From the start of the morning, Laphne wasn’t feeling well.
She had a fever and was coughing, likely due to catching a cold.
That’s why I decided to take the day off from the academy and stay by Laphne’s side, nursing her and watching over her condition.
After her fever subsided and Laphne fell asleep, I left briefly to gather so clothes and other things from the dormitory.
That’s when I found Emily sitting under the tree.
“So, please, just let this go for today. When today ends and today starts again, I won’t...”
“......”
“I won’t... bother you anymore, Ken...”
Then, out of nowhere, ca Emily’s sudden confession.
And sothing about her explanation was bothering .
‘...When today ends... and starts again?’
It was sothing that didn’t make any sense, yet it reminded of sothing from my mory.
It was a random event that would happen to Emily in the ga.
One of the Academy Invasion events by the Demon Lord’s army.
The ten-day ti loop event.
“...What... did you just say?”
When I asked her how many tis she had died, Emily stopped crying and looked at blankly.
How many deaths.
In a ti loop event, this was the most crucial detail.
It indicated how many lives remained.
It might be a misunderstanding, but her words seed to match up with what I rembered.
Even if it sounded strange, I had to ask.
This was reality.
In this world, there was no restarting after the tenth death like a save-load in a ga.
“When you die, do you start again from the morning? How many tis has that happened?”
“K-Ken... how do you...”
It seed my guess was correct.
Emily looked at , her face filled with disbelief.
Understanding the aning of my words, tears welled up in Emily’s eyes again as she approached .
She placed her trembling hand on my shoulder, then collapsed as if her strength had left her.
I supported her as we lowered ourselves to the ground together.
With a tear-stained face, Emily managed to speak through her sobs.
“K-Ken... I... I’m... Hic, I’m right now...”
“I know. It’s okay, Emily. I can help you.”
“Hic... Ken...”
And with that, as if she couldn’t hold back her emotions any longer, Emily buried her face in my chest and cried.
Having witnessed this ti loop event in the ga, I understood the tornt she must have gone through.
This ten-day loop was the most psychologically devastating event Emily experienced in the ga, filled with horror.
I held her until she cald down, lending her my support.
“...The sixth ti, huh.”
After calming down, Emily told how many tis she had died.
Six tis—there was still so ti left.
“Emily, listen to carefully. You need to pay close attention.”
“O-okay.”
Her sobbing had stopped, but her eyes were still red as she nodded weakly.
“First, you have to die this ti.”
“...Wh-what?”
She looked shocked, understandably so.
But the reality was harsh. She couldn’t be saved in this loop.
If she wanted to survive, she had to accept this.
Tears welled up in her eyes again as her shoulders trembled.
“And when you wake up in the morning after you die, go straight to the academy.”
“Hic... Okay.”
Despite the harshness of what I was saying, Emily did her best to calm down and listen to .
I placed my hand on her trembling shoulder.
This next part was the most important.
“On your way to the academy, you’ll see a student who drops sothing fragile every morning.”
“O-okay.”
“You need to catch that object before it breaks.”
The only way to clear this ti loop event was through one specific action.
You had to observe the repeating events and use them to recruit a specific NPC to your side.
That student who dropped sothing fragile every morning was the key NPC.
Without him, it was impossible to complete the event.
I explained to Emily why this student was important and what she needed to do after catching the item.
“But Ken... When the next morning cos, you won’t rember any of this...”
“Don’t worry. Just bring that student to . I’ll know what to do, even if I don’t rember.”
In the ga, this NPC only appeared in this event.
If Emily suddenly brought him to , I’d understand what was happening.
Reassured by my confident response, Emily nodded.
And then, once again, tears stread down her face as she spoke.
“Thank you... Hic, thank you, Ken... Thank you for helping ...”
“Of course. I’ll always help you. No matter what happens, I’ll take care of it. So don’t worry.”
I gently patted Emily’s head as she continued to cry.
Emily looked up at blankly, as if my gesture had caught her off guard.
Ah, I guess I’d developed a habit of doing this from taking care of Laphne.
...Was it strange?
Well, since she said she liked ... I guess it wasn’t unpleasant for her.
“Ken...”
“Yeah?”
Emily placed her hand on top of mine as I patted her head, then spoke with a voice that seed on the verge of tears again.
“I’m... I’m scared to die.”
“......”
“I’m scared of the pain.”
Her hand, holding mine, was trembling.
“...It’s okay, Emily.”
I knew what she had gone through.
No matter how necessary it was to resolve the situation, going through that pain again was cruel.
I couldn’t even imagine how terrifying it must be for her.
So, while I couldn’t stop her from dying this ti...
The best thing I could do for her was—
“I’ll die with you.”
I couldn’t save her from dying.
That crazy woman with the scissors would co for her, no matter what, and deliver a painful death.
But at least I could make sure she wasn’t alone.
I couldn’t share her pain.
But I could stay by her side.
I didn’t know how much comfort that would bring, but it was the best I could do.
eting my determined gaze, Emily lowered her head and seed lost in thought for a mont.
Then, she gently removed her hands from mine and placed them on my shoulders.
She lifted her head and t my eyes again.
But now, instead of fear, there was sothing else in her gaze—sothing like embarrassnt and desire.
“Ken... I have a request.”
“Sure, anything. Just tell .”
“......”
She hesitated, glancing at before finally speaking, as if she had made up her mind.
“When I die... You won’t rember anything, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Then...”
Emily looked at with a gaze I’d never seen from her before.
Her face flushed red as she gazed at , seemingly entranced.
“...Kiss .”
“......Huh?”
I was taken aback by her sudden request.
But her eyes were sincere.
“I’m terrified of the pain and death... But if you kiss ... I think I’ll be able to endure it.”
Hearing the word “kiss,” my eyes naturally drifted to her lips.
Emily’s red, glistening lips.
The sight of them made my heart pound fiercely, and I could feel my face heating up.
“Is that... too much to ask?”
When I didn’t answer right away, Emily looked at with sad eyes and asked again.
After a brief hesitation, I made up my mind and looked at her.
“All right. If it’ll help you feel more at ease.”
If a kiss from soone like could lessen the pain of death for her, I’d gladly do it.
At my response, we both stood up from where we had been sitting.
Standing face to face, I slowly approached Emily, who backed up slightly until she leaned against the tree.
I gently placed my hand on her cheek.
I could feel the warmth of her skin.
Emily’s eyes were moist, her face flushed, and she gazed at as if in a daze.
“...Is this okay?”
“......”
Emily nodded in response to my question.
And so, I leaned in closer and kissed her.
“......”
“......”
Our lips softly pressed together.
Through the hand I placed on her shoulder, I could feel Emily trembling.
Slowly, I pulled back.
Feeling embarrassed, I couldn’t et her eyes.
Emily remained silent.
Cautiously, I looked up at her.
She was gazing at with a dazed expression, but then she smiled slightly and spoke.
“Idiot, that was just a peck.”
“...Huh?”
Her words left flustered.
And as I fumbled for a response, Emily blushed, lowered her gaze, and spoke again.
“C-can I ask one more thing?”
“Wh-what is it?”
Emily lifted her eyes again, looking nervous as she asked.
“C-could you... tell you like ?”
She seed even more embarrassed than when she had asked for a kiss.
“I’m sorry... I know it’s selfish, but since it’ll all be forgotten anyway... Could you...?”
“I like you, Emily.”
“......”
At my sincere words, Emily blushed even more and lowered her head.
Then, she looked up again, gazing at with tearful eyes.
“One more ti.”
“I like you.”
“...Say it a little more.”
“I like you, Emily.”
“...I like you too, Ken.”
With tears in her eyes, Emily spoke softly.
She smiled, a mix of sadness and joy, as she closed her eyes.
Waiting for my kiss.
I, too, closed my eyes and kissed her again.
“...Mmm.”
Emily placed her hands on my face, and our lips parted slightly as our tongues began to intertwine.
I could feel her warmth, and my heart started to race as my body grew hot.
Our lips beca wet with each other’s saliva as we explored each other’s mouths.
The sweet scent of Emily filled my senses.
Soon, Emily’s hands moved from my face to my neck, and she pressed her body against mine.
Her soft body was pressed against , her warmth spreading through .
I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her closer.
Ti seed to pass as we shared that mont.
But soon, Emily’s shoulder twitched.
Her body began to tremble.
The trembling wasn’t from excitent—it was sothing else.
Through the full-body contact, I could feel Emily’s fear.
I had a feeling.
Death was approaching.
I pulled away from her lips and looked into her fearful eyes.
I wanted to reassure her.
I didn’t want her to suffer.
I t her gaze, putting all my sincerity into my words.
“I love you, Emily. I’ll stay with you, no matter what.”
Did my words reach her?
The fear in her eyes softened, replaced by warmth and sothing close to excitent.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she nodded with a small smile.
“...I love you too.”
We kissed again.
It was a sweet, tender mont shared between lovers.
But that sweet kiss ended with the bitter taste of blood.
...
Emily opened her eyes, staring at the familiar ceiling as she sat up.
Morning.
For her, it had recently been nothing but the beginning of tornt.
But today was different.
With a dazed expression, Emily touched her lips.
Her first kiss with the person she loved.
Rembering that sweet, intimate mont, the pain of death no longer seed so frightening.
‘Right, there’s sothing I need to do...’
Snapping out of her thoughts, Emily quickly got ready.
Running down the path she usually took to the academy, she scanned her surroundings.
Everything looked all too familiar now.
In the sa scenery she had seen every day for the past few loops, she found the person she was looking for.
A short student struggling to carry a glass decoration.
“Whoa...!”
As usual, the student tripped on a rock, losing their balance.
But this ti, Emily was already ahead of them and caught the fragile glass before it shattered.
“W-whoa!! Th-thank you! I almost broke a really important project!”
The student, who had fallen to the ground after tripping, looked up at Emily and thanked her profusely.
Emily sighed in relief, smiling down at the student.
“Really? Well then, I guess you owe a favor.”
“...Huh?”
“I’m going to need your help.”
And with that, Emily began her plan to escape the loop.
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