Ever since the day Kiichi told me his story, he hasn't been the same. Instead, he's started demanding more of me, whether it be gathering herbs and food or going on patrols. I hope he tells me what this is about soon.

Kiichi: "Adachi! Come with me."

Speak of the devil.

Adachi: "Where are we going, Kiichi?"

Kiichi: "Just shut up and follow me."

We hike a little way until we find a cave in the mountain face. The inside of this cave is beautiful! The light from outside bounces off the walls in a way that makes the ceiling glisten. Suddenly the cave opens into a large natural chamber. The ceiling glows with a kind of luminescent green mineral. In the center of the room stands a large tree unlike any other I've seen. It bears fruit that resembles teardrops, colored with a deep violet hue.

Kiichi: "Don't come home until you've picked one of these fruits, Adachi. See ya later, kid."

Kiichi pats me on the head as he strolls out of the room.

Adachi: "Hey! Come back here and explain! Kiichi? HEY!!"

There was no response from the tunnel.

Adachi: "Fine. Guess I'll just pick a fruit and head home."

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

As I looked towards the tree, I realized it was much taller than me. The fruit dangling from it was a little over a meter from my arm's reach. Due to my weight, I'm not exactly a good jumper. That means that I need to climb the tree instead! I walk up to the tree and awkwardly grapple it with my cheek pressed up against the trunk. As I begin to work my way up, my hand touches something wet.

Adachi: "What the- WOAH!"

*THUD*

Ouch... that was a decent fall for a guy of my weight. What exactly happened? I look down at my hand and see it covered in a slimy substance. I look up towards the tree. Halfway up the trunk, the tree is coated with resin. That must be what keeps unwanted guests out of the tree.

Adachi: "Okay! I'll just have to jump!"

I stand up, dust myself off, and look to the nearest fruit. Come to think of it, I can't remember the last time I jumped. My weight makes it more trouble than it's worth. Guess I'll never know until I try.

Adachi: "Hup!"

My legs push me up into the air, but not more than a few centimeters.

*THUD*

The impact between my feet and the ground is enough to make the ground shake a bit. Maybe I'm simply not a good jumper. Once I have the technique down, this should be easier.

A few hours pass.

Adachi: "It's no good!"

I don't know who I'm angrier at. It may be Kiichi for making me do all this, or it may be my horn for making this task so incredibly difficult. The one I should be angry at is myself for not training my weaknesses sooner. I understand now why Kiichi brought me out here.

Even so, my legs are unable to move at this point. I managed to achieve around 20 centimeters off the ground, but that's not nearly enough to get me there. I need to jump more than five times that to even touch the fruit. Looking up at the fruit from where I'm lying, I reach my hand towards it and pretend to grasp it from the air.

Adachi: "I'll get you soon. Just wait, you're gonna taste delicious..."

That's all for today, though. I'm so tired that I'm falling asleep on the cave floor. I'll get that fruit tomorrow!