Kenji thought for a long time. "Does it matter? Taro and Yukiko started with a fake engagement. But by Episode 11, they forgot it was fake. They were just… together."

They realized the cruel mechanic: the curse forced intimacy. They weren't falling in love naturally. They were being pushed together by existential terror.

"Get off the train. Together."

The plot was familiar: Taro and Yukiko were on the last train home on New Year's Eve. But in this version, they weren't shy. They were terrified. The train car was empty. The city outside was frozen, not in winter, but in a moment. People were mid-step, mid-laugh, frozen like statues in the streets.