Lira was singing.
Not quietly.
Not shyly.
But the kind of singing that made the glowing flowers lean toward her voice and the tiny lights drifting in the air pulse brighter, like they were clapping along.
She spun in a slow circle, arms stretched out, dress brushing against soft grass that shimmered faintly beneath her feet.
"♪ And if I never leave this place… I'll never have to ruuun away~ ♪"
She paused.
Blink.
Tilted her head.
"…Wait."
A small blue bird perched on a nearby branch chirped at her.
Lira squinted at it.
"No, no, that didn't sound right. It needs more feeling." She cleared her throat dramatically. "From the heart, Lumi. From. The. Heart."
The bird chirped again.
"That was rude."
She tried again, louder this time.
"♪ And if I never leave this—"
Something whistled through the air.
Fast.
Very fast.
Lira froze mid-note.
The bird froze too.
They both slowly looked up.
"…Did the sky just throw something?" Lira whispered.
The answer came a second later.
CRASH.
The ground shook.
Leaves scattered.
Somewhere not too far away, something had definitely… landed.
Lira blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then she gasped, eyes lighting up.
"Oh!"
She pointed dramatically into the distance.
"A mystery!"
The bird chirped nervously.
"Yes, I know!" she said, already turning in circles. "It could be dangerous. It could be exciting. It could be both."
She paused.
Looked around.
Then nodded seriously to herself.
"Right. I need a weapon."
A moment later…
Lira marched forward through the glowing forest.
Holding a mop.
Not just holding it.
Wielding it.
Like a highly trained guard who had absolutely no idea what she was doing.
She crouched behind a bush, peeking over it with narrowed eyes.
The mop extended in front of her like a sword.
"Stay behind me, Lumi," she whispered.
The bird was still on the branch. Far behind her.
"…You're not behind me."
The bird chirped.
"Yes, I can see that."
She turned back dramatically anyway.
"Fine. Stay there. But if I don't come back, tell the flowers I tried my best."
Silence.
"…That sounded braver in my head."
She moved again.
Step.
Step.
Pause.
Point mop.
Step.
Pause.
Spin around suddenly.
"Who's there?!"
Nothing.
She slowly lowered the mop.
"…Okay, that was just me."
Another step.
A branch snapped under her foot.
She gasped and pointed the mop at the ground.
"I heard that!"
The ground did not respond.
"…Suspicious."
The closer she got, the quieter the forest became.
Even the glowing lights seemed to drift slower, like they were watching.
Lira swallowed.
Her grip on the mop tightened.
"…Okay," she whispered to herself. "If it's dangerous, I will be calm. Very calm. Extremely calm."
She nodded.
Then immediately whispered louder.
"I am not calm."
She reached the clearing.
And stopped.
Completely.
"…Oh."
There was a crater.
Not a big one.
But big enough.
Grass flattened.
Leaves scattered.
And right in the middle of it…
A boy.
He was lying on his back, completely still.
One arm stretched out.
Clothes slightly torn.
Hair messy.
Face…
Lira leaned forward slowly, eyes wide.
"…Not dead," she whispered.
Then paused.
"…Probably."
She looked back over her shoulder.
"Lumi! It's a person!"
The bird chirped loudly this time, clearly not approving.
"I know, I know," she said quickly. "Rule number one. Do not let anyone in."
She looked back at the boy.
Then tilted her head.
"…But he didn't come in."
Pause.
"He fell in."
She nodded to herself.
"That's different."
Lira stepped closer.
Very slowly.
Mop still pointed.
Just in case.
She poked his arm.
Nothing.
She poked his cheek.
"…Soft."
She blinked.
Poked again.
Still nothing.
"…Are you broken?"
Suddenly—
The boy groaned.
Lira jumped back so fast she almost tripped.
The mop swung wildly in front of her.
"STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" she shouted.
The boy didn't move.
He groaned again, eyes slowly opening.
Everything blurred.
Light.
Color.
A face.
A girl holding a mop like she was about to arrest him.
He blinked.
"…What?"
Lira stepped forward again, cautious.
Eyes narrowed.
Mop raised.
"State your name," she said firmly.
The boy stared at her.
"…I just fell from the sky."
"Yes," she nodded. "I saw that."
"…And you're pointing a mop at me."
"Yes."
"…Why?"
She hesitated.
Looked at the mop.
Looked back at him.
"…Because it's intimidating."
There was a long pause.
The boy slowly sat up, wincing.
Looked around.
The glowing trees.
The floating lights.
The girl.
The mop.
Then back at her.
"…I think I hit my head too hard."
Lira gasped.
"Oh! That makes sense!" she said brightly. "You fell from very high. Your brain is probably confused."
"…My brain is not confused."
She tilted her head.
"Then why are you still here?"
He stared at her.
She stared back.
The bird chirped loudly from somewhere behind.
The forest glowed softly around them.
And for a very long second…
Neither of them spoke.
Then Lira straightened, gripping the mop tighter.
Eyes serious.
Voice determined.
"…You're not supposed to be here."
The boy blinked.
"…I figured that part out."
She pointed the mop at him again.
"But now that you are…"
Pause.
Tilt of her head.
A small, curious smile.
"…I think I'm going to keep you."