"what a familiar scenery."
Haru Kugaru had been walking down the same street for what felt like hours. Three hours, to be exact.
At least, that's what it felt like, even though his sense of time had probably been warped from sheer frustration. He wasn't sure if his brain was broken or if the city itself was cursed.
Every building looked the same, and he was starting to think they were all in on some sick joke.
If buildings could laugh, they'd probably be doubled over by now, gasping for air.
Haru let out a groan and stared at his phone. The GPS was no help—it just kept spinning in circles, like it was having an existential crisis. And then the worst happened.
His phone battery was completely dead.
He stared at the black screen like it was mocking him too.
"Of course," he muttered under his breath.
"Why not? Let's just make this even worse."
Haru wasn't exactly someone who blended into the city easily, though he wished he could. His messy brown hair, always sticking out at awkward angles, didn't help.
His emerald-green eyes, bright enough to catch someone's attention even from a distance, were a stark contrast to his below-average height and skinny frame. He wasn't exactly masculine, but he wasn't feminine either.
His face sat in that frustratingly ambiguous middle ground—the kind that looked unremarkable at first, but grew on you the longer you looked at it.
The mole on his chin didn't make things any less confusing, adding an odd charm that felt almost unfair.
His frustration was boiling over now. He needed to stay calm, but the urge to scream into the void—or maybe choke someone—was getting harder to ignore.
He wasn't even sure who he wanted to throttle, but if someone volunteered, he'd take them up on it tho.
And asking for directions?
Yeah, right.
That wasn't happening.
He was antisocial to a fault.
Talking to strangers was at the bottom of his to-do list—actually, it wasn't even on the list. If he could, he'd opt to be reborn as air in his next life.
Air didn't have to talk to anyone, and it was still useful just by existing.
Very recommended.
"Why can't I just be air?" Haru muttered as he kicked a pebble on the sidewalk.
Tek
The pebble shot forward like it had somewhere important to be, and Haru winced.
Sometimes, the earth around him reacted to his emotions, like it was reading his frustration and amplifying it. He quickly glanced around to make sure no one had witnessed the rock's Olympic sprint.
Thankfully, no one had noticed.
For a brief moment, he considered just sitting on a bench and takes a path to become a homeless.
Maybe it is.
No.
Not yet.
He wasn't about to let the city—or his apparent inability to navigate it—win. He shoved his hands deep into his hoodie pockets and kept walking, hoping beyond hope that this next turn would lead him somewhere, anywhere that didn't feel like a cruel joke. Or at least somewhere that didn't look like it was laughing at him.
Until a piece of paper was flung forcefully onto his face by the wind.
PAKK
It stung, sharp like a slap, and for a moment, Haru felt the overwhelming urge to cry and scream, Why is my life so cursed? But he didn't.
Gritting his teeth, he yanked the paper off his face and glared at it as if it had personally insulted him. Without a second thought, he attempted to tear it apart in a fit of frustration.
But the paper didn't budge.
Haru froze.
"Huh?"
He inspected the seemingly ordinary piece of paper. It wasn't laminated or anything special—just plain, thin paper. Yet, no matter how much he tugged, twisted, or pulled, it refused to tear.
"Seriously?"
Haru muttered, his eyebrows knitting together.
He clenched the paper tightly and tried again, this time with all the strength his skinny frame could muster.
Still intact.
Confusion turned into determination, and determination quickly morphed into pure stubbornness.
He attacked the paper with renewed energy, pulling, stretching, and even biting it at one point. Still, the paper remained annoyingly whole.
By now, a little boy passing by had stopped and was watching him with wide, alarmed eyes.
"Mom, what's that guy doing? I'm scared"
The boy's mother turned to look and immediately froze at the sight of Haru, who looked like he was in the middle of a dramatic, one-sided wrestling match with an innocent piece of paper.
She quickly pulled her son close and shielded his eyes with her hand, though she couldn't stop herself from staring at the bizarre scene.
"He's crazy. Don't go near him—it's dangerous," she whispered hurriedly.
Beep beep beep
"911 what's your emergency?"
"Hello I think there's crazy person-"
...
As if mocking him further, the paper suddenly slipped from his grasp, riding the wind for a moment before it came hurtling back toward him.
Smack!
The paper slammed into his face again with enough force to send him stumbling backward. He lost his balance and landed flat on the ground.
Dazed, Haru stared up at the sky, the rebellious paper still plastered to his face like it was taking a victory lap. It felt personal now, as if the paper itself was alive and out for revenge.
Even the flyer hate him.
Why he born to this earth?
'i miss mom.'
Suddenly, a warm sensation touched the skin of his face, coming from the flyer itself. A faint golden-yellow light spread around the flyer, visible only to him.
"Wtf..?"
He was bewildered, but his instincts screamed at him that this piece of paper held the answer he'd been searching for all this time.
Without hesitation, he snatched the medium-sized flyer off his face and read it carefully.
His face lit up, glowing with hope, as if his prayers had finally been answered.
Yes, answered—at least in his dreams.
"L'S TAKOYAKI STORE at xxxxx, xx area."
"Takoyaki??"
His expression twisted into something ugly again—so hideous that even a demon would feel insecure.
Haru began to feel suspicious. Was this some kind of new scam? He pictured a bald man in a shiny black suit, wearing dark sunglasses, and with a massive, intimidating build.
"A cult recruitment?"
He shook his head and tossed the flyer aside. Only an idiot would believe in something like this and actually go.
He glared at the flyer as if he could burn a hole through it with his eyes.
Moments later, he picked it up again and begrudgingly headed toward the address written on it.
After all, there was no sin in being an idiot tho.
...
Finally, the idiot had arrived at the address.
The takoyaki shop looked simple and featured a traditional Japanese aesthetic. It was modest in size, with a sliding wooden door, a banner, and a sign that read "L'S TAKOYAKI."
The enticing aroma of takoyaki wafted through the air, teasing his nostrils with its heavenly scent.
"The owner must be Japanese," he thought.
Wait, why was he even here?
Haru was still hesitant, unsure whether to go inside or not. After a moment's internal debate, he decided to muster up the courage and step into the shop. He was greeted by an interior just as he had imagined—simple yet warm.
"Um..."
The person isn't japanese like he expected.
A man who looked like he was in his late twenties but still retained a charm akin to fine wine appeared before him.
There was something irresistibly appealing about the man, especially with his friendly smile. He wore a plain white T-shirt and an apron, his blond hair styled in a neat 7:3 side cut.
(*Nanami haircut)
His eyes, a striking ruby red, seemed to glimmer under the soft light.
"Welcome! What would you like to order?"
'A waiter?'
The man's voice was warm and welcoming, but for someone as antisocial as Haru, speaking was already a monumental challenge.
The world really playing a joke to him.
"Ah... sorry, I think I came to the wrong place."
The man quickly assessed the situation and noticed the flyer in Haru's hand.
"This is the right address."
Haru, who had been halfway out the door, froze mid-step. Startled, he turned back toward the man.
"Huh?"
"What's your name, kid?"
"Uh...? I don't tell strangers my name."
"What a good kid,your parents must be very proud of you at home."
"i don't have parent."
"...."
The corners of the man's mouth twitched awkwardly before he composed himself and continued.
"Ahem... My name is Leonard Beauregard. I'm the owner of this shop. What's your Mun?"
'So you're the owner.'
Haru blinked, confused.
Wait
"Mun?"
The blonde guy seemed to remembered something.
"I'm sorry,I forgot that you don't know anything yet.Mun is what we called the power you have right now."
"ouh so that's it.I can manipulate earth...dirt or anything related with it"
Leonard raised his eyebrows,interested.
"Another jackpot."
"Huh?"
"You're hunter?"
"What?"
'people still hunt bear nowadays?'
"So you're fresh Mun."
'wtf that this guy has been talking about? that's why people said that every advantage also has a disadvantage and this guy's disadvantage totally was his brain.'
'mom I'm scared'
"Can i leave now?"
Haru couldn't help but suspect this guy might be a scammer.
Just to be cautious, what if he gave his name and the man hacked his account? Even though his account only technically had one million minus 999,984.70(he has 16.30 usd), he still acted like it was fully loaded.
ಥ‿ಥ
"Follow me," the man said.
The man led him to a storage room after ensuring the shop was officially on "rest time."
Was he planning to knock him unconscious in there?
"You'll meet a few others like you, each with their own unique specialties. Coincidentally, they're around your age too," the man added.
Haru swallowed his saliva so hard,damn there was already got someone before him?
After stepping into the storage room, Haru found... cleaning tools and stock supplies.
There was nothing interesting or suspicious. Just mops, buckets, and random boxes.
"Eh?"
Out of nowhere, Leonard grabbed a broomstick that was leaning against the wall.
'was him planning to knock him with that thing?'
And suddenly, the wall opened up, revealing a sleek, high-tech elevator as soon as Leonard pressed his thumb onto the broomstick.
"W-What the hell?! How!?"
"Jeff only accepts the fingerprints of verified members. Outsiders can't do anything but sweep the floor," Leonard explained casually.
Haru stood frozen, completely shocked by what he had just witnessed.
"Jeff?" he asked, still in disbelief.
"This broomstick,and he's very sensitive so you're better to treat him nice ah" Leonard replied dramatically.
"What?"
You're confused,Haru even more confused.
....
In his shock, he didn't even realize he had stepped into the elevator. He kept walking, and walking, until a sophisticated sliding door opened, revealing the breathtaking beauty of nature's creation.
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
Wtf
What greeted them instead was pure chaos. The place was a disaster—books and wooden planks were flying through the air, caught in a tornado, while the floor was inexplicably wet.
Haru's jaw nearly hit the floor as he turned to Leonard, silently demanding an explanation.
Leonard gave him a pleading look that screamed, "Please don't ask me."
He looked like all the life had been sucked out of him, and he had already resigned himself to his fate.
That's when Haru noticed the dark, heavy circles under Leonard's eyes.
Thank you for your service, Haru thought.
"Wiii~ Lucy, this is so fucking fun!"
"FUN, MY FOOT! THIS IS A DEATH TRAP, YOU MORON!"
A girl with wavy black hair was chasing after two other girls, her expression full of murderous intent.
One of them, a blonde with her hair tied in a ponytail, was zigzagging to dodge the attacks, using her fire powers to block incoming blows. Meanwhile, the girl behind her launched wind orbs to counterattack.
"LIA, WHY AM I GETTING HIT TOO?!HUAAAA!"
"YAYYYY, I'M FLYING!WIII~~"
"YOU'RE DEAD!!"
Shreeek!
Whoo-OOOSH-crrrraaash!
Whomp! Whoosh!
Leonard sighed deeply, covering his face with his hands as the sounds of chaos grew louder.
"NOOO, MY BABIES!(my mangas!)"
"MORE, MORE!"
"YOU ASKED FOR IT!"
BOOM!
"AAAAAAAA YOU'RE PIECE OF SHIT NAY!FUCK!"