Yuuto stared, frozen, as the screen transformed into a transparent blue light floating before him.
The text didn't appear on the phone—it hung in the air, glowing softly like a hologram.
"Body… Arthur Pendragon?" he whispered, brows furrowing.
"What does that even mean?"
Then, new text slowly appeared in the air, each digital letter pulsing gently—like breathing.
Would you like to receive the reward now?
[Yes] [No]
Yuuto swallowed.
His eyes focused on the two simple choices, yet his heart pounded violently—
as if his body understood that one small decision could change everything.
He wanted to laugh at how absurd it was.
But he couldn't.
This device had already defied logic from the moment it appeared.
His hand trembled, index finger reaching toward the holographic screen—
when suddenly, something surged through his mind.
Not light.
Not voices.
But memories.
---
Mei Aizawa.
Her cheerful laughter during light conversations.
A laugh that once lifted him up—
now echoing painfully in the quiet of his nights.
Asahi Honda.
A gentle smile beneath the evening sky.
A smile he once thought was sincere.
Eyes that looked at him with warmth—
now turned away.
---
The bond between the three of them—
simple, warm, familiar—
slowly cracked.
Not out of hatred.
Not betrayal.
But because…
two hearts moved toward the light—
and left the last one behind, in the shadow.
Yuuto squeezed his eyes shut.
"You idiot," he whispered to himself.
"You're still hoping, aren't you? Even after all that…"
His hand fell limp.
He looked at the blue screen again—
and fear crept into him.
"N-No… not again…" he murmured.
Without thinking, he threw the phone away.
It hit the floor—but the holographic light did not fade.
It continued to glow in the air, casting his trembling shadow on the wall.
Yuuto backed up, climbing onto his bed and pulling the blanket over himself.
The air felt cold—yet sweat rolled down his temples.
"Please…"
His voice cracked, barely audible.
"Don't give me hope again…"
He curled beneath the blanket like a child afraid of the world.
The old trauma swallowed him whole—
the fear of believing again, of connecting, of feeling alive.
Outside the window, rain still poured.
And the holographic screen… continued to shine softly, waiting.
In that small room, Yuuto stayed hidden under his blanket, eyes squeezed shut as if rejecting the entire world.
The hologram dimmed slightly—but did not disappear.
It simply waited.
Somewhere far beyond the boundaries of reality, where worlds overlap…
The Chat Group continued its conversation as usual.
---
[Lady Avalon]:
So, how is it? What was your first reward, Kido?
New members usually receive something interesting.
[Kuroneko]:
Yes. Each member receives a "new beginning."
For example, when I first logged in, I received the Uzumaki bloodline.
Crazy, right?
The bloodline of the main character's family from the anime Naruto.
[Yamato]:
Wahaha! When I first logged in, I got teleportation!
Now my stupid father can't lock me up anymore! I can go anywhere I want!
[Irene Belserion]:
Tch. I only received an ancient grimoire when I first joined.
But it was blank.
The system forced me to write my own spells from scratch.
Hmph. Typical "trial."
[Lady Avalon]:
So then… what about our newest member?
Yuuto Kido—have you accepted your reward yet?
---
No reply.
The chat scrolled silently, notifications flashing without sound.
Yuuto Kido's name remained gray on the member list—offline, unmoving.
[Yamato]:
Hey, why isn't he answering?
Did he fall asleep? Or did his phone crash?
[Irene Belserion]:
Or perhaps… his body couldn't withstand the synchronization process?
Ordinary humans sometimes collapse before the soul-integration is complete.
[Lady Avalon]:
Hm… you sound as if you'd enjoy that outcome, Irene.
[Irene Belserion]:
Heh. I'm only stating possibilities.
---
[Kuroneko]:
…This is strange.
The system should have recorded and announced his reward.
But the data is blank—
as if he rejected the transfer.
[Yamato]:
Huh!? You can do that!?
Who would reject a free power-up!?
[Lady Avalon]:
Perhaps…
he was afraid.
Perhaps the reward reminded him of something he could not face.
---
[Kuroneko]:
(…quiet)
In that case, we need to check on him.
Miku, you're the only one who can cross worlds safely without disturbing the system's balance—since you're the group's admin.
Can you go to his world and confirm his condition?
---
[Hatsune Miku]:
Eh? Me?
(😊) Hmm~ I think I can.
But I need his world's coordinates first.
Give me a moment.
[Kuroneko]:
Based on his writing and behavior…
He understands what a phone is, and his world does not seem to have magic or cross-dimensional travel.
So most likely—a normal modern world.
[Hatsune Miku]:
A modern world, huh~?
That should be easy.
Okay, wait a bit—I'll find an entry point.
---
[Kuroneko]:
While you do that, I'll gather info about his world.
[Hatsune Miku]:
Alright~ Ah, found it!
Coordinates located!
Okay everyone, I'm heading out now~
Bye bye~ 💫
---
POV: Yuuto Kido
The room was dark and silent.
The rain outside grew heavier, tapping the window like cold fingers.
Yuuto still lay on the bed, hiding under the blanket, unmoving.
In the corner of the room, the phone he had thrown began to vibrate.
Faintly at first—then stronger, as if calling something from the air.
A blue light flowed out from it.
Soft… yet slowly flooding the room like water from another world.
Yuuto opened his eyes, pupils narrowing at the glow.
He rolled slightly, the blanket slipping down and revealing his pale face—eyes dull, reflecting that blue light.
"…Again?" he whispered.
Before he could get up, the air above the phone rippled.
The light swirled, forming patterns like soundwaves—
then slowly shaped itself into a silhouette.
A silhouette of a girl.
Lines of light traced long hair, a small ribbon, then the form of a young girl with soft blue eyes glowing like the sky after rain.
She smiled.
A gentle smile—full of life.
Something Yuuto hadn't seen in a very long time.
Then her voice came—bright, clear, and warm.
"Hello, Kido. How are you?"
Yuuto froze.
His heart beat once—hard—
as if something inside him had been revived.
The girl looked at him tenderly, her eyes shimmering among the dancing light.
The rain outside seemed to quiet, and the world felt… still.
Her face, her smile, her voice—
too real to be an illusion.
"…Who… are you?"
Yuuto's voice cracked, barely a whisper.
The girl held his gaze for a moment, then smiled gently.
The light around her turned softly like falling stars.
"Me?" she said, lifting the same flip phone—identical to his.
"I'm Hatsune Miku. From the Chat Group."
She stepped closer, her eyes calm and warm.
"And from now on… I'll be staying with you, Kido."
---
Outside, the rain finally stopped.
For the first time in a very long time—
Yuuto Kido's room felt a little brighter.