Existential Crisis, isn’t it?!

It was the late hour of the night, and a torrential downpour drenched the city. The atmosphere carried an otherworldly aura, mirroring the extraordinary circumstances that unfolded before me. The gathered puddles on the streets and the rhythmic drumming of raindrops transformed the surroundings into a realm of coolness and unrestrained passion, an ideal backdrop for an impending tragedy.

“Pull yourself together!” I cried out in a state of panic, clutching her tightly to prevent her from plummeting off the bridge.

“Why, you…” The girl retorted, her gaze filled with anger as she attempted to break free from my grasp.

“Just leave me be. I can’t even die of my own will now. Why do you all have to interfere in every aspect of my life. Let me be in peace, please…” she sobbed, her voice lashing out at me. Tears welled up in her emerald eyes, defying her efforts to hold them back.

“Hmm? Of course not,” I responded resolutely, my tone unwavering.

After a few moments of profound silence, her resistance gradually waned, and I helped her regain her footing on the railing.

She slumped to the ground, leaning against the railings for support, burying her head between her knees as tears streamed down her face…

And thus, the tale began, weaving a narrative of our newfound existence and unforeseen aspirations. I never in my wildest dreams anticipated such a turn of events – or perhaps, deep down, I secretly harbored a hint of expectation.

*

I blinked, and lo and behold, an entirely new scene unfolded before my eyes. Was it a distant memory resurfacing? I found myself in a narrow alley, nestled among a pile of discarded refuse.

Standing up, I blinked again, as everything around me appeared unfamiliar. Clad in a simple white shirt and black trousers, my body felt unscathed, devoid of any pain or injury. I ran my fingers through my ebony hair and ventured out of the alley.

“Wow!” I gasped in awe as the sudden brightness revealed an extraordinary panorama before me. It was as if I had never laid eyes on such wonders before. Towering edifices, peculiar vehicles whizzing through the roads and pathways, ferrying people resembling my own likeness.

In an instant, it seemed my entire existence had slipped away, leaving me devoid of knowledge about this unfamiliar world before me. I longed to unravel the mysteries of both myself and the world I now inhabited.

“Pardon me, kind sir, could you enlighten me about this place?” I inquired with utmost respect, capturing the man’s attention, albeit with a look of bewilderment.

“Certainly, but why the formal tone, lol?” He replied, removing a device from his ears. Each passing moment only deepened the strangeness of it all.

“Haha, my apologies, it appears my manner of speech lacks the desired decorum,” I chuckled.

“No, no, it’s not the tone. Actually, never mind, it’s none of my concern. This place, my friend, is Osaka, the nation’s culinary capital, as you would say in your accent,” he responded, laughing as he hurriedly departed, leaving me pondering his reaction.

“Osaka, huh… and what on earth am I supposed to do with this newfound revelation?” I let out an exasperated sigh, disbelief evident in my voice, as I trudged along the bustling streets. With each encounter, I found myself bombarding strangers with questions, inadvertently inviting their curiosity and met with the warmth of their radiant smiles.

Was I the cause of their smiles, you ask? Well, it’s highly doubtful. While I may possess some semblance of beauty, I couldn’t help but suspect that their amusement stemmed from my peculiar accent and manner of speech. To me, it felt perfectly natural, yet to their discerning ears, it appeared to be a source of endless entertainment.

A few hours had passed, and night had already descended upon the world. Unbeknownst to me, as I walked and absorbed the essence of this realm, I had ventured beyond the bustling streets of the city and found myself on the outskirts, near the tranquil mountains where the clamor of commerce subsided.

“To truly comprehend both myself and this captivating city, I must engage with its diverse inhabitants,” I pondered. It seemed only logical to seek employment and immerse myself in the lives of others, as I lacked both the funds and the stamina to carry on aimlessly. Following this epiphany, I heeded the body’s wise counsel and arrived at a modest establishment resembling a quaint eatery.

Stepping inside, I passed through the rotating gates and approached the middle-aged man stationed at the reception.

From the past few conversations, I learned a few ways of conversing which wouldn’t look weird to them, so I thought of trying it out.

“H-Hey man, can I have the pleasure of working with you guys, in this beautiful establishment? I come from a faraway place ya know, so a little generosity will be appreciated.” I believed I had mastered the art, but his response indicated otherwise.

Had I made a blunder?

The man had medium-length gray hair that fell untidily over his eyes, obscuring them completely. He wore an exceedingly unusual outfit, one that deviated from the clothing standards of this world.

“You…” he spoke, his voice slow and restrained, as if struggling to hold back.

“You…!” he exclaimed, his tone now desperate. In a sudden motion, he seized me by the collar and yanked my face close to his own, a gesture that sent shivers down my spine.

“Do you speak like that too?” he asked, his eyes glistening with a strange mix of excitement and genuine happiness. Though his face was mere inches from mine, the proximity felt unsettling. Instinctively, I pushed him away, or at least I tried to.

I gently approached him, careful not to exert too much force. As my hand grazed his stomach, a sudden gust of wind swept through the room, propelling him effortlessly towards the shelving unit. Simultaneously, a bowl filled with flour came crashing down, enveloping his entire face in a cloud of white.

“What did just happen?!” I was scared, all of a sudden, since I didn’t really do anything. However, my fear quickly vanished as a couple of the employees bolted out of the back room of the store, wearing different expressions on their faces.

“What the hell is happening here?” exclaimed one of the female employees, her hand pressed against her forehead as she helped the man up and brushed the flour off his hair.

“Seriously, grow up, Kai.”

She had long, brown hair tied back in a ponytail, and her yellow eyes made her appear just as youthful as myself.

“Hehe, it’s not what you think, Hana. I was just caught off guard, that’s all,” he chuckled, attempting to dust off his clothes to rid them of flour, but they definitely needed a thorough wash now.

“Ara, Ara, look at our manager, still young and full of energy. What a predicament,” another employee, standing next to a guy, muttered anxiously, biting her nails as if she anticipated something about to happen.

With long blue hair and matching blue eyes, her appearance was striking, but her current behavior didn’t match her looks.

“Your words don’t match your tone, you little shit,” the guy standing beside her retorted, smirking menacingly. His blonde hair, neatly styled, made him quite the eye-catcher, if I do say so myself.

“That was totally uncalled for, Kaede!” he burst into laughter, only to be quickly silenced by Kaede.

“Ouch! This is like domestic violence. I’ll press charges for harassment, you bitch,” He shouted while Kaede was giving his butt a powerful pinch.

“And who might you be?” They all turned their attention to me, as Kaede asked, clearly expecting a valid response.