Location: Rooftop of the New Observatory Building, 1:00 AM

  The cold wind flows gently between iron and concrete, carrying the damp aroma of the night fog. The moonlight penetrates the thin mist, creating a silver gleam on the roof of the yet-to-be-inaugurated city observatory. Faint footsteps echo softly, adding to the tense silence of the night, as if each step expresses the anxiety that fills the air.

  In the midst of this, a man stands in silence. His eyes gaze at the horizon, but his mind is consumed by four different voices within him. Four paths. Four possible futures. Each heartbeat seems like a marker, vibrating between hope and fear regarding the decision he must make.

  Fitran Fate.

  Tonight, he is not just a hero from another world, but also an ordinary man caught between love and responsibility. He feels the weight of this choice like a candle burning at both ends, casting a dim light that highlights the difficulty of this decision, leaving him trembling in a confusing void.

  The first step has arrived.

  Ruby, in a white dress and pink coat, resembled the first light of morning. She smiled faintly at Fitran, her mind drifting through a series of beautiful memories, as if tonight was the final chapter of their long and colorful story.

  Next, Akane appeared, her hair left down. Wearing a dark jacket, her unwavering gaze reflected her readiness for any outcome. A deep longing shone from her eyes, mirroring all the hopes as well as the fears of loss that may lie ahead.

  Then came Kana, dressed in simple casual wear, her expression empty. Yet, behind those eyes, the last flicker of hope still burned, a reminder that every moment spent with Fitran illuminated the darkness of her life. She recalled their simple times filled with laughter, defying silence, making every second feel precious even now.

  And finally, Mecho arrived slowly, like a shadow in the night. In silence, without a sound, without hesitation. In her hand, a small hourglass now empty, symbolizing the time that has passed. The ticking of the clock filled the silence, reminding that time continues to flow, even as everything he once had has vanished.

  Four women. One man. One sky.

  Fitran lifted his head. “Thank you… for coming.”

  “And for loving me… even before I knew how to love this world.”

  He looked at each of them one by one. When his gaze met Ruby, his heart raced as if time stood still. Behind each of their smiles, he felt fragments of hope that never faded.

  “Ruby… you gave me hope when I was lost. Your smile is the first spring I encountered after an eternal winter.”

  “Akane… you challenged my heart to be honest. You forced me to stop hiding.”

  “Kana… you showed me that honesty doesn’t have to be perfect. Just real. And that is enough.”

  “Mecho… you know everything can crumble. Yet you still choose to love me without expecting anything in return.”

  In the stillness, gratitude filled his chest. He knew that every breath he took was a gift that was hard to articulate—a reminder of love that sometimes went unspoken.

  Fitran closed his eyes.

  He took a deep breath.

  Then opened them again.

  And he said:

  “But only one of you… has made me stop being afraid to be human, teaching me that being human means experiencing all joys and sorrows.”

  Silence. Perfect silence.

  “She is the one who never demanded the foremost place… yet carved a space in my heart without force.

  The one who saw me… not as a hero, not as a savior, but as a man still incomplete.

  She did not demand… yet she stayed. She did not build a palace… but stood amidst the ruins and said: ‘Let’s start from here.’”

  Around them, the whispers of the wind felt gentle, as if supporting every word spoken. In the distance, the twilight light crept through the gaps in the trees, projecting dancing shadows on the ground.

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  Fitran turned his gaze.

  His eyes met those of one person.

  Between them, time seemed to slow down, creating a space where only the two of them existed. The very fabric of the universe appeared to wait, promising to keep this secret forever.

  And he said:

  “Ruby Hoshino… I choose you.”

  Ruby fell silent.

  Her tears did not fall immediately. She simply stood there, unable to believe it, as if the space around her acknowledged this moment with an unparalleled stillness.

  “M-me...?”

  Fitran stepped closer, his steps heavy yet resolute, as if every second mattered in bridging the gap between their hearts. The sound of his heartbeat resonated, filling the silence that surrounded them with new hope.

  “Maybe I don’t know what human love is. But you… make me want to learn more about it. Not as an answer to your wounds, but because you gently touched the wounds within me and said, ‘It’s okay, keep living.’”

  Ruby cried.

  But it wasn't tears of sorrow.

  It was the tears of joy that… even she didn’t know if she deserved to feel, flowing like a river that freed all the pent-up emotions. Each drop seemed to erase the shadows of the past that often haunted her.

  She ran and hugged Fitran tightly. Very tightly.

  “I will learn… with you,” she whispered. “I don’t ask to be the center of the universe… just to be a small world where you can return.”

  For a moment, everything around them seemed to fade away, and all that existed was their strong and warm embrace, serving as a shield against the fears and sorrows of the past.

  Fitran embraced her back.

  And for a brief moment… the world felt just right.

  Yet, the others… stood silent, trapped in uncertainty, pondering what would happen next.

  Akane bowed her head. Then, she lifted her gaze.

  “Honesty. That’s what I want.”

  She approached Fitran, her steps trembling yet resolute. Her eyes sparkled with hope and determination, creating a moment filled with tension.

  She looked at Ruby and said:

  “If you hurt him… I will come not as an actress. But as a woman who cannot allow her love to be trampled.”

  The voice unraveled in the remnants of silence, filling the space between them with deep emotions, as if time momentarily paused to capture her feelings.

  She turned to leave. But before she disappeared completely, she threw a small smile at Ruby, a smile holding a thousand meanings and yearnings within.

  “Make him happy, Ruby. Don't waste a choice we can't take back.”

  Each word spoken felt like a mantra, a hope she wanted to entrust to Ruby, transcending the boundaries of complex feelings.

  Kana approached. Her eyes glistened, reflecting the soft glow of the lamp. Yet her lips smiled, as if trying to conceal the buried pain within.

  “It’s not my stage, is it?”

  She let out a soft laugh, her voice resonating gently, filling the silence around them. “That’s a good script. Bitter. But real.”

  She handed a small script to Fitran with trembling hands, as if surrendering a piece of her soul within that little paper.

  “If you ever doubt your decision… read this. The title is: I Was Loved But Not Chosen. But… that’s enough.”

  Hope and vulnerability intertwined in her tone, as if she believed those words could be a bridge to reach a wounded heart.

  She glanced at Ruby,

  Then whispered, “If he becomes too perfect, please remind him… he was just a man afraid to be human.”

  The pain tinged her whisper, reminding her of a fragile yet meaningful past.

  And she left, her steps trembling, as if weighed down by the memories etched in her heart.

  Only Mecho remains.

  She gazed at Fitran with hope and curiosity, lingering for what felt like an eternity. Her eyes searched for answers within his, as if she wanted to fully absorb the decision that would be made.

  Then, she opened her empty palms, as if lifting a heavy burden from the remnants of her heart.

  “My time is up,” she said, her voice trembling like the cold wind that sweeps through the night. The limited existence of time demanded profound maturity.

  Fitran wanted to speak… but Mecho raised her index finger, requesting the heavy silence filled with understanding.

  “There’s no need to say ‘sorry.’ Because I have no regrets.”

  “Love isn’t about who wins… but who endures, even in defeat, and who grows from each bitter experience.”

  Each word felt like a long curse, disturbing the remnants of her heart and soul, marking the unavoidable separation.

  She turned to Ruby.

  With a gentle smile, a smile full of meaning, as if sending a prayer between them for an uncertain future.

  “I can foresee the future. But I don’t want to know how your story ends. Because for the first time… I want this world to have surprises.”

  He walked slowly down the stairs. Each step echoed in the quiet room, like the pounding of his heart. But before disappearing, she whispered:

  “Goodbye, Fitran. And welcome… to the human world, where every step and every feeling is significant.”

  The sky over Tokyo was silent. But the hearts that once rang with noise were now calm.

  Ruby held Fitran's hand as tightly as she could. Outside, the morning dew began to wet the leaves, while soft light adorned the newly awakened city, signifying a new beginning for them. Fitran gazed at the sky, no longer turbulent, as if he wished to preserve this moment in his memory forever.

  Love is not always about who wins.

  Sometimes love is about… who chooses to stay.

  In this profound silence, they felt the flow of time slow down. Every second became precious, as if the world around them existed only for the two of them. And that night, for the first time—Fitran chose to stay.

  And to live.