As Akudama and Ryūji woke up from their beds, Akudama let out a yawn and exclaimed, "Ahhhhhh, it's morning now." He glanced at the clock, which showed 9:37 am, and promptly got up. Turning to Ryūji, he greeted him, "Good morning!" Ryūji replied, "Good morning to you, master," as he began to rise from his bed and walk towards a nearby closet in search of clothes.
Curious, Akudama asked, "What are you doing?" Ryūji responded, "Just getting clothes to wear." However, in his own thoughts, he pondered, "I suppose we can't go out for breakfast since I'm considered a criminal in the entire city."
Meanwhile, Akudama mused to himself, "It seems I can't read his mind after all." Ryūji examined the clothes in the closet and found a white dress shirt, a red T-shirt, and a pair of black belted jeans. He picked them up and headed to the bathroom to change.
After Ryūji finished dressing up, he approached the door to leave, but caught sight of his reflection in the mirror. Momentarily captivated, he gazed at his own face and then shifted his gaze downward towards the sink. Turning on the faucet, he let the water flow over his face and hair, as if symbolizing a fresh start in this new world.
As the water trickled down, Ryūji spoke softly to himself, "It's a new world, and I want to witness its creation." With newfound determination, he turned off the faucet, walked out of the bathroom, and addressed Akudama, saying, "I'm going out. See you later, master."
Akudama replied nonchalantly, "Okie dokie."
Ryūji stepped outside and seamlessly passed by the owner and a few people nearby, moving so swiftly that they didn't even notice his presence. He continued walking, venturing beyond the city limits and into an area teeming with lush grass and trees. The serene atmosphere enveloped him as he immersed himself in this natural haven.
As Ryūji gazed upon the tranquil grassland, he decided to lie down on its soft surface. He murmured to himself, "This world appears peaceful, but it's not always so." The gentle breeze caressed his face, deepening his thoughts. His attention shifted towards the nearby forest, and he contemplated exploring its depths.
Standing up, Ryūji walked towards the forest, his eyes scanning the surroundings. To his surprise, he noticed a line of little girls, about five of them, gathered together. They held sticks in their hands, engaged in some activity. Ryūji decided to approach them and greeted them with a simple "hi."
Startled, the girls instinctively raised their sticks defensively. One of them spoke in a serious tone, "Who are you, and what's your name?" Ryūji's expression turned slightly downcast as he replied, "Well, I expected little girls to be cute and kind, but I didn't expect that response. Anyway, my name is Ryūji. What are your names?"
The girls exchanged glances before responding skeptically, "Why should we tell you?" Ryūji maintained a serious expression and replied, "Well, as an adult, I believe you should listen. I also want to be friends with all of you." Gradually, the girls lowered their sticks and one of them spoke up, "Alright." Another girl introduced herself as Aoi. Then, two others followed, saying, "I'm Yuna," and "I'm Sakiko." Lastly, the remaining two girls introduced themselves as Natsuki and Shizuka.
Ryūji was pleasantly surprised by their response and applauded them, appreciating their willingness to open up.
Yuna raised her hand and asked, "How big are you, mister Ryūji?" Ryūji chuckled inwardly, amused by her choice of words. "Well," he replied, "I'm 6 feet tall. And speaking of which, why are all of you kids here? And how old are all of you?"
The girls were taken aback by his height and exclaimed, "You're 6 feet tall, mister Ryūji?" They hesitated for a moment before answering his question. One of them spoke up, "We're here playing in the forest because it's fun. As for our ages, we're all around 7 or 6 years old."
Ryūji smiled warmly at the girls, appreciating their innocent curiosity and the joy they found in the forest
Shizuka took the lead, being the oldest among the girls, and explained to Ryūji, "We're here to celebrate our 1st anniversary of friendship, that's all." She wore a mischievous grin on her face. The other girls appeared somewhat saddened by her words.
Ryūji lifted his hand to scratch the back of his neck and observed their expressions. He spoke gently, "Well, alright. But I can't help but notice the sadness on your faces. Can't you tell me anything? Aren't we friends?" Shizuka pouted and replied, "Hmph, but you're a newbie. You have to be with us for another year or so before we can share our secrets with you, alright, mister?"
Ryūji was taken aback by her response, but he smiled and said, "Okay, I guess we'll see in a few years then." The girls seemed a bit hesitant but smiled and said, "Alright, mister Ryūji. I hope you take care." One of the little girls piped up, blushing and saying, "Mister Ryūji looks so handsome and tall." Ryūji overheard their conversation as he walked away.