Chapter Text
Chapter One
"Eventually...I couldn't take my eyes off you."
The girl's blonde hair swayed as the wind and the incandescent glow of the late-night stars bobbed in place above the rooftop of Arkride Solutions. Agnès fidgeted, gluing her fingers together.
Why is she wearing her school uniform? Van thought to himself. He recalled her answer to that very question had something to do with it being laundry day, but Van couldn't shake away his doubts.
His form remained only half facing his junior, nerves crawling and making its home in his throat, his jaw clenching in anticipation. His feet betrayed him, however; he couldn't move.
"I'm in love with you, Van."
His eyes widened. Something white shone in her skirt pocket.
The Genesis?
Van looked around. His mind was a mess, unable to remember what caused the time-jump this time. Usually when this phenomenon happened, the effected had a vague sense of which wrong they needed to right. The memory haze wasn't anything new, but usually both timelines melded and dispersed, as if they were two different liquids fighting to stay apart, the polarizing hues floating into each other.
This time was different. It was as if nothing happened.
The high schooler's painstaking confession still rung in his mind.
Why was she still wearing her school uniform?
A quick, childish knock smacked across the office door as Van laid across his plush couch. His knees were locked together in the air. If one didn't know any better, they would think this man relaxed.
Before Van could even offer a grunt of acknowledgement, the door flew open.
"Van!" a small girl called out, her salmon-colored ponytail bouncing as she trotted her way to the very man she wanted to see. She carried a youthful glow about her.
"What is it, Yumes?" Van sat up, only now realizing how panicked the kid was.
"I think something's wrong with Agnès!"