Time's Secret Wardrobe

Kaito Fujimura sat alone in his room, the dull glow of his desk lamp casting long shadows across

nty-six seconds long, bu

ack ea

mmer in

uki turning to face the vent slit wi

was watching. N

ooming in. Her expression was not one of surpr

calcu

uestion was: had sh

ck, and tried to sleep. He barely managed two hours. By morning, his nerves

to scho

he

t of him ne

rms chatted in groups, the air buzzing with Friday gossip and weekend plans. But Kaito felt like he was walking through

im in the s

n't storm in. There was no

es making no sound on the linoleum floor. Her signature crescent-moo

dent K

"Sorry to interrupt. May I bor

to stare. Some were sh

o fr

tanding as if in a trance. His fee

She simply gestured and turned, her long,

n summoning

unused, silent, and far from prying eyes. She closed the

ible dust from the edge of a piano. "No camera

w. His legs were stiff, mouth dry

away. She turned to him,

too muc

blurted. "I don't even understand

voice silky and measured, "

Not aggressively. S

remember. That's the beauty of the reset. It's... clean. Efficient. But you-" s

efu

no

ouncing his name slowly, deliber

d hard. "I

te doesn't make mistakes. You saw what I didn't wa

be part of anyt

"That doesn't matt

silence

id, "Give me

toward his pocket inst

to do that," h

O

just tell someone. Pos

in a faint smirk

u s

ile va

ext her fingers were gripping the edge of his hoodie, yanking hi

will forget you. Your teachers will misremember your name. Your online presence?

ed slightly, bu

id, though it came o

id sweetly, stepping back.

to his brow. "Then why hav

a pa

fingers dancing across the dus

nt to erase you," s

stared

him again. "I want

dropped.

," she said as if it were the

ssory

remove the crescents and wear the black earrings, someone ha

ounds i

And yet you kee

flin

t you stayed. That mean

" he echoe

didn't you? That restless itch. That gnawing curiosity

backing away. "I'

't have

tell s

you." Her voice turned venomous. "You're invisible. A ghost in t

llowed

n closer, her v

l be seen. You'll be

corrected

said with

ing to think. "

"I'll destroy you. Sl

ent p

his phone, still c

footage," he

sidered h

t your

artnership,"

what

her expression unreadable.

ing steps, the heavy weight of an inv

walked back to class-not with

san talke

know

mething

ad b

longer i

being seen... m