Chapter 1: "She Runs, They Walk"
Boy: "Happy holiday!"
She: "...Aren't you coming with us?"
He: "...No."
Boy: "As expected."
20 years agoT: "These feelings. There are so many feelings in my head. I just look down and ask myself: Why?"
There is the sky. They say the sky has always existed, but they never talk about its color. Is it because it is so bright? No! Is it because it is too beautiful to talk about? No! It's just because... the sky used to live in our minds. After all, this sky is just orange and soft yellow. The clouds are gorgeous with orange, like a picture. But it won't be like this forever. It starts with a single speck of dust kicked into the air by someone stepping on the ground.
"Move away! You GG!"
The voice is harsh, maybe a little rude. She wears an old orange scarf around her neck. She holds a brown book with a "T" logo on it. Her clothes are ordinary. Nothing too special. Except for one thing: her head is a triangle, and her mouth does not open when she shouts. Not only her—everyone she tells to move also has a triangle head. Her skin is pale but bright, especially on her face. Her face has only one big eye. Her eye color is pale blue. Beautiful and round. Maybe this world has a different standard of beauty.
She is running down the road in the middle of the fields. Some villagers are there, doing their jobs. She holds her book tight. Then she sees an old man watching the fields from the middle of the road. The road is not wide enough for two people to stand side by side. Worst of all, the road is much higher than the fields. She slips. She touches the ground with her left hand to brace herself. Her legs fly up toward the sky. Luckily, she is wearing shorts, so there is no "fanservice." She bites the book to hold it, then uses her right hand to push off the ground. This push makes her body float through the air until she lands beside the old man.
He is a little shocked and says, "Ms. Te Ra?"
Te Ra stabilizes herself as she lands. She pushes up with her right hand and returns to a normal position. She clutches the book to her chest and runs.
"Sorry, GG!"
The old man just watches her run away. "...Kids these days are really something."
Someone: "Did I hear something about a kid?"
The old man looks toward the voice. A boy is standing there. He wears a soft yellow T-shirt and soft yellow shorts. His eyes are orange like jam. He is a little shorter than Te Ra. His skin color is the same as hers. The boy is smiling. The old man stares at him. Another boy approaches.
"...Sorry about my friend. He is like this sometimes."
That boy wears a white sleeveless shirt. He is taller than the first boy. His skin is grayer, and his eyes are the color of milk. The shorter boy looks at him. "What do you mean, 'like this'?!"
The tall boy looks at him. "You are rude."
The boy smirks. "Jealous?"
The tall boy gently scratches his head, closing his eyes. "How could anyone be jealous of that?"
The old man starts speaking. "You mean Te Ra?"
The boy looks at him. "Yes, and—"
The old man cuts him off. "Just go to the tree in the middle of the village."
The boy stares at the old man, looking suspicious. "So, you know her?"
The old man coughs. "It's not like I know her..." He yawns. "I've just seen her at that place many times."
The boy stares at the old man. "Then how can you be so sure she'll be there?"
The old man stares back. "Because, Mr. Ha Men... you are proving my guess is right."
Ha Men looks a little annoyed. He steps forward. "What do you mean by that—?"
The tall boy pulls him back by his shirt. "Let's go. Remember why we're here."
Ha Men looks at him. The tall boy looks serious, but his eyes are gentle. Ha Men looks away. "...Ts." He brushes off the tall boy's hand. "...You don't need to treat me like a kid, De Ra Goe."
De Ra Goe pulls his hand back. "Well... you are short."
Ha Men looks at him and shouts, "It's just that you are too tall for our age!"
De Ra Goe smiles. "Yeah... yeah, you're right."
Ha Men just says, "Ts."
Ha Men looks back at the old man, but the man has already walked away. Ha Men sighs and starts walking. "I guess... we have to chase Te Ra right now."
De Ra Goe follows him. They walk down the road together.