No one appreciates what they have until they lose it.
A very famous saying that everyone knows how true it is only when they experience it themselves.
For me, I always knew that there was something wrong with my Youthful Romantic Comedy.
While I couldn't pinpoint what is exactly the problem with it before, I could tell that it was exotic, troublesome, full of twists, and a strange taste of humor.
But, only a bit later I thought it was very perfect and normal high school life.
Why?
Well, when the Romantic Comedy genre of my life changed to an Isekai Shonen Adventure, any kind of Romantic Comedy seemed like a very normal thing.
"So Hikigaya Hachiman, what is your third and last wish?"
The blue Genie urged me with a wide smile to make my wish.
For a moment he might look silly, even a scam, but the feeling of power, the heavy pressure, the turbulent wind that was gusting from his mere presence, can make you change your mind.
I wasn't terrified of him at all, in this dangerous sea adventure I had, many things were terrifying too.
Moreover, from the instant I opened my eyes in this blue mad world, I was fighting, struggling, searching, and hoping for a moment like this.
Yet now, after everything that happened, after all that I have gone through, it can make even the toughest of loners change their mindset.
Taking a look back over my shoulder, glancing at who I can really and honestly call friends now, the people responsible for this change of mind, all that I see plastered on their faces is this reassuring and genuine smile.
It was this genuine thing that made me hesitate, this genuine thing that made me rethink my priorities, and what I want to do in this life. Making me doubt if having something genuine was actually a good thing.
However, it was also this genuine thing that told me they would accept my decision no matter what it was, support me no matter what I wanted, and help me whenever I needed.
Yet, they will not make this choice for me.
For I am the one who had to take this step, to be the proactive part in this, no matter how hard it is, no matter what the consequences are, you have to take the first step if you want to get what you wish.
Something that I learned very early in this adventure.
And it almost cost me my life.
"Well, I wish…"
***
Four years ago.
***
The sun was so annoying that I had to open my eyes, which I regretted the moment I did that.
"Uggh! What is this….?"
I acted in reflex and closed my eyes again, as the sun was directly in front of me.
Looking to the side and opening my eyes slowly, I tried to get up.
Obviously, I was asleep. And when I try to get my bearings and look to the window to see what is going on, I find that there is no window.
In fact, there is no room, no bed, no cover, no desk, nothing but a beach full of sand and waves of seawater, coming and going on the shore.
Confused as any teenager in his last year in high school would be, I stand up from my 'outdoor bed' and look around.
"Where…is this?"
How I got here should be the important question at this moment. The last thing I remember was being in my room looking at my phone before sleep, and then, I was here.
"There is no way this is true."
The first thing that came to my mind was that I was transported to another world like those trashy Isekai novels that Zaimokuza wrote/plagiarized.
Which in no way this is what happened, these things are only for delusional folks like Zaimokuza to read and feel good about themselves.
They don't happen in real life.
"Yeah right, so this must be a dream."
I pinch myself to see if this was a dream "AOoo" which hurt so much that it was DEFINITELY REAL.
But if this is not a dream…
"Then what the hell is going on?"
I start to panic!
"Wait wait! Calm down! This should be a prank of sorts."
Trying to calm myself down by making assumptions. It is a bad decision but it is better than going hysterical.
Trying to look around to see where this place is, all I can see is a generic small island, with a generic-looking palm tree, a generic-looking wooden Box, and a generic-looking beach, surrounded by a generic-looking sea…
"Wait! Box?"
I look at the only strange thing in my immediate surroundings, which is an antique-looking wooden box.
Walking slowly towards it and looking at it. It appears to be an ordinary wooden box with a bit of carving on the surface.
It is staying on the sand peacefully with nothing alarming on it.
Either it is swept by the sea here, or whoever got me here put this one box too, because why not?
I pick it up slowly and examine it carefully, and again, nothing strange about it.
It had two lids on the opposite side of each other.
When I try to open it, one of the two opens easily. And as expected, it was empty.
Nothing was inside it.
The only noteworthy thing on the cover was the carved arrow pointing toward inside the box.
"No matter how much you point, there is nothing inside! What a letdown!"
When I close the lid and prepare to put it down, the lid on the bottom opens like there is something that was locking it became loose.
Open the bottom lid and look inside, there was nothing there. Not even the pointing arrow that I saw in the lid before.
"Huh? What is going on?"
I looked at the lid that opened, there was a pointing arrow carved on it but this time it was pointing out of the box, not inside it.
Putting my hand inside the box, I found my left hand reaching the bottom of the box.
When tapping with my left hand on the bottom of the box, I feel it with my right hand from the other side.
There is nothing hidden in the box.
And, no matter how much I try to open the other lid it doesn't open.
"This is strange, is this some sort of puzzle." My curiosity about this box distracted me from my situation. As if this box had some sort of answer to my questions.
When I closed the bottom lid, it closed tightly. Moreover, the upper lid became easy to open.
It was exactly as I remembered it, empty, with the carved arrow on the lid pointing inside. With no trace of the carved arrow on the other side.
Repeating my previous actions, I find the results are exactly the same.
"It is like they are completely different boxes depending on what lid is opened."
However, what does that mean?
Is this some kind of magic box?
"Heh! As if!"
Already graduated from my dark past, so such thoughts will not sneak into my mind easily. There is no way I will let it.
Since the box isn't offering any answers, I throw it aside and start looking around trying to find where is this place.
I start moving on the beach. From what I can see and measure, the Island is not big. Maybe around 100 meters from one side to the other.
Walking across the beach, I see nothing that can help me. When I look at the collections of palm trees, the sea can be seen on the other side.
When I look at the box to see how far I walked to measure the distance…..I don't see the box…
'Eh...?'
Just when I was about to run back to see where the box had gone. I see something strange…
…The box was around 3 meters from me.
"Wha…" I took a few steps back in surprise. Looking at the box intently, not letting any details go by.
The box didn't change nor did it move, as it was left here from the start.
I step back again, still looking at the box.
Then another step, then another, then another, I was getting further and further but I didn't give my back to the box.
Only when I was around 40 meters from the box did I relax a bit.
Now, I was sure that there was someone with me on the island. And was playing a very well-made prank on me.
But I know of no one who will make such a prank on me (Not like I know much people anyway). None of them is petty or has this much time for this.
"Oi! Come out now! This is not funny anymore!"
I look around trying to see if there is any movement here or there but there is nothing.
With no one answering, I decided to get back to the box.
Whoever is making this prank should be still around it. If I search carefully, I will find whoever this person is.
Just when I was around to run to stop them from changing anything or trying to run away…
…I didn't see the box…
'Hm?'
Then I saw something in my field of vision, just 1 meter away from me…
It was the box.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
I don't care about my unmanly scream as I run as fast as I can!
"WHAT IS THAT!? WHAT THE FREAKING SHIT IS THAT!?"
Every time I glanced back at the Box, I found it was a few meters behind me, even though I was running at my full speed.
Every time! Every single time! No matter how fast I run, it still follows me.
Until I collect a bit of courage in me and turn back and look at it, then with my full power, I football kick this freak of a Box.
The Box flew a bit far and my leg hurt, but I didn't care to stop and care for it as I continued running with my full force!
"Don't look back! Don't look back! Don't look back! Don't look back! Don't look back! DON'T LOOK BACK!"
Until I couldn't resist and took a look back and then-
"AAAAAAAAAAAAA STAY AWAY FROM ME!"
-continue running with even more speed than before!
I run and run and run and run but It is still there!
"WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU?! LEAVE ME ALONE!"
I kicked it a few more times, but nothing changed.
Whenever it was kicked or thrown, it didn't even change. It still follows me!
Even when it is hammer thrown to sea, it still comes back!
"EUUUUG ENOUGH OF THIS!" After I felt myself getting really tired, I stopped running and turned around to pick it up then threw it at a rock I saw in the hope of breaking it.
But the monstrous shit was so sturdy that it rebounded back and hit my chest unscathed.
"Whaaaa!"
And with that of course, I started a new round of running. With the Box still following/teleporting behind me.
After I got my bearings again, I started something new.
I opened the upper lid and filled it with wet sand, then I put a few rocks on the top of it then I dashed away fearing the box's retribution.
And it is the retribution I get…
The Box…still followed me!
Moreover, the rocks I put on it were on the ground like I didn't put them on the Box in the first place.
By that time I had no energy on me to run, when I saw the Box again I decided something else.
I dug a hole in the sand and then buried the Box in it.
And when I moved away from it, the box was out and the hole was empty.
When I saw this, I panicked again and ran for a bit, but I was so tired.
I even tried to climb a palm tree to get away from it.
Nevertheless, I couldn't go far, I was tired, and I couldn't put any strength in my limbs.
Falling and rolling on the sand, I lay on my back, and finally, the feedback from my body hit me with full force.
My legs and arms were sour and hurting from all the running, kicking, and punching that I did, my lungs were as if they were on fire, my heart was going to jump from my chest, and I felt light-headed.
In addition to all that, my throat was dry like the Sahara desert. In addition, my stomach was as empty as if it hadn't been filled for years.
I was tired, hungry, and thirsty like never before.
Then it hit me, I was alone on this small island. I have no idea where am I, or why am I here. With no source of water, food, or shelter, tired as a corpse, and finally, stuck in such a situation with the monster freak of a Box.
And then the emotions that I was ignoring because of my fiasco with the Box started coming back with vicious vengeance.
Who got me here?
What do they want from me?
Where is this place?
Where did my family go?
How do I get back?
I'm hungry.
I'm thirsty.
I'm tired.
I'm scared.
I feel cold.
What is this island?
What is the name of this sea?
What is going on?
What is this freaking Box?
'Wait! Wait! Don't panic! Don't panic! You need to focus! Think! Think! If you keep going like this, you are going to die! You need to find some source of water and some food.'
Getting up from my lying place on the semi-wet sand, the first thing I see is the Box.
It still freaks me out but I try to ignore it. I now have more priorities to worry about.
Looking at the few palm trees on the island, I walk toward them to see if there is some clean water to drink or something to eat.
-A while later-
"I am doomed."
After walking and looking around for a while, I find nothing.
There is nothing like a pool of water on this island. After all, who I am kidding? There is no way something like this exists on this small island.
The island is small, I can see the sea from every direction.
The area it spans is not large by any description. And even though there is a big rock-like natural structure in its oval-like area, it is not high.
Even if it is, the island does not have wide enough space to hold the rainwater with how small it is.
Moreover, there are not many palm trees on this island. A quick count will say about twenty or so. Moreover, none of them has any coconut fruit or anything like that on it.
I am no specialist in wildlife and plants, but shouldn't the trees have some sort of fruit or something? How could they reproduce like that? Do they grow up on their own or something?
There are many more things I have on my mind, I have no time to answer or find the answer. I am soo thirsty and so hungry, and even if there was anything on these trees, I wouldn't be able to climb and pick them.
The only chance that I have left is to maybe fish something from the sea.
But even if my old man took me to fish with him more than once, I didn't have the necessary tools on me to fish. And I have no expertise to fish with no tools or a makeshift one.
And even without all of the above reasons, I had no energy left to do anything because I was being chased by a crazy Box!
Looking at the now peacefully looking wooden box, the anger inside me is at the boiling point.
Why am I stuck with this Box and not some food, water, and Vita-chan?
Not just that, it took even the bit of energy I have to survive.
"God damn it! It is all your fault!" with the flaming bits of anger and frustration in me, I swing my leg to kick the Box far to vent.
But mid-kick, I remember that the Box was filled to the brim with sand from earlier.
'Oh No!'
Slowing my legs a bit to maybe not break it, and make my situation worse than it is, I still kick the Box with a lot of force.
Just when I thought I was going to break my leg, surprisingly, the Box was lighter than it should.
Moreover, because of the kick, the Box flew high, the lid was opened, and a myriad of colors started flying from the Box.
"Wha….!"
…
A/N: ...Well, this is an Idea that has been on my mind for a while now, so I decided to give it a shot.
I'm not sure if I can update this regularly yet, but I will try to update it every three days or so.
Anyway, thank you for reading!
Have a nice day!