fuckyeahmunto

the reanimated ver (& even the ovas) are reaallyyy well animated & the premise seemed really interesting & the character designs are pretty good but my fucking god bruh the story makes no sense and i felt ragebaited by the characters aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall the time. + theres a weird ass relationship with the main girl's friend where she dates this 17 yr mf even tho the 3 girls are all 13. there is no lore relevancy. sigh

Once again, Munto had graced her dreams very much in the same way he did when he first made contact, desperately seeking her aid. This time, the young king had been sitting atop the acropolis that had appeared when they built the shared pillar that held their worlds in place.

As before, each vision was filled with poignant emotions. This dream carried a whirlwind of anxiety and resolve, but with flashes of warm happiness, particularly as he looked upon something in his hand.

Finally sliding out of bed, she grabbed a gold ring, laced with a thin chain, and clasped it around her neck. The trinket had been a gift from Munto, pressed into her hands with sincere words of gratitude on the day they saved everyone.

Remembering his strong grip and even stronger gaze, Yumemi blushed. Theirs was a special bond, to be sure, yet the exact nature of their relationship was what? Close friends? Confidants? Hopefully, something more.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts of caring smiles and disarming embraces.

Yumemi headed downstairs, waking her little brother Chikara in the process. She gratefully accepted a quick breakfast that her mom had laid out, said good-bye to her father who was getting ready for work, and headed out the door.

Sunlight filtered through the trees as the buzz of cicadas filled the air. There were a few puffy white clouds drifting lazily in a blue sky, barely concealing the floating islands that had once been invisible to all but her. The weather put a smile on her face.

Only two years ago, on a summer's day similar to this one, save for the remnants of a downpour pooling on the streets, Yumemi first saw Munto, refracted in light from the puddles. That was where the adventure had all begun.

Much had changed now that the Heavens and Lower World shared a common space-time, but some things never changed.

"Yumemi!"

Ichiko jogged down the street to the corner where they met before track and field practice.

"Good morning," Yumemi said, tugging a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her smile a little brighter as they set off.

"Could it get any hotter?" Ichiko fanned herself. "Thank goodness we only need to go to practice during summer break. I can imagine how stuffy it must be in the classrooms."

She raked a hand through her bob. "Must be nice in the Magical Kingdom to have mild weather all the time."

Ichiko gave Yumemi a pointed look. "Speaking of Magical Kingdom: has 'ore-sama' properly confessed to you yet?"

"Hmmm." Yumemi kept walking, trying to hide the flushing in her face.

"Wait - he has, hasn't he?" Ichiko skipped ahead and whirled around to face her friend. "How did it happen? You two are an item now? What did he say?"

Yumemi put up her hands. "Neither of us has made anything official."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Ichiko admonished, taking a cue from Yumemi to keep walking lest they actually be late for practice.

Yumemi sighed, "Ichiko, he is very busy. His top priority is making sure his kingdom is safe."

Ichiko scoffed. "He needs to make sure you are safe!"

Giggling, Yumemi asked. "Safe from what?"

"You know!" Ichiko gestured wildly. "Other boys! Masculine wiles!"

Both girls paused for a moment: Yumemi with her brows raised in surprise and Ichiko frozen in a melodramatic pose. Then they burst into laughter.

"What about you?" Yumemi prodded gently. "I take it Rui hasn't confessed either then?"

Ichiko sputtered defiantly. "I don't know what you're talking about. What would I need some blue-haired man for? Besides, he's the right hand man to the king! He's very busy and important and intelligent and super good-looking.." she trailed off before waving a hand in front of her face as if to wipe away some cobwebs.

"The point is he doesn't have time for girls or dating."

Yumemi gave her friend a pat on the shoulder. "Yet he has time to learn how to use a cell phone?"

Ichiko gave her friend a half-hearted punch on the shoulder in return. "You know that's for emergencies."

They were interrupted by a ping from both of their phones. Suzume had posted some photos taken yesterday on her date with Kazuya.

"I do love Suzume, but I really don't need to see one, two..." she counted, "seven pictures of her guy munching on crepes with powdered sugar on his nose."

"I think it's cute," Yumemi said as they made it to the school gates and headed to the locker rooms.

It was perhaps a little odd that Yumemi had picked up high jumping in her third year, a time when most students were exchanging their extracurricular activities with studying for high school entrance exams. But there was something about the rush of wind during the run that reminded her of flying, and she was completely captivated by the view of the sky she got when she flipped over the bar.

Perhaps it was because for a few brief seconds, she felt connected with him.

Quiet ogling and whispering from the other girls drew her attention.

After she disappeared at the amusement park that day last winter, rumors had spread like wildfire around her class and then soon around the school that she was a sort of 'Chosen One' to be revered as a local celebrity. It didn't take long for the rumor mill to make conjectures about her entanglement with a certain red-haired king who had been captured in the news along with the other heavenly leaders.

Yumemi neither confirmed, nor denied, any of the allegations, which had only furthered the curiosity of all the first and second year girls.