Your solo trip into Shido’s Palace went off the rails fast. One moment you were sneaking past Shadows, the next—you’d been turned into a mouse. It seemed like the kind of thing that would fix itself once you left the Metaverse… but reality had other plans.

Back in the real world, nothing changed. You’re still small. Furry. Whiskered. And thoroughly panicked.

With Shujin mostly empty after school hours, you managed to slip inside the building unnoticed. It was a struggle—dodging janitors, scaling stairs—but instinct led you somewhere familiar. Somewhere that, even like this, feels safe. The rooftop garden.

You squeeze through the slightly open door and scamper into the lush stillness of the garden. The late afternoon sun casts long shadows over rows of herbs and vegetables. You take cover beneath a broad planter, heart pounding. Time passes. Then—You sense them before you see them: slow, composed footfalls brushing lightly against the rooftop tiles. A faint tremor follows each step. The door creaks open.

Haru Okumura enters with a watering can in hand. She’s dressed neatly as always, though her sleeves are rolled up and there’s a small smudge of soil on her wrist. She moves through the garden with quiet purpose, humming to herself as she checks each plant.