After eating the pancakes Kiana had made—which were actually quite tasty, despite being slightly burnt at the edges—Kael pretended he was leaving.
"Thanks for breakfast, Kiana. I should head home now," Kael said, walking towards the door.
Kiana waved cheerfully. "Take care! Don't get lost again!"
She really believes it, Kael thought, shaking his head slowly.
The moment he stepped out of Kiana's house, a holographic notification suddenly materialized before him:
[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE TAKEN THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS YOUR MISSION.]
[REWARD: A NEW HOUSE HAS BEEN GRANTED.]
[LOCATION: NEXT DOOR TO KIANA'S RESIDENCE.]
Kael was stunned. Where there had previously been just an empty plot next to Kiana's house, now stood a single-story home identical to his own from the original world. Even the house number was the same: 27.
With mixed feelings, Kael opened the door. All the furniture, family photos, even his computer and books—everything was exactly as he had left it. The only difference was that from his living room window, he had a direct view into Kiana's bedroom window.
"This system is serious," he muttered.
Shortly after, the doorbell rang. Kael opened it to find Kiana standing outside, holding a bowl of fruit.
"Wow! You live here? I didn't know this house was occupied!" Kiana exclaimed happily. "Here, I brought some fruit salad. Welcome, neighbor!"
Kael accepted it with a pang of guilt. "Thank you, Kiana."
"What a coincidence, us being neighbors! Are you here alone?"
"Yes. My family... is far away."
"Don't be sad! I'll keep you company!" Kiana beamed. "Oh, by the way, have you met Raka yet? He's a good friend of mine, a really nice guy! I'll introduce you later!"
Hearing the name, Kael immediately went on alert. "Raka?"
"Yes! He comes over often. I... actually have a crush on him," Kiana said, looking down shyly. "But don't tell anyone, okay!"
Kael gave a faint smile. "Don't worry, I can help you."
"Really?!" Kiana almost jumped for joy. "You're so nice, Kael! And we just met!"
After Kiana left, Kael stared at his new home, an exact replica of his old life. Only one thing was different—on his desk, there was now a blank notebook with writing on the cover:
"Mission Guidebook: Help Kiana Get With Raka"
He opened it, and embossed writing appeared:
"Welcome, Kael. Remember: Failure = Loss of your way home. Time is limited. Begin now."
Kael looked out his window at Kiana's house across the way. The girl was dancing slightly in her room, probably thinking about Raka.
"Alright, Kiana," Kael whispered. "I'll help you win Raka's heart. Even if it means... fighting the fact that you are a version of me."
He didn't know that behind her own window curtain, Kiana was also watching him—her smile suddenly fading, replaced by an empty, questioning gaze.