Anchor Point One: Right by your side. At the hour when the sun sets and rises again, where the noonday shadow points, behind the cross, where the number is three.
Platinum stood at the main gate of Tracen Academy. The shadow of the Three Goddesses statue stretched outward, pointing into the distance.
It was just noon on the following day. After much deliberation, Platinum had decided to follow the clues from the riddle.
At this point, any chance was worth taking—it wasn't like she had any other options.
If it's "right by my side," that should mean it's near Tracen Academy. At the very least, it must be somewhere in the city, right?
Platinum had initially worried she wouldn't know how to follow the direction of the noonday shadow, but the shadow of the Three Goddesses statue pointed straight beyond the school gates.
And just outside the school gates lay a bustling shopping street.
Platinum took a deep breath and stepped out.
This was the first time she'd left the academy since enrolling. She hadn't told anyone about this outing, planning to go alone.
After all… the public safety here was fairly good. It wasn't like someone would just snatch her off the street in broad daylight, right?
With hesitant steps, Platinum made her way along the shopping street.
How long was this going to take? The clue only said to follow the shadow's direction, but not for how long. If she never found it, would she have to circle the entire globe and come right back?
Fortunately, that worry never came to pass.
After crossing a few intersections, Platinum began to lose her sense of direction. As she glanced around, a poster on a billboard caught her eye.
It was a live show poster for a band, pasted on the ad space, the girls in the photo smiling like blossoms. In Tokyo, live houses like this were common, dotted across the city map, serving as fertile ground for rock and folk bands to grow.
It wasn't that Platinum suddenly wanted to see a live show, nor was it because the girls on the poster were pretty.
According to the dates printed, the show had already ended. One of the girls, who took up nearly half the poster, was pointing off to the side.
Whether by chance or not, vivid red lettering arched above her arm.
[GO AHEAD]
Was it a coincidence, or something more?
Platinum frowned, lost in thought for a moment. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have given the poster a second glance… but after yesterday's experience, she was on edge.
And for it to appear just as she lost her way…
Somehow, her mind drifted back to the fortune-teller from the day before. Those cold fingers guiding her forward. She felt like a puppet on strings, held in the hands of some weaver.
A shiver ran down her spine as she followed the direction the poster indicated.
Whether it was paranoia or some genuine guidance, Platinum began to notice more and more signs:
On an overhead pedestrian bridge, an IKEA ad was displayed, its white stylized text reading [WELCOME].
When she reached a crosswalk and hesitated over which way to go, a moving truck sped past her. On its side were the words [FOLLOW ME]. When she didn't immediately follow, she caught a glimpse of the back of the truck, which bore the phrase [go fast!!!].
After following the truck for a block, she stopped again—the truck turned right, but the Uma Musume-only lane on the road didn't have a right-turn arrow, only a straight-ahead marker and faint traces where a right arrow might have been.
Looking up, she saw a height limit sign overhead, its orange metal plate stamped with a stark black [STOP].
The further she went, the more a growing dread wrapped around her.
It was as if she had unknowingly become a character in someone else's game.
Platinum remembered a cruel game from her childhood—plucking an ant from its colony and using her hands to block its path back again and again.
The ant would crawl over her hands, but it was futile; she knew it could never return unless she let it.
Now, Platinum was that ant. She was being manipulated at will, crawling across someone's palm, guided to wherever that person wanted her to go. Until that person was satisfied, she would never break free.
Even surrounded by people, Platinum felt as if she existed in a different world altogether.
Just as her nerves were stretched to the breaking point, she finally saw the end.
Lamp posts shaped like crosses stood elegantly on either side of the entrance. It was a café, nestled in the bustling downtown, so exquisitely decorated that it looked like one of those trendy instagrammable spots.
The kind of place you always see people posting pictures of online.
[Red Strings]
That was the name of the café.
Platinum took a deep breath and pushed the door open. Behind the counter was a foreign man with jet-black hair and emerald-green eyes, like a Persian cat—an exotic beauty.
Platinum walked straight up to him and abruptly held up three fingers!
The man behind the counter glanced at Platinum, then at the three fingers, shrugged, and pointed to the side. In fluent Japanese, he said, "Table three's over there."
With a Hokkaido accent, no less.
Platinum pulled her hand back, embarrassed, and slunk over to table three. So the anchor point she was looking for wasn't this guy.
She opened a menu she couldn't read, randomly pointed at a coffee, and clutched the cup as she let out a slow sigh.
She'd come this far… might as well wait here.
And wait she did—the entire afternoon.
One afternoon, one cup of coffee, taking up a whole table. Even if Platinum had a thick skin, this would've been too much—and her skin was thin to begin with.
She was fidgety and restless. Every time the owner's gaze swept her way, she wanted to crawl under the table.
She toughed it out all afternoon, but nothing happened.
No mysterious guests sat beside her, no one slipped her an invitation, not even anyone trying to strike up a conversation—though the ambiance was quite pleasant.
It seemed it was all just a prank after all.
Thinking this, Platinum felt a little disappointed, but also somewhat relieved.
Time to go—just as she rose to head back to her dorm for a long sleep, the café door opened.
Then, the newcomer, without a moment's hesitation, walked straight toward Platinum with clear purpose.
Platinum's heart pounded.
No way…
It can't be…
The visitor sat directly across from her, smoothed her hair, and opened the menu.
"The usual, a black tea—and get one for the kid across from me, too," the visitor said, glancing at Platinum's coffee and frowning. "She could use some refining in her tastes."
With that, she tapped her slender fingers, crossed her legs comfortably, and finally looked up at Platinum, remarking casually:
"So, mind if I join you?"
Platinum took a deep breath and sat back down across from her.
"Of course not, Agnes Tachyon."
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.