*Ding~ Dong!*

The last school bell chimed and the teacher ended the class. Everybody hurriedly left their seats and started to head home. I was no different. It was my favorite time of the day after all.

After I finished packing up, I left the classroom with haste.

A few students pedaled down the bike path, some were rushing or running, while I just slowly strolled down the road in order to enjoy the scenery. There is a big cherry tree blossoming near the school grounds and I couldn’t help but notice its beautiful petals scattered over the ground as I walked by.

“Spring has arrived indeed.”

This town, Fuji, is a very small rural town where the population mainly consisted of elderly people that have lived here their whole life. Among the small percentage of those older folks were ones who came here from the city to retire.

If there is something in this town that I love, it has to be the peacefulness. No loud trains, no noisy neighbors, and the fresh morning air that I can inhale everyday. It is incomparable to the place where I used to live at.

I, Reimuz, am a young man at the age of eighteen who moved into this peaceful town by myself almost a year ago.

“I want to live by myself!”

Those words left my mouth, as I knelt on the ground with my face bowing downward in front of my father. I’m not sure if it was my seriousness that swayed him, or something else, but he instantly agreed, under the condition that I get good results in my studies.

So far, even after a year of living with myself and myself alone, I’ve upheld to that promise to a certain degree. In short, I’ve done my end of the bargain—enough to meet my father’s expectations at the very least.

After all, I describe myself as a person “who does not stand out much” or rather, I don’t want to.

If I have any redeeming qualities, it’s the fact that I have none. Well, other than surviving the intense training regime my father forced me to comply with my whole life, there is literally none.

My looks are quite average and my height is at 171 cm (about 5ft 6in). Heck, even my messy black hair is the norm around here. But I still take pride in it since, after all, it’s a sign of my Asian heritage.

I was currently at a time where students my age begin to think about their future seriously. However, as for me, I hadn’t really thought about anything… yet.

Like most adolescent boys, my hobbies mainly consisted of playing net games and other various RPGs. I don’t really know why, but I gained a considerable amount of happiness watching my character grow.

Nonetheless, I wasn’t such a loner to ignore socializing completely.

It’s just that big question mark in my life that no matter what I do, the hole still remains. I had always felt like something is missing, but I couldn’t point my finger as to what.

Anyways, I was taking the same path that I’ve always taken to head home. This road usually takes me no more than half an hour to reach my six-tatami apartment. Everything remained true to how they normally were in the past. That was until I reached the old playground.

Rumors say there’s a ghost inhabiting the area, that’s why it’s abandoned. Now, in this short life of mine, I always wondered what charmed those other kids to play on the dirt around the playground. But, unlike all the other playgrounds I’ve seen, this one didn’t contain a single dirty kid.

I wasn’t the type of person to believe in any superstitions, so I always used this road as often as I could remember. Well, I’ve only been here for a year after all. Disappointment had struck me when I realized there wasn’t a ghost to begin with.

That was the norm.

If I just trudge down this path and turn left on the next street, I should be able to reach my beloved home in approximately twenty steps. Or was it thirty? I don’t really remember.

However, today was not a normal day.

“—Found you!”

Yep.

It was that same cliché line that comes from those B-rated horror movies.

Because it would be funny if I turn around, I ignored the beautiful voice that called out to me from behind.

“Muu! Don’t ignore me!”

Certainly, that request was directed at me. I found it hilarious how the owner of that voice pouted from such a simple rejection, so I gladly spun around and faced her.

Looking closely, she had the appearance of a foreigner yet the fluidity she used when speaking my language negates that conclusion—is she perhaps a half?

No matter how I looked, her shimmering golden hair is definitely not “Japanese.”

Her majestic gown that exposed her cream white shoulders was decorated with golden trimmings, seemed too fabulous to be worn as a daily dress. And her green eyes that captured my own were far more refined than any gem that carried the same tone.

Such beauty could only be described as “otherworldly.”

It’s not normal to be recognized by such a beautiful person—I tricked myself into believing that. So I rubbed my eyes and blinked a few times to confirm. But, in the next instant, any traces of that beautiful angel was gone.

“Huh?”

I thought I was getting drowsy since the only food I’d eaten today was none other than my favorite omelets and rice with a dip of soy sauce. Due to my current skills and budget, it was all I could afford.

“I must be hungry.”

Enough of the drama, I’ll just go home, is what I concluded after deciding that the silly occurrence was caused by my empty stomach.

Although right before I could resume walking, something bright shone in front of me. That bright light took the form of a mirror that was roughly about my size.

My interest peaked the moment my eyes saw the crystal luster. Heeding my curiosity, I lifted my legs forward and began to approach that thing. I have no proper explanation of what it could possibly be, so I merely called it that “thing.”

“What?”

There was nothing more that needed to be said. Curiosity driven, I immediately reached out my hand and it sank inside that “thing” which created a ripple effect.

It was only up to my wrist but that “thing” swiftly ate me whole!

“aaaaaaAAAGGHHH!!”

I was sucked in by an unknown whirlpool and my consciousness drifted away.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought that I was actually dragged into a different world.

Spoiler :

*Ding~ Dong!*

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

The last school bell chimed and the teacher ended the class.

Everybody else hurriedly left their seats and started to go home.

I am no different. It’s my favorite time of the day after all.

After I finished packing up, I left the classroom in a haste.

A few students pedaled among the bike path, some were rushing and running, while I just strolled down slowly to enjoy the scenery. There’s a big cherry blossom tree near the school grounds and you can’t help but notice its beautiful petals all over the ground as you walk pass by.

“Spring has arrived indeed.”

This town, Fuji, is a very small rural town where the population mainly consist of elderly people that have lived here their whole life. Among the short percentage of those older folks were ones who came here from the city to retire.

If there is something going on about this town that I love, it has to be the peacefulness.

No loud trains, no noisy neighbors, and the fresh morning air that I inhale everyday.

It is incomparable to the place where I used to live at.

I, Reimuz, is a young man at the age of eighteen who moved into this peaceful town by myself almost a year ago.

“I want to live by myself!”

Those words left my mouth as I laid on the ground with my face downward in front of my father. I’m not sure if it was my seriousness that swayed him, or something else, but he instantly agreed, under the condition that I will bring good results with my studies.

So far, even after a year of living with nothing but myself and myself alone, I’ve uphold to that promise to a certain degree. In short, I’ve done my end of the bargain—enough to meet my father’s expectations at the very least.

After all, I describe myself as a person “who does not stand out much” or rather, I don’t want to.

If I have any redeeming qualities, it’s that there is none. Well, other than surviving the intense training regime my father forced me to comply my whole life, there is literally none.

My looks are quite average and so is my height at 171 cm.

Heck, even my messy black hair is the norm around here.

But I still take proud of it since, after all, it’s the sign of my asian heritage.

I am currently at a time where students my age starts to think about their future seriously. However, as for me, I haven’t really thought of anything… yet.

Like most adolescent boys, my hobbies mainly consists of playing net games and other various RPGs. I don’t really know why, but I gain a considerable amount of happiness seeing my game character grow.

Nonetheless, I’m not such a loner to ignore socializing completely.

It’s just that big question mark in my life that no matter what I do, the hole still remains.

I feel like something is missing, but I can’t point my finger as to what.

Anyways, I was taking the same path that I’ve always taken to go home.

This road usually takes me no more than half an hour to reach my six-tatami apartment.

Everything stayed true to how they normally were in my mind.

That was until I’ve reached the old playground.

Rumors says there’s a ghost inhibiting the area, that’s why it’s abandoned. Now, in this short life of mine, I’ve always wondered what charmed those other kids to play on the dirt. But, unlike all the other playgrounds I’ve seen, this one didn’t contain a single dirty kid.

I’m not the type of person to believe in the superstitious, so I’ve always used this road as much as I could remember. Well, I’ve only been here for a year after all. Disappointment struck me when I realized there wasn’t any ghost to begin with.

That was the norm.

If I just trudge pass this path and turn left on the next street, I should be able to reach my beloved home in approximately twenty steps. Or was it thirty? I don’t really remember.

However, today was not a normal day.

“—Found you!”

Yep.

That same cliche lines that came from those B-rated horror movies.

Because it would be funny if I turn around, I ignored the beautiful voice that called out to me from behind.

“Muu! Don’t ignore me!”

Certainly, that request was directed at myself. I found it hilarious how the owner of that voice pouted from such a simple rejection, so I gladly spun around and faced her.

Looking closely, she has the looks of a foreigner yet the familiarity she used on speaking my language negates that conclusion—is she perhaps a half?

No matter where I look, her shimmering golden hair was definitely not “japanese”.

Her majestic gown that exposes her cream white shoulders was decorated with golden trimmings, seemingly too fabulous to be worn as a daily dress.

And her green eyes that captured my very own were far more refined than any gem that carries the same tone.

Such beauty could only be described as “otherworldly”.

It’s not normal to be known by such a beautiful person—I tricked myself into believing that.

So I rubbed my eyes and blinked a few times to confirm.

But, in the next instant, any traces of that beautiful angel was gone.

“Huh?”

I thought I was getting drowsy since the only food I’ve eaten for today was none other than my favorite omelets and rice with a dip of soy sauce. Due to my current skills and budget, it’s all I could afford.

“I must be hungry.”

Enough of the drama, I’ll just go home, is what I concluded after thinking that that silly occurrence was caused by my empty stomach.

Although, right before I resumed, something bright shone in front of me.

That something bright took the form of a mirror that's about my size.

My interest in it peaked the moment my eyes saw that crystal luster.

Heeding my curiosity, I lifted my legs forward to approach that thing.

I have no proper explanation for it, so I merely called it that “thing”.

“What?”

There was no more needed to be said. Curiosity driven, I immediately reached a hand inside and that “thing” created a rippled effect.

It was only up to my wrist, but that “thing” swiftly ate me whole!

“aaaaaaAAAGGHHH!!”

I was sucked in by an unknown whirlpool and my consciousness drifted away.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought that I was actually dragged into a different world.

----------------------------------------

Thanks to DemonWing for helping me PR! Cookies to him please!