I crossed the street at the intersection, then wrenched open the automatic doors to let myself into the store. I started making my way over to the beverage area—when all of a sudden, my eye was caught by the cover of a particular periodical on the magazine rack. It was a weekly serial manga publication—one I had set eyes on countless times over the course of our journey. I was always mildly intrigued by it, though never quite enough to actually pick it up and leaf through. But now that I actually had a little bit of alone time, I figured I might as well take a quick look. I didn’t want to keep Akira waiting too long, so I certainly wasn’t going to stand there and read the whole thing.
I picked the magazine up off the shelf and was immediately thrust into the full-color first chapter of an all-new series featured on this week’s cover. I was only planning to skim it, but the frontispiece was so breathtaking, I couldn’t help but get engrossed. And as soon as I finished the chapter, I returned the volume to the magazine rack and just stood there in awe a while.
…Damn. That was good. Really good.
If I had to give it a genre, I’d say it was probably closest to fantasy. It was about a pair of young boys—soldiers on opposite sides of a conflict between two warring countries—who happen to wash ashore on the same uninhabited island. They agreed to set aside their national allegiances and work together in order to survive, at least for as long as it took to get rescued. At first, they struggled to get along due to some pretty major cultural differences, but as they started to get to know one another a little bit better, their bond slowly began to deepen. Eventually, they managed to make it off the island, only to discover that the war beyond its shores had just taken a turn for the worse while they were away… And that was where the first chapter ended. Although it certainly wasn’t the most action-packed manga of all time, nor the most original plot concept, I found myself extremely captivated by it. The art style was gorgeous, and the characters felt so vivid and real. I couldn’t even begin to guess where the story might go from here.
I kind of wanted to get Akira to read it too. Then we could share our thoughts on it—talk about our favorite scenes and characters or which lines might be foreshadowing for future plot developments. I just wanted to be able to rant and rave about it with someone I knew, really. To gush and theorize with one another the way you often saw people doing all over social media, scrutinizing every little thing about their favorite series right down to the tiniest of details.
This might even have been the first time I’d ever felt this way. Up until now, I generally let my thoughts on any given piece of media be “complete” as soon as I was done consuming it, with no need for additional analysis or conversation. And I’d certainly never felt the urge to recommend a story to someone else before. What a wonderful thing it was, having a friend to share your passion and excitement for something with. I’d never really understood it before, but now it all made sense: It wasn’t even really about the work itself, at the end of the day. It was mostly just an excuse to share something special with someone who really meant a lot to you. I’d just never had anyone like that until now.
But man, what an opening. Can’t wait to see what happens next…
Although I guess…
I’ll have to wait until next week to find out, won’t I?
It happened in an instant.
The earth shook and the air quaked as a low, booming, resonant gong rang out like the tolling of a monumental bell. It was so sudden and startling that my stomach nearly turned itself inside out, and the contents of the manga I’d been reading left my mind in a flash.
What is that? What’s that sound?
The ringing didn’t stop. I started panicking.
What’s going on? Is that a bell? But how? Who rang it? Who could have rung it? Akira? But there wasn’t a big temple bell or anything over in the park, was there? And even if there was, it wouldn’t be this loud. It wouldn’t sound like it was ringing directly into my ear, surely.
But then, what other explanation was there?
Oh god. Don’t tell me.
Intuition shot from synapse to synapse, slowly turning from suspicion to certainty, before the harrowing conclusion was fired off to every nerve in my body.
The bell was tolling. This was a signal.
Time was about to resume its march.
Which could only mean one thing.
Did I just…inadvertently wish to live in the future…?
Over what? A stupid manga series?
You’ve gotta be kidding me, right?!
It couldn’t have been THAT good!
That’s not something to live for! That’s…that’s ridiculous!
I burst out of the convenience store. This was bad—really bad.
I’ve gotta hurry! I need to make it back to Akira, and fast, or else—
A cold wind howled.
The autumn leaves rustled in the roadside trees.
A pigeon perched on a nearby branch took flight. I looked overhead and heard the roaring engine of an ascending aircraft as it carved its way higher into the sky. Behind me, I heard the muffled voice of the convenience store clerk giving their corporate-issued thank-you, followed shortly thereafter by the little jingle that announced each opening of the automatic sliding doors. A grown man in a business suit sidled his way out around me, clearly less than enthused that I was blocking the entrance.
A campaign van came slowly driving by, the earnest voice of a woman insisting “We need your support!” blaring from its megaphones. An impatient biker with a delivery box on the back of his motorcycle loudly revved his engine as he overtook the van and sped on down the avenue, the hum from his exhaust echoing the whole way.
And meanwhile, I just stood there in a daze.
“What the…? Where am I?”