D-Dance City. A place where everyone celebrates everything with a dance, from the ancient to the modern. It was a city that left an impression on anyone who set foot in it—vibrant, loud, and for someone like Aya, incredibly irritating.
The walls of the buildings were painted in shimmering, high-contrast colors that dazzled the eyes of every visitor. Even the girl handing out brochures wore a black bunny-girl outfit, looking cute and eye-catching to everyone passing by.
"Welcome!"
No matter how you looked at it, this city had a distinct personality. It was colorful, noisy, and annoying—exactly what Aya thought as she stood there, stranded by the portal.
"Hah... honestly, I'd rather be living in the sea. But I know that's not happening," Aya grumbled, letting out a long sigh. For the second time that day, she started walking forward, though she had no idea where she was going.
The streets were alive with rhythm. Everywhere she looked, people were dancing happily—many of them adventurers who had stopped by D-Dance to join the festivities. The sounds of hip-hop beats and rap verses echoed in Aya's ears as she wandered. She eventually sat down at a retro-style cafe just to clear her head before moving on to witness more performances.
Lost in thought, Aya accidentally bumped into someone to her left. She quickly turned to apologize.
"I'm sorry, I didn't me—an to..." Her voice trailed off. She stood frozen, staring at the person she had just run into.
It was a young man. He had rich brown hair and wore modern leather attire, including a sleek jacket that marked him as human.
No tail, no fins, no long ears. He looks completely normal, Aya thought, her eyes scanning him from head to toe to make sure.
"I think I'm the one who bumped into you. My apologies," the young man said smoothly.
"Oh, I thought it was my fault. Whatever," Aya replied, giving a dismissive shrug.
The young man was holding shopping bags in both hands. He shifted them to his left hand and extended his right toward her.
"I'm Yuda Troy. Nice to meet you. Do you have a moment to talk? We seem to be... kindred spirits, judging by our appearance."
Aya understood his implication immediately. He looked younger than her, yet he spoke with a polite, trendy confidence that made her suspect he might actually be older.
"Yeah, nice to meet you. I'm Aya Kruger. I suppose we could be friends. Mind if I tag along for a bit?" she asked, accepting the handshake.
Yuda Troy gave her a thin smile and began leading her through the streets.
I know you're the one who took my coin, Aya thought fiercely. Just you wait!
She had been searching for him for so long, and finally, here he was. Yuda. Her first instinct was to confront him right then and there, but she knew being too aggressive might backfire. If he felt uncomfortable or threatened, he might just bolt again.
"I won't let that happen!" she muttered with sudden energy.
"Pardon?" Yuda asked.
"Oh, uh, nothing! Nothing at all. Anyway, this city is... quite flashy, isn't it?" she said, quickly changing the subject.
"Very flashy. It surprised me too—especially meeting a woman who's soaking wet."
"What a weirdo," Aya whispered, huffing in annoyance.
"What?" Yuda asked with another smile. His ears were incredibly sharp; no matter how softly Aya spoke, he seemed to catch every word.
"Nothing! I'm just curious where we're going. This isn't a date or anything, right?"
"Well, I can see you're lost, so I'm just showing you around D-Dance City. Here, take this."
Yuda handed her one of the shopping bags. Inside was a set of clothes.
"What's this?"
"You're not very observant, are you? I'm trying to be attentive by getting you some fresh clothes. Don't worry, the style works for both men and women."
"My clothes are wet, but I'm sure they'll dry soon."
"Good grief, haven't you noticed how dirty you are?"
Aya was the type to brush things off and regret it later—a girl who was always trying to be frugal, even when it didn't make sense.
"Fine. Thank you."
She hurried into a nearby public restroom to change. A minute later, she emerged wearing a long, vintage-style gown with a matching headpiece that looked like a cross between a beanie and a bandana.
"So... this is your idea of 'unisex' clothing?" she asked, feeling a bit ridiculous.
"Wow! It looks beautiful! What a coincidence that I bought such a perfect dress for you, Aya!" he cheered, grabbing both of her hands excitedly.
"I didn't ask for a compliment. And I'm starting to think you knew who I was from the start. This meeting wasn't a coincidence, was it? Don't tell me—"
"Exactly! Come on! A soft, plain gown like a country girl's is the perfect fit for this classic spot I just found," Yuda said, completely ignoring her question as he pulled her along.
He led her far from where she had first arrived to a quieter part of the city. It was a peaceful venue where couples were performing on a small stage. The guests were silent, their eyes locked on the rhythmic movements.
"It is peaceful here. I like it."
"See? I told you. This place is quite comfortable."
"So, were you born in this world?" Aya asked, deciding to go on the offensive with a direct question.
"How blunt of you. But that's fine. To answer your question: no. I ended up here because someone drew a magic circle under my feet."
Hearing that made Aya think of the mysterious hooded figure. She was still plagued by the mystery of who that person was and why they had targeted her. Was it a grudge?
"I see."
"And what about you?" Yuda asked back.
"I should be at university, but someone was targeting me. One of them seemed to be a sorcerer, and they forced me into this world," Aya revealed, looking down sadly at her leather shoes.
"It sounds like we share the same fate."
Yuda stood up and reached out his hand to her.
"You guessed right earlier—I've seen you before, though not in D-Dance City," he remarked, pulling a gold coin from his jacket pocket.
Aya gasped in shock, but Yuda quickly tucked the coin back away.
"Let's get straight to the point. I'd like to get to know you better. Dance with me, and maybe that coin will become yours again," he added, offering his palm once more.