Knock! Knock! Knock!
The sound of knocking echoed from the front door. Curious, Kai—a young man with no job, spending his days mostly playing games since graduating high school—walked toward the door to see who it was.
His house had a doorbell, so why didn't they just use that instead of knocking? That only made him more curious. Was it some prankster, or did they not even know what a doorbell was? Kai wondered.
Peeking outside, he saw no one. Instead, a strange package lay on the doorstep.
"What's this?"Kai muttered as he picked it up.
The package was wrapped in plain brown paper, just like most deliveries, and was fairly small—about the size of a Blu-ray case, the kind Kai often bought.
Could this be a game he ordered but forgot about? he thought, turning the package over in his hands.'But where did the courier go, if this is really my package?'
No one was in sight, which made the package feel oddly unsettling.'Could a ghost have sent this?'
He quickly pushed the thought away; it was too frightening to dwell on.
His name was clearly written on the package, so it was definitely meant for him. With no other choice, he decided to bring it inside. He needed to check what was inside before deciding what to do next.
Back in his room, Kai sat in his favorite gaming chair and stared at the package once more. He even recorded the unboxing, just in case he needed proof that he was the one opening it. Better to be safe, especially if authorities got involved.
As he opened the package, he confirmed that it indeed contained a game—but he had no memory of ordering it. The title, Reaching the Moon: Farming Season, was clearly printed on the front of the case. It was unmistakably a farming simulation game.
"Is this some kind of bootleg game that copies other popular ones?" he muttered skeptically, thinking the game's title seemed like a copy of a famous farming game with a similar concept.
He flipped the box over and read the text on the back:
"Experience the life of a farmer in the world of Reaching the Moon: Farming Season. You will face countless challenges on your journey to becoming a successful farmer. But that's not all—you'll also experience real-life interactions with the villagers, who will help guide you on your path to farming success.
However, the village you live in is in danger and needs your help. Lend your strength to make Alam Village—the village you call home—the happiest and most prosperous village ever.
Will you lend your power, brave hero?"
Kai scratched the back of his head after finishing the text."I guess this is pretty interesting… for a bootleg game," he said, intrigued.
The back of the box also showed several screenshots that looked surprisingly realistic, sparking his curiosity to see just how genuine the visuals were.
He powered on his PC, opened the game box, and took out the disc inside. Sliding it into the drive, a blinding light suddenly erupted from the monitor. Reflexively, Kai covered his eyes with his hands.
"Argg!"
He cried out as his eyes stung from the intense glow. Seconds later, his body vanished from his room, pulled irresistibly into the screen.
When he opened his eyes again, Kai found himself in a room completely bathed in white light. Confused, he looked around.
"Where… am I?"
he asked, bewildered.
A few seconds later, points of light began gathering before him, coalescing into the form of a woman.
"Hello, Kai. Welcome to the world of Reaching the Moon!"
The mysterious woman said, her lips curved in a gentle smile.
"Huh!?"
Kai shouted, his voice trembling with shock. The sudden appearance of the woman was startling enough, but it wasn't what surprised him the most—it was something behind her, and the fact that he was floating in midair.
He rubbed his eyes, trying to convince himself that he wasn't hallucinating. The woman remained before him, maintaining her gentle smile.
"Are you… a cosplayer?"
Kai asked, still confused.
The woman looked momentarily puzzled by the question, but quickly shook her head.
"No, I'm not a cosplayer!"
"Then why are you wearing such strange clothes? And why do you have butterfly wings on your back?"
Kai pointed first to her elaborate dress and then to the large wings extending from her back.
She was wearing a long blue gown adorned with silver trimmings and decorations scattered across the fabric. The dress reached all the way to cover her feet. It wouldn't seem strange at all if she were at a fancy party—but not in this mysterious, empty place.
Attached to her back was a pair of sizable butterfly wings, completely visible above the gown.
"Ah… you could say this is my everyday outfit,"the woman replied, unsure of how to explain the attire she was wearing.
"Ah, I see."Kai nodded, still unable to make sense of the situation.
"So… where exactly are we?"
Kai decided to move past her unusual clothing and asked about something else that had been gnawing at him.
"As I said before, we are currently in the world of Reaching the Moon—or more precisely, at the boundary between that world and the Earth you come from. You could also call this the White Realm, because everything here is white. Only fairies, or those granted permission by the Fairy Goddess, can enter this place."
Kai remembered that Reaching the Moon was the name of the game he had been about to play before arriving in this strange world.
"So… you're the Fairy Goddess, and you're the one who brought me here?"
Kai asked, guessing from the appearance of the woman before him.
"Exactly! I am the Fairy Goddess, and I am the one who brought you here!"
The Fairy Goddess said, a wide smile lighting up her face.
"Then take me back to my home—right now!"
Kai's firm demand immediately wiped the smile from her face. He looked furious.
"Wait! I can't do that immediately!"
"Why not? You're the one who brought me here, right? So you should be able to send me back!"
"That's true… but…"
The Fairy Goddess hesitated, unsure how to explain why she couldn't return him right away. She feared Kai would get even angrier.
"What is it? If you have a reason you can't send me home, just tell me!"
"Uh… will you promise not to get any angrier?"
"That depends on your answer… I might attack you!"
Kai's eyes widened as he stared her up and down. Feeling threatened by his intense gaze, the Fairy Goddess quickly covered herself with her hands.
"What's with that look?!"
"Well… it's nothing… I just realized… you're really beautiful… so, yeah…"
"I'm reporting you for sexual harassment!"
"Then I'll report you for kidnapping!"
The Fairy Goddess looked frustrated, unable to retort.
Still, Kai wasn't wrong. Beyond her elegant attire, she had a beautifully proportioned body—but what made the Fairy Goddess the proudest were her hair and face.
Long, wavy silver hair cascaded down her shoulders, adorned with a tiara encrusted with sparkling diamonds. Her nose was perfectly sculpted, and her medium-sized eyes were a deep blue, matching the color of her gown. Her lips, a deep maroon, added an alluring charm to her striking appearance.
There was nothing wrong with calling the woman before Kai beautiful—in fact, it barely captured the full extent of the Fairy Goddess's allure. Her graceful aura amplified her charm, even when faced with Kai's lustful gaze.
"Can we continue our conversation from before?"
"Yes, of course,"
the Fairy Goddess said shyly, while Kai replied without breaking his lecherous stare. Naturally, this made her deeply uncomfortable, but she forced herself to maintain her composure and dignity.
"My main reason for not being able to send you back to Earth," she began, "is that I need your help to save a village."
"Why me? Can't you do it yourself?"
"Ah… unfortunately, I cannot do it with my own power. There are rules that forbid me from directly using my magic to help them."
"I see."
Kai nodded in understanding. He had read about situations like this in the comics and novels he often bought: a god or goddess cannot directly save humans and requires assistance from someone from another world.
"So why did you choose me? Do I have some special power?"
The Fairy Goddess hesitated, unsure if she should answer, but eventually decided honesty was better than deceit, which could cause more trouble later.
"In short… it's because you're a burden to your family."
It felt as if an arrow pierced Kai's chest at her blunt honesty.
"A burden to my family? Me?"
"Yes. Your parents see you as a useless burden, so it wouldn't matter if you disappeared from their lives."
"Even though you're a goddess, your words really hurt,"
Kai said, feeling the sting of her statement. She spoke it with a smile, which only made her words cut deeper. Doesn't she realize how sharp that sounds? Kai wondered, staring at her beautiful face.
He sensed no ill will in her words; she didn't mean them out of hatred. At least, that was what Kai hoped.
"So… that's the only reason you chose me?"Kai asked, hoping the Fairy Goddess had another reason.
"That was my main reason, yes, but of course I have other reasons!"
"Like what?"
Kai's hope flared. He wanted to believe he possessed some special ability that made him worthy of being chosen.
"It's because you seem to have nothing meaningful to do and show no sign of achieving anything in the future. I thought bringing you to this world might give you something to strive for."
Kai's hope immediately shattered. In other words, she was basically saying he was useless in his own world.
"How cruel… and you're supposed to be a goddess,"
Kai muttered, disappointment etched across his face.
"Isn't there anything good about me that made you choose me?"He asked again, his hope dwindling further.
"Hmmm… maybe it's your optimism!"
"My optimism? What do you mean?"
"You live your life with a smile, even though you have no friends and no job."
A massive arrow seemed to pierce Kai's chest, shattering his heart into pieces. He began to wonder if the being before him was truly a goddess—or a demon delighting in breaking hearts.
"Forget about me! Just tell me what I need to do in that world!""Ah, yes… very well,"Kai said angrily, while the Fairy Goddess responded with a confused tone. She didn't understand why he suddenly sounded so upset. 'Did I say something offensive?' she wondered.
"What you need to do is very simple: you will become a farmer in that village and make it prosperous,"the Fairy Goddess explained, ignoring the question in his mind.
"That's really all I have to do?"
"You might face some challenges along the way and encounter choices that could lead to success. But as long as you can make the village flourish beyond its current state, you will have saved it… well, though you'll still need to confront your enemies directly to truly know if the village has been saved."
"What kind of vague answer is that!? And anyway, who is this enemies you're talking about?""If you see them for yourself, you'll understand immediately."
"Hmmm…"Kai looked at the Fairy Goddess with a suspicious glare, but he didn't press further about this mysterious adversary.
"Just so you know, I don't know much about farming, so don't expect me to become a successful farmer."
"Ah, about that—you don't need to worry. Farming in that world is just like any other farming game. Even a child could do it."
"If that's the case, why didn't you just choose a child!?"Kai knew the Fairy Goddess meant no offense, but he couldn't help feeling insulted. Her words essentially implied he was less competent than a child if he failed.
"So, what do I get if I accept this offer?"
"Get… what?"
The Fairy Goddess looked genuinely confused by Kai's question, tilting her head as she studied his face.
"I mean a reward! You must have a reward prepared if I manage to save the village, right!?""Ah… about that… the smiles of the villagers will be the best reward you can receive!"
"What did you just say!?"
Kai suddenly exploded with anger at her response.
"Do you think I can survive just on the villagers' smiles!? You do realize humans need money to live, right?"
"Then why didn't you work before?"
Another arrow seemed to pierce Kai's chest at her innocent question. It wasn't that he didn't want to work—he just hadn't been able to get a job.
Of course, he couldn't say that outright—it would be the same as admitting he really was useless.
"If you're worried about money, don't be… once you become a farmer, you can sell your crops to earn money… you can also do other things to make extra income."
"R-really… thank you."The Fairy Goddess felt a little confused—Kai had suddenly stopped being angry and was thanking her—but since he seemed satisfied with her answer, she decided not to question it.
"So, what do you say, Hero? Will you help me and the villagers?"
"Could you not call me 'Hero'? Just call me Kai."Kai felt awkward hearing her call him a hero. He didn't feel deserving of such a title, especially after taking so many emotional hits from her words.
"Very well, then. How about it, Kai?"Kai folded his arms across his chest before answering.
"I guess I don't have much choice… since you insist on asking for my help, I have no choice but to accept."
"No, if you truly don't want to help us, that's fine… there are plenty of other candidates who might take your place."
"Please don't crush my resolve by saying things like that!"Kai looked on the verge of tears, which made the Fairy Goddess immediately shut her mouth. She realized her words had hurt him, even though she wasn't entirely sure which part had caused the pain.
"So, you accept this task, then?"
"Mm."
Kai nodded, holding back his tears.
"Then let's go to Alam Village,"said the Fairy Goddess with a wide smile. She reached out and took Kai's hand, leading him into a portal that suddenly appeared in the all-white space.
And thus began Kai's new life in the world of Reaching the Moon.