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  Chapter 4: The Date

  Nagi and Hina sat on the porch, eating forest berries. They were juicy, yet a strange sensation wouldn’t leave Nagi.

  (Tasty, but… why do I feel a faint hint of plastic? As if all of this is just a set piece.)

  His father, noticing a shadow of sadness on his son’s face, decided to cheer him up:

  — Listen, Nagi, you’re already grown up, yet still without a partner. You should go to the center, find yourself a pretty girl. Stop wasting away at home.

  (A girlfriend? Maybe that’s exactly what I need to finally forget those nightmares.)

  | Another day in the dullest timeline imaginable. Object No. 43, on whom I placed such high hopes, is once again drowning in everyday trivialities. Watching from the sidelines is boring… it’s time to enter this world personally. |

  The Creator touched the panel, and his dark silhouette gained substance, color, and human features.

  Nagi walked down the village street, lazily glancing around. His attention was caught by a fragile female figure: a girl was struggling with two clearly unbearable bags. Nagi caught up to her and took the heavy load.

  — May I help? — he asked.

  — Oh, my savior! — she laughed. Her eyes were unusual: a deep pink color with bright blue specks, shining like distant stars.

  — My name is Mei Hoshino. And yours?

  — I’m Nagi Yumeno. Nice to meet you.

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  (Maybe this is my chance at a normal life?)

  Nagi carried the bags to her porch. Mei’s house looked surprisingly elegant for such a remote place.

  — Would you like to come in for some tea, as thanks? — Mei offered.

  It was cozy inside. Nagi sat down at the table, examining an old framed photograph.

  — Are these your parents? — he asked, pointing at the man and woman in the picture.

  — Yes. They moved to the city a long time ago. They live there now, — Mei replied, pouring tea.

  (The city? There’s a city nearby? I always thought our village was the entire world…)

  — The city? I’ve never heard of it, — Nagi admitted.

  Mei smiled mysteriously:

  — Never heard of it? Strange… it was built quite a while ago. Want to go there together sometime?

  — Of course! I’d love to see it.

  At that moment, a sturdy man entered the house.

  — Mei, I need your help in the fields. I can’t manage alone anymore, — he said shortly.

  {He was someone like her assistant or a hired worker.}

  — Sorry, Nagi, work can’t wait, — Mei shrugged apologetically. — Shall we meet later?

  Nagi nodded and, as he left, placed a note on the table.

  {In it, he detailed the time and place of their date.}

  After returning home, he collapsed onto his bed.

  (She’s beautiful… Those blue eyes seem to lure you in.)

  Thoughts of Mei pushed away the remnants of his dark memories. Evening came. Nagi carefully tied his tie.

  {Despite the rural appearance, technological progress in this world matched our own era.}

  Plucking a bouquet of wildflowers along the way, he headed to the meeting place—a lonely clearing surrounded by a ring of ancient trees. A few minutes later, Mei ran out from the shadows of the forest. A chain glimmered around her neck, and an elegant ring adorned her finger.

  — Have you been waiting long? — she asked, slightly out of breath.

  — Not at all. This is for you, — Nagi said, blushing slightly as he handed her the bouquet.

  — Oh, how lovely! Thank you! — She accepted the flowers.

  Nagi turned away for a moment to adjust his tie knot, and when he looked back at Mei, the flowers were already gone. He didn’t think much of it, blaming his own inattention.

  — Tell me more about the city, — he asked, sitting down beside her on the grass.

  — The city! It’s huge and magnificent, as if created for a perfect story. Skyscrapers hold up the clouds, and the streets smell of freshly baked bread. I especially love one bakery there… they have the most delicious buns in the world, — Mei spoke with such rapture, as if describing paradise.

  (Bakery… Skyscrapers… It sounds like a dream.)

  — Then maybe you’ll take me there? — Nagi asked hopefully.

  — How about tomorrow? I need to finish a few things first, — she handed him a slip of paper with an address on it. — I’ll be waiting for you there!

  Mei waved and disappeared into the twilight. Nagi walked home, feeling his heart pound with anticipation.

  (The city… I can’t wait to see it with my own eyes!)