This Isn't My Sekai... [A Project Sekai Story]

Part 1

Emu hummed a short tune to herself as she walked through the halls. Though, knowing Emu, you couldn't necessarily call it humming...

Her tune was cut even shorter when she took notice of a phone on the ground. Oh no! Someone must've dropped it! Immediately, Emu found herself ready to find its owner; see them smile when they got it back!

She picked up the phone, it was... still unlocked? It must've been dropped not too long ago! They had to be around somewhere near!

But, nobody was in sight. Emu glanced back down at the phone, maybe something that'd identify the poor soul who lost it would be there.

The phone was opened to a text message, but only one was visible; it was an attachment to an audio file titled 'Untitled'. Emu hummed in confusion, were they listening to music before they had to run off?

Emu flipped the phone over to find an identifier, she needed to know! Stuck in the case was a slip of paper, Emu squinted to read it. 'Asahina Mafuyu' it read; the handwriting was elegant. No doubt about it, Mafuyu's phone.

Emu squeaked, almost intimidated by the idea of returning it to her. Mafuyu's weird smile was never rewarding. Though, maybe seeing her phone safe and sound, she'd give a real one! Emu assured herself; this would finally be the thing to bring a smile to her face!

Before looking, she flipped the phone back over. Why was it just open to that text? Oh, oh! Maybe Emu could listen to the audio and see what music Mafuyu liked! She had a tendency to never say what she liked... Still, Emu felt nervous at the prospect; wasn't it an invasion of privacy.

Before she could turn to find the purple-haired upperclassman, an image of Mafuyu's haunting smile flashed in Emu's mind. No, anything to make her smile for real! Emu squeezed her eyes shut and tapped on the play button before any more doubts could flood her mind. Mafuyu needed to smile!

When she opened her eyes again, she wasn't at school. She wasn't really anywhere. There were no trees, no clouds, not even a single blade of grass! Just weird geometrical shapes sticking up from the ground here and there, and a couple of pieces from scaffolding. It was just... empty. Sad to look at. Emu frowned, why was she here?

"Mafuyu?" A voice asked. Emu squeaked, not expecting anyone else to be there. No, that voice was familiar, was that... Miku?

"Miku?" Emu turned to look at her. No, that couldn't be Miku... their eyes were dull and lifeless.

"Who are you?" The dull-eyed person asked. Their voice was just as empty as their eyes. Somehow, meeting someone new there felt unnerving.

"Otori Emu!" Emu blurted. Somehow, wonderhoi didn't even feel appropriate for the situation. "But, I should be asking you that question! Who are you?"

"Ah..." they hummed. "Hatsune Miku, you guessed right before..."

"Miku? That really is you?! What happened here? Why is everything gone?!" Emu pieced something together, deciding that this was the sekai she knew. Why had everything disappeared?

Miku fidgeted a little, "This is Mafuyu's sekai... It's a manifestation of her mind. Nothing's missing." Emu's expression dropped even more. Mafuyu had a sekai too? Why was it so lifeless? She'd grown to associate the word with the wonderland she and the rest of her troupe had. How could the word mean something so different to Mafuyu?

"Asahina-senpai's mind... looks like this?" Emu questioned. Miku nodded. "What... What happened to her? Is this why her smiles are so... empty?" Another nod.

"Mafuyu... needs to be saved," Miku explained. Emu lit up.

"I can save her!" She exclaimed. Miku frowned.

"It won't be easy, Emu. You barely seem to know her," Miku answered.

"Then... Why don't you teach me? What's the real Mafuyu like?"