It was a peaceful Sunday morning. Sunlight trickled through the curtains, and the sounds of birds chirping added to the serene atmosphere. Kazuki had planned to enjoy the rare luxury of sleeping in, especially after a hectic school week.
But peace, it seemed, was not in the cards for him.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
A loud, ear-piercing alarm blared through the house. Kazuki's eyes snapped open, and he groaned, rolling over and pulling his blanket over his head.
"What the heck?" he muttered, his voice muffled.
The alarm didn't stop. It wasn't his usual alarm clock—it sounded more aggressive, like it was intentionally trying to ruin his life. He sat up, ruffling his messy hair, and trudged out of his room.
In the living room, Aoi was standing on the couch, holding a peculiar, futuristic-looking alarm clock in her hands.
"Aoi, what is that noise?" Kazuki asked, his tone a mix of irritation and exhaustion.
"Oh! Good morning, Onii-chan!" Aoi chirped, completely unbothered by the chaos. She held up the device proudly. "Isn't it cool? I bought it online from Amazon yesterday. It's called the 'Unstoppable Alarm.'"
Kazuki pinched the bridge of his nose. "Unstoppable?"
"Yup!" Aoi beamed. "It's an alarm clock that won't stop until you solve a riddle. It had five stars, so I had to get it!"
Kazuki groaned. "Aoi, why are you testing it now?"
"Because I was too excited to wait!" Aoi said, as if that was the most logical explanation in the world.
"Turn it off," Kazuki demanded, crossing his arms.
Aoi gave him an awkward smile. "Well… about that…"
Kazuki narrowed his eyes. "What?"
"I forgot the answer to the riddle it's asking," Aoi admitted sheepishly.
Kazuki stared at her, his expression a mix of disbelief and resignation. "So you're telling me you bought an alarm clock that forces you to solve riddles, and you didn't bother to remember the answer?"
Aoi nodded. "Pretty much."
Kazuki sighed deeply. "What's the riddle?"
Aoi pressed a button on the alarm, and a robotic voice blared out: "What has keys but can't open locks?"
Kazuki didn't miss a beat. "A piano."
The alarm immediately went silent, and Kazuki let out a relieved sigh. "There. Problem solved. Now, please, don't—"
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The alarm roared back to life, louder than ever.
Aoi's eyes widened. "Oh no! I think it switched to challenge mode!"
"Challenge mode?!" Kazuki exclaimed.
Aoi shrugged. "It said something about extra riddles in the manual."
"Where's the manual?"
"I, uh… threw it away," Aoi said, avoiding his gaze.
Kazuki grabbed the alarm, glaring at it as if sheer willpower could make it stop. "What's the next riddle?"
The robotic voice returned: "The more of me you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?"
"Footsteps," Kazuki answered instantly.
The alarm quieted again. This time, Kazuki didn't wait for it to reactivate. He opened a drawer, shoved it inside, and slammed it shut.
"Problem solved," he said, brushing his hands off.
Aoi frowned. "But I wasn't done testing it!"
"You were done the moment it woke me up," Kazuki shot back, heading toward the kitchen. "You should've stuck with a normal alarm clock."
"But this one's so fun!" Aoi said, pouting.
"Fun for you, maybe. For me, it's torture."
As Kazuki poured himself a cup of coffee, the alarm began beeping again—from inside the drawer.
Kazuki froze. "No way…"
Aoi gasped. "It must have a motion sensor! Isn't that awesome?"
Kazuki glared at her. "No, Aoi. No, it's not."
He marched back to the drawer, pulled the alarm out, and stared at it. "Is there a power button?"
Aoi shook her head. "It's automatic. You just have to solve all the riddles in its queue!"
Kazuki's eye twitched. "How many riddles are in the queue?"
"I don't know. Maybe ten? Or twenty?"
Kazuki groaned, contemplating whether to throw the alarm out the window. The robotic voice spoke up again: "Final riddle: What can travel around the world while staying in the same spot?"
Kazuki sighed. "A stamp."
The alarm finally went silent—for real this time. Kazuki dropped it on the table and slumped into a chair.
Aoi grinned. "Wow, you're really good at riddles, Onii-chan!"
"I'm good because I have to be," Kazuki muttered, sipping his coffee. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to enjoy what's left of my morning."
Aoi picked up the alarm, inspecting it curiously. "Maybe I should order another one… this time with harder riddles!"
Kazuki choked on his coffee. "Don't you dare!"