Do not regret

She gave him a sweet smile.

“Pleased to meet you, Haru!”

“Let’s go to Aiu Park. It should be enough privacy there.” He starts walking without looking at her.

“I have never heard of this park! Is it far?”

“It takes 10 minutes from here if you walk.”

Why doesn’t she know the main park in the whole Tokyo?

“You can start explaining everything. I warn you, if it doesn’t make sense I will go home.”

“Then we have a little problem. Let’s stay quiet for a while; there are a lot of eyes watching.”

As they reached the place, Haru took her to the center. A sparkling fountain was dominating the area. Around it, some flowers were planted in star-like pots. They looked like forget-me-nots.

“Wow! This is so beautiful!” Her eyes were glowing and she seemed so excited.

It’s been a while since he last visited this park. Indeed the view is pleasing.

“You can talk now. No one sees us.”

“You see, I was born and raised in Tokyo. But not the one you know.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’m from another universe. I know you won't believe me, but I already proved that others can’t see me!”

“Let’s say I believe you but there is a lot of missing information. You better spit it out or I’m leaving!” He gives glances at her with a judging look.

“I’m here because of you… In my city-“

“City? Your Tokyo is a city?”

“Of course it is, silly! Do you mean here is something else?”

“You either say the truth or you’re really bad at geography. My Tokyo is the whole world.”

“What the hell?”

“It’s parted in more divisions, but 6 are the most evolved ones. We even have a factory that represents each district.”

“That’s incredible! We have 7 continents and each continent is parted into countries. I leave in the largest continent which is Asia. Tokyo is the city capital of Japan, one of the countries.”

Is she making things up or is she telling the truth?

“Suicide girl, I will be frank with you. I don’t understand you and I think you are out of your mind. I want to see some proof. I’m not the type to lose time on useless things. Do you get that?”

The boy gives her a card.

Haru Chibana

Representative Manager of the Fear District

FF worker

Contact number: 8123-***-****

“Call me when you also bring proof!”

“Wait! I don’t quite understand this card. What does FF mean?”

“It stands for Feelings Factory.”

“What exactly it’s that?”

Haru sighed.

“I told you already, it’s the factory that represents the districts.”

“So one of them is Fear District?”

“Yes.”

“Which are the others?”

“Happiness, Sadness, Disgust, Surprise and Anger Districts.”

“I see! That’s why you call it Feelings Factory! Correct me if I’m wrong but do you work with people’s emotions?”

“About time you say something good! As you’ve seen earlier, the building has 6 floors for each feeling.”

“And what are doing as an employee?”

“Each one of us gets assigned some people. For example, I have in my care 30 lives. We must regulate their emotions, but most of the time humans stay on a blank.”

“So you turn off your feeling?”

“I guess you can say that. It doesn’t actually mean that we are not able to feel things though! Everyone is often tested with insignificant issues. Such as family disputes or different points of view in a group.”

“What is the reason behind these tests?”

“We have to select the ones with grade 5 of emotions. We call them VICTIMS and the government needs them to keep the rest of us protected by The Ninth Heaven.”

“Does this mean their feelings are intense?”

“Yes. They are rare cases. At the yearly Freedom Festival, 9 of them are judged by a priest. In the end, the victims have to die in a special fire. They become sacrifices ever since they are born. That’s what the deities want in return for their protection.”

“Are these deities considered some kind of Gods or something?”

“They are the Gods here. I don’t know what you believe in, but we pray to them.”

“We have many religions and every one has its own story and God. But to be frank with you, I don’t acknowledge someone above us.” She looks at the sky.

It was already dark and the stars were shining in the dark. The place didn’t have many lights, but it was still beautiful. In her eyes, it had that mysterious aura.

“That’s a little bit arrogant.” He finally takes a sit on a beach right in front of the girl.

He missed talking to someone without being scared. She doesn’t seem a bad person; she just looks lost somewhere far away. He can totally understand her lifeless eyes and he has to admit that they are quite comforting.

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that we humans are the most powerful thing in the world; in fact, I don’t even know how our existence started. There are some theories but I don’t want to think about them. Do you wish to know why?” She gives him a sweet smile.

“Sure…”

He admired the girl. She was very pretty. Aiko looked unreal, without a reflection or a shadow. She didn’t know his world, yet she also seems in silent pain. Can he trust her?

“Everything is in the past. No one can ever change what it was a long time ago because we leave in the present. Seems logical, right? Even if we all know that we still want to live in the past. We want to repair our mistakes.”

“Don’t be stupid, we cannot go back to the past.” He cuts her off harshly.

“Then I guess I am stupid, we all are. As long we have regrets and fears, we will never leave the past. That’s why you can’t succeed in your present and for the same reason you don’t know the future.”

Haru tried to think of her as a crazy person again, but if she was right. Everyone has something that is holding them back.

“So what if we don’t have a future? The government will take care of-“

“Are you brainwashed or something? How could some random people know what are your goals in life are better than you?”

“I’m not brainwashed! They want the best for us that’s why-“

“They work you to death? Kill some innocent humans? Regulate your emotions? I don’t see where the freedom actually is in you Freedom Festival or even in this society.”

Haru was shocked. She’s right again! What if he is  brainwashed?

Out of a sudden, he felt a déjà vu. A strange feeling hit his whole body. His heart felt lighter for some moments as if his worries went away temporarily.

The two made eye contact. She wasn’t a stranger to him anymore. It felt like they’ve known each other for an eternity and now they are just catching up on what’s new.

“I wish I could just stop time…” Haru thought to himself.

Without realizing his lips curved into a week smile.

“The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?” She said while looking back up at the sky.

He followed her gaze and saw a full moon watching over them. Is this a dream? Will she disappear when he wakes up?

“I finally found you, Haru Chibana!” She says with a lot of enthusiasts.

“We’ve met before?” He tried to remember her but even if she felt familiar, his memories didn’t contain her.

“Nope!” She giggles.

He was a little pissed.

“Then what’s the deal?”

“I wanted to meet you for a long, long time! You see, we are connected by fate.”

“How I am connected with a ghost?”

She gave him an amused look.

“I am a normal girl with a normal life, not a ghost! I traveled in your universe with a purpose.”

“And what could your purpose be?”

“If I tell you it won’t be fun anymore!”

“Did The Ninth Heaven sent you?”

“Do I look like an angel or something?” She starts to laugh.

What kind of angel would have scars? But even in the darkness, she was shining in his eyes. Her presence was covered in mystery.

“More like a fallen one.” He whispers.

“I’m here to make a promise!”

“That’s a stupid reason to travel through universes, you know?”

“It’s not stupid as long as you won’t have any regrets. So I’m asking you, do you regret meeting me?”

How could he ever feel any regrets when his curiosity was raised to a high level?