Volume 1 Chapter 1 Part7 (1/2)

VOLUME 1

Season 1, Episode 7

Episode 7:

Carrying his unconscious cousin back to her house, then lifting her to gently place her on to the bed, Shun let out a sigh of relief.

Mikoto's room, the décor, the s.p.a.cing, the furniture of it even, all served to showcase her gentle beauty and sweet, naïve nature. Childish flowers were sprinkled on the patterned bed sheets and the room had been decorated to a harmonious effect by Mikoto's magical fingers.

Shun had always spent more than a little time here, homework and lesson plans spread out upon a low study table, as Mikoto went through everything with him. He really would have rather been at home, bas.h.i.+ng away at his computer, but Mikoto would not allow it, oh no. With tears in her eyes, Mikoto would come up to Shun and almost forcibly coerce him into studying with her in a vain attempt to improve his failing grades, especially when it came to the maths and sciences.

Now though, with only the dim light filtering in from the window and Mikoto's light, peaceful breathing, Shun finally felt a sense of calmness wash over him.

Now, he could finally think.

–

Why?

Why did everything happen?

It was unrealistic, unthinkable, that a game character would dash out from the game into real life.

It was impossible.

So then, why did it happen?

Argh..!!

If this were a plot in an anime or manga, the truth ought to be revealed pretty soon, and yet -

Suddenly, Shun's mind went blank.

For a few short moments, his mind just wouldn't, just refused to work.

Drawing a deep breathe, Shun strove to calm himself down.

This had always happened anyways.

Whenever Shun tried to picture something unrealistic in his mind, this would always happen. His mind would go blank and nothing would move it further past that point.

In other words, Shun was unable to 'imagine'.

Yes, the inability to imagine. Shun considered it a disability in a world where imagination was necessary.

This comprehension had dawned on him ever since he had developed conscious actions.

A little confusing, no? An explanation was in order.

Let's say, for example, if one were to imagine oneself turning into a dragon. A normal person would be able to do it within a matter of seconds.

Shun, on the other hand, could not.

Whenever he tried to imagine something out of the ordinary, it was as if he had deliberately run headfirst into a wall, and should he try to forcibly push past that blockage, he would be faced with a vast skyline of nothingness.

This handicap was more p.r.o.nounced when Shun was a young kid.

He could never play 'pretend' with his friends when they were younger, as this required imagination of a certain proportion. He never managed to fully enjoy himself, or to immerse himself in the moment, like the rest of his friends. And then, when he told them of it, they couldn't understand him - imagination came to them so naturally that soon, he found himself isolated and left out of the hoop.

So it came to be that whenever they played around he would always find himself alone on the bench in the Shrine's park, crying silent tears, cursing himself for this crus.h.i.+ng disability.

–

Of course, he could watch anime, just like everyone else did. Read manga too, in fact.

However, the fact still stood that these two activities needed one to be able to picture the scenario in their minds and add on a relative amount of emotions into the imagined situation before being able to thoroughly enjoy the following results.

Due to his lack of imagination, Shun had felt this precursor stronger than anyone.

Due to his lack of imagination, Shun did not find these interesting. Not in the least bit.

And then, it appeared.

The holy grail of Shun's life, the one that saved him from all that crus.h.i.+ng loneliness - games.

This was especially the case for that one game, Dragon Bless. A national sensation in the game world, critics called it.

Shun would never forget the almost explosive joy when he first cracked open the box and slipped the gaming disc into the console.

Even though Dragon Bless took place on an imaginary plane, while Shun was playing the game in real life, the game was, in essence, part of Shun's 'real' life.

For the first time in his entire life, Shun could slip through a loophole in his disability and 'imagine' the 'reality' of the game.

Also, it didn't hurt that it was the hottest thing of the moment.

He was ecstatic. Really, he was. If he could, he would go on adventures, day after day after day, without ever needing for a stop or a rest.

The moment when, after all members had gathered in the guild hall, the grand, gorgeous musical and atmospheric change; the moment when he was about to step into a land of snow, ready to battle unknown beasts with strange powers; the moment when he stepped into the boss's dungeon, hands sweating and the suspense sending his heart into palpitations…

He could go on with these forever.

His friends let him back into the ring, now that they finally had a common topic, something all of them were crazy about. His phone rang when people called to tell him of the newest updates, or the secret pa.s.sage leading into a bonus level.

Things were looking up. He was no longer alone.

Therefore, Shun could not deny it when others laughed and called him a 'Dragon Bless' addict. The current Shun was only here because of the game. He loved the game and he loved it with all his heart.

And then, this happened.

The heroine that he had always admired, the princess warrior Rosalie, appeared right before his very eyes.

–

”This isn't happening. It is - She is a fake!”

Ironically, the first thing that came to mind when he thought of Rosalie was of her, stuffing her mouth with curry, without a heed to the situation she was in.

T-T-That couldn't be the heroine that he had wors.h.i.+pped, could it?