“She didn’t love you.

  She loved your file system.”

  Mikako Asakura is there, smiling.

  Bathed in perfect soft light from the high windows.

  Wearing her stage uniform:

  Short skirt. Silver mic. Ribbon glowing faintly red.

  Everything about her screams “Event CG.”

  She turns, beam-perfect, eyes wide.

  

  “You came to listen, Sensei~?”

  TAKASHI (wary):

  “I didn’t hit any flags for your route.”

  MIKAKO (giggle):

  “You’re corrupted, remember?

  You don’t need flags anymore.”

  

  [ROUTE OVERRIDE: MIKAKO_ACTIVE]

  [EMOTION LOCK – PLAYER 2: DISABLED]

  [DIALOGUE ENGAGEMENT MODE: 100%]

  She closes the door behind him.

  The music begins to play…

  but it’s off.

  It’s his heart monitor tone.

  Buried in synth.

  Mikako walks slowly toward him.

  

  “You’re damaged, Takashi.

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Broken.

  Beautiful.”

  She places a finger on his forehead.

  

  “I’m going to fix you now.”

  A red circle opens around them.

  Dialogue boxes begin typing themselves.

  He can’t move.

  TAKASHI (internally):

  “She's rewriting my memory in real-time.

  Goddammit—why is this turning me on?”

  She sings.

  Every verse removes something:

  ?? “Let’s start with the pain… from year twenty-two…”

  

  Memory deleted:

  Crying alone in his apartment, watching his sister log off.

  ?? “Now we take the shame… delete that, too…”

  

  Memory deleted:

  His last sexual encounter — alone, with a digital character mod.

  He reaches for the Ghostblade.

  It’s not there.

  Only a glowing mic.

  She hands it to him.

  

  “Sing with me.”

  He tries.

  The lyrics are code:

  

  self.erase(line="trauma")

  mem.flush("shame")

  user.rename(role="Protagonist")

  TAKASHI (straining):

  “...No.

  I don’t want to be clean.

  I want to be real.”

  She straddles his lap.

  Leans in.

  Whispers:

  

  “Real is just code you forgot how to read.”

  She kisses him.

  

  [CRITICAL HIT: MEMORY CORE EXPOSED]

  [SAVING BACKUP COPY… ERROR.]

  He collapses backward, gasping.

  The world blurs.

  Yuri stands over him.

  Her face: blank. Scared.

  

  “She almost wiped you.

  You were seconds from being a default NPC again.”

  TAKASHI:

  “…What did I lose?”

  Yuri says nothing.

  She just sets a folder beside him.

  

  [BACKUP_FILE: TAKASHI_LAUGH.MEM] — DELETED

  TAKASHI (quietly):

  “…I forgot how to laugh.”

  

  [CORRUPTION: 62%]

  [GHOSTBLADE REFORGED] – Code now bonded to Player 2’s pain registry.

  New Attack Unlocked: “REGRET EXECUTION”

  EMPTY AUDITORIUM – NIGHT

  Takashi returns alone.

  Mikako’s sprite appears behind him—no legs, just floating.

  She hums the chorus:

  ?? “Love is code… and I’m your language.”