In the Abenobashi shopping district in Osaka, a boy and a girl sat on the curb, drinking soda and complaining about there being nothing to do.

“Want to chuck rocks into the lake?” The boy suggested offhand. He tilted the cowboy hat he was wearing back and looked up at the sky. It was a clear and beautiful day, which made the lack of excitement even worse. What was the point of it being beautiful if there was nothing to do?

“Nope,” the girl replied. She was looking for something more exciting then throwing rocks into the water. It was their last summer before junior high and she wanted something more. These were supposed to be the best years of her life, or at least that’s what her grandpa told her.

“Want to visit your family restaurant?” The boy suggested next.

“And watch grandpa argue with my dad? No thank you.”

“Watch TV?”

“Nothings on.”

“Read a book?”

“Nothing to read.”

“Spy on girls changing?” No answer was given this time, the girl simply smacked her perverted friend in the face with a rolled up fan. Rubbing his nose, the boy slumped down next to the girl. It was official; Sasshi and Arumi had nothing to do.

“Remember that time I put on that super cool martial arts suit and…” Sasshi began to say, but was cut off by the fan again. Arumi glared at him, as he rolled on the ground covering his hurt nose. They had agreed never to talk about the strange journey they had gone on over a year ago. Through an accident, her and Sasshi had been transported to an RPG version of Abenobashi, filled with people from their own hometown. They had gotten out of that strange medieval world by finding and fighting an oni that transported them to another dimension. They had hopped around, traveling to different Abenobashis, themed on everything from space to film noir. It was only by luck they had gotten back home in one piece. Since then, neither one had spoken of that time and it was going to stay that way, or at least, it would of if Sasshi hadn’t spotted someone across the street.

“Look!” he cried, pointing to a tiny figure standing a few yards from them. Arumi looked and blinked at the sight of a tiny pink oni holding a cigarette. They gaped at the creature, unsure whether to start running away. The oni noticed the two were staring at him and gave an eep, dropping his cigarette to the ground.

“You have found me, now I will return you home,” the creature cried out in a high-pitched, whiny voice. Grabbing a stick off the ground, he ran towards Sasshi and Arumi and began making a circle around them in the dirt. Moving in a fevered hurry, the oni began chanting the spell that would transport the two from this Abenobashi to another one. Before either could do anything, the circle began to glow. As the magic began to take effect, Arumi screamed at the oni, “but we’re already home, you moron!”

In the next instant, both of them we’re gone and the oni scratched his head apprehensively.

“Oops.”
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June 2
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