Perfect unknownable

Ringing Alarm

In an apartment in the heart of the capital, an alarm rang, marking the scheduled time.

"Huh, it's morning already?"

It was 7:30 AM. A young man with black hair and tired eyes glanced at the clock that had just woken him up.

"Why don't nights last longer?"

This young man was Kannazuki Satoshi, a 19-year-old second-year student undergoing a career change.

Satoshi often found himself complaining internally, even when he was alone.

He sighed at the effort required to get out of bed—a bed that, just the night before, had refused to welcome him but now, strangely, seemed to possess an irresistible charm.

"Just a little longer…?"

His thoughts blended with his lingering drowsiness.

7:55 AM

At this point, he was fully awake but remained motionless, staring blankly into space for a long while.

Then, a sudden realization struck him—he couldn't afford to be late today.

He quickly began preparing in his small one-bedroom apartment, which he rented using the inheritance left by his deceased parents.

8:30 AM

Fully ready, he left his apartment, passing by his neighbor on the ground floor. She was in tears, bruises visible on her skin. Without paying attention to her, he continued on his way.

This time, he was truly late, briskly walking through the city streets until he reached the subway.

At this hour, the subway was packed. I should have woken up earlier, he thought. But his tendency to procrastinate had caught up with him once again.

His lateness wasn't due to laziness but rather a mix of forgetfulness and general disinterest, often putting him in tricky situations—like now, stuck in a crowd he despised.

He had no one to blame but himself, knowing full well that he would inevitably repeat the same mistakes.

For a fleeting moment, a thought crossed his mind.

"Should I just buy a motorcycle? With my current budget, I think it's doable. After all, at nineteen, I can get a license."

9:00 AM

He finally reached his stop, maneuvering through the sea of bodies to escape the metal box that had confined him.

After a five-minute walk, he arrived at his university.

Just as he stepped into the auditorium, his name echoed through the room.

"Next, Kannazuki Satoshi will present his work on the topic of energy transformation."

He was late. Everyone noticed.

However, he had arrived just in time to step forward and begin his presentation. It lasted only thirty minutes.

As he finished, the small group of students present clapped.

"Mr. Kannazuki, I'm conflicted about what grade to give you," the professor said. "Your grasp of the subject is excellent, and you used your time efficiently to present clear information."

Satoshi simply nodded in gratitude.

The professor continued.

"However, while your work is well-structured, there's a noticeable sense of neglect. It feels as though you didn't take enough time to prepare."

That was fair.

He had prepared it the night before—despite having had plenty of time beforehand.

After receiving his grade, he decided to head home. The other classes didn't interest him.

Still, it felt like a waste to come all this way only to leave early.

Though he disliked staying out too long, he chose to wander around for a bit before heading back.

"What should I do?"

This question kept looping in his mind.

Then, in the distance, he noticed two young children hesitating at a crosswalk, unsure whether to cross.

Approaching them, he helped them safely reach the other side.

Afterward, the boys thanked him.

"Never cross alone—always ask for help," he simply advised before continuing on his way.

11:10 AM

"Wait! Look over there, isn't that Kannazuki?"

"Yeah, it is! Hey, Kannazuki!"

Kannazuki was suddenly approached by two guys his age.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" he greeted them.

They were upper-year students, but at that moment, Kannazuki couldn't remember their names.

They were familiar enough that he tried to navigate the conversation without giving himself away.

"We're good. Say, do you have any plans today?" one of them asked.

"No, nothing in particular," Kannazuki replied.

"Wanna come with us? We need one more person."

Apparently, a friend of theirs had bailed at the last minute.

Even though they weren't close, Kannazuki was seen as a reliable guy—someone they had interacted with enough times to invite along.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"To meet a group of girls from school," the other student answered.

"Isn't that something you usually plan ahead?" Kannazuki questioned.

"Yeah, we were supposed to go with Ichigusa, but he chickened out last minute."

The two students chuckled.

Ichigusa-senpai… Ah, yes, Kannazuki vaguely remembered him—the guy who always hung around them.

Judging by his usual behavior, he was probably meant to be the "extra" in the group.

That meant one of the girls wasn't accounted for, or perhaps the plan had been to set him up with someone.

Now that he had bailed, there was no turning back.

Kannazuki thought about it briefly.

"Why not?" he finally said.

"Knew we could count on you!" one of them grinned.

"You flatter me, senpai!!!" Kannazuki replied jokingly.

"We're all friends here, drop the 'senpai' and call us by our names."

Kannazuki laughed awkwardly before nodding.

"If you play your cards right, you might just end up with a date tonight!"

"So that's their plan!!!" Kannazuki realized.

"He means you should find yourself a girlfriend already," the other added.

Kannazuki understood what they were trying to do.

But truth be told, he never found a girl who kept his interest for long.

He always lost patience with the dating process, which was why he never took the first step.

This time, however, he was only going along because he had nothing better to do.

If he were to end up in a relationship, it would be with someone he chose himself.

That thought settled in his mind.

"Shall we get going?"

"Alright."

12:00 PM

After a short walk, they arrived at Café Noble, the designated meeting spot according to the two senpai.

As they stepped inside, they spotted three young girls sitting at a table—one of whom was waving at them.