Tahro Akagi shouldn't live in two worlds at once.
Yet, forced to spend his days studying by a no-nonsense mother, he longs for adventure. In a moment of desperation, Tahro's soul splits in two. While one of his selves remains in Japan, the other fi...
I closed the tab with a trembling hand. My arms were shaking so much, the phone nearly fell from my grasp. A chill, from so long ago that I'd forgotten it, ran down my spine with a vengeance. I closed my eyes, but Hana's limp body still flashed in front of me. What had I got myself into?
Checking for footsteps or voices outside, I staggered out of the stall. 'I'm done, Yuuhei.'
He swung open his door and marched out, rubbing his tummy. 'Yes! I can feed this growling monster.'
For once the joke didn't land, and I couldn't smile. Yuuhei's grin faded.
'That bad, huh?' he asked, as I handed his phone back.
'Read it first. We need to sort something out.'
Several hushed conversations in class and bathroom breaks later, Yuuhei helped me figure out what to do next. It was high time I'd revealed everything to Minister Banji.
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February 14. Fourteen and a half years old. Saishuu Riku.
The dim-lit room of the inn didn't help my disorientation, as I opened my eyes. Sixteen minutes and eleven seconds. I'd broken my record. Yet I couldn't bring myself to be excited about it.
Hana's unseeing eyes haunted my dreams for many nights to come.
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February 16. Fourteen and a half years old. Saishuu Riku.
Everyone had bright hair in Anzenkai. Whether dyed green or a natural redhead, every person we crossed on the streets sported this trend. For the first time in my life, my blonde hair didn't stick out.
We passed shops and fish markets on the way to Anzenkai's HQ. With sloping grey roofs stacked one on top of the other, the establishment was akin to those in feudal Japan. Further down the city, well past ports and calm beaches, the blue sky darkened into a storm. Perhaps I'd imagined it, but faint thunder sounded through chirping birds and chattering people.
Handing the letter over to Minister Fuyu's secretary took only a few minutes, and we were done with our quest before we knew it.
'Now, to the beach!' said Cho, her curls going frizzy in the humid air.
