... Huh? Where am I? What is this place?
What surrounds me is no longer the vast black sea of red paper cranes, with red stars reflected on the surface - but a mint-coloured forest with a bright blue dappled sky.
I look down on myself, and I realize that my clothes have changed as well.
"Need a look?"
A voice range out from behind and I'm faced with a floating mirror. Before me stands a man clad in rogue clothes wearing a confused expression.
That is not me.
"Your lady is looking for you." The mirror says one last time before floating up in the sky.
Weird.
Still... "Your lady" - huh? I don't particularly think that she's my lady per se, but other than Yukino, I can't think of anyone. Traversing through the forest, the world seems more surreal than my original dream - as if my legs are being constantly wrapped in foliage.
"Are you perhaps looking for someone?" A voice range out behind me and when I turned around I saw a tall man wearing a white horse helmet riding... Something, looking sickly pale.
"Gwah!! Who the hell are you?!"
"I am of no notable importance to you sir. I'm here only to show you the way."
Before I knew it, me and that man went through miles of this seemingly endless forest despite me not even being on board of whatever the hell he was riding. Eventually...
"Halt your scoundrelly, knight in red! Have you thought of fooling this fair maiden to lure her into your trap?!"
"No siree, knight in white! I am merely helping this young lady to find her way around this forest, but it appears that I have lost my way!"
"Okay, enough of this charade." The girl then spoke out and in a blink, the knights are slain. I stagger back before the girl laughs.
"Heeey, you don't recognise me? It's me, Yuki-tan!"
"You... You never referred to yourself like that..."
"Aw come on, won't you let me be foolish this once? Come on, let's get out of this forest together."
Her hand grasped mine and in an instant our steps became lighter, the forest began to shift, and eventually we find ourselves on a field, checkered with light and dark grass.
"Woah..."
"This is the Wonderglass world. As you can see, the pieces move around - battling and conversing with each other. Pawns, Knights, Bishops, Towers... It's a sigh to behold."
"... I'm not that particularly familiar with Chess - but aren't you forgetting some figures?"
"Well, they're not here. I think they'll appear eventually."
I seriously couldn't understand a thing that surrounded me, and yet to her - it seemed like such a familiar place. Maybe if she saw my place, she would be thinking the same as I am now.
"Let's reach the end square together. They say if a "pawn" reaches it - it becomes the Queen, the most powerful figure."
"I guess."
Seeing her be this confident is rather inspiring and a little terrifying. I wonder what she's thinking?...
"I mean, you're here, and... I just want to do something fun for once. Seeing you flustered always made me smile pretty."
"Wha?! Did you just?!"
"I mean, you're Denjirou, right? I suppose I can pretend that you're Denjirou - to not break this illusion just yet."
...
"Yes, I am Denjirou. And I suppose you truly are Yukino."
"Of course I am, dummy! Who else could I be?!"
"Hah. Who else could you be instead."
We approached the field and once we've stopped on a "starting" cell, we took a train ride. We sat facing each other on another side.
"Have you rode trains before, Denjirou?"
"Yes I have, unfortunately."
"Unfortunately?"
"Me and my grandma used to move a lot, so I saw that fleeting view more than I did school. We did eventually settle down in this town, but it still sucked."
"Hm, I thought those were a lot of fun, but I guess it's because I actually don't get to ride them much. At least, vintage ones and not the bullet kind."
"I mean, figures, you're rich."
"I know, but... Being rich doesn't necessarily mean I'm being constantly spoiled. I can't just decide on things willy-nilly. At the very least, I can't decide on such grand things as train rides to... I don't even know honestly."
"Aren't you a Westophile?"
"Dude, we're cut off by the seas. And airplane rides are even more expensive and bothersome to plan trips around. I mean I would've loved to visit Miltonburgh, but alas."
"Hmm..."
"Hey, how's your life going?" She then suddenly asked and I figured might as well tell her.
"Very busy. Constant pressure from patients and senior staff. As a result - I get tired a whole lot. It sucks."
"Yeah... Can't particularly imagine myself caring for people that much. I mean I would just end up snapping, haha."
"Humans are very delicate creatures, especially young and old. They need to be treated with gentleness."
"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm"
"You, however, are being a little brat." I bonk her lightly. "Come on, we're expected to do a whole lot better than that. Not saying you don't try, though."
We both continue to ride the train and eventually...
"?"
"You may call me a brat, but let me be one in a place where it matters the least."
She sat on the same side as me now and leaned onto my shoulder. Her body is warm. And soon we both close our eyes.