"Huh?"
Kazuki opened his eyes and saw the bright sky above him. There was no ceiling, no buildings, just blue sky and the gentle sound of wind blowing through the grass.
He sat up slowly, squinting at the bright sunlight.
"Where… am I?"
His voice was rough and hoarse, and his throat felt dry, like he had swallowed sand. He also had a pounding headache behind his eyes, definitely a hangover.
He rubbed his temple and looked around.
In every direction, he saw a big, open field. Wildflowers covered the rolling hills. There was a dirt path a few meters away, but no buildings, no cars, and not even a vending machine.
"Did I… get drunk and fall asleep in the park?" he wondered.
He let out a long yawn.
"Yeah… probably. Not the first time. Good thing today's my day off. Otherwise, that bossy lady from HR would be all over my ass again…"
Still half-asleep, he looked at the horizon.
But something felt strange.
He turned his head toward a nearby tree. It was tall and old, with twisted, rough bark, and a thick green canopy. Nothing unusual, except it wasn't a tree he recognized from the parks near his run-down apartment.
"Hold on…"
He stood up slowly, wobbling a little. The air was cleaner, fresher. It smelled different. Too pure, too natural.
"...This isn't anywhere near my place."
Kazuki scratched the back of his head.
"Maybe I drank too much… ended up on a train or something? Went out to the countryside by mistake?"
He sighed tiredly.
"Yeah, that's probably it. Not the first time I blacked out and woke up somewhere I didn't know."
But still, something about this place didn't sit right with him. It wasn't just the unfamiliar scenery; it was quiet, unnaturally so. No distant sounds of highways, no planes flying overhead, no city noise. Just the breeze and the sounds of birds he didn't recognize.
He frowned.
"…I hope this isn't another prank from those guys at the bar."
Kazuki patted his pockets, expecting them to be empty. But—
"Huh…"
His wallet was still there, cards, cash, and some crumpled receipts. He then reached for his phone.
Battery: 78%. Not bad. At least he hadn't dropped it in a ditch somewhere.
He checked for signal.
Nothing.
No bars. No service. No carrier name. Just a blank, empty display where there should have been information.
"…Weird."
He tapped the screen a few times, turned airplane mode on and off. Still no luck.
No signal, no internet. Only the camera and a weather app, half-loaded, showing yesterday's forecast.
Great.
Kazuki put the phone back into his pocket and took a deep breath.
The air around him was… nice. Crisp and fresh, unlike the city. No exhaust fumes. No smell of mold from his apartment building. Just the wind, the grass, and a faint earthy smell after morning dew.
"…Did the parks always have air this fresh?"
He looked around again. The landscape didn't seem fake. It wasn't a carefully maintained garden with fences and paths. This place felt untouched, natural, wild even.
It didn't make sense.
"Okay… let's find a sign or something. Figure out where I am."
He stretched, feeling his bones crack from the awkward way he had slept, then started walking toward the dirt path.
As he stepped onto the path, he looked at it more closely.
It wasn't just a worn hiking trail. The dirt was packed tight, like it had been used often. Small stones were set into the surface, uneven but in a deliberate way. Someone had built this road and kept it maintained.
"…Huh."
He kept walking, glancing around again.
"This doesn't really feel like Japan."
The trees were taller than usual. The grass was more wild. The air was incredibly fresh. There were no signposts, vending machines, or cigarette butts anywhere on the ground.
"I didn't… buy a plane ticket to somewhere, did I?"
He reached for his phone and looked at his apps, as he always did out of habit. His credit card app showed no recent charges. No airline tickets, no hotel bookings, no random splurges from when he was drunk.
Nothing.
"Oh… right. No signal."
He locked the screen, sighed, and put the phone back in his pocket.
Everything looked normal — but in a strange, unnatural way. It was the kind of pure, untouched nature that didn't really exist anymore back home.
( End Of Chapter )