I woke up at 1:37 PM.
Not because of an alarm. Because the sun finally stabbed through the half-closed curtains and hit me directly in the face.
My phone was dead on the floor. Charger had fallen out sometime during the night. I groaned, rolled over, and plugged it in. Screen lit up with notifications: missed calls from Mom (two), a LINE message from my cousin asking if I was coming to the family gathering next month, and three unread Discord pings from the anime group.
I ignored all of them.
Instead, I sat up and looked at the Rem figure on the shelf. She was still staring at me with that gentle, unchanging smile.
"Okay," I said aloud, voice scratchy from sleep. "Day one. Let's do this."
Rule one of the challenge: treat every moment like it's scripted. No breaking character unless absolutely necessary.
I stood, stretched, and immediately felt ridiculous. But ridiculous was better than numb.
First step: morning routine as MC. In Route: Eternal Loop, the protagonist always started his day with a dramatic inner monologue while brushing his teeth. Something about "another loop, another chance to break the curse."
I walked to the tiny sink in the corner of the room (yes, my apartment bathroom was basically a closet with a mirror), squeezed toothpaste, and stared at my reflection.
"Another day in this endless route," I muttered around the toothbrush. "But this time… I'm going to raise my affection flags."
Foam dripped onto my chin. I looked like an idiot.
Good. Commitment.
I showered (cold water because the heater was on the fritz again), threw on yesterday's hoodie and jeans, and grabbed my konbini name tag from the hook by the door. Shift started at 3 PM. Plenty of time to "grind" before work.
Breakfast was a banana I'd bought on discount and a protein bar that tasted like cardboard. While eating, I opened my phone's notes app and started a new list:
Challenge Log – Day 1
Objective: Survive shift without autopilot mode.
Tropes to assign today: Coworker Aoi = Genki Girl with Hidden Depth (observe for flags).
Manager = Stern Tsundere Boss (probably not, but worth trying).
Goal: Trigger at least one "event scene" (small talk that isn't awkward).
Bonus: No gacha pulls until after shift (discipline stat +1).
I stared at the list. It felt like writing a walkthrough for my own life.
Before leaving, I grabbed my sketchbook and tablet—just in case inspiration hit during break. On the way out, I paused at the shelf and gave Rem a small salute.
"Cover me, partner."
She didn't blink.
The walk to the konbini was the same as always: past the ramen shop that always smelled like tonkotsu at 2 PM, past the tiny arcade with the broken crane game, past the billboard for the new season's idol anime. Today, though, I tried to notice things like an MC would.
The way the sunlight caught the edge of a puddle and made it look like a portal.
The salaryman ahead of me checking his phone with the same dead expression I usually wore.
A stray cat watching me from a wall, tail flicking like it knew something I didn't.
I reached the store at 2:55 PM. Slid my card through the time clock. Changed into the green vest in the back room.
Aoi was already there, restocking the drink cooler. She was humming some idol song—probably from Shiny Days☆, the current hot one. Her maid-cafe side job was on weekends, but she still wore those little hair clips shaped like ribbons even on konbini days.
"Morning, Haruto-kun!" she chirped without turning around. "Or should I say afternoon? You look like you fought a boss and lost."
"Morning," I replied, then caught myself. MC mode. "I mean… yeah. Rough night. But today's a new save file."
She turned, one eyebrow raised. "Save file? You playing something new?"
"Kind of," I said, grabbing a box of cup noodles to stock. "More like… role-playing my own life."
Aoi laughed—bright, easy. "That sounds fun. Or dangerous. Which one?"
"Both, probably."
We worked in companionable silence for a while. I kept stealing glances, trying to "read" her like a character profile.
Genki on the surface. Always smiling at customers. But I'd seen her once during a slow shift—sitting in the break room staring at her phone with this blank, tired look. Like the energy was a mask she put on when people were watching.
Flag noted.
Around 5 PM, the after-school crowd hit. Kids buying ramune and Pocky, high-schoolers arguing about the latest episode of Route: Eternal Loop. I rang them up mechanically, but today I tried something different.
One group of three girls came up with a stack of energy drinks and chips.
"Big night?" I asked, scanning.
The leader—ponytail, confident smirk—nodded. "Marathon rewatch. We're doing the true route this time."
I paused, then—without thinking—quoted the show's tagline.
"'No matter how many times the clock resets… some feelings never loop back.'"
The three of them froze. Then Ponytail's eyes widened.
"Wait. You watch it too?"
"Yeah," I said, bagging their stuff. "Episode 7 hit different."
They exploded into chatter. Recommendations, theories, complaints about the pacing. For once, the register didn't feel like a barrier. It felt like… dialogue.
Aoi watched from the cooler, smiling faintly.
When they left, she walked over.
"That was smooth, Haruto-kun. You're usually all grunts and nods."
I shrugged, cheeks warm. "Trying something new."
She tilted her head. "I like it. Makes the shift less boring."
Small win. Social link +1?
The rest of the shift passed faster than usual. No major events, but no crushing boredom either. When closing time came, I felt… lighter.
On the walk home, I pulled out my phone and updated the log:
Day 1 – Results
One successful event scene at work.
Aoi noticed the change (potential party member unlocked?).
No gacha relapse.
Mood: Not great, but not dead.
I reached my building, climbed the stairs, unlocked the door.
The room was the same. Figures, posters, mess.
But tonight, it didn't feel quite so suffocating.
I sat at my desk, opened the tablet, and started a new sketch—not a commission, just for me.
A chibi version of myself standing in front of a cracked screen, light leaking through the fissures. In the cracks: faint silhouettes of anime characters reaching out.
I saved it.
Named the file: "Day_1.png"
Then I leaned back, looked at Rem again, and whispered:
"Guess the route isn't completely locked yet."
End of Chapter 2.