Again and again

Tanaka's frustration boiled over as he voiced his bewilderment, "Why is this happening again?"

There was no reason as to why this occurred once again.

As Tanaka's gaze fixed upon the horizon, his thoughts unraveled like a thread through time.

"I thought the loops were over." he muttered, the words tinged with a sign of resignation.

Tanaka recollected his previous venture into this world. He had encountered an array of oddities, yet among them, none were as confounding as the phenomenon of time looping. The repetition of a single day, which seemed as an endless cycle, an event confined solely to him, since it seemed that the others people weren't effected by it.

Three times the first day had looped, each iteration leaving its mark on his memory. The initial day played out ordinarily: arriving in this world, participating in chores and diligently attending to his tasks. It ended with his ill attempt at crafting a power source, only to render his phone lifeless. Night beckoned, and as he drifted into slumber, a surreal twist awaited him.

The first loop, a mere continuation, yet a divergence in his experience. Dizziness clung to him like a shroud as he was guided through the mansion's inner workings. An eerie storage room led to an inexplicable expanse where his senses dissolved into a void, only to snap back as he retraced his steps.

"Then comes the second loop, the one where I fainted," Tanaka's voice carried a tinge of vulnerability. The toll of physical and mental exhaustion bore down on him, adding to that mentally exhausting event he just experienced. He was forced to surrender his body to the ground. Awakening, he found himself soaked by the ministrations of Ram and Rem.

As he looked at his wet clothes, he commented, "They must have some sort of fetish with splashing people with water."

Shaking off the wetness, he focused again. He slept, woke up, and found himself back where he started.

Tanaka summed up, "And moving forward to the third loop of the first day."

Deciding to go easy and not change anything, he replayed the day. It was odd to pretend everything was new, but he didn't want to raise suspicions. He followed the same routine, only this time he fixed the charger without a hitch. That's when the loop finally ended.

Tanaka contemplated, "Three loops in the first day, two during sleep and one in that weird space. Maybe that space thing happens before the loops, maybe I ended up there when I was asleep on the fifth day?"

Two big questions bugged him: why the loops, and what ended them?

Contemplating the loop's conclusion, Tanaka deliberated on its trigger. Nothing much changed except the fact he succeeded at building the charging system, was that the thing that ended the loops?

"No, that's just stupid," he mumbled to himself, dispelling one theory, only to embrace another.

Then a different idea struck him, "A pattern." He said it quietly, like a secret.

If patterns decided when loops ended, it made some sense.

He admitted, "Not an answer for the first question, but maybe loops need a three-time pattern to stop. That's good enough for now."

"For now, let's go with just that," Tanaka's voice reverberated with newfound determination. He would play the observer, "I'll stick to that for now. Repeat the first day, watch for triggers or patterns. Even if nothing comes up, I'll test this pattern theory."

With a clear head, Tanaka picked himself up, changed into his outfit and exited the room.

As he strode down the corridor, a mental checklist replayed in his mind. "The first thing to do is to meet with Emilia and Beatrice before I meet up with that guy." His path was set, his plan laid out. Last time, they had crossed paths in this very hallway, but this time, their presence eluded him. Recalling that Emilia had been on her way to Subaru's room in the previous iteration, Tanaka surmised, "Maybe she's already there. I did take more time in my room this round before heading out."

An inkling of possibility led him to Subaru's room, until a sight halted his steps. At the end of the hallway stood Ram, a figure that shouldn't have been there according to his prior loop.

Tanaka's internal thoughts buzzed, 'She's not supposed to be here.'

Ram: "You finally changed and left your room."

Approaching her, he brushed off her initial comment and inquired, "What are you doing here?"

Ram's silence hung for a moment before she responded, "The guest ran away somewhere, so Ram and Rem are searching for him."

"He ran away!?" Tanaka's reaction was a mix of astonishment and intrigue; this development was certainly a departure from the previous loop's script.

"What did you do to make him run?" Tanaka questioned, "Did you drench him too?"

"Shut up, Tanuki," Ram retorted, her patience waning. "Go search as well. The guest has black hair, short legs, weird eyes and slumped shoulders."

Tanaka quirked an eyebrow at her transition from a description to a commentary. With a resigned sigh, he relented, "Fine, where should I look?"

Ram's answer was concise and to the point, "He shouldn't have left the mansion, go check the rooms."

Their brief exchange led to a parting of ways, both embarking on separate quests to locate the missing Subaru. Tanaka's footsteps carried him along the mansion's corridors, his thoughts a swirl of confusion and contemplation. "What the fuck is going on?" he questioned silently, his mind grappling with the sudden divergence.

Why had Subaru fled? The mystery lingered, raising questions about the changes that had occurred in this loop.

Tanaka's mind raced, recalling his prior encounter. "Last time, Emilia and I found him chasing the twins in circles when we entered the room."

This time, the difference was his extended stay in his room, time that might have altered the course of events. Could mere minutes have caused such a drastic shift?

An exasperated thought crossed his mind, "Regardless, I'll find out when I ask him. Fuck, the butterfly effect is scary."

Halting his steps, he recognized the need to refocus. He had been walking while lost in thought. "Right, I still have to find that guy." A mental nod rekindled his determination, pushing him forward once again, navigating the mansion, his senses attuned to the unfolding narrative of this loop.

Tanaka's hand reached out and turned the knob of a nearby door. However, what awaited him on the other side was far from his expectations. The room that greeted him was the forbidden library, and there, standing unexpectedly before him, was Subaru. Shock rippled through Tanaka's frame, a gasp caught in his throat before he managed to stifle it. He was taken aback, realizing this was their first encounter, and he needed to act accordingly.

He conjured his best imitation of his initial reaction upon encountering Subaru in the first loop, blurting out, "Huh, what the hell are you doing here!?"

The words felt foreign on his tongue, a feeble attempt at acting that contrasted with his natural disposition. He was never good at pretending, and worse at telling lies.

Subaru, however, reacted with a sigh and closed eyes, as if dealing with an expected inconvenience. "Oh great! You're here too."

Tanaka's brows knitted in response to Subaru's indifference. 'What's with that reaction?' he wondered.

Lost in thought, Tanaka's focus was interrupted by a sharp voice, "Who in the world do you think you are, entering without permission, I suppose."

He turned his gaze to find Beatrice, her expression a mixture of irritation and reprimand. Responding with a deadpan expression, Tanaka replied, "The door wasn't locked, so I entered. Anyway, hold on a second. I'm talking to this guy."

Beatrice's reaction was one of simmering anger, her tiny features contorted into a displeased scowl.

Returning his attention to Subaru, Tanaka questioned, "You're the guest with 'short legs, mean eyes, and fallen shoulders' who ran away? Why?"

Subaru's incredulous response carried a note of disbelief, "Who the hell gave you those descriptions? I just got a bit excited that I got transported in another world. "

Tanaka who was still processing the new intel, got distracted once again with Beatrice's voice which dripped with sarcasm, "So you two clowns know each other. How fitting, I suppose."

Tanaka's eyebrows twitched, his patience fraying at Beatrice's mocking tone. His fist clenched involuntarily, and he snapped back, "Who are you calling a clown, you midget?"

"Mid.. Midget?" Beatrice's mouth twitched, caught off-guard by Tanaka's swift retort. Her eyes flickered with a mixture of annoyance and disbelief.

A sneer played at the corner of her lips, her once-seated figure now standing in a graceful but imposing stance. The atmosphere shifted, a subtle transformation that sent shivers down spines and seemed to herald something more ominous.

Tanaka's brow furrowed in confusion as Beatrice's reaction took an unexpected turn. His attention, however, remained preoccupied, oblivious to the growing tension in the room. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something had changed. Meanwhile, Subaru's senses seemed more attuned to the shift, a chill racing down his spine as the atmosphere thickened.

Subaru, still trying to wrap his mind around the situation, blinked at her sudden change in tone. "Hey, wait a sec—"

He didn't get a chance to finish. Subaru's intuition, tingling like a warning bell, snapped him to attention. His eyes widened, and he tried to caution Tanaka, but it was too late.

Before Tanaka could complete his thoughts, a sudden rush of wind that seemed to materialize out of nowhere. His hair danced and swirled, and he managed to stammer, "Is it me or does it feel a bit wind—"

But his sentence was lost as a flourish of Beatrice's hand brought forth an intense gust of wind. The air around them surged with an invisible force, lifting both Tanaka and Subaru off their feet. Their forms were propelled through the open window with a rush of air that left their startled exclamations trailing behind.

The library blurred around them as they were unceremoniously ejected from its confines, the world outside spinning wildly. Tanaka caught a glimpse of leaves and branches, the sky shifting in dizzying circles as the ground rushed up to meet them.

A symphony of rustling leaves and startled shouts filled the air, punctuated by the thud of impact as they landed in a soft pile of bushes. For a moment, all was stillness, save for the rapid rise and fall of their chests as they processed the abrupt change of scenery.

"Ow, what was that for?," Tanaka muttered, blinking up at the treetops above, disoriented but surprisingly unharmed.

Beside him, Subaru groaned, "That's thanks to you and your big mouth."

[???]: "Subaru!"

Subaru's name rang out in a gentle voice tinged with concern. He glanced around, trying to pinpoint the source of the voice that called out to him.

Upon noticing him, the silver-haired girl widened her amethyst eyes and rushed towards him without a second to lose. She hurried towards him with a sense of urgency that matched the concern in her voice.

Naturally, Subaru picked himself up, shoved the leaves and branches off his clothes, and his legs gravitated towards the girl rushing his way.

Emilia: "Hey, you made me worry. Rem and Ram were in a panic searching for you all over the manor, saying you had disappeared not too long after you woke up."

Subaru: "Mm, sorry. I got caught by Beatrice for a bit."

Emilia: "Again? I heard she pulled a prank on you not too long ago…"

Emilia's gaze shifted from Subaru's face to a figure lying in the bushes nearby, staring up at the sky. The stranger, dressed in a suit, seemed to be in a state of mild distress, an unfamiliar presence amid the foliage.

With a hesitant but courteous tone, Emilia addressed the stranger, "Excuse me, sir. Who are you?"

Tanaka, who had been momentarily lost in his thoughts, snapped back to attention. He closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh before regaining his composure. Pushing himself up from the ground, he brushed off the leaves that clung to his clothing.

Tanaka: "Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Kazuki Tanaka, and I'm a new butler at this mansion."

*********************************************************************************************************

As his introduction concluded, the conversation shifted back to him and Subaru. Tanaka retraced his interactions from the previous loop, carefully guiding their conversation towards the topic of their origins in this world. Emilia, still present with them, maintained a puzzled expression, her confusion palpable in the air as the two newcomers discussed matters she didn't understand. Eventually, it was decided to postpone the conversation until lunch—a brief reprieve before delving into the unknown.

With a change of scenery, the mansion's residents now congregated in the dining room. Tanaka's gaze fixated on Beatrice, who responded with a defiant averted gaze and an indignant hmph, a silent declaration of her rebellion.

Amidst this tension, it was Roswaal who broke the silence. His voice carried an air of whimsy as he drawled, "This is quiiiiiiiiite the surprise, who would have thought that the two of you knewwwwwww each other."

Subaru offered a quick clarification, "It's not that we are close, exactly. We just live in the same town, and he works at a place I frequent."

Tanaka, seizing the moment, steered the conversation toward their shared revelation. "Well, let's just get to the point. Yesterday, I mentioned that I'm from a country called Japan. You even showed me a map, but I couldn't read the names or recognize any of the countries on it."

Roswaal nodded in affirmation, his gaze fixed on Tanaka.

Tanaka continued with a measured tone, "However, after talking with with this guy and hearing his side of the story, I now have a clearer idea about our situation."

His words hung in the air, a palpable sense of gravity accompanying them. Tanaka's voice carried a note of certainty as he declared, "Subaru and I are from another world."