A Perfect Future, Now Featuring a Confused Roommate

Yuto Takeda had thought his Monday was off to a rough start. Now, staring at the 21st-century girl sitting in his office chair, that rough start had escalated into a full-blown disaster.

Nanami spun around in the chair, looking absolutely amused. “So, what do you do here? Is this, like, a high-tech police station or something?”

“Not… exactly,” Yuto muttered, already feeling the stress of the day creeping up on him. “This is the Temporal Studies Institute. We study historical records and, uh, time-related phenomena.”

Nanami paused mid-spin. “Time-related what now?”

“Time rifts,” Yuto clarified, hoping that saying it out loud would make it sound less ridiculous. “Like the one that accidentally brought you here.”

“Accidentally?” Nanami leaned forward, a smirk spreading across her face. “You’re telling me you just happened to pull me into the future? What are you, some kind of time-traveling intern?”

Chrono chimed in, its digital voice dripping with sarcasm. “If only he were so skilled. He’s more of an accidental time-tour guide.”

Yuto shot the AI a look. “Chrono, not helping.”

Nanami grinned. “Time-traveling intern, accidental time-tour guide—I like that. Do you have a business card?”

Yuto opened his mouth to answer, but he was interrupted by the distinct sound of the door handle rattling. His heart nearly leapt out of his chest. He turned just in time to see the door open slightly, and the voice of Hana echoed through the small gap.

“Takeda! Are you in there?” she called.

Yuto froze, eyes wide. Nanami instinctively slid down the chair and hid under the desk, looking up at him with an expression that screamed, Do something!

“Um, yes! I’m… in here!” Yuto stammered, throwing himself against the door to keep it from opening any further.

“What’s with all the noise?” Hana demanded, sounding suspicious. “And why is the door locked?”

“It’s… um…” Yuto’s mind raced for an excuse. “It’s, uh… experimental research! New sound-based historical immersion techniques! You wouldn’t be interested!”

Hana’s voice softened with curiosity. “Really? Sound-based history immersion?”

Chrono’s eyes dimmed as it whispered, “You’re terrible at this.”

“Shut up,” Yuto whispered back, earning a confused look from Nanami under the desk.

Hana was quiet for a moment, then said, “Alright, but if you’re hiding something, it’ll go on your record!”

“Absolutely not hiding anything!” Yuto replied too quickly, his voice nearly cracking.

After a tense silence, Hana sighed. “Fine. Just… keep it down, okay?”

Yuto waited until he heard her footsteps fade away before letting out a long breath. He turned to Nanami, who was peeking out from under the desk.

“That was intense,” she said, grinning like this was some kind of game.

“This isn’t a joke!” Yuto hissed. “If she finds you, I’m finished! Not to mention, you’re not supposed to be here!”

“Oh, relax, time-traveling intern,” Nanami said, crawling out from under the desk and dusting herself off. “If you’re going to panic every time someone knocks, you’re not going to survive me being here.”

Yuto sighed and sank into his chair. This was going to be a nightmare. A sarcastic AI, a nosy coworker, and a time-displaced roommate from 200 years ago. Not exactly how he imagined his week going.

“So,” Nanami said, leaning on the desk and examining Yuto’s workstation. “If this is the future, what do you guys do for fun around here? I mean, aside from accidental time-kidnapping.”

Yuto blinked at her. “Fun?”

“Yeah, you know, fun,” Nanami repeated. “You’ve got to have something, right? Cool tech, weird games, future hobbies?”

Yuto scratched his head. “Uh, there’s the weekly ice cream festivals…”

“Festivals? Plural?” Nanami’s eyes widened. “Okay, that sounds amazing. What else?”

Yuto thought hard. What did people do for fun in this utopia? He was so caught up in work and research that he hadn’t really thought about it. “There’s… the Temporal Cafe,” he said, hesitantly. “They serve drinks and host events where you can experience different historical periods.”

Nanami’s expression lit up. “Like a theme park for history nerds?”

“I… suppose,” Yuto admitted.

“Okay,” Nanami said, standing up. “You’re taking me there.”

“What? No!” Yuto protested. “We can’t go out in public! You don’t exactly blend in!”

Nanami glanced down at her hoodie and jeans. “Why? Do you guys wear weird future robes or something?”

“Not robes,” Yuto muttered. “But… your clothes are over two centuries out of date!”

Nanami raised an eyebrow. “So, buy me some new clothes.”

“It’s not that simple—”

Nanami cut him off, raising her hand like she was delivering a verdict. “Look, if you want me to stay cooped up in this office, I’m going to go crazy. Besides, if we’re going to figure out a way to send me back, I need to understand this world. And right now, it feels like a sci-fi movie where I’m stuck inside the set.”

Yuto opened his mouth to argue, but he couldn’t think of a convincing response. Chrono’s eyes brightened as it chimed in, “She does have a point.”

“Whose side are you on?” Yuto muttered.

“I’m on the side of interesting research outcomes,” Chrono replied smoothly.

Nanami grinned. “See? Even the AI thinks I should go outside. And besides, what’s the worst that could happen?”

Yuto had a long list of potential disasters, but he was too tired to argue. “Fine,” he sighed. “But we need to get you some proper clothes first.”

“Cool,” Nanami said. “So, where do we go? Future-Mall?”

Yuto scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “We… might have to get creative with this.”

Thirty minutes later, Yuto and Nanami stood in the back storage room of the Temporal Studies Institute. Rows of neatly organized costumes lined the walls—period-accurate clothing used for various historical simulations and immersive research experiences. Yuto had never thought these would come in handy for a real-life time-travel emergency.

“So, you have an entire costume shop in this place?” Nanami asked, holding up a Victorian-era dress with a mixture of fascination and horror.

“It’s not a costume shop,” Yuto muttered defensively. “It’s for historical simulations.”

“Uh-huh,” Nanami said, draping the dress over her arm. “Well, Mr. Historian, if I’m going to blend in, we might as well pick something that won’t make me look like an extra in a Shakespearean play.”

They sorted through racks of outfits, Nanami trying on everything from 20th-century streetwear to futuristic jumpsuits. After several failed attempts—most of which Yuto tried to block from his memory—they settled on something simple: a clean, modern set of clothes that resembled what Yuto usually wore.

Nanami gave herself a once-over in the mirror. “Not bad,” she said, tugging at the sleeve. “I feel like I just walked out of a tech startup.”

“Good,” Yuto said, relieved that the ordeal was over. “Now, remember, we’re going to the Temporal Cafe, but we have to stay low-key. No making a scene.”

“Relax, time-traveling intern,” Nanami said, grinning. “I’m great at being low-key.”

Yuto wasn’t convinced, but they didn’t have much choice. He glanced at Chrono, who floated nearby, silently judging him.

“Well,” Yuto muttered, taking a deep breath, “let’s hope this doesn’t get us in more trouble.”

With that, the two of them set off toward the Temporal Cafe, Yuto’s heart pounding with the anxiety of a man who had just signed up for a disaster. But as he watched Nanami walk ahead with a spring in her step, Yuto couldn’t help but feel that—despite all the risks—this might be the most interesting thing to happen in his perfect future.