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1

Mujirushi Kaizera

In the quiet suburb of Osaka, under the soft glow of streetlights, Mujirushi found himself immersed in the mundane task of grocery shopping. Clad in a crimson tracksuit, his white hair tousled, and dark blue eyes glazed over, he absentmindedly traversed the aisles, lost in his thoughts. The shopping list his mother had given him floated in his mind. As Mujirushi deposited items into his cart, his detachment continued until he found himself standing in line at the checkout. It was only then that he snapped back to reality, realizing he had forgotten one crucial item; the new charging cable mom wanted. A furrow formed on his forehead, and with a hint of annoyance, he retrieved the missing item and returned to the queue.

The late evening hushed the grocery store, and the line moved swiftly. After the two customers in front of him completed their transactions, Mujirushi mechanically paid for his items. A brief pang of regret hit him as he walked out, realizing he forgot to purchase a bag. Still, he dismissed the idea of retracing his steps and opted to carry the items in his hands. The rhythmic tapping of Mujirushi's footsteps reverberated in the quiet night. Suddenly, a man shaped blur raced past him, causing a momentary startle. Unfazed, he continued walking until the true nature of the situation unfolded. The pursuer, now visible, revealed himself to be a criminal, the glint of a gun chillingly present in his trousers. With a demand for his phone, Mujirushi's instincts kicked in.

Partially refusing to be a victim but partially due to panic, Mujirushi bolted, a gunshot echoing in the stillness. He dodged into the cover of nearby bushes, heart pounding. As he cowered, the air crackled with tension. Then, an indescribable, blinding white light enveloped him forcing him to close his eyes, and the world around him seemed to dissolve into the unknown..

Mujirushi lay still, his eyes squeezed shut against the blinding light which was now fading, unsure of what had just transpired. The seconds ticked by, and in the silence, he contemplated the possibilities—was he dead, or was this some strange twist of fate? Amidst his musings, guilt gnawed at him for neglecting to grab a bag for the groceries he had dropped in the panic. A distant murmur interrupted his thoughts thought.

• "God has the homelessness got so bad that they sleep in the middle of the road now?"

Startled, Mujirushi's eyes shot open to a new environment. Before he could grasp his surroundings, a man materialized before him. A grand mustache adorned his face, and a top hat crowned his head. The man, donned in a black suit with a distinctive "C" pin, confused by Mujirushi's disorientation. As he turned to leave, Mujirushi mustered a shaky "Wait!" that halted the man in his tracks.

• Mujirushi: "Where am I?"

• The man: "You had a deep sleep huh?"

• Mujirushi: "No seriously, where am I? I was in some bushes, and then there was a bang, and some light-"

• The man: "Calm down. If you're seriously that clueless, I don't know how you're still even alive."

He pauses for a second.

• The man: "Unless... Do you happen to come from a foreign country?"

• Mujirushi: "No! Well, maybe. I don't know..."

The man stared in confusion.

• Mujirushi: "C'mon, just tell me where I am!"

• The man: "Fine, fine. You're in Pzhemeborg, a small town in Liberland, 60 km east from the capital."

• Mujirushi: "Liberland, huh? I've never heard of such a place."

• The man, in shock: "Huh? Seriously?"

• Mujirushi: "Yeah, well, do you know where Japan might be or how do I get there?"

• The man: "Hm, well, I think I've heard of such a place. Apparently, it's in Kultokrat's area."

• Mujirushi: "Who?- Nevermind. How do I get there?"

• The man: "Well, since we're in Liberland, there is no public transport here. You're going to have to get a taxi or something. Alternatively, you could come with me. I do happen to plan to go to the capital soon anyway, and if we split the taxi bill, then it will be cheaper for both of us."

• Mujirushi: "Sounds good.."

Carrots Rppltwo

• The man: "Since we're going to be together for the next few hours, might as well introduce myself. I am Carrots Rppltwo, CEO of C Grant."

• Mujirushi: "Wait, if you're a CEO, why do you need a taxi?!"

• Carrots: "I like to be humble."

• Mujirushi: "Ugh... Well, I'm Mujirushi Kaizera."

• Carrots: "I see. Your name does definitely sound foreign, if not archaic even."

• Mujirushi: "You know, that does sound kinda rude."

• Carrots: "Doesn't matter because I didn't mean it to be."

They start walking towards the city center with Carrots leading the way.

• Mujirushi: "That's not how that works."

• Carrots: "Yes, it is. Shut up already. Let me walk quietly."

• Mujirushi: "Ok, fine."

They continued to walk towards the center in silence. After a few minutes they entered the Pzhemeborg city center, and as they stepped out of the alleyway, Mujirushi couldn't help but be awestruck by the unfamiliar surroundings. The architecture, products, and even manners were a stark departure from what he knew, reminiscent of the online videos and posts showcasing European countries or the United States. Meanwhile, Carrots, though slightly embarrassed by Mujirushi's childlike awe, kept a composed silence. He fought the urge to comment on Mujirushi's excitement, deciding to maintain a stoic demeanor. The two made their way to the taxi station, where Carrots settled on a bench while Mujirushi continued to explore the area. Carrots couldn't contain his annoyance as Mujirushi's fascination seemed to intensify. Finally, he blurted out, "Can you stop excitedly prancing around like a little girl for God's sake?! You're clearly too old for that stuff now, no?"

• Mujirushi, suddenly halting, apologized, explaining, "I'm sorry. It's just this place is so... exotic?"

• Carrots scoffed, "This is the most boring and unexotic place I can think of. It's a damn taxi station."

• Mujirushi defended himself, "Well, I've never been in one of those before, I think."

• Carrots couldn't resist the opportunity to criticize, "Personally, I don't think you've done anything in your life, judging by the fact I found you on the floor completely unaware of your surroundings." Their conversation was interrupted as a taxi screeched to a halt.

Skeletronius Janitorius, more commonly known as SJ

• SJ greeted Carrots, "Good day, Mr. Rppltwo."

• Carrots, acknowledged, "Yes."

As Carrots entered the car, Mujirushi attempted to follow but was stopped by SJ. Carrots clarified, "Nah, let him in, SJ. He's with me."

• SJ questioned, "You sure?"

• Carrots snapped, "Are you stupid or something? If I say something, I mean it."

SJ nodded, and Mujirushi entered the car. The taxi pulled away, and Mujirushi, impressed, remarked, "Do all taxi drivers follow orders like that? Amazing customer support, honestly."

• Carrots couldn't resist a jab, "I'm so lucky that you're stupid."

• Confused, Mujirushi questioned, "What?"

• Carrots dismissed him, "Nothing," sticking his tongue out mockingly.

As they drove in silence, Mujirushi's worry became palpable. Carrots, sensing something was amiss, debated asking what was wrong but ultimately chose not to. Assuming Mujirushi's concern was about accommodation, Carrots decided to let the matter rest. With Mujirushi lost in thought about explaining his sudden absence to his mother once he returns to Japan, Carrots kept quiet. After 35 minutes of driving, the taxi came to a stop.

• SJ announced, "We are here. The Liberland capital."

The Liberland capital stretched before them, a dazzling spectacle of towering skyscrapers that reached into the evening sky. As the city lights began to shimmer with the onset of dusk, Carrots and Mujirushi exited the taxi, which promptly continued on its way without them. Carrots anticipated Mujirushi's admiration for the prestigious capital, but to his surprise, Mujirushi seemed less impressed, his worry about getting home and the city's resemblance to Osaka overshadowing any awe.

• Carrots, bewildered, exclaimed, "How were you in awe about some ugly small town, but then seem completely uninterested in the most developed city in this region?!?"

• Mujirushi responded calmly, "Well, this city just... it's very similar to my home city. There are many big glowing cities like this in Japan."

• Carrots, sweating at the thought of FPCBA's development, stood in shocked silence. He muttered to himself, "Maybe laissez-faire doesn't wor—" before cutting himself off, "he must be a propagandist, I WILL get him back to FPCBA and then blackmail Kultokrat into giving me money."

• Mujirushi, not fully hearing Carrots, asked, "Huh? What are you murmuring about now? I'm not saying it's ugly or anything."

• Carrots chose to ignore his theory for the time being, saying, "Whatever, let's just get something to eat. I'm starving!"

• Mujirushi agreed, "Uh, sure, but in terms of currency, I don't think mine is compatible with this place," taking out some yen.

• Carrots, puzzled, asked, "What in the world is that? Some collector's coins? They don't look like the FPCBA Zloty."

• "Well, I guess I'll pay then. You'll just pay for me next time," Carrots suggested.

• Mujirushi, reluctantly, agreed, "Uh, sure."

They walked to Taco Gong, Carrots' favorite place, where they ate and talked for about an hour. After leaving the restaurant, they stood outside.

• Mujirushi declared, "Well, time to get to Japan now!"

• Carrots, taken aback, exclaimed, "What? You know that's like a couple of hours' drive. I don't have enough energy for that."

• Mujirushi responded, "Well, you don't need to come, I guess."

• Carrots, thinking about the missed blackmail opportunity, asked, "How in the world are you gonna get there without me?"

• Mujirushi suggested, "Can't I just take some taxi? I didn't see you pay for your taxi."

• Carrots, flustered, claimed, "Uh... I paid... in advance, yeah, I paid in advance."

• "Oh, well, can you lend me some money?" Mujirushi asked.

• Carrots adamantly refused, "Hell no!"

• Mujirushi pointed out, "I thought you were trying to be humble?"

• Carrots snapped, "Shut up! I don't care about that! It's about the blackm— I mean, I want to come with you," forcing a fake smile.

• Mujirushi, unaware of Carrots' internal struggle, said, "Oh, well, I don't have anywhere to stay if I am to stay."

• Carrots, dismissive, replied, "Oh, well, that's fine, I guess. Just buy me a whiskey in the future or something."

• Mujirushi asked, "You sure?"

• Carrots, with another forced smile, affirmed, "Yes."

They walked to the hotel, where Carrots spoke to the receptionist.

• Carrots asked, "How much is a room for one night? A small one is fine, it's just gonna be one guy."

• The receptionist replied, "Like, hm, 560 dollars."

• Carrots, seemingly unfazed, accepted, "I suppose that's doable."

• "Room 240 is yours then," the receptionist declared, handing the key to Carrots.

• Carrots passed the key to Mujirushi, saying, "It's two whiskeys now."

• Mujirushi, somewhat nervously, responded, "Haha, thanks."

• Carrots instructed, "Tomorrow at like 2 pm, meet me at the entrance. Before then, do whatever you want, as long as it doesn't cost me, Goddamit."

• Mujirushi agreed, "Alright, thank you once again."

They separated, and Carrots left the hotel. Mujirushi headed upstairs to the second floor, took off his shoes, and immediately jumped onto the bed on his back. Staring at the ceiling, he pondered the events of the day, wondering how he ended up in this strange place, his working theory being that he must of been transported by that guy who wanted to steal his phone, since he didn't have his phone with him ever since waking up. Eventually, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, determined to find his way back home as soon as possible.