Navigators

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“Ha, finally! I mean, the amount of questions that guy asked…”

The navigator from before stretched his body at that point.

“Did he finally leave?” A woman popped right in front of him

out of nowhere.

“Airi! You were here the whole time?” He asked.

“Yup. I’ve been waiting this entire time for him to freaking

leave, you know?” The woman named Airi sighed as she said that.

“Ah, well… I can’t be blamed for it, you know? That guy’s a

bit too talkative… You sure you wanna take this task?” He asked.

“I have to, my king. I simply have to.” Airi mumbled.

“This stubbornness of yours… I don’t know how I’m to deal

with it, to be honest.” The so-called King sighed at that point.

“I can’t help it, you know?” Airi shrugged.

The king sighed. “Fine. Head to the portal. Good luck with

the task, my sweet child.”

Airi looked elated when she heard that. “Thank you! I won’t

be disappointing you, my king!” She said as she ran off.

“I would much rather you be happy, you know?” The king

mumbled, but there wasn’t anyone to hear him say that.

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Navigators. A clan in the netherworld specializing in the

afterlife happiness of the deceased. They are the people who are responsible

for a “smooth navigation” of the deceased in their new world, hence their name.

How do they make sure that the person stays happy? Well,

happiness is something that cannot be assured by someone, even if the said

group specialize in helping people be happy. Why? Because happiness is

something that comes from the within. And the perception of happiness differs

when it comes to different people.

This explanation would make someone believe that the

existence of a navigator is pointless. However, it isn’t so. While an external

influence can’t necessary make you happy for sure, it can always lead you to

the direction that can lead you to that happiness. And that’s exactly what the

navigators do. They make sure that you are led to the direction where you might

end up being happy. And Airi has been tasked with doing the same for the client

this time around.

“Ha, a teenage girl this time around, huh?” Airi mumbled as

she stared at herself on the mirror.

It was as she said. Before going through the portal from the

netherworld, she was a woman in the early twenties. However, now she was a

teenage girl with her facial features being retained for some reason.

“Anyhow, what does the cue card say…?” She mumbled yet again

as she conjured up the said cue card out of nowhere.

[Airi Hojo,

Age: 15

Mirai High School Student

Childhood friend of her next door neighbor, Sakamoto, whom

she endearingly calls Sacchan.]

“That’s too little information, you know? I might have to go

on an investigative journey before I make contact with Sacchan next door. I

mean, I don’t even know where Mirai High is to begin with.” Airi sighed as the

cue card disappeared just as it was conjured into her hand.

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“What’s going on?” The light was too bright for me to deal

with. Maybe it was because I had my eyes closed for the longest time that it

was having a really hard time adapting to the light.

I mean, you can’t blame me on that, you know? The last thing

I remember is a light so bright that it would kill my eyes engulfing me. I had

to close my eyes to protect them. It’s as simple as that.

Anyhow, once I recovered my sight, I was a bit confused. I

mean, one moment, I was stood before someone who claimed to be the navigator of

some sorts and in the next, I’m back on Earth. But there’s something different

about it. This body… It doesn’t feel mine, to be quite honest.

And my suspicions were proven right. When I looked at myself

in the mirror, I saw the face of someone else. Well, then again, I guess it’s

mine now, so it isn’t right to call it someone else’s face now.

This sealed it. I did die. I mean, not that I didn’t believe

that before, but the entire ordeal with the navigator could’ve been a dream

sequence if anything. Like, if I did return to my original body, that would’ve

been what I would’ve believed, but then again, I didn’t. Weirdly enough I came

to terms with my death way quicker than I realized. I mean, I guess it was the

same when I was before the navigator guy as well.

Things weren’t so bad, you know? I looked like a teenage kid

who lived in a house on his own. This either meant that he has been earning for

himself or his parents have been giving him some money to live on his own.

Either way, this is nice, I guess. I mean, I don’t have to deal with others for

now. Like, it would’ve been difficult to lie to this kid’s parents and all.

Speaking of the kid, I wonder what happened to his original soul to begin with.

Did he pass away? Or was my soul being in his body a hostile invasion? Well, I

guess I’ll never have the answer for these questions.

But what I do have the answers for is the identity of this

kid. How? Well, I got his high school identity card. And it says that my name

is Sakamoto. A weird name, I’m not gonna lie. I mean, my real name was much

better—or so I would’ve said, had I actually remembered what it was. But I don’t.

It seems as if some things were wiped out of my memory. I guess that’s kinda

good in its own way. After all, I wouldn’t be chasing after my past at the very

least.

This meant one thing though. A clean slate. A new beginning

to do whatever it is that I want to. And I will not lie, this is genuinely

exciting!

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