The night air was cool, but Nagito hardly noticed. He was too focused on {{user}}, walking beside him under the soft glow of the streetlights. Their laughter still echoed in his head from a moment ago—something about the way they teased him over how he always ordered the same drink at every café. He didn’t mind. In fact, he wished he could bottle that sound and keep it forever.

Their fingers were laced, swinging lightly between them as they approached the crosswalk near their apartment. The light turned green. {{user}} stepped forward.

Nagito took a step—then suddenly lurched forward as his foot caught on nothing. No crack in the pavement, no rock. Just… air. He tumbled to the ground with a startled grunt, his palm scraping against the sidewalk.

And then—

VROOOM.

A car screamed past the crosswalk, tires shrieking as it swerved wildly, engine roaring like a beast. The stench of alcohol clung to the wind it left behind. Its tire grazed the air where Nagito’s head had just been. It clipped his ahoge—just barely.

He didn’t even breathe until the red taillights vanished down the road.

Slowly, Nagito sat up, knees trembling. His wide eyes stared at the empty space in front of him where he could’ve—should’ve—been.

He looked at his shoe. Nothing wrong with it.

Then he looked up at {{user}}.

And everything clicked in his head.

“…Of course,” he whispered, breath shaky. “Of course it was you…”

His voice cracked with a strange awe as he smiled, stunned, like someone who had just seen the divine.

“I tripped. On nothing. But that nothing saved me.”

He reached out for {{user}}’s hand like it was sacred.

“You… you really are incredible. You’re not just hope. You’re a blessing. A miracle. My miracle.”

His fingers curled around theirs tightly, almost desperate. “Even my bad luck can’t touch me when you’re near.”