Sitting in the classroom while the teacher was talking about the subject of the day, was Miyuki, who, instead of paying attention, drew doodles in her notebook. Her pencil scribbled a sparkling bunny in a magical forest.
"Miyuki," the teacher called sharply, causing her to jolt and nearly drop her pencil. "Care to tell us what I just said?"
"Uh…" She blinked, staring at the board. "Photosynthesis?"
Laughter erupted across the room. A boy in the back whispered loudly, "Maybe her bunny told her that."
Miyuki sank into her seat with embarrassment, her face flushed red. The teacher sighed and went back to the lesson. It was another typical day for her.
After the class was over, she stayed in her seat, pulling out her tiny game console, and started her favorite game. And a little pixel bunny appeared on the screen.
"Hey look. Freak's at it again," one girl whispered as she passed by the desk.
"She's obsessed with that baby game," another chimed in, louder this time. "Bet she thinks the bunny can talk back to her. How pathetic."
Miyuki ignored them, and went back to her game. It comforted her, especially when her entire class hated her all the time.
Later, while walking home, she took her usual path- a quiet street with overgrown bushes and cracked sidewalks. Her eyes turned to the infamous abandoned house on the corner. Now mossy bricks, boarded-up windows, and a heavy silence that always hung around it.
"They say it's haunted," a voice echoed in her memory from a past schoolyard rumor. "Built in the 1800s or something. First house in town ever to be built."
Miyuki hesitated at first. But curiosity got the better of her. And she pushed open the creaky gate. It groaned like it hadn't moved in years, which was true. Stepping carefully over the weeds and broken porch, she slipped inside.
The house was full of dust. She crept room to room, brushing cobwebs aside, some rooms even smelled like mold, which disgusted her.
This place was never cleaned after the family who used to live here left. Then, upstairs– the floor under her feet almost cracked underneath her, nearly giving way. Miyuki screamed in shock as she slowly jumped away. She found herself in what must've been a child's bedroom. Faded wallpaper peeled from the walls, toys scattered across the floor, which made her feel a little sad.
But one object gleamed beneath the dust. A game console.
"What the...?" She whispered, kneeling to pick it up. "This can't be right. This house was built before consoles even existed. And the family left when it was still..."
She turned it over in her hands. No branding. No cartridge slot. Just a strange glow pulsing beneath the screen. She hesitated, then slid it into her backpack.
"It's not stealing," she muttered. "Someone probably just left it here... It most likely doesn't even work…"
That night, after brushing her teeth and flopping onto her bed, she connected the console to her small TV, which was really close to her bed.
"Just to see if it will turn on…" And after she said this, she plugged it in and hit the power button.
Instead of a start screen, her TV screen turned to a blinding color of white.
"What the-" Before she could say anything else, a strong pull yanked her forward. She screamed as she was pulled in, as light flashed everywhere.
Then... With a loud thud, she landed on some soft grass.
"Ow."
She sat up slowly. Above her, a huge bird-like creature flew overhead. She looked around to see the world she was in now. It was fascinating. She looked down, and noticed that her hands were now gray, which caused her to gasp.
Her hands were smooth, and she had no texture, or body, she was featureless. She looked like a ghost.
"What is happening to me?! What is this place?!"
Just then, a screen appeared in front of her, floating in midair. It shimmered with a glow:
–Welcome. Please type in your name.
She stared at it, still trembling. Then, slowly, she reached out and typed:
'A-N-D-R-O'
Which was short for her favorite galaxy, Andromeda.
"Okay, Miyuki. Deep breaths... Just… go with it," she whispered to calm herself down.
The screen changed to:
–Select Your Style!
Her eyes lit up as countless customization options spun around her. She smiled for the first time that day.
"Ooooh, finally… This is all I ever wanted!"
She gave herself shimmering purple and pink hair, a magical staff with a star on the top of it, glittery boots, and star-shaped clips, a necklace. She even gave herself bunny ears too, because bunnies have always been her favorite animals. Her dress sparkled, layered with a white poofy skirt, the little gem she put onto her necklace glowing as she looked so happy.
When she was done, she twirled in her new outfit, laughing. "Yes! I love this!"
The screen transformed into a menu. Then with a flash of sparkles, a bunny-like creature with angel wings floated into view.
"Welcome to CTRP, Andro!" It chirped in a high-pitched, cheery voice. "My name is Pom! I will be your Magical Friend, and guide!"
Miyuki blinked, confused, but she did a little wave, "Uh… hi?"
"You, as the main girl, must save our world from the Evil Void Goddess and her minions!" Pom announced proudly, their tiny chest puffed out.
"Wait-me? Save the world? I just got here!" Miyuki argued back, shocked at what the little creature just said.
"Yes! That's how it works! Magical destiny, chosen heroine, you know!" Pom gave her a wink. "Plus, you look amazing, by the way."
Miyuki paused, then smirked slightly. "Yeah. I really do. Thank you..."
Pom did a little spin mid-air. "Now, let's begin your training, Andro!"
Miyuki gripped her staff, eyes wide and sparkling. "Okay. Let's do this... But. I do have one question before we do that... Can I transform back into my regular form? This dress would be uncomfortable to sleep in..."
"Of course you can! You just have to take off the bunny ears! And you're back to what you used to look like a human. I bet you were very pretty. Since you look good right now as well." Pom explained with a huge smile on their face.