Michael woke up, his heart pounding with anxiety.
He sat up on the edge of the bed, holding his head that was covered in sweat.
'What's happening? Why am I dreaming about that strange creature again?' he grumbled.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.
Just moments ago, in his dream, he had met an Elf girl.
She wanted to ask for cooperation, but Michael couldn't understand the language she was speaking.
He was startled awake, suddenly realizing he was in a strange world that was likely not the Earth he inhabited.
Michael started to calm down.
He stood and walked toward the hotel mirror, his face still anxious.
He took his smartphone from his pocket.
The time showed eight o'clock at night.
"Why is it dark? Where is my wife?" he mumbled.
He turned on the room lights and walked into the living room.
"Honey, are you home yet?" he called.
After flicking on the living room lights, he went to the kitchen.
The door was slightly ajar.
Michael peeked through the gap, seeing his wife cooking and humming a tune.
Her hair was tied up, and she was wearing an apron over her undergarment.
Her sexy, pale skin was visible from behind.
Michael slowly pushed the door open.
He planned to surprise her from behind.
A mischievous smile spread across his face.
'Hehe, it's your fault for not answering my call,' he thought.
He crept up quietly until he was right behind her.
Then, Michael slapped her butt. Plakk!
"Aaa! Agh!"
"What's happening! Honey, what are you doing? I almost had a heart attack!" Chihiro screamed.
Her face was pouting as she held her right buttock.
Michael's large palm had left a reddish mark, while his wife's left hand was still holding a ladle.
"Hehe, sorry," Michael chuckled.
"Oh, by the way, what are you cooking? It smells delicious," he asked, sniffing the fragrant aroma wafting from the pot.
"I'm cooking Miso Soup, Hmph!"
Chihiro pouted, then stirred the soup which was almost ready.
"Wait at the table. Don't bother me," she said.
Michael smiled cheerfully. "Miso Soup? Is that a dish from this country? I'd like to try it."
He walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat down to wait.
"You know, this soup is famous among the locals here," Chihiro explained.
"When I went shopping earlier, I was offered the recipe. I tried it at a restaurant and it was so good, so I bought the ingredients and came home."
"But, why did you wake up? You told me to wake you up around ten."
"Ah, that... I had a bad dream, that's why I woke up," Michael said, a gloomy look on his face.
"You're not your usual self. What's wrong, honey? Tell me," Chihiro replied while preparing the side dishes.
"Believe it or not, I met a strange creature. The language it used was odd, and I only remember that it had long ears. Weird, right?" Michael explained.
Chihiro murmured, "Hmm..."
"Maybe you're under a lot of stress and you're hallucinating," she said.
"The food is ready, let's eat."
She brought the pot of miso soup, then went back to the kitchen to get the side dishes and rice.
After placing them on the table, she noticed Michael's expression was still gloomy.
"My love, why do you look like that? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to mock you just now," she said.
'Is it really real? I thought he was just stressed. I don't believe creatures with those features exist,' Chihiro thought to herself.
"Well, if it's real, don't think about it too much," Chihiro said.
"It could ruin your focus. For now, let's just eat. Later, before bed, I have a surprise for you so you won't look so sad."
Chihiro held Michael's head, caressing it as she leaned forward. The cleavage of her C-cup breasts was visible.
Michael sighed.
He took some rice from the bowl, and they enjoyed the meal together.
After they finished, Michael said, "Honey, I'm full. I want to take a shower and then go for a walk to get some fresh air."
He leaned back in his chair, gazing upward while holding his stomach.
"Don't come home too late, okay? Do you know the door password?" Chihiro asked, clearing the table and taking the plates to the sink.
"Not yet. What is it?"
"The password is 8790. Oh, and how about we go for a walk tomorrow? Just to reminisce about our younger days, hehe," Chihiro suggested.
"Okay, I'm going to take a shower now," Michael said.
He stood and walked into the bathroom, opened the door, took off his suit, and turned on the shower. Sashh!
After his shower, Michael opened his suitcase, grabbed some casual clothes, and put on a pair of white shorts and a blue casual shirt.
"Honey, I'm going now," he said, seeing Chihiro reading a book on the sofa.
Chihiro nodded.
"Can you buy me some chocolate?" she said, waving her hand.
"Okey"
Michael walked to the elevator, his hands in his pockets, and pressed the down button.
After leaving the building, he saw the bustling city.
"Wow, it's so crowded here. So many tourists. I still remember a little Japanese, maybe it'll come in handy," he mumbled.
He walked along the sidewalk, aware that many people were looking at him.
"Wow, look at that guy, he's so tall. His arm muscles are huge, is he a gym trainer?" a woman asked her friend.
"Looks like it. Maybe a basketball player, given he's a hundred ninety centimeters tall," her friend replied.
Michael, who heard their comments, raised his right eyebrow.
'Not bad. Turns out no one here recognizes me yet. This is good, I can relax instead of constantly being cautious,' he thought.
He headed toward a quiet area to smoke.
While walking, he passed a shop where he saw a book with a picture of a long-eared woman on the cover.
He entered the shop, picked up the book, and read a little of it.
'What is this? Is this what they call a comic? I've never read one before, I'm too busy with business.'
'Wow, so this is what they call an Elf, a fictional creature.'
'When I saw it, that creature looked just like the one in this picture,' he thought to himself.
He closed the book and took it to the cashier.
"How much is this book?" Michael asked in Japanese.
The cashier took the book and scanned it.
"Eight hundred yen, sir."
Michael paid with a credit card. He walked out, carrying the book in a plastic bag, and headed for an alley.
As he walked, he heard a woman screaming from a dark corridor, followed by the noisy sound of a fight.
Michael, who just wanted to smoke and read his comic, felt annoyed.
He walked toward the source of the sound.
"Please stop, don't hit my boyfriend!" a woman screamed, holding the leg of a man who was punching another man.
"Shut up, you damn bitch!" the man snapped at the woman.
Michael put his pinky finger in his right ear.
'Darn, this young man has a lot of energy,' he thought.
He walked closer. When the man was about to punch his victim again, Michael grabbed his right arm tightly.
"Hey, young man, can't you find another place? You guys are being noisy," Michael snapped with a cold, irritated expression.
The man replied, "Mister, this is none of your business. Don't interfere! If it's noisy, why don't you find somewhere else?"
'What the hell, my hand hurts so much. Where does this guy's muscle strength come from?' he thought.
"Ha! Are you trying to fight me, young man?"
Michael grabbed the man's collar, lifted him up, and brought his face closer.
"Please, Mister. I'll leave, just don't hurt me, please," the man said with a suffocating, choked breath.
Michael released him.
The man fell to the ground, then ran away in fear, leaving the bruised couple behind.
Blood flowed from their noses and mouths.
The man leaned against the wall, his body weak.
The woman beside him stood up and bowed.
"Thank you, thank you, Mister."
Then she ran to hold her boyfriend.
"Honey, I'm so sorry," the woman cried, hugging him.
"It's okay, it just hurts a little. Thank you, Mister, for saving me," the man said, turning to look at Michael who was standing there.
Michael turned around, not bothering with them.
He walked to the edge of the alley near the road, opening the book while smoking.
He read it leisurely.
Not long after, the couple walked out of the alley and saw Michael.
The man was a little surprised to see the comic Michael was reading.
He spoke up when he was close to Michael.
"Mister, do you like that manga? You seem to have a unique hobby," the man said, his left arm held by his girlfriend.
Michael looked at them. "What's the problem? I'm just reading. Do you know the story of this book?"
"Of course, Mister. It's the most famous manga this month, the story is also interesting. I have the complete collection at home," the man replied.
"Oh, by the way, let me introduce myself. I'm Akito, and this is my woman, Hana. Sorry for not introducing ourselves before."
He smiled, even though his right eye was bruised.
"Oh, I'm Shinji. Nice to meet you," Michael replied.
"Is that true? I haven't read the whole thing yet."
"Do you want to come over to my apartment, Mister?" Akito offered.
"You can read it to your heart's content. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask."
"Oh, as a thank you, would you like to have some beer?"
"Akito, you're all bruised and you want to drink beer?" Hana said.
"Oh, and thank you very much, too," she added.
"It's okay. Come on. I'm a little bored too. I'll stop by your apartment," Michael replied with a smile.
He then started walking with them.
During the walk, Michael said, "You don't need to buy the beer. I already ordered some, so don't worry."