depart. All passengers, please take your seats immediately."
The driver's reminder sounded once more, that familiar cold voice carrying the weight of absolute authority.
The passenger who'd just boarded, Hasegawa Takayuki, walked down the aisle step by step. His movements were measured and careful, and he finally sat in the seat directly in front of where Nanase Ren was positioned.
Compared to the previous terrifying passengers whose appearances had been disturbing and wrong, this man looked remarkably normal. Far more human than any of the other anomalies who'd boarded. His features were clear, his clothing intact, his general presence almost ordinary.
Nanase Ren found she had the courage now to look at anomalies directly, to face them with her own eyes rather than hiding and hoping they'd go away.
This one seemed safe enough to observe.
But something nagged at her as she studied his profile. A vague sense of recognition, like she'd seen him somewhere before but couldn't quite place where.
The memory teased at the edges of her mind, frustratingly close but not quite surfacing.
She racked her brain, trying to remember. Then suddenly it clicked, and the realization made her entire body tremble and shake uncontrollably.
This man was the victim who'd died in the Chiba Station fire incident. The one fatality from that accident.
Nanase Ren had read the reports at the hospital and had seen his photograph in the materials related to the incident. She'd even discussed the case with colleagues during a break.
The knowledge that she was sitting behind a dead man, that his corpse or spirit or whatever he was had just boarded this bus, made her skin crawl in ways the more obviously monstrous anomalies hadn't quite achieved.
She immediately used her cold, trembling fingers to type out text on her phone, relaying this information to Hayato as quickly as possible.
Hayato read it and nodded. He'd already identified the man, but having confirmation was good.
He pointed at the single seat on the right side, indicating she should move there. The seating arrangement needed to be adjusted now that their passenger count had changed.
Then Hayato stood up and moved to sit in the front row position, taking the double seat right next to where Hasegawa Takayuki sat.
Nanase Ren suddenly realized the seating issue with their current configuration. They'd gone from four humans to two, which meant the pattern had changed. Someone needed to sit adjacent to the anomaly to maintain the rules.
And Hayato had taken that position without any hesitation, placing himself next to a dead man without showing any fear or reluctance.
Even though previous anomalies hadn't attacked humans who sat beside them, that didn't guarantee there was no danger. The risk was still there, still real.
Warmth surged through Nanase Ren's entire body as understanding hit her.
She was really lucky to have met someone like him.
Under Hayato's reminder and urging, she supported herself with one hand on the seat back and quickly moved to the single seat on the right side that he'd indicated. She positioned herself sideways so she could watch him, hoping desperately that he would remain safe.
"Please be safe," she thought to herself, the prayer automatic and sincere.
"I'll treat you to barbecue after we get off. The best place in Chiba."
The promise formed in her mind as something concrete to hold onto, a future to believe in.
Rumble rumble...
Rumble rumble...
The bus drove smoothly forward, the engine letting out soft rumbling sounds at regular intervals. The interior was silent except for that mechanical noise, no voices breaking the quiet.
Hayato's attention remained fixed on the man beside him while simultaneously observing changes throughout the bus, cataloging every detail and watching for anomalies in the anomaly's behavior.
"The quieter and more normal something seems, the more dangerous it usually is," he reminded himself.
He couldn't let his guard down. Not until they were safely off this bus and back in normal reality. Caution and careful attention were essential right up to the very last moment.
Hayato absolutely would not joke around with his own life or Nanase Ren's.
The man sitting beside him, Hasegawa Takayuki, had his arms crossed over his chest and eyes closed. He looked like a tired worker enjoying a rare moment of rest during his commute, completely ordinary and harmless.
Still no changes whatsoever in his condition or behavior.
Could there really be nothing wrong with this one? Hayato wondered, though he knew better than to assume safety.
Then he noticed something.
The bus speed was increasing. Subtly at first, but definitely accelerating.
The brightness of light streaming through the windows began to change as well, weakening at an obvious rate. The dazzling midday sun they'd seen at the fake Chiba Station shifted toward evening sunset colors, the golden light turning orange and then dimmer.
The rate of change kept accelerating, time flowing faster outside than it should.
A rule had definitely been triggered. Something was wrong.
Hayato looked at Hasegawa Takayuki with new focus. He'd initially expected this man to burst into flames like the burning anomaly he'd encountered on that Tuesday night. But until now, there were no signs of fire or heat. Sitting right beside him, Hayato didn't feel even a trace of unusual warmth.
"Hm?"
Then understanding clicked.
Hayato reached out without hesitation and touched the man's forehead with the back of his hand.
The heat that met his skin was intense and immediate, far beyond normal body temperature.
"Fever," Hayato said quietly to himself. "High fever."
Instantly he understood this anomaly's condition and what needed to be done.
Just like the first anomaly who'd boarded with that bleeding ten-centimeter wound, this one had a medical problem that needed to be addressed. The pattern was consistent.
This time the solution required lowering body temperature, treating the fever somehow.
"Water."
But using his time stop to search, Hayato went through the entire bus without finding a single bottle of water or any liquids that might help.
How could he lower someone's temperature without water?
Fever reducers wouldn't work, he was certain. Medication seemed too mundane for these supernatural conditions. Besides, the first aid kit didn't contain any fever medicine that he could see.
While searching through the medical supplies again, his hand landed on a bottle of rubbing alcohol.
Physical cooling. Use alcohol evaporation to draw away heat.
That could work.
Hayato immediately grabbed the bottle, unscrewed the cap, and soaked cotton balls in the liquid. He began applying alcohol to Hasegawa's forehead, wiping it across the burning skin.
The alcohol evaporated almost instantly on contact, taking heat with it as it turned to vapor.
The bus speed decreased slightly in response, confirming he was on the right track. But it was far from enough. The deceleration was minimal, barely noticeable.
Outside, the sunset colors were fading rapidly toward night. Time was running out fast.
Once they passed the temporal point when they'd originally boarded Route 18, the bus probably wouldn't stop at Chiba Municipal Hospital anymore. The window of opportunity would close permanently.
At that moment, a slender hand reached over and took the alcohol bottle from Hayato's grip.
It was Nanase Ren.
The nurse's long fingers wrapped around the bottle as she pointed at herself, then flashed him a faint but determined smile.
Leave it to me, her expression said clearly.
Hayato moved aside immediately, giving her room to work.
As a trained nurse with actual medical experience, Nanase Ren was far more qualified for this than he was. She knew exactly how to cool down a fever patient efficiently and quickly.
Professional work should be handled by professionals. With the girl volunteering to take over, Hayato had no reason to refuse or insist on doing it himself.
Moreover, he was extremely satisfied with Nanase Ren's attitude and courage. When something needed to be done, she really stepped up without hesitation. Even facing non-human entities, she dared to confront them directly and do what was necessary.
That took real strength of character.
Nanase Ren used cotton dipped generously in alcohol to wipe Hasegawa's forehead, both sides of his neck, his wrists and the insides of his elbows. All the places where major blood vessels ran close to the surface, where cooling would be most effective.
This was her specialty, her area of expertise. She absolutely could not fail at this.
Hayato had identified the problem and found the solution. Now she had to execute it properly and bring this man's temperature down before time ran out.
She threw herself completely into the task, applying alcohol with careful thoroughness and then fanning the wet areas to accelerate evaporation and heat dissipation.
Her hands started getting sore from the repetitive motions, muscles aching from the sustained effort. But she gritted her teeth and kept working without complaint, refusing to slack off even slightly.
Hayato watched the nurse working so diligently and felt genuine appreciation. She was doing excellent work, and it showed in the results.
He could see the bus speed decreasing more noticeably now, the change obvious as the engine noise shifted. The man's temperature was dropping steadily under Nanase Ren's care.
Victory was close, just a little bit further.
Finally, after what felt like forever but was probably only a few minutes, Hasegawa Takayuki opened his eyes.
Nanase Ren gasped and immediately pulled her hand back, startled by the sudden movement.
What should she do now? Should she continue wiping or pause?
She looked at Hayato desperately, seeking guidance on how to proceed.
Hayato made an OK gesture with his fingers, indicating that she'd finished successfully. The job was done.
"Haa..."
Nanase Ren lifted the back of her hand to wipe sweat from her forehead, exhaustion hitting her all at once now that the crisis had passed.
She was so tired. The physical effort combined with the mental strain made this feel even more exhausting than working a full shift in the ICU at the hospital.
The difference was the stakes. Here on the bus, if she didn't perform well, death was the immediate consequence. That kind of pressure was incomparable to normal work stress.
But it was over now. Finished. She could finally rest for a bit.
Nanase Ren sat up straight and began rubbing her sore right arm with her left hand, trying to work out the ache that had settled into the muscles.
"Thank you, nurse."
Just as she was catching her breath and relaxing slightly, a calm voice of thanks came from beside her.
Nanase Ren's entire body tensed up instantly, every muscle going rigid.
What should she do? Should she respond? How should she respond?
Her mind went blank with panic as she looked at Hayato again, desperately seeking instruction. Only Hayato would know the right way to handle this situation.
After all, he'd been the one brave enough to converse with that pale boy earlier, the only person who'd had the courage to communicate normally with an anomaly.
Hayato nodded, giving her permission to respond.
The bus only prohibited communication with the driver specifically. Talking with other passengers wasn't forbidden. He'd maintained an attitude of avoiding unnecessary conversation, but if an anomaly initiated dialogue, that was different.
Like with the boy, the wounded man, and the muttering of those four wolf-beasts, these were all potential clues and hints pointing toward survival.
"N-no problem," Nanase Ren managed to say, her words slightly stuttered from nerves. "As a nurse, this is what I should do."
Speaking to it directly required so much courage. Her heart hammered in her chest.
She increasingly admired Hayato's composure in conversing naturally with that boy, treating the interaction like it was completely normal.
"Approaching the next stop. Passengers exiting, please prepare."
The bus announcement sounded, breaking the moment.
"Almost there," Hasegawa said, standing up from his seat and preparing to exit.
Nanase Ren quickly stood as well and moved aside to let him pass into the aisle.
As they moved past each other in the confined space, Nanase Ren heard one quiet sentence that made her blood run cold.
"Don't get off with him!"
----
I don't know if this story is good or not. Because I think it's quite complicated to translate it like this, the raw is too simple, like short dialogue>explanation typeshit>overconfident type MC. If I don't make it mc more grounded with sensory detail, maybe no one will be interested. Maybe it's better to just delete it and try to find something else with a fun story? At that time, I read this and was entertained, maybe because I wasn't thinking too much and was just passing the time. But after looking at it again, it feels so hollow if I didn't add some sensory and grounded it mc vibes.