Chapter 2: Welcome to Another World Kanade-san

Kanade felt a tingling in her senses before she opened her eyes.It was a faint scent of wood and something else—something strange, a fragrance she couldn’t quite identify. The atmosphere felt oddly dense and… silent. As she slowly opened her eyes, she found herself staring at a white, smooth ceiling—no ornamentation, no arches, none of the stone details she was used to.
Kanade (thinking):"Where… am I?"
Carefully, she sat up, placing a hand on the edge of a bed that felt somewhat firm and narrow. She looked around, noticing the disorder in the room: clothes piled on a chair, books stacked precariously in a corner, and strange devices with lights and darkened screens. Clearly, this was not a place she recognized.
Kanade (murmuring):"What kind of… magic is this?"
Before she could fully process it, the door creaked open. A boy with dark hair and a slightly nervous look entered the room, holding a steaming cup on a tray. Their eyes met and froze, staring at each other in awkward silence.
Yuu (stammering):"Ah… you’re… awake."
Kanade watched him cautiously. There was something in his expression—a mix of surprise, confusion, and maybe a bit of panic.
Kanade:"Who are you? Where am I?"
The boy seemed to stumble over his words, as if trying to organize his thoughts while holding the tray with both hands, avoiding her gaze.
Yuu:"I… I’m Yuu. Tomoya Yuu. You’re in my room… in my house." (pauses) "I found you… well, last night… you looked unconscious. I couldn’t just leave you there, so… I brought you here."
Kanade looked at him in silence, trying to process his words. She didn’t remember how she had gotten there. The last thing she remembered was that strange light in her world, but nothing made sense.
Kanade (raising an eyebrow):"Your… house? And this is… another kingdom? Because it’s nothing like mine."
Yuu (nervously laughing):"Well, no. This isn’t another kingdom. It’s, uh… Japan. More specifically, just a regular city, with regular people."
Kanade looked around again, perplexed. Japan… the word meant nothing to her. But something inside her told her she was farther from home than she had imagined.
Kanade:"Japan… So… I’m not in the world of Shadowfall?"
Yuu’s confused expression said it all, but he chose to ignore the question, nodding timidly as he sat on the edge of the bed to speak with her more closely.
Yuu:"If that’s a place or something… no, there’s no Shadowfall here. But, hey… this might sound crazy, but… you… you look like someone I know." (clears his throat, awkwardly) "Well, like a character from my favorite series… Kanade Himejima?"
Kanade’s eyes widened at the sound of her name. Even though she was still trying to understand what was happening, this boy knew her name before she’d said it.
Kanade (surprised):"How do you know my name? Are you some kind of mage or sorcerer?"
Yuu (stammering):"No, no… nothing like that. It’s just that… well, how do I explain this? You are… or at least you seem to be… a character from an anime, like a story in our world. And I… well, I watch it."
Kanade stared without blinking, clearly confused. The idea that she was a “character” in an “anime” made no sense to her.
Kanade (confused and defensive):"What do you mean ‘character’? I’m a person! A warrior! I’m not something made-up."
Yuu (quickly nodding):"I know! Well, I don’t know… but it seems like you are… real, I mean. And you appeared here after I… well, I think I made a wish."
Kanade stared at him, incredulous.
Kanade:"A… wish?"
Yuu (embarrassed):"Yeah… I said I wanted a more exciting life. It was just a shooting star, you know? I didn’t think… well, that something like this would happen." (lowers his gaze) "And then… you fell from the sky. Like a star… and I thought maybe your arrival had something to do with my wish."
Kanade crossed her arms, thoughtful. She had never heard of magic that could grant wishes so literally. But if her arrival really was tied to this boy’s wish…
Kanade (sighs):"So, you summoned me to this world?" (glances at him sideways) "And do you expect me to be your adventure partner or something?"
Yuu (blushing, quickly shaking his head):"No, no! I didn’t mean for anything like this to happen. I can barely take care of myself, so… I don’t even know how to help you get back…"
Kanade’s expression softened a bit. He seemed genuinely worried and confused. Maybe he wasn’t a powerful mage or someone with answers, but it was clear that, at least for now, he was her only source of help in this strange new world.
Kanade (with a slight smile):"Well, Yuu… if you have no idea how to send me back, the least you can do is help me understand this… place." (looks at him with a hint of amusement) "And start with something useful, like… what the hell is all of this?"
Yuu (looking around, flustered):"Oh… right. Well, this is… my room. It’s kind of… messy. And… here, this is a cup of tea." (offers her the cup, still nervous) "Would you like to try it?"
Kanade took the cup hesitantly, examining the dark liquid. She took a small sip and, after a moment, smiled.
Kanade:"It’s… nice. Thank you, Yuu. I guess this is going to be… interesting."