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[dereban]

... Unless?

[ She tilts her head, curious. ]

[spacialeyes]

If I give everyone that I love a cake with a capsule prize inside of it, then maybe I can normalize it being for friends! I'll even learn new jokes or fun trivia, or I could put toys or presents inside?

Would that be fun? Would it get my point across?

[dereban]

Don't do that; it's a choking hazard.

[spacialeyes]

Eh- But! Oh... Auuu.

[She's right. He pouts.]

I could have opened a mail service alongside YuuDash... Yuutou's Delivery and Cake Service..!

[dereban]

Did you really like that movie that much...

[spacialeyes]

Yes!!!

[And now that she’s watched it with him, she may be able to notice how the way that his hair gets fluffy or flatter with his emotions is him mimicking Ghibli animation.]

That witch using her power to help and save people… She’s so cool! I wish I could do that too.

[dereban]

She's pretty amazing. Honestly, better than most of the other witches I've met in real life.

[spacialeyes]

That's right, you know a 'witch' with a power like mine! Is the witch from that movie really more impressive?

[Yuuto's grin is half-teasing;] I'm good at picking my fictional idols then.

[dereban]

I know... well, personally I've only properly met two witches. One of them's an asshole. I'll never forgive her. The other is... well, he's okay. He's a dumbass dork, though.

[ ... ]

Are you including me in that category too?

[spacialeyes]

[oh riiight. He's a dumbass, huh?

Yuuto goes quiet for a moment. Then shakes his head.]

I don't want for you to be my idol. Then you'll be out of reach.

[dereban]

. . . am I not out of reach right now?

[ A genuine question, but mostly to hear his further thoughts on it. It's more curious more than anything. ]

[spacialeyes]

[He pauses, feeling a bit awkward now that he’s on the spot.]

… Even though it feels like you keep moving forward, I can try to keep up right now?

Do you… want to leave me behind instead? I can… [His voice trails off.]

[dereban]

Moving forward... mm, it's more that I've taken many steps back and some steps forward. I'm back at the starting line.

[...]

I don't... I don't want to.

[spacialeyes]

Maybe it looks linear to you... But to me, Inaba's movement has been more like a maze. So going 'backwards' is part of the process..?

[Yuuto shakes his head, admitting that he isn't an expert.]

I don't want for you to leave me either. I really like being by your side, you know. You're easy to be around.

[dereban]

It's kind of weird that you call it a maze when I see it like a graph.

[ She sighs. ]

I do have to go back home, eventually, though...

[spacialeyes]

[He giggles softly,] I get that a lot. The world looks really different when you're spacetime incarnate, I guess.

[Though that...

He sighs too. His expression softens, but he maintains a smile.]

I know. You have a home to return to. And... I don't want to keep you from that. But for now, um... I'm lucky to have you here.

[dereban]

Maybe it's selfish of me.

[ She knows it is. Extremely so. She knows that the idea that she has to go hurts him, but... he's not the only that hurts. ]

But you should come visit sometime.

[spacialeyes]

Visit..?

[He repeats the request in a confused tone, his voice fading to silence as he hears how strange the word sounds on his tongue.

Then awful black tears start to fall and he has to lower his head.]

No one’s ever… [No one has ever asked him to come back to a world. If anything, he’s been told to stay away.] … is that really okay? That means you’d see me again..?

[dereban]

Yeah. I mean... I will say that you can't go into the time that I came from because it's dangerous, but after I go through a couple of yers, then. Yeah.

[spacialeyes]

[Yuuto is still stuck in a mental loop.

Visiting her. That solves... so much? And it's such a simple idea. He'd thought that he needed to cut their entire relationship, because he never wanted for Inaba to miss him. As selfish as it was, he both wanted to become someone she talked about like Iori and dreaded it. He never wanted to be someone who hurt her.

He's not allowed to have friends, because he'll leave them with only sadness.

But visiting...

Yuuto stares at her with a stunned expression. He can't wrap his head around it.]

... You'd want to see me again?

[dereban]

That was the plan from the beginning, you know. Ever since we met.

[spacialeyes]

[He didn't realize how tense he was until he lets out a shaky sigh. The tears on the table are gross and he moves to wipe them with his hand, which he notices has begun to shake.]

I thought... I was in the way..? You have so many people waiting for you... I didn't want to ever take you from them. I was only going to hurt you by being your friend, so...

But I could have visited. I... I'm so stupid, huh?

[dereban]

[ There's a bit of a pause; clear hesitation in her eyes before she lets out a heavy, worn out sigh. ]

My decision was always to return to Yokohama. But by doing so, I'd be leaving behind all the friends that I've met in the Foundation... that also includes my two boyfriends as well. But I was very much aware that there's a way to travel between worlds. There's people there who have actually done it, and even a Witch who can also do it.

Plus... I've read my story from cover to cover. I plan on figuring out how to travel to other worlds and to have people visit. I know that's a possibility.

[ She needs to believe that there's more to her life than the ending. She... has to exist even past that. If she doesn't, then she won't be able to handle herself. ]

[spacialeyes]

[Yuuto watches her with awe. It's amazing that she can think that way and he doesn't doubt her ability to change fate, not even for a second.

But he lowers his eyes to the smeared Rumor goo on the table. Thinking miserably.]

My curse has always sent me between worlds on my own, because I... I shouldn't exist. 'Yumeno Yuuto' was traded away for a miracle. I'll pay for that as long as I live.

[The worlds reject him like a virus. He gave up on going back when he realized how vast the universe was and how no world really wanted him.]

They've only ever wanted 'Yuuto.' No one wanted 'me,' so there was no reason to try visiting after a while. It just made people unhappy to see me. I'm a curse, equal to Satou-san's miracle. I get why I was upsetting to see. I understand why I need to stay quiet and be who they wanted...

[Yuuto is rambling honestly, because he trusts Inaba to listen. But also, because he's so confused. And she has a way of taking his overthinking and breaking it in two.]

Why do people want someone like that now, after all of this time? How do I know you won't just change your mind and tell me to leave again? You say I'm kind, but that's wrong. People say I'm good, but I'm evil. My soul is a blackhole. I'm not the one they're looking at..?

[dereban]

[ Inaba's frown deepens ever so slightly even as she takes another bite of the cake. She chews on it, contemplative before leaning against her palms and staring up a the ceiling, only speaking up once she's swallowed, her tone thoughtful. ]

Humans change their minds all the time. Sometimes it's temporary. Sometimes it's not. Sometimes people say things that they mean... but only in the moment. People can make mistakes when it comes to their feelings, their words and their actions.

You ask yourself the question of why and honestly? I don't have a proper answer. Our existences in this world aren't miracles, after all--we're pawns summoned for someone else's own wishes.

I've said it in the past, and I'll say it again. The only Yuuto I know is you. And I won't sugarcoat any bullshit. If you were truly evil, you wouldn't have tried to do something as ridiculous as put jokes in a capsule inside a cake. I wouldn't even be here if you were a bad person. I'm not saying that you have to be good all the time.

Hell, I'm not a fucking saint myself. I'm selfish... extremely so. But I have to constantly bury that down along with a lot of my other dark tendencies.