Fragment 14. Meet the (1st) Sister Part 1

The moment I stepped through the door, warm air immediately wrapped around my body. It wasn’t a sharp, burning heat, but a warm and humid one—like midsummer. The ground beneath my feet felt soft. Not the black floor from before, but grass.

When I lifted my head, I froze.

Before me stretched a field of silver grass as far as the eye could see. The tall stalks swayed gently in the wind, brushing against one another and producing a soft, flowing sound. Sunlight illuminated the tips of the grass, making them glow a golden hue.

The sound of cicadas echoed loudly from all directions. The constant rhythm was almost deafening, as if to emphasize that I was truly standing in the middle of a Japanese summer. Sweat began to form at my temples, and for a moment, I forgot that I had just been brought to another unfamiliar place.

The place was quiet, yet it didn’t feel empty. I couldn’t see anyone, but somehow I didn’t feel alone. From somewhere—somehow—someone was watching me. I couldn’t prove it, but I could feel it.

I took a deep breath. The air felt alive, far too real to be nothing more than an illusion. And for some reason, there was a strange sensation in my chest—as if I had been here before, even though I knew I had never set foot in this place.

This wasn’t the Japan I knew. Nor was it the world I lived in. It felt like a memory of summer frozen at a single point in time, waiting for me to finally find it.

Standing still wouldn’t get me anywhere. So I began to explore. Not knowing where to go, I simply walked wherever the wind carried me.

When I emerged from the field of silver grass, I saw a wooden house standing alone. The building was simple and low to the ground, with a dark tiled roof worn down by age. The wooden walls looked dull, their color faded by time, yet they still appeared sturdy and well maintained. Thin smoke slowly drifted from a small chimney on the roof, rising gently before fading into the summer air.

From behind the house, I heard a repetitive sound. It wasn’t the sound of machinery or tools—just a human sound. But it wasn’t someone talking. It was the sound of heavy, rhythmic breathing.

I walked around the house and arrived at what looked like its yard. There, a woman stood in a horse stance, thrusting her right and left fists forward alternately.

She was wearing a karate uniform, with the top removed and left hanging down. Fortunately, she wore a black sports bra that covered her upper body. Otherwise, she would have been completely topless.

Her hair was thick and voluminous, flowing freely down her back. Under the sunlight, it looked like burning embers. Each strand shimmered, glowing from deep crimson to bright yellow. Every time she moved, her hair fluttered like tongues of flame.

Sweat covered her entire body. Her skin glistened as steam rose faintly from her.

I didn’t know how long she had been doing this. But I was certain that she would have continued if I hadn’t arrived.

The moment I stepped into the yard, the woman turned to look at me. I nearly jumped out of my skin when she looked like she had twisted her neck all the way around. My second shock came when I saw her face.

It was the face I saw in the mirror every day—except her eyes and eyebrows were red.

When she glared at me with an expression filled with killing intent, I thought she was about to attack me for trespassing. But then she raised her right hand and greeted me with a bright smile.

“Ohhh!!! Isn’t this the main personality? What are you doing here?”

She rushed toward me. And when I say rushed, it was more like she teleported. Because all of sudden she appeared right in front of me.

“Erm… and you are…?”

“Oh, right. I’m Chinatsu. I am—well, think of me as one of your sisters,” she said, grinning widely.

I was left completely dumbfounded. In my imagination, my other personalities were all violent and barbaric who attack anyone without discrimination. But the one standing before me was nothing like what I had imagined.

“Come on in. I’ll serve you to some tea.”

Chinatsu led me into her house. No matter how you looked at it, the place was incredibly old-fashioned. Both the building and most of the furniture were made of wood and stone. There were barely any walls separating the rooms. So when I sat down on a floor cushion in the “living room,” I could see Chinatsu preparing tea in the kitchen. She soon returned, carrying a tray with two cups on it.

“Thank you,” I said as I accepted the cup of tea from her.

Chinatsu sat down on the cushion across from me. She gently blew on her tea, which was still steaming, before taking a sip.

I looked at mine as well. Steam rose and brushed against my face as I stared at the tea leaves floating on the surface.

Hoping my drink wasn’t poisoned, I took a sip.

The aroma of the tea instantly filled my nose and mouth. Warmth spread through my chest, and my mind gradually calmed.

The sensation felt so real that it left me bewildered. How could I taste or feel anything if this was my subconscious—essentially, a dream? And besides, where did she even get tea leaves from?

While those questions swirled through my head, Chinatsu spoke.

“It’s been a long time since we talked. Let alone met face to face like this.”

“A long time?”

Her words felt strange. She spoke as if we had met before. But I had no memory of ever meeting her, or even knowing her.

“So, what brings you here? You went out of your way to come.”

“Uh… well…”

I hesitated. I wasn’t here by choice. But if I said that, she would probably be disappointed. So I had to come up with an excuse.

“Since it’s been a long time since we last met, I decided to come visit.”

Ugh. That lie was painfully obvious.

I forced a smile, trying my best not to let it show. Cold sweat trickled down my back as I waited for her reaction.

When Chinatsu smiled brightly, I let out a quiet sigh of relief, thinking she had fallen for it. But—

“I’m flattered to hear that. But that’s not your real reason for coming here, is it?”

I felt my cheek twitch as my lie unraveled. Still, it wasn’t completely exposed yet.

“What makes you think that?” I asked, doing my best to stay calm. I pretended to drink my tea, hiding my stiff and awkward smile.

“I mean, main personality—don’t you hate us?”

“Cough!”

I choked on my tea.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Chinatsu quickly stood up and brought me some tissues. I covered my mouth as I struggled to clear the liquid that had gone down the wrong way.

How did she know? Was it because she lived in my subconscious that she could read my feelings?

Realizing that lying to my other parties was pointless, I finally told the truth.

“To be honest, the reason I came here is to trying to figure out who I am. People keep saying that I have great power and a great responsibility. But I don’t know anything about it. That’s why I came here. I want to know and be able to control my power.”

As I sincerely poured out my feelings, my other personality looked at me in confusion.

“What do you mean you don’t know your power?”

“Well… like I said. I don’t know, and I can’t control it.”

“…Huh?”

“Huh?”

Chinatsu and I stared at each other in silence. As we exchanged confused looks, a bird perched on the roof chirped cheerfully.