The wind, previously feeling like a mother's caress to a child suddenly thrust into the world, now slaps my body with force. The rough currents incessantly brush against my skin, and for some reason, my body recognizes it.

Not something encountered often, but something stored in memory.

A sense of nostalgia, yet I feel as if I have just arrived here.

My hands feel the softness of the soggy grass. Ah, I worry that my pants will get wet.

I open my eyes. A solitary tree stands alone in the vast landscape of the endless hill. The tree stands firm despite being battered by the strong wind. The surrounding grass dances as if following an abstract musical rhythm. The sky. Dark... no, bright? The full moon illuminates from a distance.

Small rays of light illuminate the dark blue shade, whatever its name is, which I know can only be as dark as Navy or Berry. Whatever it is, the contrast between the sky's color and the scattered light is striking. Bright but not blinding, just enough to create a beautiful nighttime sky.

The rustling of grass sounds right beside me. I turn.

A girl, Hana, takes a step forward. She keeps walking, leaving me behind. Not once does she turn, continuing her strides towards the lone tree atop the hill. For some reason, my heart feels uneasy, as if I don't want her to go there. I feel that if she reaches there, I won't be able to follow her anymore. If so, maybe I should just follow her there...

The rustling wind fills my ears. Neither of us speaks a word, whatever it may be. It's as if our minds are solely focused on stepping beneath the lush tree.

It feels cool under the shade of this tree. Although the night wind is strong, I don't feel any drop in temperature. Both of us are already on the roots of the tree, extending far from its trunk. The melodic sound of leaves, aided by the wind, resonates. Hana touches the tree's trunk.

"Hana, this place...," my words come out.

She doesn't immediately respond. Her hand gently caresses the sturdy tree trunk. Then, she turns around.

"Yeah, this is the place from Uncle Elard's storybook. We've come back here," she says calmly. Her voice, soft and gentle, as if the burden she carried before has disappeared.

My gaze wanders, trying to observe our surroundings. In every direction, an endless dark grassy field. No towering mountains or steep valleys in sight, just a hillside covered with grass. I feel, with this tree, we are at the central point of this world.

Hana sits on the tree roots, easily folding her previously injured leg.

Hana says, "An amazing place," while stroking her thigh. Her face looks calm, displaying no hint of worry. Hana then says, "Are you scared?" As if not giving me a chance to answer, she continues, "Arkan knows? Since the first time I came here, for some reason, I feel like I'm at home."

I don't say anything hearing this. Not that I don't understand what she means, but the opposite.

Even though she has a home, and she lives happily with her parents there. Something much more meaningful is there, but she doesn't know where. Her life with her father and mother goes on without knowing anyone other than them and her Uncle-Aunt. Hana doesn't have it, a "Home" where she can share joy and sorrow without burdening her parents who work tirelessly for their family. To put it in a better way, her home is incomplete.

"Don't make that face. I know, okay? I shouldn't be here. Everything here is just an illusion. A desire from the depths of my heart. Even so, can't I stay here for a while?" Hana speaks with a calm expression. However, unfortunately, I am already accustomed to her mask.

I remain silently unmoved.

"... If you want to go back, I'll come too. Besides, you're the one holding the lock," Hana says, pointing to my hand. I just realize my clenched fist feels something protruding.

A small Roman Candles firework is in my hand. This firework is a lock. A lock for us to return to our original world. If looked at, this firework can probably only emit about six rounds before it runs out. Does that have anything to do with how many times we can use it? It seems not because its fuse has not yet caught fire, even though previously, when we came here, the firework immediately ignited.

Hana then says, showing something from the palm of her hand, "And, I hold the key. With this, we can go back anytime," a matchstick, as it turns out.

It's somewhat unclear. However, this is her way of saying, 'We can go home anytime.'

Then, her hands pat the ground beside her while looking at me. I comply with her request without saying anything. I sit right next to her, leaning against the rough bark of the tree. So comfortable. No wonder Hana wants to linger here. Stretching out like this feels so calming and peaceful. If I close my eyes, maybe I'll fall asleep immediately.

"Arkan, do you have a dream?" Hana asks. I turn to look at her; Hana's face continues to gaze forward.

Then, I follow suit, while answering, "Dreams, huh. With my bright grades, maybe I'll just go with the flow of life."

"Pfft, hahaha. That's not a dream but a lifestyle," she says while laughing. I thought we weren't supposed to laugh at other people's dreams?

For some reason, I've felt like I've been following Hana since earlier. I even asked her the same question while staring at her face again. "How about you?"

She smiles.

"Honestly, after successfully following in my mother's footsteps, now I just let fate lead the way. Whether I become a love fortune teller or an art teacher, I don't care. Even if I die tomorrow... it's not a problem for me," she says with a smile. However, this time, I don't know if her smile is genuine or not.

Hearing her statement, I couldn't help but respond, "No! You can't die!"

In a flash, she faces me and shows her mischievous face, trying to hold back laughter. Hana looks like she's suppressing laughter in her stomach.

Ah, I fell for it.

"Why can't it be like that?" Hana asks while smiling.

I dodge and turn my face away. Damn, how could I be deceived by her? She really took advantage of my worries. Nevertheless, she continues to urge me to answer her question.

"If I say it, can you provide an answer?" I ask with a serious expression facing her. Hana's mischief is successfully stopped.

She returns to her original position and continues to look forward. It seems like she's thinking about the answer to my previous statement. Honestly, I feel very nervous.

"We have a lot of time in this world. Please think about it, okay? I want to take a nap," she answers.

Hana continues, "Yeah, go for it. I'll wake you up later."

I lie down again, my entire body this time. Slowly, I close my eyes. As if waiting for my body to relax, my fatigue instantly dissipates. While I'm losing consciousness, I hear a few sentences from Hana.

"I hope I can give a good answer."
...

"-Kan..."

"... Arkan."

My left ear catches the soft voice of a girl calling my name. Honestly, my ear feels a bit ticklish because it was slightly blown when the girl spoke. My eyelids slowly begin to open. Control over my body begins to return, so I wake up to a sitting position.

"... Hmm. What time is it now?" I say drowsily.

"Even if you asked me...," Hana answers in confusion. True, what a foolish question. We are in this illusory world. Time feels like it's standing still, it's a bit difficult to count the time since I last slept without a tool like a stopwatch.

The wind continues to blow, so comfortable. I don't think about what we talked about before. Danger, if left alone, and I remain silent, I might fall back asleep due to the tranquil and peaceful atmosphere. However, not long after, the silence is broken.

"What if... I've gone before I can give an answer?" Hana says in a quiet tone. She doesn't even face me, whom she's asking.

Although still a little sleepy, instantly, my mind is filled with our previous conversation.

I respond briefly and somewhat firmly, "... I already told you stop your weird thinkings."

Hana interrupts, "That's not what I mean. You know... after I finish my education here, I might have to go back to live with my Father. Actually, I want to continue to college, and Father suggests I live with him again. So... my time here isn't much anymore," she explains.

Ah, I see. If that's the case, nothing can be done about it, right?

"We still have one more year. Isn't that enough time?" I ask.

Hana shakes her head in disagreement, "That's not the issue. I don't know if we can maintain a long-distance relationship later."

Oh, that's the problem. Wait, didn't she agree indirectly?

"You don't need to worry about that," I say. Then, continuing while standing up, "... If you go, anywhere, I will always follow," I say with two legs supporting my body and my gaze forward.

Hana falls silent for a moment. Although she eventually says, "So be it. Even towards death?"

"I told you it's not funny. What would make you die in the first place?" I respond with a slightly annoyed tone because I keep getting slapped with those eerie words. Without letting her answer because it's a rhetorical question, I sigh while turning around and say, "... Never mind. Let's go home."

"Okay," says Hana.

Hana rises, carrying her matchstick. Together, we light the fuse of the firework I'm holding. The firework shoots upward, making balls of fire explode in the sky, decorating it. Like before, the remnants of the explosion's light don't disappear but continue to fall toward us. Until, a warm light touches us, and in an instant–

We're back.