The Equation of Hearts

√𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟻𝟽ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـﮩ٨ـﮩ

"In its simplest form: you survive because you know." Kato inhaled and picked up a chalk, "the reason why Elena being with you keeps you alive, I think is just God's will, truly. But otherwise, your death... simultaneous and spontaneous in each universe will happen for a range of different reasons based on context, or just because. Events leading up to that point can be a sure sign but the point is," Kato began drawing a tree diagram in Urdu so that only Tenshi could understand the names, "you fail to expect yourself to die. Which is why I said that if Yae is around, you don't die as much. Yes, you still die if you don't marry my mother, but it's rare for Yae to be alive, remember. The reason why you don't need me there in the worlds where I save you is because when I find you, and you've learned the things you have, and you're aware that those nightmares you have are true - you learn to expect how you die, you've passed your standard intellectual threshold." He pointed to his head. "There are less worlds with Yae in them where you die because Yae isn't supposed to be alive. And I've come to predict that even her presence will fail to keep you alive. Of course being around her raises your standard of intelligence but I truly don't think it's to this degree as it is now." He circled something on the board, Tenshi could somewhat understand - he died; worlds whereby Yae was around tended to have him live longer, he'd still die. And he didn't die of just shutting down - he died of an organic event that would happen in his world, preventable but one he didn't expect. Kato telling him that and teaching him further quantum theory let that fact change.

"I get it." Tenshi agreed.

"In some worlds where... you find yourself with mum... it seems the fact that she's by your side in that way at all... stops you from dying. Killing Adonis... as I did once or more... killing him made her go to you. So aside from the findings we have of Adonis's parents; another point to mention is... you... are the only one content in staying alone if you do. If Adonis dies, Elena goes to you. If Elena and Adonis don't become a couple, Adonis has another woman. The point is, where in every world, the other two are in a relationship, you are not the same. You don't always stay beside Yae (probably because she doesn't exist). You're... single." He claimed quietly. Tenshi hummed and crossed his arms.

"Wow. I must really love Elena." He wondered, "not here." He raised a hand.

"I don't think I want you to... in this world." Kato confessed and adjusted his blindfold. He checked the time and stood up as the next class began coming in, "I'll be back soon enough." He promised and took the papers, walking through the crowd coming in and ducking through the doorway.

The door closed and he heard Tenshi from the other side, "that was my son, yes he's very tall, he's only 17 - no his mother was not tall she was shorter than I am; if you ask whether or not he's my actual child then yes he is but if my wife did cheat then I wouldn't know, she died 15 years ago." He listed the simple questions, "yes he's the Fukushima bodyguard, yes they are safe. No, I'm not telling you why he's here. The class before you was a mess and I'm deciding before the holidays who I'm filtering out, so: eyes on the board." He pointed towards the board. Kato was charmed at his ability to do that and control people around the ages of 19-24.

Kato looked through the papers and found the cafe nearby, deciding to just sit down and sort through everything. He was thinking of what Tenshi said, he wasn't here forever and he wasn't exactly sure why he offered to help that woman with her relationship problems. She may not even want the help so what good was he doing? He was straying away from task.

Massaging his head, he looked back at the papers and dropped them on the table weakly. Something wasn't right, he didn't feel good. He hadn't been since that night, where all he felt was a constricting feeling around his neck at the thought of Eid coming. The question in his head was always the same: did he have enough time? Or had Kato become as he felt; complacent.