Chapter 1

—Alright then, shall we move on to the magic scene? Everyone ready?

“Let’s go!”

Thanks again for your help today. We really appreciate it.

Oh, no problem at all. You’ve always been a great help to us, too.

Besides, it's great practice for all of us while we’re waiting for our upcoming training with the Morinomiya Troupe to start.

Speaking of which, did anyone check if we’ve got the bag of marbles for the magic trick?

Ah! Miku left it backstage. She'll grab it real quick!

That trick was super fun! The way the marbles just keep popping out of the box like pop pop pop!

...Yeah, well, it’s just a machine hidden under the tablecloth, and if you listen closely, you can totally hear it whirring.

Indeed. Even though the protagonist knows the trick might be discovered, he plays the perfect foil to his talented friend’s performance—

…..Ta-da ☆ Here’s the marbles, fresh from backstage ♪

Oh my, you even brought extras? That must've been heavy.….

Ehehe ♪ No problem at all! Miku just went “heave-ho!” and carried them like a champ~♪

Ah! Careful! Don’t swing the bag around like that—!

Rippp...?

What?! No way!! The bag’s totally torn!!

Oh no! The marbles are going all over the place!!

Oh dear, they even rolled behind the set...

Is this really the time to be watching!? Come on, everyone, let’s pick up those marbles!

Oh, Rui-kun, there’s one by your left foot!

You’re right. Good eye.

Uuugh... Sorry, everyone...

No worries, Miku! We’ll have these marbles picked up in no time if we all work together!

Yeah. Maybe we just overloaded the bag—it wasn’t strong enough to hold all those marbles it seems.

Len, Rui-kun...!

Friends really are everything! Miku swear Miku will return the favor one day!

Hold on, wasn’t that...

Fufu, that’s the line from the show, when Miku-kun's character’s friend takes that first step towards their dream with the protagonist's help at the end of the story.

("Friends really are everything", huh….)

Alright, we’re almost done. Let’s keep going—

<Hmm... I don’t really get it, but that’s pretty impressive.>

...Rui-kun, did you just say something?

No, that wasn’t me.

<Aww man, the teacher’s praising Rui-kun again...>

<Well, what can you do? Rui-kun’s a genius. Even my mom says so.>

<I wish I could be as smaaart as Rui-kun.>

(I remember this... This is—)

...Looks like it's over there.

...Ah, Rui-kun!

<This isn’t something you can do just because you think it looks fun!>

<Exactly! Rui-kun, you’re weird!>

These voices... They're coming from over there...

Oh? This is... a fragment of something? It’s glowing just a bit...

(Come to think of it, I’ve found something like this before... a round ball called the "Fragmented Feeling".)

(Could this be related——)

Rui-kuuun! What’re you doing over there?

Hey, hey! Have you guys been hearing strange voices too?!

Perfect timing. Could you both take a look at this?

This looks like a shard of something.….

Could it possibly be a piece of——

Ah...

Whoa! So bright!

This place is...

...Could this be...? Am I back in that Fragment SEKAI again?

Hmm, it kinda looks like it, but.….

……

This place... it’s giving me the chills.….

Yeah... Miku's feeling a bit scared too.….

...I get what you mean.

(The air’s... stagnant. Actually, it’s not just that—it feels so oppressively heavy.)

(And there's this strange... prickly feeling in the air...)

….It feels like someone’s really upset about something.

—That’s right.

………!

Huh?! What's that?!

Is that... little Rui-kun?!

…..You look pretty happy right now.

Even though you used to be alone all the time.

.……

.…..Miku-kun, Len-kun. Do you have any idea what that is?

Uhh... Miku thinks it’s some kind of emotion that’s taken form.…..

But... it feels a little different from the fragments we know.…..

….You two, stay here.

Ah, Rui-kun...!

.….You’re here for me, aren’t you? Won’t you explain to me what this is all about?

………

There's no need for that.

Huh.….?

"Rui-kun?!"

….Huh? Is there another me?

No, that’s not it... This is——

I've become a kid!?