Inside a dimly lit room, Michael sat on the edge of the bed while Naomi lay beside him, both engrossed in a movie playing on a large TV screen.
As the credits rolled, Michael stretched and let out a groan. Naomi sat up, glancing at him with curiosity.
"If you were transported into another world," she asked, "would you prefer one you're familiar with or an entirely unknown one?"
Michael raised an eyebrow. "Obviously, the latter."
Naomi tilted her head. "Wouldn't that be boring? You'd already know what's going to happen."
Smirking, Michael stretched his arms. "Yeah, but I could exploit the hell out of it."
Understanding his reasoning, Naomi nodded before getting up and leaving the room. Michael followed her into the kitchen, where he began taking ingredients out of the fridge. Naomi sat on one of the chairs, idly scrolling through her phone.
Noticing this, Michael sighed. "Ego surfing again? You've been doing that a lot lately. Why haven't you gone back to being an idol?"
Naomi Volnayaāknown worldwide for her breathtaking performancesāwas currently on hiatus due to, well... family-related matters. At least, that was the official story.
She smirked, setting her phone down. "You already know why. I'm hiding from them, and the safest place right now is hereāthe Konkuoshi household, home to the world's greatest martial artist and his son, the so-called 'martial arts genius prodigy.'"
Michael scoffed. "Why the hell do people call me that?"
Naomi, now digging into the steak Michael had prepared, gave him an incredulous look. "Maybe because you've mastered twenty different martial arts at your age?"
Rolling his eyes, Michael placed two large bowls on the tableāone filled with steaming rice and the other with sour pork soup, sinigang.
"Just because I started training at five and mastered twenty martial arts by fifteen doesn't make me a prodigy."
Too focused on eating, Naomi hummed in agreement, not really listening. "Even though it's yesterday's food, just heating it up still makes it taste amazing."
Michael shook his head at her absentminded response.
---
After finishing their meal, Naomi took care of the dishes before they returned to Michael's room, both lying on his bed in silence.
"I'm bored," Naomi muttered.
"Yeah, me too," Michael sighed.
They had plenty of things they could do, but they had already done them all. The usual activities no longer held the same excitement.
Suddenly, without warning, the bed beneath them vanished, replaced by a gaping hole. The two plummeted into the darkness below. Yet, instead of screaming, they remained eerily calm.
As they continued falling, an unfamiliar voice echoed around them.
"Jeez, you two are boring!"
A sharp snap rang out, and suddenly, they were no longer falling but lying on a smooth, solid surface. As they pushed themselves up, they found themselves in an endless white void. A single throne sat before them, and on it lounged an unknown figure, watching them with amusement.
"Gosh, you two areā"
Before the figure could finish, a dagger whizzed toward them. With a casual flick of the wrist, they stopped it midair.
"Phew, that was close... You're still sharp, even as a former assassin," they mused.
However, before they could finish that thought, Michael was already upon them, throwing a powerful right hook aimed at their neck. The figure barely managed to block it in time.
Michael's voice was calm yet firm. "Next time, I won't miss."
The figure smirked, pushing both of them back with an unseen force that gently set them on their feet.
"Sigh... I should have introduced myself first. Anyway, apologies for the late introductionāI am Mo, the God Who Watches, and I have chosen you two for my entertainment!"
Michael and Naomi remained unimpressed.
Mo cleared their throat. "Ahem, I am Mo, theā"
"We heard you the first time," they both interrupted.
Mo blinked. "Oh? Then why didn't you say anything?"
Naomi crossed her arms. "We were processing what's happening."
"Oh, I thought you were ignoring me! Hehe... Take your time."
With another snap of their fingers, a couch materialized behind Michael and Naomi.
Michael casually sat down. "Thanks."
Mo descended from their throne and manifested a chair in front of them, sitting down as well.
"You said you brought us here for entertainment," Naomi said.
Mo sipped a cup of tea that had appeared in their hands. "That is correct."
"Why?"
"I want to expand my domain."
"Your domain?"
Mo gestured around. "As you can see, this place is nothing but an empty white void. I want the two of you to travel through dimensions, have adventures, and help me see what lies beyond this cage of mine. So, please help me."
Silence hung in the air as Mo lowered their head in a deep bow.
Before they could raise it again, they felt a hand on their shoulder. Looking up, they saw Michael smiling slightly.
"Sure, why not? It's getting boring at home anyway, right, Naomi?"
Naomi sighed but eventually nodded.
Michael leaned forward. "You said this place is your cage, meaning you can't leave?"
Mo nodded. "The only way I can be free is to earn my title as a true godānot just a watcher. I just want to see the world beyond this blank space."
Michael smirked. "Then we'll grant your wish. But in return, we want three wishes each."
Mo's eyes widened. "Of course! I can make it five, since you two are my first summons!"
Michael grinned. "Good. But first, Naomi and I need to talk."
Mo clapped excitedly. "Take all the time you need!"
With a snap of their fingers, Mo created an exact replica of Michael's bedroom.
Michael looked around in approval. "Huh. Nice."
As he stood in the center of the room, Naomi sat on the edge of the bed. "Are you sure about this?"
Michael sighed before sitting beside her. "Honestly? Not really. But I'm just bored. My whole life, my father forced me into martial arts. The only time I had for myself was when he was too busy to train me."
Naomi rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. "You should be grateful that's your only problem. Imagine having a bounty on your head just because your father is the world's greatest assassin."
Michael chuckled. "Yeah, you got it rough, buddy."
Naomi gently punched his stomach, and Michael exaggeratedly pretended to be in pain before they both burst into laughter.
---
"So," Mo asked eagerly, "have you thought about your five wishes?"
Naomi smirked. "Look who's excited."
Mo chuckled sheepishly as Michael handed them a piece of paper.
"Here," Michael said. "We wrote them down to make it easier for you."
Mo read the list. "Hmm... Overpowered but reasonable... A secret wish? Interesting... Andāare you sure about your last one?"
Michael nodded. "Yeah. We figured, why not visit from time to time?"
Mo teared up before pulling them both into a hug. "Thank you. Now thenāwhere would you like to go first?"
The two exchanged a glance before answering in unison.
"My Hero Academia."
Mo grinned and snapped their fingers, sending them into another world.
As they vanished, Mo chuckled. "I hope to witness something amazing. Also... why does Naomi want Michael to have a harem? What a strange girl..."