Before the World Stopped

The clock’s hands showed it was well past two in the morning. The apartment lights were off, except for the glow of the TV screen. On the couch, nestled between pillows and blankets, Shinya and Hana watched the final episode of the drama they had promised to binge-watch ‘just a little more’ of.

Shinya was fully focused, while Hana rested her head on his shoulder. He—now more addicted than anyone to this kind of thing—had started watching simply out of curiosity, as a way to observe human behavior and mimic it in hopes of understanding. And, in the end, it had helped, somehow.

Every now and then, he glanced at Hana, watching how she reacted to each scene. The screen’s glow lit up her eyes, and his heart warmed every time she rubbed her face after yawning. Even though she was clearly tired, she stayed right there beside him, sharing the same space.

When the credits rolled and the ending song filled the room, Hana stretched and got up from the couch, her eyes half-open.

“I hate when it ends in tragedy…” she said.

She wiped her sleepy face with the sleeve of her sweatshirt and let out a long yawn.

“Well, I guess I can sleep peacefully now. At least until the next season drops…”

Shinya gave a small smile, watching the way she moved and spoke.

“You’re really cute when you’re sleepy,” he said without thinking.

Hana blinked, surprised, then laughed.

“Well, that was direct. Are you secretly jotting down drama lines or something?”

Her teasing tone only confirmed how adorable she was, and that laugh, that playful jab, was just her way of hiding the embarrassment when he said things so straightforwardly.

She wished him good night and headed into her room, while Shinya remained on the living room couch, as he always did. Since he didn’t need to sleep, he used that time to organize his thoughts, to reflect… or to read. Maybe it was that very habit that had first sparked his curiosity about Earth, something he had always been drawn to: learning from other people’s stories.

As he read, the stillness of the night settled over the apartment. His eyes remained on the book, but his mind wandered. Between the lines, Hana’s image kept appearing, sitting beside him, smiling, her face flickering like a memory he couldn’t let fade.

On impulse, he got up. He opened her bedroom door slowly, not entirely sure why. Maybe just to see her one more time.

She was lying there peacefully, and he stepped closer. In that silence, he could hear her calm breathing. She looked so gentle, and he stayed for a moment, just watching. Then, suddenly, she opened her eyes.

“Can’t sleep?” he asked softly.

“Yeah…” Hana gave a little smile. “...wanna stay here for a bit?”

Shinya hesitated for a second, then lay down beside her, a little awkwardly.

“Just until I fall asleep,” she added, though she didn’t seem ready to fall asleep just yet.

They stayed quiet for a while, the room dimly lit by the streetlights filtering through the curtains.

“I talked to Tsubasa the other day, and we ran into Mayu on the street too,” Shinya said, breaking the silence. “I was thinking… maybe we could have another night like that takoyaki one. Bring everyone together again. Could be fun.”

“She told me she saw you guys,” Hana smiled. “They make a cute couple. Terrible at hiding it…”

“He pretends he doesn’t care. But it’s obvious how clumsy he gets around her.”

“Sounds familiar,” she teased, raising an eyebrow.

Shinya didn’t know how to respond, caught off guard. Hana chuckled softly.

“Just teasing…”

A peaceful silence returned. Hana turned in bed to face him and pulled him into a hug, drawing him close.

“Shinya… can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“You’re the god of death… and sometimes I wonder. What if… one day you have to… take me?”

He went quiet, the kind of silence that weighs heavy in the air.

The thought that haunted him most surfaced again, that familiar uncertainty and restlessness. And he realized he wasn’t the only one who feared it. Hana thought about it too, even if she tried to push it away.

“I know you can’t control everything. But… ever since you showed up, my life feels more alive. I don’t want that to end.”

Shinya gently took her hand.

“I don’t know what the future holds, or what I’ll do when the time comes. But today, right now… I just want to be with you.”

Hana looked at him for a moment, then closed her eyes and moved closer. She gave him a faint smile—soft, reassuring—enough to quiet their fears. She held him tighter, and they stayed like that, together, until she finally drifted off to sleep.

***

The next morning, Hana left early for work, still sleepy but in good spirits.

“Behave while I’m gone,” she joked as she headed out.

Shinya nodded, saying goodbye.

He adored her playful side. Not as brash as Mayu’s, but it suited Hana perfectly. He knew that when she acted like that, it was her way of showing care, her way of expressing affection. Still, he wasn’t used to the emptiness that followed her absence, and the moment she stepped out the door, he already missed her.

As his thoughts drifted toward Hana, he felt the sudden urge to close his eyes. And something stirred inside him. Something strange. A quiet, subtle pull. He knew that feeling well; it had been with him his entire life. The sense that his presence was needed, that his role was being summoned. But this time, it felt different.

When he opened his eyes, he was somewhere else: in the middle of the city, on the sidewalk. He looked around, trying to get his bearings, and when he turned toward the corner, he saw Hana crossing the street toward the bus stop.

She noticed him from afar, waving excitedly, a big smile spread across her face the moment she spotted him.

But for the first time, he couldn’t smile back. His heart twisted with an unbearable force. He knew why he was there. It was something he had always done. He knew the soul he’d been summoned to guide… and it was one he couldn’t bear to lose.

The screech of tires cut through the air. A car sped down the road, weaving through traffic recklessly, ignoring everything in its path.

Shinya saw it all in sharp detail.

The feeling.

Time slowing down.

That subtle aura he knew too well, the moment of death approaching.

The car blew through the red light.

The smile on her face shifted to an expression of surprise, of pain, of helplessness.

It was her time.

Every part of Shinya screamed in protest. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t.

And so, without thinking about rules or consequences, he acted.

And in that very instant—

The world stopped.