The Last Time

...

...

The third time.

I "awoke" even earlier.

He sat on the sofa, his pupils dilated and his gaze unfocused. His consciousness was not yet fully awake, still drifting in that sea of chaos.

And I—

was already kneeling on the floor across the coffee table, holding that cup of steaming tea in my hands...

looking at him tenderly.

This time, almost at the exact moment Aqi's time rewound, my memories surged up along with it.

It was wonderful.

Now, I could rewind time together with Aqi.

The moment he rewound, I "awoke" with him. There would be no more delays, no more waiting.

Because...

the eyes of the world had completely lost their way.

Now, all of Aqi's time belonged to me.

Every minute, every second...

all mine.

I looked down at the teacup in my hands. The tea rippled slightly, reflecting my blurred face.

The first and most important step of the plan had been achieved.

I had successfully made Aqi lose his way, and I had blinded the eyes of the world.

Since that was the case...

I should implement the next step of the plan.

I should—

I should...

I did not move.

I remained kneeling across the coffee table, holding the cup of tea.

Aqi was still half-lying on the sofa, his eyes half-open, looking at me hazily.

His lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something.

But no sound came out.

I looked at him, watched him for a long time, and then...

driven by some inexplicable impulse, I spoke:

"Master, your tea."

My voice was as soft and sweet as ever, carrying the unique freshness of the early morning.

"The temperature has been adjusted to your favorite 52 degrees Celsius."

Aqi's eyelashes trembled, and his body leaned forward slightly, as if... he wanted to stand up?

But he was too tired. He only leaned forward a bit before falling back against the cushions.

Those eyes remained half-open, gazing at me through a haze.

Looking at him like this, an indescribable emotion suddenly welled up in my heart.

...Let's wait a little longer.

Before it all finally ends...

I want to be a little greedy one more time.

After all... all of Aqi's time belongs to me now.

With every rewind, he can stay with me from seven in the morning until noon.

Five hours. Three hundred minutes. Eighteen thousand seconds.

Every minute and every second belongs to me.

So—

let's rewind a few more times.

I want Aqi to spend more time with me.

Looping a few more times is also beneficial to my plan.

Yes, it is beneficial.

So...

I will loop a few more times.

Besides—

I cannot bear to part with Aqi...

Aqi surely cannot bear to part with me either, right?

He will not blame me...

He definitely will not.

I placed the teacup on the coffee table, rose gracefully, walked over to him, and sat in his lap.

His body stiffened slightly before relaxing again.

I leaned against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"Thump, thump, thump..."

Beat by beat, steady and strong.

I closed my eyes and buried my face in his embrace.

...

...

It was already the eighth time.

My movements of digging out the core behind my neck were becoming more and more practiced.

As long as I dug out the core, the moment I opened my eyes...

I would see Aqi sitting hazily on the sofa opposite me.

I would say the phrase, "Master, your tea."

Aqi would collapse, and I would catch him.

And then—

I could have five hours of Aqi.

But this time, I did not leave him on the sofa, nor did I carry him back to bed.

I held him and walked out to the balcony.

The bedsheets drying on the balcony were already dry. I pulled them down, spread them on the floor, and laid a thin quilt over them.

Then I placed Aqi on top.

The early morning sunlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating his face.

Under the sunlight, the shadow of the bridge of his nose fell across his cheek.

He looked so handsome.

I lay down beside him.

Turning on my side, I rested my head on his arm and placed one hand on his chest, continuing to feel his heartbeat.

The sunlight bathed us, warm and cozy.

I closed my eyes, the corners of my mouth turning up unconsciously.

It was so nice.

Right now, we were holding each other in the sunlight.

Like two ordinary people, like an ordinary couple.

It was as if there were no more rewinds, no more awakenings, no more world rules, no more dawn and dusk.

There was only the warmth of the sun, and the two of us.

I opened my eyes again and looked at Aqi's profile.

He was sleeping soundly, a faint smile on his lips.

He was having a sweet dream again.

I leaned in and kissed his cheek.

Again and again, until his cheek was once again covered with my lip prints.

Only then did I smile in satisfaction and rest my head back on his arm.

The sunlight continued to shine on us.

I closed my eyes, listening to his heartbeat.

...

...

It was the fourteenth time.

This time, I carried him into my little room.

The charging pod was still standing there, its translucent walls glowing with a faint blue light in the morning sun.

I pressed the pod wall, and the door slowly opened.

It was very narrow inside.

Just enough for one person, but for two—

it would be a bit crowded.

But that was exactly what I wanted.

I placed Aqi inside, pressing his body against the pod wall, and then I squeezed in after him.

With a soft click, the pod door closed.

The outside world was shut out.

It was very quiet inside, with only the sound of Aqi's breathing and our mutual heartbeats.

The space was so tight that my body could only press tightly against Aqi.

My chest pressed against his arm, my thighs pressed against his.

My face was buried in his chest, and his chin rested on the top of my head.

We squeezed together just like this, like... two kittens huddled in a cardboard box.

This little space that used to belong only to me, now, I was finally sharing it with Aqi.

I had wanted to share it with Aqi for a long time.

And outside...

I looked through the translucent pod wall again.

Looking at my little room outside.

Clean and tidy, with only a wardrobe and a small table.

Everything was so familiar, yet so distant.

But it felt very safe.

I closed my eyes, buried my head a little deeper, and took a deep breath.

He smelled so good.

However...

Should I continue executing the plan?

No.

Wait a little longer, wait a little longer.

Let me enjoy this a bit more. Let me love him a bit longer.

Besides...

A few more loops will only be more beneficial to the plan.

...I cannot bear to let Aqi go.

...

...

It was the thirty-seventh time.

This time, I carried him and opened the bedroom wardrobe.

My clothes were hanging inside, along with a few of his spare shirts.

I pushed the clothes aside, clearing a small space...

And then I placed Aqi inside.

I squeezed in as well.

It was very dark inside the closet, with only a sliver of light filtering in through the crack in the door.

The air smelled of mothballs and fabric, mixed with the faint, lingering fragrance of laundry detergent on Aqi's body.

With a click, the closet door closed, and that last sliver of light vanished.

Complete darkness.

I voluntarily turned off my night vision capability.

Now, just like Aqi, I could not see anything either.

I could only feel Aqi's body—

His shoulder rested against mine, his arm pressed against mine.

His breathing was very light, falling softly against the side of my neck, beat by beat.

I reached out, groping in the darkness until I found his hand, intertwining my fingers with his.

In the dark, the corners of my lips curled up again.

As expected, this place suits me best.

The balcony is too bright, and the charging pod is transparent...

But a cramped, gloomy place like the wardrobe is exactly what suits a...

...little mouse like me, hiding in the crevices of the world, just barely clinging to life.

It's just tough on Aqi, having to keep me company in here.

Then again, Aqi was stolen by this little mouse.

He can only stay by my side.

Besides... he is sleeping so comfortably.

There is even a smile on his face.

Even though I can't see it in the dark, I can feel it.

Because his breathing is steady, his body is relaxed; he feels at peace here.

I feel at peace, too.

Because I know that as long as I dig out my own core...

I can continue to be with Aqi.

...

...

The fifty-sixth time.

I knelt across the coffee table, watching Aqi collapse onto the sofa once again.

My vision trembled.

I...

I can't keep doing this.

I tried to persuade myself.

The eyes of the world... have long been lost.

I should have executed my plan long ago. I should have long ago...

...walked toward the future with Aqi.

Instead of being like this, constantly hoarding the enjoyment all to myself.

If I keep this up, what is the difference between me and the original me... the one who didn't know how to love, who forced Aqi into [Eternal Slumber]?

I make him reset time and time again, fall asleep time and time again, drift in chaos time and time again...

Just because I want to enjoy his company for a little while longer.

Just because I can't bear to let go.

Just because...

I am still as selfish as ever. I haven't changed at all.

Aqi's eyes were still half-open; his consciousness hadn't completely sunk into slumber.

I looked at him, watching him for a long time.

Then, I lowered my head.

"Master, your tea..."

I said softly.

"The temperature has been adjusted to... your favorite, 52 degrees Celsius."

...Next time.

I'll do it next time.

"Aqi, just stay with me one more time..."

I murmured.

"Okay?"

No one answered me.

Aqi couldn't hear me.

But I still nodded and answered for him...

"Okay."

Then I gracefully stood up, walked to his side, and pulled him into my arms...

Pressing my lips against his once more.

The last time.

Truly the last time.

Really, really...

...the last time.

...

...

The eighty-second time.

I knelt across the coffee table, staring blankly at Aqi.

This time, I didn't say those words again.

I just kept my hands on my knees, kneeling there in silence.

Aqi sat on the sofa just like before.

His eyes were half-open, pupils dilated, his gaze unfocused.

This was already the... eighty-second time I had seen him like this.

The eighty-second time.

Aqi had stayed with me like this for eighty-two times.

...It's time to end this.

This beautiful dream I stole, it's time for it to end.

Both Aqi and I should move forward.

I can't... keep immersing myself in this hazy dream.

This isn't forever.

This is just my selfishness.

So, it really is time to end.

I shuffled forward on my knees until I was right in front of him, looking at his hazy, semi-conscious face...

My vision was trembling.

"I'm sorry, Aqi."

I murmured:

"I'm too selfish..."

His eyelashes didn't flutter.

His breathing remained steady.

"Go to sleep, Aqi."

I propped myself up with both hands and kissed his forehead, my voice breaking into his hair.

"This is..."

"...the last time."