Life sometimes felt stuck for Shingu Kaba. She looked around at the people in her life—boring, lazy, and always wrapped up in their own little worlds. Every time she tried to talk to them, they gave her strange, uninterested replies that left her feeling frustrated. She didn't want to fit in with them anyway; she knew how things worked. No one ever seemed happy around her—not her parents, not her sisters, and definitely not her clueless little brother. Honestly, she could hardly stand thinking about them.
Shingu was just a high school girl, short in height but full of energy. She had an outgoing personality and loved talking to people, yet she felt so alone. Everyone around her acted like they were too important to be bothered with anyone else. They walked around with their noses in the air, acting like they knew everything, but Shingu could see right through them. She knew they didn't have a bit of real sense.
Her name was Shingu Kaba—a name she couldn't stand. It felt plain and didn't match who she was inside. She lived in a small village on the outskirts of Tokyo, far from the busy city life she sometimes dreamed of. It was the kind of place most people would never even care to visit. And that was her life in a nutshell: surrounded by people who didn't understand her, stuck with a name she wished she could change, and living in a place that seemed as small and lonely as she sometimes felt.
Everyone has turning points in their lives, moments they'll always remember. But for Shingu Kaba, things were a bit different. Her turning point didn't happen in real life—it happened in a dream she had last night. She felt so caught up in it, so amazed, that she couldn't stop thinking about it. She wanted nothing more than to see that dream again, to dive back into that magical world.
In her dream, she was flying through the air, surrounded by fairies who made her feel light as a feather. Everything seemed so real, and she felt like she could go anywhere, do anything. Then, out of nowhere, a strange monster appeared. It was huge, with big hands reaching out to grab her, its eyes glowing with a fierce, scary light. She tried to escape, and suddenly she was riding on a weird buffalo, racing away from the monster as fast as she could.
Just when she thought she was safe, a giant dragon-like creature showed up. Its wings were enormous, and it let out a loud roar that echoed through the sky. But somehow, Shingu wasn't afraid. She felt excited, like she was on the adventure of a lifetime.
Now, as she walked home from school, her mind was filled with the dream. She couldn't wait to fall asleep and return to that amazing world. She was so excited that she could hardly pay attention to anything else. Shingu daydreamed about what might happen next, wondering what other strange creatures she might meet or where the fairies might take her. She just knew she wanted to be back in that dream, flying high and exploring a world where anything was possible.
"Who was Kaira? And why does she want me to visit that place in her magical world?" Shingu wondered, her mind spinning with questions. "Does this mean I'm not really from this world? Or is that just how Kaira brings people over?" She let out a long sigh, feeling a bit silly. "Ahh… I'm driving myself crazy thinking about all this. I know it was just a dream, but I can't stop wanting to go back. I want to see all those strange places again, and all the creatures I met there. And Uni, that beautiful, talkative horse—I want to hang out with him too. Oh, please, let me back into that world!"
As she walked home, Shingu's mind kept jumping from one thought to the next, reliving every little detail of last night's dream. She reached her house, tossed her bag onto its usual spot, and quickly changed out of her school clothes. Her stomach growled loudly, reminding her she hadn't eaten in hours. She went straight to the kitchen, ready to make something tasty to satisfy her hunger.
"I feel like eating something spicy," she said to herself, opening the cabinets and looking for ingredients. "What was that delicious meal I had in the dream? I can't remember exactly, but I'm sure I can cook something close to it—I mean, I am a pretty good cook!"
Talking to herself was one of Shingu's habits, and her younger siblings always found it a bit strange. They'd often roll their eyes or give each other funny looks whenever they caught her muttering to herself. But being the oldest, Shingu didn't worry too much about what they thought. They knew she was in charge, and she liked having a little bit of power over them.
She grabbed some spices and vegetables, her mind still half-lost in thoughts of her dream world. As she started chopping and stirring, she imagined she was cooking in that magical place with Uni by her side, maybe even helping her cook. The smell of the food filled the kitchen, and she smiled, hoping that this little taste of her dream would somehow make her feel closer to that amazing world. She knew it was just a dream, but part of her couldn't shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, it meant something more.
"Umm! Yummy! This tastes amazing… almost like I'm back in that dream," Shingu thought, happily munching away, completely lost in the flavors. She was so wrapped up in her snack that she forgot her mother could come home any minute. She was deep in her thoughts, enjoying the moment, when a sudden beep from a scooter outside jolted her back to reality. Panic filled her as she realized her mom was home. In a hurry, she started tossing plates into the sink, wiping down the counters, and doing her best to clean up. But her mother, Nishiko Kaba, had already made it to the kitchen, standing right there with a stern look on her face.
Nishiko was a small woman, even shorter than Shingu, with a sharp eye for detail. She had once dreamed of becoming a teacher, studying hard at Tokyo University, but life had other plans for her. Now, she stood in front of Shingu, arms crossed, looking at her with that familiar mix of disappointment and frustration. She let out a sigh and started her usual lecture, reminding Shingu that she should be studying, not messing around in the kitchen.
Shingu listened for a bit, but soon, her mind started to wander. She had heard it all before, so these scoldings had become part of her everyday routine. She glanced at the clock, counting down the minutes until dinner. After dinner, she could finally escape to her room, crawl into bed, and hopefully, slip back into that dream world where everything felt magical and exciting.
"I just have to get through dinner, then I can go to sleep," she thought, trying to ignore her mother's words. "And if I'm lucky, maybe no one will bother me tonight—not my mom, and definitely not my drunk father." She shuddered at the thought, frustration bubbling up inside her. All she wanted was a little peace and quiet, just enough time to drift back into her dreams.
"Alright, Shingu," she told herself, taking a deep breath. "Finish this dinner, put on a smile, and then it's back to my own world. I just want to be free, even if it's only in my dreams." With a small, secret smile, she began to set the table, imagining the magical lands waiting for her on the other side of sleep.
Dinner was delicious that night, and Shingu felt a spark of excitement, like something magical was pulling her toward sleep. It felt like tonight might be special, like she'd find herself back in that amazing dream. Her thoughts were happily spinning until her mom's voice broke in, asking for a glass of water. With a quick sigh, she passed it over, eager to get to bed.
At last, she was in her room. She climbed under the blankets, feeling cozy and ready. She counted down softly—"Three, two, one"—and then threw herself onto the bed, pulling the blanket up tight. She closed her eyes, hoping her dreams would take her back to that magical place.
.....