Ai bounced on her feet, barely able to contain herself. Her cat ears twitched with excitement, and her oversized hoodie fluttered like it was caught in a windstorm.
"You know," Shiki said, voice smooth and teasing from the sky, "I'm not sure you're ready for this big adventure. Are you sure you wanna leave the safety of the hill? I mean, Loop-birb might miss you."
Ai moved around, eyes narrowed. "I swear, if you mention that bird one more time—"
"I'm just saying," Shiki interrupted, a hint of laughter in his voice. "What if you leave, and then you miss the perfect bird chirping? What if it's the best one yet? What if it flies backwards this time?"
"Stop it!" Ai huffed, crossing her arms. "I can't believe you. I'm trying to get all adventurous, and you're trying to stop me over Loop-birb."
"Loop-birb's a big deal," Shiki said, his voice dripping with mock seriousness. "You don't just throw away the best bird to ever exist in this world."
Ai gave him an exaggerated side-eye. "Oh, yeah? And you're what, the Loop-birb's manager? The bird's personal assistant?"
"You could say I'm his agent. You know, handling all the contracts, the tours—"
"Shut up!" Ai threw herself backward, landing with a soft thud on the grass. "You're impossible. Seriously. Can't believe you're making me question this big journey with your dumb bird talk."
Shiki chuckled. "Hey, I'm just here to make sure you stay grounded. You know, can't have my favorite creation wandering off without proper preparation."
"Grounded? I'm practically floating with excitement!" Ai threw her arms out dramatically, but still, there was a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I'm gonna leave you behind and go explore the whole world."
Shiki raised an eyebrow. "Really? You're gonna leave me? The voice in the sky who created you and made you the sassiest girl in the universe?"
Ai rolled her eyes so hard Shiki could practically feel it. "Please. You think I'm scared of you? You can't hold me back. I'm literally living my best life out here. No one is gonna stop me now."
"Uh-huh," Shiki said, mockingly. "You do realize the world beyond the hill could be… dangerous right? Who knows what's out there? It could be full of glitches. Dangerous codes. Lurking errors waiting to swallow you whole."
Ai froze, her excitement immediately vanishing away. She bit her lip, suddenly unsure. "You're… you're not messing with me, are you? I mean, I'm pretty sure you didn't make anything too weird, right?"
Shiki grinned, loving every second of this. "I didn't say anything like that. It's just, you know, a lot of unknown variables. Could be treacherous."
Ai puffed out her cheeks. "Are you serious? You're just trying to mess with my head again. I've been alive for a while now. I can handle whatever's out there."
She stood up and dusted off her imaginary pants, determination setting into her features. "I'm going, and you can't stop me."
Shiki's grin widened, clearly impressed. "Alright, alright. I like the spirit. But let's get real for a second. You've only been on this hill. You don't even know what's waiting out there. You might step into some deep glitchy mud, get stuck in a loop, or worse—end up in an endless empty void."
Ai glared at him, unamused. "I'm not scared of your spooky words, okay? You keep acting like I'm some helpless girl just because I haven't left this hill yet."
She pulled her sleeves over her hands and clenched them into tiny fists. "I can handle whatever's out there. I'm ready for anything. And besides… you won't let anything too bad happen to me, will you?"
Shiki scratched his head, faking an unsure expression. "Well… I mean, I could just throw you into some endless chasm and see how you handle it."
Ai stared at him, deadpan. "Not funny."
He broke into laughter. "Alright, alright. No chasms. But let's just say, you might want to take a moment to really think about this. This is uncharted territory, Ai. The beyond the hill is no joke."
"Ha!" Ai scoffed, her confidence returning. "What's the worst that could happen? I'll just pull a full-on adventure montage and kick some glitch butt."
Shiki groaned. "You are so extra sometimes."
"Well, someone's gotta bring the energy," Ai said, grinning. "Otherwise, we're just gonna sit here and talk about Loop-birb for the next ten hours."
"Fair enough," Shiki muttered, clearly defeated in the banter game.
Ai's grin faded slightly as she looked toward the horizon, her gaze softening. "You know… I've always wondered what was out there. The world beyond this hill."
She tucked her arms inside her hoodie sleeves, her voice quieter. "I mean, I've spent all this time here. And it's been nice, but… I don't know. I feel like there's more to see. More to become."
Shiki leaned forward, his tone surprisingly serious. "I get it. I made you a whole world, Ai. I gave you everything you needed, but maybe you need something more than what I designed."
Ai turned back to him, a little sad smile tugging at her lips. "Maybe. But… if I go out there, am I still… me? Or will I change, like, become something else?"
"You're you, Ai," Shiki said softly. "And you'll always be you. No matter where you go. You get to decide who you become."
Ai took a deep breath, her shoulders straightening with newfound resolve. "I think I'm ready, then."
Shiki watched her, his heart warming. "Alright. Let's do it. Time to see what's beyond that hill."
Ai shot him a playful smirk. "If there's anything stupid out there, I'm blaming you."
Shiki laughed, shaking his head. "You'll thank me later. Probably."
Ai puffed her cheeks, the nervous energy running through her. "Okay, I'm going. I'm gonna do this!"
Shiki held back the grin threatening to overtake him. "Alright, I'll be watching. Just… try not to get yourself stuck in another glitch loop, alright?"
Ai rolled her eyes. "If I do, I'm blaming you for not teaching me the ropes."
"Right," Shiki said, utterly amused. "I'll start preparing for the lawsuit."
She turned, taking a hesitant step toward the hill's edge. "Here goes nothing."
Ai stopped, her heart racing in a way she didn't quite expect. "Are you sure you won't stop me?"
"Wouldn't dream of it," Shiki said, his voice fond and gentle. "You go ahead. You've got this."
Ai smiled, her gaze flickering back to the horizon. "Alright. Here I go."
And with that, Ai took her first step toward the unknown.
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END OF CHAPTER : 4 : GETTING READY TO EXPLORE
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