9 I'm falling in the sky
That smug look on her face and the way she spoke. This girl is picking a fight.
"You're finally awake!"
"Finally? How long was I asleep?"
"One hour!"
"An hour?!"
We've been falling for an hour?! It was only for a short time, but what good life I had in this world.
"So... what do you want to discuss?"
"Why are you so calm about this?!
"Trust me."
This girl is too confident and too carefree! She's a gung-ho idiot, but if she's that confident, I have no choice but to trust her,
"So, Riaru, about earlier... I think we should search for a city or a town."
"Then let's go to my hometown."
Riaru's hometown? It must be a nice place if she grew up there, and it must be quiet and peaceful too. That's not a bad idea, and it would be convenient to live somewhere she's familiar with. I know nothing about this world, so I have no choice but to agree.
"Then it's decided, but how do you get there?"
"I can't describe it with words, but trust me, okay?"
I believe her way too much, but it's a wise decision from a logical perspective. Except the jumping off the clouds, it'd be sensible to let an inhabitant of this world guide you to a human settlement.
"Miles... your bag."
My bag? I usually wouldn't give it, but I don't mind since none of the things have a monetary value. It's just survival equipment and food.
"Sure."
I'm surprised she can move so well while freefalling, and I'm even more surprised that I'm calm while falling. This world is too strange.
|...|
Twenty minutes passed, and we haven't uttered a word since she asked for the bag. It suddenly got awkward, so I need to break the ice somehow.
"Miles... I-I want to know more."
So, she beat me to it again.
"About what?"
"Y-You."
Yet another miracle! A female wants to know more about me! It's been raining wonders since I've transferred worlds.
"S-Sure."
"W-What's your name and your age?"
Ahh? Did she ask the name of a person she already knows? She seems flustered, and there are still traces of discomfort. What she said is out of social awkwardness, not from stupidity. She's to-die-for attractive but is socially awkward. I guess I'll play along.
"Miles Reyes, seventeen, pleased to meet you."
"I-I'm Riaru, s-seventeen, and..."
Seeing her flustered is adorable. It's obvious she grew up lonely.
"And?"
"Y-You can call me R-Ria,"
"R-Ria?"
That's a pleasant nickname, and it fits her,
"So Miles... what's your enhancement?"
Enhancement?! Is that magic?! I feel like punching the air out of excitement! But my old pal fear has his hands wrapped around my arm.
Is it like the games I played? Can I control the four elements like an avatar? Can I use magic like Harry Potter? No, that's too cheap. Or can I use chakra like Naruto, or perhaps Haki like Luffy?
But if this world has something like magic or any superhuman ability, then there'll be creatures with freakish strength that I don't stand a chance of beating. That's a frightening thought. I'd sooner die than think about it.
"Riaru... what's an enhancement?"
Eh? No response? And she's pouting? Did I say something wrong?
"I told you to call me Ria..."
Eh?! That's it? She is spoiled!
"Ria... what's an enhancement?"
"You don't know what it is?"
She seems bewildered. I guess I haven't told her I'm from another world. It'd be best to inform her now before my buddy trouble shows up, but although she's an idiot, I don't know if she'll believe it. Fuck it!
"You see... I know it's hard to believe, but I'm from another world, and before I knew it, I found myself here."
"Then I'll be your guide, and now we're even,"
She believed me too fast! I know she's an idiot, but that was too quick!
"You're going to believe me just like that?"
"Yeah! because I trust you,"
Trust me? This girl continues to warm my chest. If you keep doing that, I may take back everything I've said about romance.
"So, Ria... what's an enhancement?"
"It's like magic, but weaker."
My prediction is correct! I might end up like Aang, Naruto, and maybe even Thor! Although my body is seventeen years old, when it comes to things like this, I'm a child at heart,
"Can you give more details?!"
"An enhancement is enhancing... only one part of your body to an unnatural extent. For example, you have an enhanced ear which enhances your hearing."
"I think I get the gist of it."
That's discouraging to hear! I was expecting more, but there are still supernatural elements in this world. I'm still excited, but with a mix of depression... I won't be able to shout cool move names!
"What about yours, Ria?"
"My brain is my enhancement."
Eh?! Her brain?! This dense, socially awkward idiot's brain is enhanced? Even this world has some issues! My eyes widened after hearing that, so I'll ask her again.
"That's a nice joke, but seriously, what is it?"
"I'm not!" She scuffed as she pouted.
Ha! I'll state it again! That pout face no longer works on me!
"Come on now... there's a limit to my trust,"
"You know... not a lot of people know how enhancement works!"
That's a shocker, and come to think of it, her explanation of enhancements was so smooth. It's almost like she knows everything about it.
And having an enhanced brain doesn't necessarily mean you're smart, and it could be that the enhanced part of her brain only enhances her intellect in a particular field like mathematics. I guess I'll find out by myself if I spend enough time with her.
"Fine... I believe in you, but you have to prove it once we get to your hometown."
"..."
Eh? No response? She got silent suddenly… is there something wrong?
"Miles... we're here."
Here? We're where? We're still freefalling!
"Miles... hand."
"S-Sure, but... is there anything wrong?"
"We're walking."
Walking where? She's acting strange! And what's this about walking?!
Wha-…! I can't feel the air pushing against my body! Have we stopped freefalling?! Impossible! Are we walking on air?!
"R-R-Ria... what's happening?!"
"It's okay... I'm here, so close your eyes. You trust me, right?"
I feel pathetic. I said all those words about protecting Ria, yet I'm the one relying on her. I guess I have to be better if I want to repay my debt.
"Open it."
Did we sit on something? I know there's nothing but air around us right now, but we sat on something.
"Open it... it's fine."
I opened my eyes, and...
What's this?! We're sitting on air?! Is this what Ria had in mind all this time?! This world is so bizarre it makes me lose my sense of reality. I'll try to stand up.
I'm stuck in one place like a clock hanging on a wall. I have no choice but to deal wi-
"Woah!"
We started moving?! It's not even shocking to me anymore. At this point, I'm slightly used to it. The way we both began moving feels like we're both on a plane.
I've only been on a plane once, and my experience was nothing worth mentioning, but the sightseeing I had on that plane was memorable, so I should do the same, but this time with Ria.
In plain sight, this world is like my previous world. This world has green trees, but a bit bluish. It has a blue sky with patches of white.
This world has mountains and hills like my former world. Although I've only seen ponds, the water is blue and a bit purplish.
And finally! The horizon is the same straight, horizontal line seen in all directions except the east. The horizon dips down as if there was a massive crater in that direction, but that's impossible!
Even if this world is bizarre, a giant hole big enough to change the horizon is like trying to catch air. Maybe my head is playing with me. I should go to sleep.
"Good night."
Never mind… It looks like Ria beat me to it. She's sleeping on my shoulder?!
This time I'll let it slide. Ria has done a lot for me, and the least I could do is give her a shoulder to lean on. Good night, Ria.
|...|
"Miles... Miles, Miles! Wake up. We're here,"
Morning already? That was the first time I slept with ease since the accident, and it seems like we reached our destination. Alright! I'm fired up! Even though my body isn't! Now, it's time to start a new life. I can't wait to see Ria's hometown,
"I'm alive... I'm alive." I replied as I lifted my eyelids.
"Look... Miles!"
"..."
"Woah."
