First Sunrise [Video]

[glassworkgenius]

[ Today Hinoto-Ri is greeted by some panicked kid's yells over the network. Sorry about that. He's a fresh arrival, but is already feeling the effects of the Scorpio event. ]

Mr. Butterfly-mask--!! Are you out there!? I-I need to know if my friends from The World are here! I remember, I remember everything... Maybe they're here too? 

Oz-kun!! Hope-kun!! Yuuta-kun!?! Please tell me you're okay!

O-oh no what if... what if I'm the only one here... What if... what if they're... [ His eyes are starting to water. Someone stop it before it gets worse? Or not. Your call. ]

Comments

[glassworkgenius]

Probably... probably's not for certain... [ Still, he shakes his head. ]

If it's them, they're probably managing. I'll just have to believe that.

[otakuro]

Right!

This network you're on links to everyone in the city, too - so if they are here, they're sure to have heard you.

[glassworkgenius]

Mmn. That's good to know. Thank you.

Oh-- I'm Taiyou by the way.

[otakuro]

Atsuro Kihara. It's nice to meet you.

...I'm not sure what your exact situation is, but... yeah, I wish I knew how my friends were doing, too. I'll just have to trust that they really can get us back to the moment we left.

[glassworkgenius]

It's... different. I probably can't go back to them.

[otakuro]

Huh? What do you mean?

...Ah, you don't have to answer that if you don't want to.

[glassworkgenius]

No it's fine.

Um, this isn't my first time getting stuck somewhere I don't know. There were a bunch of others, from different 'worlds' than mine. But we were all made to leave after "their beta was over"... Then I ended up here.

[otakuro]

...'Beta', huh? Sounds like someone decided it would be fun to play a game. It's kinda what I thought this place was like at first.

Well, they're a little better about treating us like normal people here, I think.

[glassworkgenius]

I had fun though! We fought monsters with friends like in RPG's, and had festivals and I got to explore fields and caves... Stuff I'd never have been able to do back home.

... I miss it already.

[otakuro]

Huh...?

Why are you so worried about your friends if the game you were playing was fun?

[glassworkgenius]

We all left. I have no idea what their original worlds are like... I probably never will get the chance to find out, now.

[otakuro]

No chance of transdimensional email, huh...?

[This wasn't really a situation Atsuro could relate to at all, but...]

Hey, maybe when the game is released for real, you'll all be invited to play again.

[glassworkgenius]

That would be something, wouldn't it?

[ He's smiling again, at least to put on a brave face. ]

Hope hope hope. Gotta keep hoping.

[otakuro]

Yeah.

[Atsuro smiles a little wanly.]

...The important thing is the time you've had together, right?

[glassworkgenius]

Yeah. One of my friends said he forgot all his memories of that place the last time he went home, but... Maybe things are different this time.

I remember. So... if they do too, that would be great. Wherever they are.