Previously I wake up from a major faint and find myself in Celestia. Yes that Celestia, Mei's home planet. I was being accompanied by Mei's sister , Lumine .At first I thought of her as a hostile person but later on got to know that she is a kind and loving person , she also offers me some rehabilitation training and currently am in middle of it as well.
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As I caught my breath from the intense training, a sudden thought struck me—my family. They must be worried sick since I hadn't returned home for two days. I turned to Lumine, still panting slightly.
"Uh, Lumi, won't my family be worried about me? I mean, I've been gone for two days…"
Lumine chuckled, giving me that familiar teasing smile. "Oh, you really are a dummy, aren't you?"
"Huh?" I blinked, confused.
"Didn't you notice?" she said with a playful tilt of her head. "This isn't Earth. You're in Celestia."
"Eh…?" I looked around, my mind struggling to process what she just said. "This is… Celestia? Really?"
Before I could fully grasp the situation, Lumine waved her hand, and I felt a strange sensation as my feet left the ground. She was levitating me! As I floated higher, the city came into view—an expanse of gleaming buildings, intricate architecture, and lush greenery that stretched far beyond the horizon. The beauty was overwhelming, like nothing I'd ever seen before.
"Take a good look," Lumine said with a smile. "This is where you are now."
I was speechless, but then the reality hit me again. "But still, won't my family be worried?"
Lumine's laughter broke through my concern. "No, dummy. One day on Earth equals ten days here. So you've only been gone for, what, a few hours in their time? They won't even notice."
I stared at her, the weight of her words sinking in. Celestia… Time here moved differently. My worry eased, replaced by awe and curiosity about this world I found myself in.
After the training session, I was exhausted but also felt oddly energized, like something had clicked into place. The thoughts of the past days started swirling in my mind, especially the memory of Mei lying on the ground, injured. I couldn't shake off the worry, so when I finally got a chance to see her again, it was both a relief and a surge of anxiety.
"Mei!" I called out as soon as I saw her. She turned around, her expression softening when she saw me, though I could still sense the weight she was carrying.
"Izumi," she replied, her voice warm but tired. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay... I think," I answered, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly. "But more importantly, how are you? I saw you lying there, hurt. I was really worried."
Mei gave me a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm fine now. It was just a scratch."
"A scratch?" I echoed, incredulous. "Mei, you were bleeding pretty badly. I thought—" I cut myself off, not wanting to voice my worst fears.
She sighed, her eyes meeting mine with a mix of frustration and something else I couldn't quite place. "I'm stronger than I look, Izumi. But… thank you for worrying about me."
I nodded, still feeling uneasy. "I just— I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."
For a moment, she seemed taken aback by my words, and there was a flicker of something in her eyes. "Izumi… I've been through worse. But I appreciate your concern."
We stood there in silence for a moment, the weight of the past few days hanging between us. Finally, Mei broke the silence.
"You've been training with Lumine, right?"
"Yeah, she's been… tough," I admitted, thinking back to the grueling exercises and meditation sessions. "But I guess I need it if I'm going to keep up with everything that's happening."
Mei's expression softened even more, and she stepped closer, placing a hand on my arm. "You're stronger than you think, Izumi. You've already come so far. Don't doubt yourself."
I felt a warmth spread through me at her words, and I couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Mei. That means a lot coming from you."
She nodded, her hand lingering on my arm for a moment longer before she let it fall to her side. "Just… don't push yourself too hard. You're important to me, and I don't want to see you get hurt."
"Same goes for you," I said, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "Let's both make a promise to stay safe, okay?"
Mei chuckled softly. "Deal."
As we stood there, a comfortable silence settled over us. It wasn't the grand reunion I had imagined, but it was real, and that was enough for me.
As Mei and I started walking back from our little reunion, the atmosphere felt lighter than before. The tension had eased, and it felt like we were just two friends chatting casually. Well, as casual as it could be, given everything that had happened.
"So, are you ready to head back home?" Mei asked, a teasing lilt in her voice.
"Wait, we're going back already?" I blurted out, caught off guard.
Mei smirked, clearly enjoying my confusion. "What, you're not in a hurry to get back? I thought you'd be dying to return."
"Uh, well, I mean… I was just getting used to this place," I stammered, not entirely sure how to respond. "But yeah, I guess I'm ready. My family's probably worried."
Mei laughed softly, shaking her head. "Relax, we're not going back just yet. We'll be here for a few more days. There's still a lot you need to learn and… I kind of like having you around."
"Oh, really?" I shot back, trying to match her teasing tone but feeling my face heat up a bit. "So you're saying you'd miss me if I left?"
"Maybe," she replied with a grin, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Or maybe I just need someone to keep me entertained while we're stuck here."
"Hey, I'm more than just entertainment!" I protested, though I couldn't help but smile.
"Of course you are," Mei said, her voice softening. "But seriously, we'll head back when the time is right. For now, let's just focus on getting stronger and figuring out what's going on."
"Yeah, you're right," I agreed, feeling a sense of determination settle in. "We've got to be ready for whatever comes next."
"Exactly," Mei said with a nod. "And don't worry, Izumi. We'll face whatever comes together."
As we continued our walk, the teasing banter faded into a comfortable silence. Even though we were far from home, it felt like we were exactly where we needed to be—at least for now.
After a few more days in Celestia, getting stronger and having a few more training sessions with Lumine, it was finally time to return to Earth. Mei and I stepped through the portal and found ourselves back on familiar ground. The first thing I noticed was the sky—it was pitch black.
"Almost midnight, huh?" I muttered, glancing around.
"Looks like it," Mei replied, looking up at the moon. "We've been gone for a few days, but barely any time passed here."
"Yeah… Earth time is weird compared to Celestia," I mumbled, feeling a bit disoriented.
We parted ways near my street, and I headed home. As I stepped inside, I braced myself for what I knew was coming.
Sure enough, I barely got two steps in before I heard a voice.
"Izumi, where have you been?" My mom's voice echoed from the living room.
"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Yuki, my sister, chimed in, her arms crossed as she leaned against the doorway. "You didn't even call!"
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, slipping off my shoes and making my way toward the stairs.
"Seriously, ,it's almost midnight !" Yuki said, following me. "We thought something happened to you."
Mom stepped in front of me, her hands on her hips. "Izumi, this isn't like you. Is it that you were with that girl named Mei? "
I sighed, already feeling the weight of their questions pressing down on me. "No,I was just… busy, okay?"
"Busy?" Yuki raised an eyebrow. "Doing what exactly?"
"Just... stuff. It's complicated." I mumbled, brushing past them.
"Complicated? That's all you've got to say? . What complicated stuff can a highschooler buy and girl do " Yuki shot back, with a smirk while not satisfied.
"If are even busy with that girl atleast let was know, you can't just disappear like that," Mom added, her voice softer but still firm. "We were worried."
I sighed again, realizing this conversation wasn't going to end anytime soon if I didn't do something. "Look, I'm fine. I'll explain later, okay?"
"Later? What's that supposed to mean?" Yuki grumbled.
"Yeah, later. I'm exhausted right now," I said, rubbing my forehead as I started up the stairs. "I'll talk to you both in the morning."
Yuki guffed her cheeks "That's so rude big brother"
Before either of them could protest, I was halfway up to my room. I could still hear their voices from downstairs—Yuki complaining, Mom trying to reason—but I just tuned them out.
I reached my room, shut the door, and flopped onto my bed. Finally, some peace.
The next morning
It was a breezy Monday morning, and Mei and I were walking toward school together. The sun peeked through the clouds, making everything seem a little brighter than usual. We were enjoying the peaceful walk when I spotted a familiar face approaching from the opposite direction.
"Yo, Izumi! Mei!" Kaito waved enthusiastically, a wide grin on his face. "You guys sure seem cozy walking together, huh?"
I rolled my eyes. "What are you getting at now, Kaito?"
"Oh, nothing," he said with an exaggerated innocent expression, then leaned in with a smirk. "But I saw the two of you at the shopping mall yesterday. Sunday. Together."
I froze for a second, mentally kicking myself. Of course, Kaito had to spot us. I felt Mei's eyes glance over at me, but she stayed quiet, her face turning a slight shade of pink.
"Wait, wait, it's not like that," I quickly said, waving my hands defensively. "We were just… hanging out."
"Hanging out, huh? In the mall. Together. Alone. How romantic," Kaito teased, raising an eyebrow.
I groaned, rubbing the back of my neck. "Kaito, seriously—"
Before I could finish, Takashi and Yumi appeared, joining us. Takashi immediately caught the tail end of the conversation.
"Whoa, whoa, what's this I'm hearing about a mall date?" he asked, his eyes lighting up with interest.
"It wasn't a date!" I practically shouted.
Mei chuckled softly, clearly amused by the whole situation. "It really wasn't a big deal. We were just watching a movie and grabbing some food."
Kaito, still grinning, looked at Takashi and said, "You buying that?"
Takashi snickered. "Nah, sounds like a date to me."
Yumi smiled, shaking her head at the boys. "You two are hopeless."
"See, even Yumi agrees it wasn't a date," I said, trying to regain some control over the situation.
"No I mean you and Mei are hopeless" yumi corrected.
"Wha-what" I blushingly said.
"You lovebirds are so clueless,hehe" kaito teased.
We kept talking, laughing, and teasing each other as we made our way to school. By the time we reached the gates, the whole mall incident was already fading into the background, replaced by our usual banter.
Classes had just started, and it was history—one of Kaito's least favorite subjects. We sat through the lecture, which honestly felt like it was dragging on forever. Our teacher, Mr. Watanabe, had this way of making everything sound way too serious. But it wasn't until about halfway through class that I noticed something out of the corner of my eye.
Kaito had fallen asleep.
His head was resting on his arms, and he was completely out of it. I snickered to myself, but then I saw Mr. Watanabe approaching from the front of the class. Uh-oh.
Without warning, Mr. Watanabe grabbed a rolled-up book and lightly smacked it against Kaito's head.
Thwack!
Kaito jolted upright, eyes wide and completely confused. "Huh? Wha—?"
The whole class burst into laughter, and even Mr. Watanabe cracked a smile.
"Kaito," he said with a sigh. "Please try to stay awake during class. You might actually learn something."
"Y-yes, sir," Kaito muttered, still rubbing his head.
After class ended, I caught up with Kaito. "Dude, what happened back there? You really fell asleep in the middle of history?"
Kaito scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish. "Yeah… I couldn't help it. I didn't sleep well last night."
"Not sleeping well? You okay?" I asked, genuinely curious. Takashi, who had overheard us, joined the conversation.
"What's keeping you up, Mr. Sleepyhead?" Takashi asked, grinning. "Is it a girl?"
Kaito rolled his eyes. "I wish. But no, it's nothing like that."
I raised an eyebrow. "Then what's up?"
Kaito's expression shifted, suddenly more serious. "I've been thinking a lot about starting a club at school. So, I was up late filling out the form."
"A club?" I asked, surprised. "What kind of club?"
"I'm thinking something that combines all of our interests—maybe a cultural exchange club," Kaito explained. "Where we can share and learn about different things, traditions, and all that."
"That's… actually really cool," I said, nodding.
Takashi leaned in, intrigued. "Wait, so you stayed up all night just to finish filling out a club application?"
Kaito shrugged. "Yeah, I wanted to make sure I got everything right. Plus, I needed the teacher's permission."
"Did you get it?" I asked.
Kaito smiled proudly. "Yep, Mr. Watanabe approved it this morning."
"Wow, congrats!" I said, genuinely impressed.
Takashi gave him a pat on the back. "Well, if it's approved, then we've gotta join, right?"
I chuckled. "Yeah, I'm in. Sounds like it could be fun."
Kaito grinned. "Great! I'll let you guys know when we have our first meeting."
After Kaito explained his plan about starting a club, he added, "You know, forming a club needs at least five members to be approved. That's part of the reason I've been struggling to get it started."
"Five members, huh?" I repeated, thinking about the people we knew. "It wasn't possible before?"
"Yeah," Kaito said with a sigh. "But now that Yumi is with us, we can hit the minimum requirement. I was thinking it would be impossible without her."
Takashi grinned. "Lucky us, then. Now we've got the numbers."
I chuckled. "Looks like we owe Yumi for this one."
Kaito nodded. "For sure. I'll ask her to officially sign up later. We'll need to finalize everything soon."
After the conversation with Kaito and Takashi ended, I made my way over to Mei, who was waiting near the entrance of the next class.
"Hey, Mei," I said, walking up to her. "Guess what? Kaito's finally forming a club, and with Yumi's help, we can actually start it."
Mei looked intrigued. "Oh? What kind of club is it going to be?"
"Well, that's the thing," I said. "Kaito mentioned something like a cultural exchange club, but we're still open to ideas. What kind of club would you want to join?"
Without missing a beat, Mei's eyes lit up, and she said, "I want a mysterious phenomenon studying club."
I blinked, a little taken aback by her enthusiasm. "A… what now?"
She smiled mischievously. "A club where we explore and investigate strange events, supernatural occurrences, and unexplained mysteries."
I stared at her, trying to figure out if she was serious or just teasing me. But knowing Mei, she was probably dead serious. "Well, that's... definitely unique," I said, laughing. "I'll run it by
Kaito and see what he thinks."
Mei gave me a small smile. "Thanks, Izumi. It could be fun, you know."
I nodded. "You're right. Could be interesting to dive into the unknown."
And so our new goal for officially forming a new club began!
To be continued…