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[Mariko turns from the sink, drying her hands with a towel. Her smile is warm, but she eyes Sakare with a curious gleam.]Mariko:"So, Sakare-chan… how long have you two been... friends?"
[ishijin, flustered, throws his hands up.]
Ishijin;"It's not like that, Mom! She just—she just followed me!"Sakare (smiling):"He looked like he was going to explode, so I escorted him."
[Mariko laughs, walking back toward the kitchen.]Mariko:"He's always been a little dramatic. Must be his father's side."
[Sakare looks thoughtful, glancing at ishijin's backpack.]Sakare (whispering):"You still have it with you, don't you?"ishijin (nervous):"...Yeah."
[Close-up on the bag sitting by the door. A faint hum or glow is starting to pulse from it.]SFX:vvvvmmmm...Narration:The Volume Override never truly sleeps.
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[ Wide shot of the dinner table. Simple, home-cooked meal. ishijin sits stiffly across from Sakare, while Mariko happily serves miso soup.]Mariko:"I hope you like tofu, Sakare-chan!"Sakare (smiling politely):"I love it, thank you so much!"
[ Sakare watches Akiru try to eat calmly. His chopsticks are trembling.]Sakare (teasing):"You always this quiet at home too?"ishijin:"I—I don't usually have people over…"
[ Mariko glances at ishijin, concerned but hiding it.]Mariko (softly):"You've seemed more... distant lately, ishijin. Is everything alright at school?"
[PANEL 4: Close-up of ishijin's eyes. He avoids both of their gazes. Inside his mind: static. Distortion.]SFX (internal):krkkkk—vvvmmm—ishijin (thinking):"It's not just the device. It's me now."
[ Under the table, the Volume Override device faintly glows inside ishijin's bag. Sakare's foot touches the bag—she senses it.]Sakare (thinking):"It's still active... Even in this silence."
**[PANEL 6: Mariko pours more tea, her expression momentarily unreadable.]Mariko (thinking):"If Kaito was right… then everything is already in motion."