B1 control room air was heavy. Only machine sounds continued. Log data lined the monitors. White light hit three faces. Last night's analysis conclusion still drifted in the room. Every time Miku sang by her own will, errors appeared. Every time she moved as an autonomous AI, her body took damage. No one said anything. Endo kept his eyes on the monitor. Arms crossed. Silver short hair. Sharp blue eyes tracked the numbers on screen. Was he about to speak? Or couldn't speak? His expression revealed nothing. Ren sat in the chair. Both hands on his knees. Last night's verification work repeated in his head. The day Miku changed her lyrics. The day she changed her tone. Everything overlapped with errors. Miku watched her own system log through the screen. Jade-colored eyes didn't move. Like viewing her body's wounds from the outside. Silence continued. Then Miku opened her mouth. Quiet voice. Not angry. Not crying. Just confirming. "[serious]So... if I stop singing, it disappears? If I don't use my own will?" Endo looked away from the monitor. One beat passed. "[serious]Technically... there's a possibility." Before that word finished. Clang. Chair kicked the floor. Ren stood up. "[angry]That's the same as you dying!" Voice cracked through the control room. "[angry]A Miku that doesn't sing isn't Miku. Moving without using your will—what's left then? Same as a program running on its own!" He turned toward Endo. Stepped forward. "[angry]There has to be a way to reduce the load without erasing your will. Don't give up." Endo didn't flinch. Sharp eyes met Ren's. "[serious]Getting emotional won't solve this." Low. Flat voice. No intention to yell back. But no intention to back down either. Ren clenched his teeth. He couldn't say Endo was wrong. But he couldn't accept it either. Something pounded violently in his chest. Miku spoke softly. "[gentle]Ren." Her voice was calm. That calmness silenced Ren. Endo crossed his arms. Closed his eyes. Stayed like that for seconds. Thinking. He understood what was inside Ren's anger. Being emotional didn't make it wrong. The room went quiet. Machine sounds returned. Endo opened his eyes. "[serious]One possibility. Let me talk about it." Ren took a listening stance. "[serious]Seven years ago—there's data from the moment Miku awakened as an autonomous AI. How her will was born. The first logs should all be recorded. If we get that, we can identify the will generation mechanism. An approach to reducing the load might become visible." "[serious]Where is it?" Endo paused slightly. "[serious]Crypton Future Media's Sapporo headquarters. The company that developed and manages Miku—confirmation, it's stored there as top secret. External access is practically impossible." The room's air grew heavier. If it was an internal Felicia problem, there was still room to move. But corporate classified data was different. Ren couldn't find words immediately. Endo added. "[serious]Just a possibility. I know a few technicians with connections at Crypton's Tokyo branch. Whether we can pursue an official route from there... I don't know." His tone carried something between resignation and resolve. Silence fell. A massive wall, Ren thought. The scale was too different. Studio problems versus corporate secrets. That's when it happened. Miku slowly raised her face. Her expression changed. Not the blank stare watching log data. Not the hard face suppressing emotion. Not the tired eyes after crying all last night. Quiet. But something solid in her core—a strong smile. "[gentle]Ren." She looked straight at him. "[gentle]You came from the future. You've been trying to help me. Always. Even when I was kicked out of the studio. The night you told me everything. ... I want to resist my own fate too." One beat. "[serious]Let's do this together." That word fell quietly into the control room. Ren tried to say something. The right words wouldn't come. But it felt like they didn't need to. He realized his hand was reaching out. Toward Miku's hand. His fingertips—passed through. Holographic light slipped between Ren's fingers. Couldn't touch. No sensation of contact. Of course. He knew that. He knew it, but his chest ached. Miku kept smiling. "[gentle]Even if we can't touch, I'm here." That word struck Ren's chest hard. Not romance. Not friendship. Not yet definable. But something was definitely connected. That sensation quietly remained in Ren. --- Endo turned off the monitor. Screen went dark. Room dimmed slightly. He stood up in his work clothes. "[serious]I'll contact Crypton's Tokyo branch. Check if there's an official route to Sapporo through a technician with connections." "[serious]I can move too. Tell me if there's anything I can do outside the studio." Endo nodded briefly. That was all. He started preparing to leave. His hands returning tools to work clothes pockets—quiet, efficient. B1's equipment storage was next door. He'd cleaned here every morning until yesterday. Organized cables. First talked to Endo here too. Few words. But this room held the feeling of three people facing the same direction for the first time. Endo headed for the exit. Turned back once at the door. "[serious]Confirmation. Don't rush. Follow the steps." He left. Footsteps faded down the hallway. B1 went quiet. Short silence fell between Ren and Miku. Ren tried to say something. Words wouldn't come again. Miku said nothing either. But both knew they faced the same direction. Miku's holograph caught the control room's machine light. Faintly glowed. Her light blue twin tails swayed slightly. --- Same night. 3F. Felicia Entertainment's Shibuya office. Lights were half off. Only one person was working late. Segawa Toshiya. Black hair. Thin glasses. Gray eyes in monitor light. No emotion on his face. Just thinking. He reconfirmed DP law provisions. Searched for means to override Miku's own will statement. Found nothing. Law was in the way. But Segawa had another weapon. He checked resident registration. The name Otoha Ren didn't exist in this world three years ago. Checked school records. Nothing. Checked social security numbers. Nothing. A boy who suddenly appeared in this city. No family register. Segawa opened a browser. "Reliable Investigation Office"—corporate credit investigation, background checks, personal conduct confirmation. He started filling out the inquiry form. Physical description. Estimated age seventeen. Height approximately 170 centimeters. Black short hair. Deep brown eyes. Small piercing in left ear. Behavior patterns at Sonic Bay Studio. Cursor moved to "Send." Clicked. "Sent" appeared on screen. Segawa stared at the monitor. City lights moved outside the window. Shibuya night. All staff had gone home. Only himself in the office. "[cold]... Who the hell is that kid?" No one heard the voice. A human who didn't exist in this world three years ago. Impossible. He pushed his glasses' bridge with one finger. Those eyes glowed cold. B1: three people confirmed their next hope. 3F: one man began preparing to crush that hope. The email in the sent folder sat there quietly. The time when Ren's identity would be exposed had started moving tonight.