The days following the collapse of the system were strange. A sense of calm had settled over Kenn's life, but it was an uneasy calm—one that made him question what came next. He had broken free from the system's grip, but the world around him still felt like it was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. For him to do something.
School was the same as ever. The same halls, the same faces, the same routines. But everything had shifted. He no longer felt like a puppet in a game he couldn't control. But at the same time, the silence left behind by the system was deafening. The emotional scanner that had once been his constant companion was now dormant, its bright pulse extinguished. And with it, Kenn couldn't shake the feeling that something important was missing from his life.
One thing was certain: Yaoi wasn't the same. The girl who had once been consumed by obsession now wandered the halls, her once intense gaze now hollow, her movements listless. She didn't approach Kenn anymore. In fact, she seemed to avoid him, as if the foundation of her world had crumbled and left her without any purpose.
Kenn couldn't help but wonder if it was his fault. Had he taken something too far? Had he destroyed something she needed, something that had given her life meaning, even if that meaning was warped and twisted?
As he walked through the school courtyard, he saw her again—Yaoi, standing by the edge of the fence, her eyes vacant as she gazed at the empty space before her. For a moment, Kenn thought of approaching her, offering some kind of explanation, but the words stuck in his throat. What could he say? That the system was gone? That she had to find herself?
But he couldn't shake the nagging thought that maybe, just maybe, there was something he could do. Maybe she didn't have to be lost forever. Maybe there was a way to help her find herself, just as he had to find his own way out of the mess the system had created.
"Hey," a voice called out behind him, pulling him from his thoughts. Kenn turned to see Kil walking toward him, a relaxed smile on his face. "You alright, man?"
Kenn nodded slowly, though the weight of his thoughts still lingered. "Yeah. Just… thinking."
Kil's eyes flicked over to where Yaoi stood, still distant and unmoving. "I know what you're thinking. About her, right?"
Kenn didn't answer right away. He didn't have to. Kil always knew. "I don't know what to do with her. I mean… she's not the same anymore. She was so… obsessed with the system. And now… what's left for her?"
Kil shrugged, his hands stuffed into his pockets. "Sometimes, people just lose themselves. You can't save everyone, Kenn. Not everyone's gonna come out of this like you did."
Kenn didn't want to admit it, but Kil's words stung. He had always felt responsible, even for things that weren't his fault. He'd saved himself from the system, but saving Yaoi—it felt like a different kind of battle. One that maybe he wasn't ready for.
But there was still something tugging at his conscience. Yaoi's obsession had been born from her own pain, her own emptiness. She'd clung to the system like it was the only thing that made sense to her. And now that it was gone, where did that leave her?
Before he could respond, Kil gave him a sidelong glance. "You know, if you're serious about helping her, you might want to talk to Lynn about it."
Kenn felt his chest tighten at the mention of her name. "Lynn?"
"Yeah," Kil said, shrugging again. "She knows what it's like to help people. She's always been good at seeing through the bullshit. If anyone can reach Yaoi, it's her."
Kenn felt the knot in his stomach loosen slightly. Kil was right. Lynn had always understood him, even when he couldn't understand himself. Maybe she could help him make sense of what to do with Yaoi.
***
That afternoon, Kenn met Lynn at their usual spot by the park. The late autumn chill hung in the air, and the sound of leaves rustling filled the silence between them. Lynn was sitting on one of the benches, her eyes focused on the horizon, her hands folded neatly in her lap. She looked up when Kenn approached, her smile gentle as always.
"Hey," Kenn greeted, sitting beside her. "How's it going?"
Lynn nodded, though her eyes were sharp with concern. "I'm alright. But you… you don't seem alright. Something's on your mind."
Kenn hesitated for a moment before speaking, the weight of his thoughts pressing down on him. "I've been thinking about Yaoi."
Lynn's gaze softened. "You're still worried about her?"
"I don't know," Kenn admitted. "I feel like I should have done more for her. After everything with the system… I think she's lost. I mean, really lost."
Lynn sighed, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "I understand why you'd feel that way. But you're not responsible for what happened to her, Kenn. She made her choices, just like you did."
"But I don't think she knew what she was doing," Kenn said, his voice tinged with frustration. "I don't think she ever really had a choice. The system controlled her. And now it's gone, and she's left with nothing."
Lynn was silent for a moment, her eyes searching his. "You're not the one who can fix her, Kenn. And I don't think you should try. Sometimes people have to find their own way out of the darkness."
Kenn nodded, but something about her words didn't sit right with him. He wasn't sure what the right thing to do was. But he couldn't just walk away from Yaoi, not without at least trying. If there was a chance to help her find herself, to pull her from the wreckage the system had left behind, Kenn couldn't ignore it.
"I think I need to talk to her," he said quietly.
Lynn didn't argue. She simply reached over and placed her hand on his, a gesture of support. "If you do, just be careful, okay? Yaoi's not in a good place. And neither are you, really. You can't save everyone."
Kenn squeezed her hand, grateful for her words, but still unsure. "I know. But I have to try."
***
Later that evening, Kenn found himself standing in front of Yaoi once again. She was sitting on the steps outside the school, her gaze distant and unseeing, as though the world around her didn't matter anymore.
"Yaoi," Kenn said softly, taking a few steps closer. "We need to talk."
For a long moment, Yaoi didn't react. She just sat there, her back hunched, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. Finally, she spoke, her voice barely a whisper. "What is there to talk about, Kenn? The system's gone. And now… there's nothing left for me."
Kenn took another step forward, kneeling beside her. "There's always something, Yaoi. You just have to find it."
She turned her head slightly, her hollow eyes locking onto his. "I don't know how. I don't know who I am anymore without it. Without the system, without the control."
"You don't need the system to tell you who you are," Kenn said quietly. "You've always known. You just have to remember."
Yaoi's face twisted with frustration, her hands tightening into fists. "You don't understand! You have everything. You've always had everything. You're free now. But me? What do I have? Nothing."
Kenn didn't have an answer for that. But he did know one thing: Yaoi wasn't the only one who had lost.
And maybe, just maybe, they could both find something to hold onto.