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Part 1 –
"Akira-san, I'm leaving," a guy said as he walked out.
"Y-yes…" I replied softly.
sigh.
I'm a character designer, working for an anime studio in Japan. My family still lives in India.
I was the first daughter in a middle-class family — my parents, my younger brother, and I lived happily... until everything fell apart.
My father's company went bankrupt. Loan sharks chased him day and night. He lost everything and drowned his pain in alcohol, but never stopped smiling at us.
Then one day, he and my mother died in a car crash. They called it an accident, but deep down, we all knew it wasn't.
My aunt was the only one who came to cremate them. Our house, our belongings — gone.
She took my brother and me in. Her husband had died in a terrorist attack while serving in the Indian Army, yet she never let tragedy break her.
Because of her, my brother became an engineer.
I moved to Japan, studied computers first, then pursued art. I'd always loved animation and Minecraft — they made me feel free.
My character designs helped me stand out among Japanese artists.
But being foreign made me stand out too much. Some girls whispered,
> "You look different from what we imagined."
Because of that, I didn't make many friends — except Sora, my dormmate.
She was distant at first, but kind in her own way. Whenever I fumbled through cultural differences, she'd smirk and say,
> "Are you for real…?"
We laughed a lot. After graduation, we joined the same anime studio.
She even visited India once — said she had to try "real curry."
My aunt adored her.
---
[Present Day — Tokyo]
"Hey, Akira, help me out, will ya?"
"No," I said flatly.
"Aww, that's cold."
"What will you do when this anime season ends?" she asked, spinning in her chair.
"My brother's coming home. I might visit him."
"Figures. You Indians are such home-freaks," she teased.
"Looking for a fight, Sora?"
"Eh—n-no, ma'am," she stuttered, backing off.
Before I could reply, our supervisor barked,
> "Hey! What are you two slacking off for?"
We snapped back to work instantly.
---
[Later That Night — Studio Alley]
I left late, as usual. The streets were quiet except for the hum of vending machines and a faint drizzle painting the asphalt.
Then I heard it — shouting. Down a narrow alley, three men surrounded someone. I recognized her voice instantly.
> "Sora?"
She was cornered, clutching her bag. One of the men smirked.
My heels clicked as I stepped forward.
"Good grief...as soon as I let you leave earlier than me..you get into trouble...you are a pain"
All four turned toward the voice.
Soras disturbed face turned into a pity for these three as soon as she saw the person standing there.
"Hey..you better run"
The thugs ignored Sora warning.
"Let her go."I said again
They turned. One sneered. "And who the hell are you?"
I dropped my bag on the wet pavement. "Someones' friend you shouldn't have messed with."
"Why don't you join"
One of the thugs started approaching me with a disgusting face;
I ducked, drove my elbow into his ribs, and flipped him.
I bent down toward the thug who lies unconscious.
"My?...I'm sorry I thought a mosquito was grinning at my ear...as you can see Indians have high reflexes at these things"
The second one seeing my back lunged with a pipe — I caught his wrist, twisted, slammed him into the wall.
The third froze. And shaking
"I'm sorry I'm just following those two as they threatened me"
Seeing him shiver and yap I let out a sigh of pity and told him to scram.
Seconds later, the two others were groaning on the ground.
Sora ran up, panting. "A-Akira! Are you okay!?"
I sat on one of the unconscious men, lit a cigarette, and exhaled.
> "Yeah. Just another night in Tokyo....tsk..this brings back unnecessary memories. "
Ever since I was a child I had insane strength than average adult male...
I heard my aunt mentioning that I broke my father's finger as I held into it.
Sora blinked. "You're insane…"
"Probably," I said, flicking ash as police sirens wailed in the distance.
"You need to report to the station for a week"
Such a pain.
"Sorry "said Sora
Initially angry at the pain of a situation she caused I sighed.
"Be careful..and don't hold back infront of scum".
---
[A Week Later — Departure to india]
"Promise you'll message me when you land," Sora said at the airport, waving her phone.
"I will," I smiled. "Don't get into any more trouble, okay?"
"I should be saying that to you," she laughed.
I boarded my flight, finally heading home after so long.
---
[India — Homecoming]
The air smelled like monsoon rain and jasmine. My aunt's small house hadn't changed — the same blue paint, the same squeaky gate.
As soon as I stepped in, my aunt gasped.
> "Akira! My child!"
She hugged me tight, tears welling in her eyes.
"Auntie, you're going to crush me," I laughed.
Behind her, my younger brother grinned. "So, Japan hasn't made you any taller, huh?"
I swatted his arm. "And you still haven't learned respect, I worry you maynot find a match."
He chuckled. "thats none of your concern..well,Welcome home, sis."
"Thank you my little brother"
That evening, the three of us sat together for dinner — chapati, dal, and my aunt's famous chicken curry.
For a while, the house filled with laughter instead of memories of loss.
> Aunt: "You work too much, Akira. You need to rest more.you look horrible."
Akira: "Japan doesn't let artists rest, Auntie."
Bro:"Then why don't ya quit"
Akira:"because I love that job"
My brother had a surprised expression on his
Face,then he burst into laughter
Bro:you didn't change at all...even after living in Japan.
Akira:what about your work?
Bro:you bet, I became assistant manager.
I frowned while clapping.
Bro:that's all you give me?..well I'm not talented as much as you.
As if sensing a fight .
Aunt:geez,you two whatever you become don't drift apart...that was the last thing your mother wished for.
Her words hung in the air softly. I smiled. "We won't."
For the first time in years, I felt completely at peace.
No deadlines. No late-night work. Just family.
---
[A Few months Later — Return Flight]
The trip had been perfect. My aunt waved at the gate, my brother recorded a silly video of me boarding.
I waved back, heart full.
As the plane took off, I looked down at the fading lights of home.
After a few hours in air
A jolt. The cabin lights flickered.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm…" the captain's voice trembled.
Another violent shake. The plane lurched. Smoke filled the aisle. People screamed as oxygen masks dropped.
My hands tightened around the armrest.yet I remained calm...looking for ways to survive.
The engines sputtered. The world tilted.
Then, with a deafening roar—
The plane crashed.
I woke up as if nothing seemed wrong with me.
There is a girl who was unconscious.
She was alive.
But her feet got stuck and her parents were already-.
No one of them woke up.
Trying to lift the rubble.
I rushed over immediately and lifted the rubble that struck the little girl.
Even as a child had absurd strength more than an average adult male.
The rubble moved sowing the heavily injured leg of the girl
The little girl survived as I performed some first aid.
I suddenly felt dizzy as I noticed blood coming from my abdomen.
Next thing I saw was flashes of memory of my parents and my family.
Then it was completely covered by a vast void.
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