A teenage boy walked down the road in his school uniform, a bag slung over his shoulder. The streets were quiet, and the soft morning sunlight filtered through the trees. Suddenly, the scene shifted. We found ourselves inside a classroom, and the boy entered, quietly taking a seat in a corner by the window.
Narration:
"The teenager is our main character. His name is Shinaki tenshiro, 15 years old, and a high school student. He comes from a middle-class family."
Soon, a girl entered the classroom and sat beside Shinkai. She tried to start a conversation, but Hakai ignored her, lost in his own thoughts. The bell rang, and class officially began.
After school, Shinkai walked home with his group of friends.
Shinkai:
"Guys, we're bored. How about coming over to play video games at my house tomorrow?"
Friends:
"Why not? We'll all come."
The scene shifted to Shinkai sitting at the table in his room. He was deeply engrossed in an anime novel, thinking to himself:
"Why don't supernatural powers exist in our world?"
Hakai was a true anime and manga lover, with a collection that filled his room.
His mother called him for dinner.
Shina (Mother):
"Hakai, dinner's ready!"
Shinkai left his room and joined the family at the table. His younger brother, Hayato, looked up eagerly.
Hayato:
"Brother, when will I start going to school?"
Shinkai:
"Uhhh… when you're old enough and ready, little brother."
Hayato:
"Ummmm… I need to go to school!"
The family laughed together, the warmth of a happy home filling the room. His father, Royotaro, smiled at the boys, while Hakai's mother, Shina, gently scolded Hayato for being impatient.
After dinner, Shinkai returned to his room, continuing to read his anime novel. Later, he began completing his homework. Meanwhile, in a different part of the town, Mikoto, a 14-year-old girl and Hakai's classmate, lay in bed.
Narration:
"He wondered if Shinkai liked him, quietly blushing as he thought about their interactions. Like Shinkai, Mikoto was an avid fan of anime novels."
The next day, Shinkai and his three best friends—Sakashi, Ritsu, and Ichiro—gathered to play video games. Ichiro was especially close to Shinkai. While playing, they discussed one of their favorite anime novels.
Ichiro:
"The hero in this novel saves the world from the omnigod of their multiverse. Do you guys think omnigods could exist in our world?"
Sakashi and Ritsu:
"Nah! That's not possible at all."
They laughed and agreed, returning their focus to the game. After an exciting session, Shinkai went to sleep. That night, he dreamt vividly.
Narration:
"In his dream, he entered a world where omnigods truly existed, and a multiverse god destroyed entire universes. The dream felt real… until it suddenly broke when his mother called him to wake up for school."
Shinkai quickly got ready, ate breakfast, and waved goodbye to his family before heading out. After school, his friends came over to play video games again.
Ichiro:
"Shinkai, should we go to the mountain that everyone says is haunted?"
Shinkai:
"If everyone agrees, then okay."
Everyone agreed, and they set off. The mountain wasn't far from their home since they lived in a mountainous area, with the city below nestled in the valley. Excited for adventure, the boys began their journey toward the mountain.
Narration:
"And so, their ordinary world was about to change…"
[End of Chapter 1]