Dreaming In Color

The beginning (Part 1)

'Ever since I was a child... I've always been interested when people acted differently in each movie as they played their roles. It felt like magic as my world expand itself.'

Kusanagi Mashiro typed on her laptop as she wrote her application for a University of Entertainment Business department.

'Even now, I never stopped my dream until the end. With my friends' encouragement, I feel I can do everything.'

A grin spread out on Mashiro's face at that thought. She stretched her arms out, ignoring the noises behind her doors while the white ferret-like fox creature on her lap twitched its ears.

She hummed out a song called 'Bokura wa mada Underground by EVE on her headphones, a well-known singer who sings catchy songs on YouTube.

Another rising star under Japan.

Someday she wants to become one of them.

"Mashiro. Someone is coming." The ferret-like fox spoke to the human girl. It pulled her shirt to gain her attention. "Mashiro!" It called out her name again and used its weight to nearly push her very close that she almost fell over from her chair.

Mashiro removed her headphones from her ears and placed them on her neck. "What is it, Kudamon?" She questioned her partner from her lap and noticed that Kudamon was on her guard.

Then she finally heard a loud knock on her door.

"Ah." The human girl realized that someone had banged on her door when she interpreted to ignore it and focused on her application instead while she had her headphones on.

"Mashiro! Open your door already!" It was her mother who was behind her door with her high-pitched voice that Mashiro always knew when she was furious. She wanted to sigh. Her relationship with her mother was already on the tip of the iceberg ever since she had made up her mind to follow her dream.

It was annoying how controlled and manipulative her mother was to her. At this first, Mashiro thought it was normal when her mother told her to do what to do and was for her best. And so, Mashiro drowns herself in her studies that she barely interacts with her schoolmates.

Eat, study, sleep, and repeat. It was the only thing Mashiro had to do as she sacrificed everything to herself to become an empty shell for her mother's happiness. Mashiro even neglected her health at this point. Her natural brown turned to a shocking white as a result.

Until that day on her school trip for historical studies extracurricular activities during the spring breaks, Mashiro got herself spirited away with her other classmates to a strange new world filled with only Monsters and dangers that lie ahead. That is also where she met her precious partner, Kudamon.

"Mashiro!" Her mother banged on her door again, which made Mashiro get off her chair as she got fed up with her mother's antics while Kudamon jumped over her desk. The white-haired girl packed her headphone, laptop, and clothes in her backpack as she planned to go to her friend's house and texted her friend that she slept in her place for the time being.

"Let's go, Kudamon. We are going to Aoi's place." Mashiro quietly said over her partner, who jumped on her shoulder as the human girl told Kudamon where they were going.

"Let's hurry then. I don't want to deal with your mother again." Said Kudamon and shook their head from the imagination they had as Kudamon met Mashiro's mother one year ago. It was not very pleasant.

Mashiro took a breath as she had to face the music of what lay ahead for her and turned the lock off on her door, then twisted the door handle. It didn't surprise her at all when her mother stood before her with a fake smile on her face.

"Ah~, Mashiro! I was so worried about you that you didn't respond to me at all." Her mother put her hand on her cheek while the other hugged herself one-handed and eyed Kudamon, who glared her back.

Her mother twitched her eyebrows and smiled tightly. "I thought you get rid of this thing."

"This isn't a 'thing.' Kudamon is my friend." Mashiro talked her back in boldness while hiding her nervosity inside of her, which her mother didn't like, and dropped her facade.

"Don't talk to me with that tone, young lady. I wonder where did you learn to talk back to your mother?" Her mother scolded Mashiro, who was trying to find a way to escape. The only route was blocked by her mother, who stood in her way.

She noticed her daughter's backpack. "And, where are you going without my permission? Huh? Are you neglecting your studies again? Don't tell me that you still chasing your silly dream of yours. Mashiro, you should start thinking realistically when it comes to your future instead of making a business about acting. Are you not satisfied with what I have done for you?"

Again, Mashiro's head started to hurt by her mother's word.

Today was the day that she cut the connection with her mother, once and for all.

However, even now as Mashiro was right now, she was still weak under these words as she closed her eyes in fear.

'Is it really okay? Is it really okay to run away?'

"Mashiro!" A familiar voice snapped her out of her negative thoughts that slowly killed her feelings again. "You made it this far! Are you sure of yourself to stop your potential by this woman?"

"Be quiet, you little thing!" Mashiro's mother snapped at Kudamon. She switched back to her calm self when she talk to her daughter, "I apologize that I shouted at you. Did I scare you? You know that Mother did this for your sake."

"No. I'm tired of your spiel, Mother."

Mashiro glared at her mother and pushed her to the wall so that she had more room to run away to the entrance.

"Mashiro!"

She heard her mother shouting at her, but she didn't care to come back. Right now, it was the first time Mashiro felt to be so free.

Unaware of herself, a powerful being from another universe watched the human girl of the moment when she kicked herself out of the house as she stayed with her friend.

Is she the one who will save my world from the chaos?

With that questionable thought, he observed that human girl more thoroughly.

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

A/N: I hope you and everyone who read, enjoyed what I wrote. I'm not sure whether to continue to write when it comes to my mood slash work. Feel free to review this work on your own whim, maybe I continue to write or not.