Mugentsu Village woke up slower than usual that morning.
Even the cicadas seemed hesitant, their chirps delayed as if second-guessing the sunrise. Fog clung to the hills like it had secrets to tell but didn't trust anyone enough to share them. The villagers knew better than to disturb mornings like these.
But Kazuki?
Kazuki was up early.
"Smile, where's my other boot!?"
Plop.
A wet noise echoed as Smile deposited the missing footwear on his head like a crown. The squishy creature seemed smug. His body was slightly more translucent than usual—still cute, but now somehow… mysterious. Ever since the Shrine, something in Smile had shifted. He was still the same joyful blob, but his presence carried weight.
Almost like people sensed they should be a little afraid of him.
Kazuki didn't.
Mostly because he was too busy wrestling his foot into a soggy boot.
Breakfast & The Mission Board of Doom
Downstairs at the guild hall, breakfast was chaos—as usual.
Sawa sipped tea like a noblewoman while side-eyeing a group of adventurers bragging about defeating a rogue bamboo spirit. Tsuki was already gnawing on dried meat while three small kids watched him in awe like he was a local deity.
Kazuki dropped into his chair.
Hiraya perched atop the rafters, sharpening her talons by dragging them against a steel rod someone had left behind. "You sleep poorly."
Kazuki yawned. "I dreamed of talking stairs and arguing fox statues. One of them said my socks were offensive."
Sawa raised a brow. "That's because they are."
Kazuki looked down. One sock was blue. The other had a flamingo.
"…Fair."
At the Mission Board, a new parchment had been pinned up—smelling faintly of mist and old paper.
URGENT: Spiritual Flux Detected East of Mugentsu. Forbidden Woods Breach.
Class Restriction: B and Up
Note: Low chance of death. Moderate chance of identity crisis.
Signed, Guildmistress Akari.
Kazuki stared. "…Why does everything sound like a therapy session lately?"
Tsuki butted his leg. "Let's go."
Smile wobbled over and bounced in agreement.
Kazuki turned to the others. "Alright, squad. Looks like the fog isn't done being cryptic."
The Path to the Forgotten Woods
They made their way east, passing terraced hills and lanterns strung between trees. Villagers peered from their homes, murmuring prayers and tossing salt on their doorsteps. Apparently, the Forbidden Woods had been sealed for generations, guarded by both spiritual wards and something called a Name-Bound Seal.
According to Hiraya, those seals could only be broken by someone whose true name had been touched by the spirit realm.
Kazuki didn't mention what happened at the shrine.
Smile knew.
Smile said nothing.
Inside the Fog-Cursed Grove
As they stepped into the Forbidden Woods, the fog returned—but different this time.
It wasn't blinding. It was selective.
Kazuki could still see his companions, but every tree around them blurred unless he looked directly at it. The ground pulsed gently with pale green light. Branches whispered.
Then came the voice again.
Not booming.
Not hostile.
"You are the one who forgot."
Kazuki spun. "Okay! This again? Who exactly did I forget!?"
No reply.
A tendril of fog slid across his shoulder and dropped a single item into his palm.
It was a stone… with a familiar shape. A crest.
The exact same crest from the flute he found at the shrine.
And it was warm.
Hiraya dropped from the trees beside him. "The spirits are trying to remind you of something. Someone."
Kazuki tilted the stone.
Etched faintly into the back was a name.
Sakura.
Memory Spark: The Girl in the Park
Kazuki stumbled.
A flicker sparked in his head—a picnic blanket under cherry blossoms. Laughter. A girl handing him melon bread. Her face wasn't clear. Just the feeling of joy. Then wind. Tears.
Fog.
And silence.
Kazuki clutched his head. "Wh-what the hell was that?"
Tsuki leaned in. "A sealed memory."
Sawa murmured. "The spirit didn't take your name… it gave you something back."
Kazuki blinked, the fog swirling around him like a gentle curtain.
Smile looked up.
And said one word.
"Sakura."
The fog recoiled. Trees shivered. Wind rose.
A path opened ahead.
End Scene: The Hollow Altar
They reached a clearing shaped like a giant teardrop. At its center stood a broken altar with a mirror resting on top—its surface rippling like water.
And inside the mirror…
Kazuki saw himself.
But different.
Older. Worn. And standing next to someone whose hand he was holding.
The girl from the memory.
She turned in the reflection—eyes wide with fear.
"They're coming."
Then the mirror cracked.