The bus screeched to a stop.
A 19-year-old boy stepped out slowly, eyes locked on the distant peak touching the clouds.
> "I don't remember if it was a dream... or something real."
"But I know what I saw... a girl standing on that mountain."
He touches his cheek, fingers trembling slightly.
> "This burn mark from her kiss... it still hurts."
"When she kissed me, I felt nothing. But now… every time I touch it, the pain brings warmth."
Suddenly, his phone buzzes — a breaking news alert.
> "Strange Mythical Creatures Sighted Near Akatsuki Mountain — No One Who Entered Returned."
His thoughts flash back to that mysterious girl.
As he boards the mountain train with a secret expedition team, he notices a girl standing near the window, wearing a zipped jacket, quiet.
"Hey," he smiles, trying to start a conversation. "Do you not have hands?"
The girl doesn't respond.
> "Why did I even ask that?"
"Maybe because... she reminds me of that girl."
The team prepares. Someone announces:
> "We move silently. This adventure is illegal. If they catch us, it's over."
The boy looks up at the mountain again.
> "They're all going to explore for fun... to see mythological creatures."
"But I... I'm going there because of her. I don't even know why. I just feel... I must."
The train slowly moves toward the foot of the impossible mountain.
The wind howls outside. The sky looks deeper than usual.
---
⚡ FLASHBACK: 8 Years Ago
An 11-year-old boy stands near the same mountain, holding fresh fish in his hands.
> "Yes! Caught so many! Gonna go home and cook them up!"
Just then, something sparkles behind a tree.
He curiously runs toward it — and sees a girl, about his age, half-hidden behind the trunk.
Her stomach growls loudly.
> "Are you hungry?" he asks, confused. "I have fish. Let's cook it together."
But before he could act, the girl grabs a few raw fish and gulps them down — bones and all.
> "Hey! That was raw! And you didn't even chew!"
The girl turns and looks at him.
Suddenly, she leans forward... and kisses his cheek.
He freezes. She giggles and says something strange:
> "Gakhuyi... Gakhuyi... Gakhuyi~!"
> "W-What? Are you crazy!?"
She just smiles brightly.
But then — a rumble. A huge boulder falls from above.
The two barely dodge in time, but in the chaos — they're separated.
---
💨 Present
The train screeches again.
A girl finally speaks beside him:
> "This place grows taller every year. The mountain has risen another 100 meters."
> "To the sky…?" he whispers, staring at the peak above the clouds.
She nods.
And so, their forbidden adventure begins.