Chapter Text

For sixteen years of his life, Yuta Hibiki always thought his life was normal. Well, normal for someone with red hair, that is.

He would wake up, force himself to go to his high school (which, funnily enough, was named after some overrated anime), spend eight hours doing absolutely nothing, and then, force himself back to his apartment.

It might have been boring, but in a way, it was comforting. There would be no unexpected turn of events, nothing out of the ordinary would ever occur. It had been like this for all of his life, and it was never going to change.

Or, that’s what he thought, before fainting in the middle of a crowded street on his way home from school.

The first thing that Yuta heard once he opened his eyes, was someone softly singing. Upon further listening, he could tell that it was the voice of a girl, but not one he was familiar with.

The red haired boy rose from a couch which he had been sleeping on, turning his head in order to look around the unfamiliar room he was in. A few plants were scattered around the room, along with cabinets filled with white cups and bowls.

To Yuta’s right, was a black haired girl sitting at a white clothed table, singing to herself while browsing her laptop. She wore a white jacket, along with a orange scrunchie, to compliment her blueish-purple eyes.

She looked towards Yuta, and gave a small smile.

“Oh, you’re awake!”, she exclaimed, as Yuta groggily clutched his forehead.

“Hi… who are you?”, Yuta asked, removing the blanket that was covering his legs.

“You don’t know who I am? I’m Rikka, Rikka Takarada. You already knew that, right?”

In response to this, Yuta shook his head.

“No. I don’t remember ever knowing your name, or you, for that matter.”

“Wait, does that mean you don’t know who you are?”, Rikka inquired.

“No, I know who I am. Yuta Hibiki. It’s just that I don’t know who you are. Are we friends?”

“Not really, this is the longest we’ve ever talked before.”, Rikka replied, standing up and walking

closer to Yuta.

“Rikka, is something wrong?”

“I think I should take you to the hospital.” Rikka bluntly said. “The fact you passed out near my house is reason enough, but you not knowing who I am kind of makes me think you have amnesia.”

Before Rikka could continue, Yuta clutched his forehead once more, not due to pain, but something he couldn’t explain.

Suddenly, a mysterious voice spoke in his head.

“Yuta…”

Yuta gasped, looking around for anyone else other than Rikka, who tilted her head in mild confusion.

“Did someone call my name?”, Yuta asked, confused over the voice.

“No? I’m the only one in the house other than you.”

“Then, who could it have been?”

“Yuta, go through the door.”, the voice said, seemingly wanting Yuta to follow its command.

“Rikka, I heard the voice again, it wants me to go through that door.”, Yuta explained, pointing to the door leading to another room.

“The voice wants you to go through my mom’s storage room? Are you sure you’re not a burglar or something?” Rikka joked, though her tone suggested that she was serious.

“What? No! Of course not!”, Yuta stammered. “But if that voice wants me to go into your mom’s storage room, wouldn’t you let me?”

“Fine, on one condition though. We’re definitely going to the hospital after this. You hearing voices isn’t normal.”

“And you having a store right next to your house is ‘normal’?”

“...Touché.”

After a brief tour of Rikka’s house, Yuta and Rikka made the small trek to the store part of the house. The storage was surprisingly in plain sight, filled with old items either too damaged to fix, or simply there to look at. In the middle of the storage, however, was a white and bulky computer. The buttons all seemed to have the repeating color scheme of Red, Green, and Yellow, complete with a red siren on top of the monitor. Finishing off the look was a screen with an orange tint to it.

“Woah!”, Yuta beamed, as he stared at the old computer in awe. “Is this yours?”

“Well,”. Rikka began. “It’s not my computer, it’s just kind of… there. My mom likes keeping it around because of “nostalgia” or something. She calls it ‘Junk’.”

“Junk? That’s a weird name to give to a computer…”

“Yuta, I am glad you are here…”. The voice rang in Yuta’s head once more, as the computer monitor turned on by itself.

There was a humanoid figure on the screen, in futuristic armor. The armor shined blue, with purple and white highlights around the body. The robot stared at Yuta with yellow eyes, with a blue ball of light on its forehead.

“Rikka, are you seeing this?”, Yuta turned to face Rikka, who shook her head.

“There’s nothing on the screen.”

“Huh?!”

“Ah, so she cannot see me? I shall rectify that”. The figure spoke through the computer. As soon as the words were said, a beam of light burst through the computer screen, and struck Rikka.

Before Yuta had time to react to what had just happened, Rikka let out a gasp.

"Yuta, I can see it too.”

“Splendid!”. The robot cheered. “Now that both of you can properly see me, I can explain why I called you to me. Simply put, I am a Hyper Agent known as Gridman. There is much that I need to say, but know this, I am not your enemy, but your ally.”

“Okay? What are you doing in my mom’s old computer, Gridman?”. Rikka asked, her voice filled with confusion and concern.

“I wish I knew that answer, but I don't.”. Gridman glumly replied. “The only thing I know relating to either of you, is that Yuta must remember his calling.”

“I have a ‘calling’?”, Yuta asked.

“This is just odd to me. But, as much as I’d love to chat with you, I have to take Yuta here to the hospital.”, Rikka declared.

“Very well, but do come back.”

“Yeah, yeah.”, Rikka muttered, as she and Yuta walked from ‘Junk’. On their way out of the store, Yuta saw a red haired woman sitting nearby, with an eye earring on her left ear. If he had to guess, he would think that she was Rikka’s mother, and after Rikka waved to the woman, he felt confident about his guess.

Stepping outside of the shop, the two teens felt a hint of unfamiliarity around them. The town of Tsutsujidai looked exactly the same as it was before, but something felt off, inhuman. It didn’t help that most of the town was slightly covered in fog.

“Rikka, is it always this foggy?”

“Not really, but I guess it happens.”, Rikka replied, as Yuta started walking ahead of her in the direction of the hospital. Following close behind, Rikka couldn’t help but feel conflicted over what she just saw.

“Yuta, aren’t you kind of worried about what that guy in the computer said?”

“No, not really. Maybe it just hasn’t set in that there’s a futuristic robot in your mom’s computer. Even thinking about it out loud sounds weird.”, Yuta replied, lowering his head in slight annoyance.

“We promised him that we would talk to him again, what does he want with us?”

“He said that I have to ‘remember my calling’, but I have no clue about what this calling may… be. What the hell is that?!”

Yuta stopped in his tracks, glancing up to the sky. Rikka, initially confused, looked up as well, and gasped in shock.

There seemed to be multiple kaiju looming over the city, all of them as still as a statue, unnoticed by anyone. Anyone, that is, except for Rikka and Yuta.

“I’m guessing nobody else can see them, but where did all of these Kaiju come from?!” Yuta hysterically asked.

“I have no idea. They don’t look like they’re moving, so maybe we’ll be okay?”

“Rikka, there are Kaiju everywhere, and you’re not scared! How?!”

“I know, I know,” Rikka began. “I just don’t know what to think right now.”

She sighed, before walking once more down the road, with Yuta hesitantly followed not too far behind.

“Let’s just… focus on getting you checked out by the hospital, okay?”

“O-okay.”

As Rikka stood outside of the hospital, she began thinking about everything she had seen. From the robot in the computer, to the strangely thick fog, to the kaiju surrounding the town. It scared her how the town she thought was so boringly normal, was actual more strange and mysterious then she ever knew. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, it even terrified her.

Just as she was about the think about it further, Rikka heard the hospital doors open, as Yuta exited the building.

“So, how was it?”, Rikka asked

“Why did I have to get amnesia on the day I find out there are Kaiju everywhere?”, Yuta lamented. “Maybe then, I’d be able to tell you what’s going on.”

“Well,”. Rikka began. “We both don’t know what’s going on. And, for the record, would you mind keeping this a secret from everyone? I don’t want to freak anyone out.”

“Even if we tried to tell everyone, I don’t think they’d believe us. Maybe the only reason we’re seeing all these thing is because we can see Gridman?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. Either way, you should probably get home. You know the way, right?”, Rikka inquired.

“Surprisingly, yeah. For having amnesia, it sure is fragmented.”

“Then, I guess I’ll see you at school tomorrow, if a kaiju doesn’t destroy the town by then.”

“Rikka!”, Yuta yelled in offense.

“Kidding, kidding. See you around."

With that, Rikka left Yuta by himself, staring at a faraway kaiju statue in the distance. Whatever was going on, it sure wasn’t clear to him.

“...So much for this town being normal.”

End of Chapter