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Chapter 1: Fate Begins to Move
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In the morning mist, an elderly man drives his light truck along a road on the outskirts of town. Beside him, a girl in a school uniform lets her slightly curly, refreshing silver hair flutter in the cold draft coming through the poorly-sealed window, feeling the end of her first winter in high school. The car radio plays economic news mixed with noise.
"The Kozuka Metalite Company has announced that, due to facility expansion, they have established a mass production system for an alloy that was difficult to generate, which is the main material handled by the Royal Guards Special Task Force-RSF. This has caused a temporary surge in stock prices. Next, we have information about forestry in Akitsu Country. The Kubanda issue continues to cause damage in several regions, particularly in the mountainous areas, leading to soaring timber prices. The central parliament is..."
While gazing at the pastoral landscape outside the car window, the girl strikes up a conversation with her grandfather, who is holding the steering wheel.
"It's a bit worrying since we live in the suburbs, isn't it?"
"Fortunately, we haven't heard of any Kubanda damage around here, but I've heard there are talks of building protective walls around some districts."
"I wonder if mom is okay..."
As she voices her concern, the conversation in the car comes to a halt.
*The country of Akitsu(*Akitsukuni), where the girl and her grandfather live, boasts landscapes very similar to modern Japan. Although it has four seasons, there are no harsh ones, and the gentle climate envelops its people. The culture has developed slightly differently from Japan, with similarities and differences. Especially in urban areas, the greenery of trees intermingles with buildings, and clear streams run through the city center, showing a harmonious blend of rich nature and scientific technology.
After driving for a while, the light truck stops in front of a fenced plot of land. The two get out of the vehicle, and the girl's grandfather unlocks the gate. As they enter, passing a slightly tilted sign that reads
"Second Kasumi Pond," the grandfather looks around and pats his waist.
"Alright, let's get to work of morning. Let's finish up quickly, Inaho."
"Sure, leave the heavy stuff to me."
"It's too early to treat me like an old man, isn't it? But lately, there's been an unusual amount of drifting objects. There's more unfamiliar metal too, so don't forget your gloves."
In a hollow filled with mysterious peach-colored mist, various objects of different sizes are scattered about—old books, flyers, and even charred, twisted metal pieces and parts of some machine. Some of these items seem to have Japanese written on them.
As the granddaughter and grandfather chat, they pick up the items and load them onto a pushcart.
"Hey, grandpa, don't you ever think about taking some of the unusual driftwood home, just a little?"
"Don't be silly. These items are related to the technological innovation of Akitsu Country and our knowledge of Nihon. After all, we're entrusted with the collection. I properly deliver them to the authorities."
"You're so serious, grandpa. But Kasumi Pond is always such a mysterious place. Things come out of the mist, and even if you jump in, you just get sent back to where you were. You can't go anywhere. I wonder what kind of world Nihon is?"
"Who knows? Even the gods don't know much about it. It must not be a place that's easy to get to. Alright, this is the last. I'll take you to school."
After making a round of the pond, the two return to the gate, load the collected items onto the truck bed, tie them down with rope, and leave the place.
After a short drive, they arrive at high school. As she gets out of the truck at the school gate, she turns back to the driver's seat with a cheerful smile.
"Thanks. Good luck with the other place, grandpa!"
As the girl waves her hand, the familiar sound of the engine fades into the distance.
"The Kozuka Metalite Company has announced that, due to facility expansion, they have established a mass production system for an alloy that was difficult to generate, which is the main material handled by the Royal Guards Special Task Force-RSF. This has caused a temporary surge in stock prices. Next, we have information about forestry in Akitsu Country. The Kubanda issue continues to cause damage in several regions, particularly in the mountainous areas, leading to soaring timber prices. The central parliament is..."
While gazing at the pastoral landscape outside the car window, the girl strikes up a conversation with her grandfather, who is holding the steering wheel.
"It's a bit worrying since we live in the suburbs, isn't it?"
"Fortunately, we haven't heard of any Kubanda damage around here, but I've heard there are talks of building protective walls around some districts."
"I wonder if mom is okay..."
As she voices her concern, the conversation in the car comes to a halt.
*The country of Akitsu(*Akitsukuni), where the girl and her grandfather live, boasts landscapes very similar to modern Japan. Although it has four seasons, there are no harsh ones, and the gentle climate envelops its people. The culture has developed slightly differently from Japan, with similarities and differences. Especially in urban areas, the greenery of trees intermingles with buildings, and clear streams run through the city center, showing a harmonious blend of rich nature and scientific technology.
After driving for a while, the light truck stops in front of a fenced plot of land. The two get out of the vehicle, and the girl's grandfather unlocks the gate. As they enter, passing a slightly tilted sign that reads
"Second Kasumi Pond," the grandfather looks around and pats his waist.
"Alright, let's get to work of morning. Let's finish up quickly, Inaho."
"Sure, leave the heavy stuff to me."
"It's too early to treat me like an old man, isn't it? But lately, there's been an unusual amount of drifting objects. There's more unfamiliar metal too, so don't forget your gloves."
In a hollow filled with mysterious peach-colored mist, various objects of different sizes are scattered about—old books, flyers, and even charred, twisted metal pieces and parts of some machine. Some of these items seem to have Japanese written on them.
As the granddaughter and grandfather chat, they pick up the items and load them onto a pushcart.
"Hey, grandpa, don't you ever think about taking some of the unusual driftwood home, just a little?"
"Don't be silly. These items are related to the technological innovation of Akitsu Country and our knowledge of Nihon. After all, we're entrusted with the collection. I properly deliver them to the authorities."
"You're so serious, grandpa. But Kasumi Pond is always such a mysterious place. Things come out of the mist, and even if you jump in, you just get sent back to where you were. You can't go anywhere. I wonder what kind of world Nihon is?"
"Who knows? Even the gods don't know much about it. It must not be a place that's easy to get to. Alright, this is the last. I'll take you to school."
After making a round of the pond, the two return to the gate, load the collected items onto the truck bed, tie them down with rope, and leave the place.
After a short drive, they arrive at high school. As she gets out of the truck at the school gate, she turns back to the driver's seat with a cheerful smile.
"Thanks. Good luck with the other place, grandpa!"
As the girl waves her hand, the familiar sound of the engine fades into the distance.
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ちょっと大人な体験談はこちらです
神崎未緒里
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本当にあった!?かもしれない
ちょっと大人な体験談です。
日常に突然訪れる刺激的な体験。
少し非日常を覗いてみませんか?
あなたにもこんな瞬間が訪れるかもしれませんよ?
※本作品ではPixai.artで作成した生成AI画像ならびに
Pixabay並びにUnsplshのロイヤリティフリーの画像を使用しています。
※不定期更新です。
※文章中の人物名・地名・年代・建物名・商品名・設定などはすべて架空のものです。
百合ランジェリーカフェにようこそ!
楠富 つかさ
青春
主人公、下条藍はバイトを探すちょっと胸が大きい普通の女子大生。ある日、同じサークルの先輩からバイト先を紹介してもらうのだが、そこは男子禁制のカフェ併設ランジェリーショップで!?
ちょっとハレンチなお仕事カフェライフ、始まります!!
※この物語はフィクションであり実在の人物・団体・法律とは一切関係ありません。
表紙画像はAIイラストです。下着が生成できないのでビキニで代用しています。
【おんJ】 彡(゚)(゚)ファッ!?ワイが天下分け目の関ヶ原の戦いに!?
俊也
SF
これまた、かつて私がおーぷん2ちゃんねるに載せ、ご好評頂きました戦国架空戦記SSです。
この他、
「新訳 零戦戦記」
「総統戦記」もよろしくお願いします。
サイバーパンクの日常
いのうえもろ
SF
サイバーパンクな世界の日常を書いています。
派手なアクションもどんでん返しもない、サイバーパンクな世界ならではの日常。
楽しめたところがあったら、感想お願いします。
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体育座りでスカートを汚してしまったあの日々
yoshieeesan
現代文学
学生時代にやたらとさせられた体育座りですが、女性からすると服が汚れた嫌な思い出が多いです。そういった短編小説を書いていきます。
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