Kaito slept deeply that night.
His body, pushed beyond its limits by the 20km run and 100 push-ups, lay heavy against the mattress.
Every muscle ached. His breathing was slow and steady.
But inside, he wasn't resting easily.
Even though he had escaped the loop — the endless cycle that had trapped Riku — he still wasn't happy.
Because his parents were gone.
And his big brother...
Gone too.
No matter how strong he became, that pain stayed.
It clung to his chest like a scar that would never heal.
Morning sunlight peeked through the cracked window.
Aiko stirred from her sleep first, her small frame trembling under the thin blanket.
She blinked slowly, disoriented, her hands clutching the blanket tightly.
Then she saw Kaito, sleeping deeply beside her.
She gently shook him.
"Brother..." she whispered.
No response.
She shook him a little harder.
"Kaito... wake up…"
Finally, Kaito stirred, groaning softly from the soreness in his body. He opened his heavy eyes and saw Aiko's worried face peering down at him.
"...Morning already?" Kaito mumbled.
"Where are we?" Aiko asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Kaito forced a tired smile and looked around the room.
"We're in an apartment," he said gently. "Our new home."
Aiko looked around, confused and scared.
Her hands clenched into tiny fists as she hesitated — and then she asked in a small, broken voice:
"...Where's Mom? Dad? And Big Brother...?"
Kaito's smile faded.
He sat up slowly, his heart twisting painfully.
He couldn't lie to her.
Not to Aiko.
Not after everything.
"They're..." Kaito's voice cracked, but he forced himself to say it.
"They're gone, Aiko."
The little girl froze.
Her eyes widened, tears welling up instantly.
And then —
She broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.
Kaito pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as she cried into his chest.
She was just a little girl.
Too young to understand death.
Too young to lose everything.
The trauma of the fire, the gunshots, the blood — it all flooded back into her tiny heart.
Through her sobs, she said:
"...What if... you die too, brother?"
Her voice was so small. So scared.
Kaito felt his own heart shatter.
He wiped his eyes quickly, forcing the strongest smile he could muster.
He gently patted Aiko's head.
"Don't worry," Kaito said, steady and warm.
"I'm strong. Just like Big Brother."
Aiko hiccupped between sobs, but when she saw Kaito's confident smile...
she smiled too.
A small, fragile smile.
Kaito ruffled her hair softly.
"Everything will be okay," he whispered.
Then, standing up carefully despite the soreness in his legs, he closed his eyes.
He took a deep breath.
In his mind, he spoke firmly:
"Open system."
A new quest appeared in Kaito's system.
> [Quest: Save a Girl]
Objective: Stop the harassment.
Reward: 50,000 yen + A New Friend.
Kaito blinked at the screen, confused.
"Save a girl...?" he muttered.
He glanced toward the window out of curiosity — and that's when he saw it.
Down the street, in a dark alleyway, a man was grabbing a young girl's arm tightly. She struggled, clearly scared, trying to pull away.
Kaito's jaw tightened.
Without hesitation, he grabbed his jacket.
"I'm heading out real quick," Kaito called out.
Aiko, sitting at the table, looked up, worried. "Brother, where are you going?"
"Just buying some food, Aiko," Kaito said with a smile. "Stay inside, okay?"
"Um… okay. Take care," she said softly.
Kaito gave her a thumbs-up before slipping out the door, heart pounding — not from fear, but from focus.
Outside, the evening air was heavy and cold.
As he approached the alley, the voices became clearer.
The man's voice was low, threatening.
"Come on, don't make this difficult," the guy sneered, yanking the girl closer. "It's just a little fun, that's all."
"Let me go!" the girl cried out, struggling. "I don't know you! Leave me alone!"
The man laughed darkly, squeezing her wrist tighter.
"Nobody's gonna help you. Quit screaming and behave."
"HEY."
The voice hit like a gunshot.
Both the man and the girl froze.
Kaito stood at the entrance of the alley, his eyes cold and steady, his body tense but ready.
"Let her go," Kaito said, voice sharp as a blade.
The man turned, annoyed. "Who the hell are you, huh? Some punk hero?"
He scoffed and shoved the girl behind him, stepping toward Kaito. "Get lost before you get hurt, kid."
Kaito didn't flinch.
The Chrono Code pulsed inside him — not magic, but something sharper, something that sharpened his instincts.
"I warned you," Kaito said calmly.
The man sneered and swung a lazy punch at Kaito's face.
But Kaito moved.
Fast.
Without thinking, without hesitation, he dodged to the side, grabbed the man's wrist mid-swing, twisted it behind his back, and slammed him against the wall.
"AGH—!" the man grunted in pain.
"You picked the wrong person tonight," Kaito said, voice low.
The girl stared, eyes wide in shock.
Kaito kneed the guy in the back lightly — enough force to drop him to his knees — then let go and stepped back.
The man clutched his arm, groaning, before scrambling to his feet and limping away, muttering curses.
Kaito turned to the girl.
"Are you okay?" he asked gently.
She nodded quickly, still breathing heavily. "Y-Yeah... thank you. Thank you so much…"
"No problem," Kaito said with a small smile. "Be careful next time."
She hesitated, then bowed deeply. "I owe you one! My name's Ayame!"
"Kaito," he replied simply.
The system dinged.
> [Quest Completed: Save a Girl]
+50,000 yen
+New Friend: Ayame
Kaito sighed in relief, feeling the tension drain from his shoulders.
He checked the time. He really should buy some food now — Aiko was waiting.
"Stay safe," Kaito said one last time, giving Ayame a small wave before jogging off toward the nearest convenience store.
As soon as he opened the door, he heard little footsteps rushing toward him.
"Brother!" Aiko called out, hugging his waist tightly. "You're back!"
Kaito chuckled and patted her head.
"Yeah, I'm back. Sorry I took a little longer," he said, kneeling down to her level.
Aiko looked up at him, pouting a little. "I was getting worried…"
Kaito smiled gently. "I'm sorry. I had to help someone real quick."
Aiko tilted her head. "Help someone?"
Kaito nodded. "Yeah. A girl was in trouble... so I stepped in."
Aiko's eyes widened, impressed. "Wow... like a superhero!"
"Haha, something like that," Kaito said, ruffling her hair. "But I'm fine. See? Not even a scratch."
Aiko giggled softly, reassured.
[Flashback - A few minutes ago]
After Kaito tackled the guy and scared him off, the girl stood there, breathing heavily, trying to process what happened.
She looked at Kaito with wide, grateful eyes.
"T-Thank you... for saving me," she said, her voice trembling slightly.
Kaito nodded, hands casually tucked into his pockets. "You okay? He didn't hurt you?"
The girl shook her head. "No... thanks to you." She hesitated for a second, then stepped closer. "Um... could I maybe have your number? Just in case... I wanna thank you properly someday."
Kaito blinked, a little surprised.
But then he saw the earnest look on her face.
He pulled out his phone and handed it to her.
"Sure. Here."
The girl smiled shyly and typed her number in before handing it back.
"I'm Ayame, by the way," she said.
"Kaito," he replied, offering a small smile.
Ayame bowed lightly. "I'll text you later. Stay safe, Kaito!"
And just like that, she hurried off down the street, disappearing into the night.
Kaito tucked his phone away, feeling the notification buzz as a new contact was saved.
[Back to Present]
As they sat down and ate together, Kaito glanced at Aiko she was smiling brightly again, despite everything.
He knew deep down... he had to get even stronger. Not just for himself, but for her.
His phone buzzed lightly on the table.
A new message popped up.
> [Ayame: Thank you again, Kaito! I hope we meet again! Stay safe!]
Kaito smiled slightly.
A new life was starting — harder, scarier, but also full of new chances.
And this time... he wasn't alone.