"Ahhh!" A sharp female scream pierced my ear. Damn, I'd actually fallen asleep. Since I hadn't used time reversal in a year, my sense of timing was off—so off I dozed off while waiting.

The screamer was a girl less than two meters away. She seemed terrified of me. I smiled and waved slightly to show I meant no harm. "You're awake." She instinctively shrank back. "Who are you? Where is this?" I stood up from the broken bed plank. "Don't panic. I'll answer your questions one by one. First, I'm Cold Creek. And this place, as you can see, is an abandoned ranger's cabin."

Her eyes were full of wariness. Understandable—alone with a stranger, fear was normal. But I had zero interest in her. I tried handing her the bread in my hand. She misread my move, grabbing a wooden stool and holding it to her chest. "Don't come closer!" I stopped dead. "Fine. I'll wait for you to calm down." I sat back on the old bed plank and closed my eyes. Though I couldn't see her face, I knew she was glaring at me, ready to fight to the death if I made one wrong move.

If not for the night wind slapping the cabin's half-broken window—clattering, clattering—I bet we could've heard each other's heartbeats. "Um..." The girl seemed calmer now, struggling to speak. I opened my eyes. "Try recalling where you were before you woke up." She clutched the dusty stool like it could actually protect her. At least it eased her mind. "I remember walking home... someone confessed to me. I refused, and then..." Her voice trailed off. Her face turned a shade paler. "And then you were killed!" I finished for her. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Yes. You died. I revived you. Simple as that." Any normal person would think it a joke. But seeing the truth hit her—oh, that expression was delicious.

"Gurgle." Her stomach growled. This body hadn't eaten in three days; hunger was natural. She stared at me—or rather, the mango bread in my hand. (Side note: I'd snagged it during Time Stasis.) I started to stand. Her body jerked violently—still not used to me. I gave up and tossed the bread over. "Eat. When you're done, I have questions."

The bread landed within reach, but she didn't grab it. I shrugged. "Relax. It's not poisoned." I took another loaf and bit into it. That seemed to reassure her. But she wouldn't eat while I watched. I turned my back. Behind me came the rustle of wrappers and swallowing sounds.

She ate too fast, choking silently. Honestly, it was kinda funny. To keep my hard-repaired vessel intact, I handed her an open cola bottle. Choking made her careless; she didn't flinch when I approached. (Also snagged during Time Stasis.)

"Saved!" She sighed, her guard lowering. "Th-thank you." Up close, her face was clear. Admittedly cute. No wonder she died in a love crime—I mean, what a渣男, killing her after rejection. Not my problem. "What's your name?" "Nanami Hayashi." She answered timidly. "Nanami Hayashi... nice name." Nanami blushed. "Thanks."

I checked the time—around 4 a.m. "Do you remember who killed you?" My sudden question made her shiver. "N-no." Trouble. If she couldn't ID the killer, how would this game work? But she added, "It's fuzzy... but he was from my school." If so, we'd cross paths eventually. Even if Nanami didn't recognize him, he'd recognize her. The thought thrilled me—I couldn't wait to see his ghost-face.

When did I develop this quirk? I didn't mind. With infinite time, I needed fun or I'd go mad. Coming to Japan alone was to spare my homeland if I snapped. "You can leave." I let her go, memorizing her school. I'd find the killer soon enough. But Nanami hesitated. "It's so dark outside... I-I can't go alone..." I got it. "Stay till dawn if you want." I ignored her after that.

I woke to daylight. The cabin was empty—she'd left. I stumbled to the clear stream behind the hut to wash my face. Splashing water, I thought, *What a peaceful spot*. Huh? My hand brushed something. I looked down—a pink pair of panties. Then an ear-splitting scream: "What are you doing?!" Nanami's face burned red. She hid underwater, only her head visible. "Turn around, pervert!" "Yeah, yeah." I dropped the panties and turned. "Though... your chest really is tiny." "Pervert! Beast! Creep!" Her shouts chased me back to the cabin. I kept glancing her way anyway.

After a while, fully dressed Nanami entered. "Um—" I cut her off. "I saw nothing. No bath. No pink rabbit panties." Her face flushed crimson. "Pervert! Don't even mention it!" I dropped the teasing. "Miss Nanami Hayashi, if you're not leaving, do you plan to stay with me?" She stared at the floor, voice fading. "Could you... walk with me? I'm lost." Barely a whisper. "Aren't you scared this pervert might do something awful?" I teased. Shockingly, she shook her head firmly. "No. I trust you're not that kind of person!" Being blindly trusted felt... uncomfortable.

I turned to her. "No need. I prefer freedom." I'd observe her from afar, but no reason to visit a girl I just met—even if I revived her. Nanami didn't push it. She bowed deeply. "I understand. Sorry... but thank you for saving me." She fully believed me now.

After Nanami left, I followed secretly. With my accelerated time flow, no human eye could spot me. No worry about her noticing.