The Dragon and the Freckled Princess

Translator: Lemon

Editor: Lovable Translation

 

I returned home and opened the MacBook. With a sense of excitement, I clicked on the link from Hiro-chan, feeling a chill run down my spine.

 

*Whirr… accompanied by a sound resembling wavelengths, the letter “U” slowly materialized on the pitch-black screen.

 

“…U?”

 

My disheveled face, stained with vomit, was illuminated by the monitor’s glow.

 

The invitation page appeared, and a message was displayed.

“U is the other reality.”

“As is the other you.”

“You can’t redo reality. But you can redo U.”

“Come, live your other self’s life.”

“Come, start a new life.”

“Come, change the world—“

I was captivated, long since forgetting the cold. The smartphone I had left beside me connected to the MacBook, automatically launching the app. On the MacBook’s monitor, the registration screen appeared, displaying [NAME].

 

I hesitated. I was reluctant. But despite my feelings, my hands moved toward the keyboard.

 

[s] [u] [z]…..

 

I pressed them hesitantly.

 

[u]…..

 

At that moment, a strong sense of anxiety surged within me. I impulsively hammered the delete key to erase those letters, and closed the MacBook as if shutting a door that had opened.

 

“……..”

 

I curled up, shivering, and sighed.

 

“It’s me! I’ll be next to Ruka-Chan.”

 

I spotted Ruka-Chan on a bench in the courtyard. A group of girls gathered around her, seemingly trying to take a picture with their best friend as the 10th grade was drawing to a close.

 

“I’m going to stand behind Ms. Watanabe.”

 

“What? That’s not fair.”

 

“I want to be by Ruka-chan.”

 

I watched Ruka-Chan’s radiant figure from behind the Piloti Pillar. I envied those who could be in the picture with her.

 

“Ms. Watanabe, look this way. I’m taking the photo.”

 

The girl with the camera urged, and Ruka-chan turned towards her. Then, as if just noticing me, the girl waved her hands enthusiastically in my direction.

 

“Oh, Suzu-Chan!”

 

“Eh?”

 

Ruka-Chan beckoned to me, surprising me.

 

“Come join us, Suzu-Chan!”

 

All the girls turned their attention to me, curiosity written on their faces. I quickly hid behind the pillar, peeking out just slightly and showing the palms of my hands.

 

“I… I’m okay.”

 

But Ruka-Chan didn’t mind and continued to urge me.

 

“Hurry, hurry!”

 

Later, they sent me the picture.

 

In the group photo, girls posed beautifully, flashing V-signs, with Ruka-Chan at the center. Amidst them, you’d find my freckled face, awkwardly raising a V-sign like a “trailing spirit,” positioned right behind Ruka-Chan.

 

I was prompted for a photograph as I attempted to register on “U” once more. I didn’t have pictures of myself; I rarely pointed cameras at me. So, I decided to use the image from this event for registration.

 

Facial recognition markers appeared on all the faces. “Which one are you?” it asked. I moved the cursor, selecting the freckled face behind Ruka-Chan.

 

Words appeared, stating, “A.I is automatically forming a new ‘As’.“

 

Accompanying this were explanations: “What is ‘As’? — ‘As’ is a designation for an avatar within ‘U,’ representing the other you.“

 

“The other you.”

 

Suddenly, the newly rendered ‘As’ appeared.

 

“Huh…?”

 

It displayed an incredibly beautiful ‘As,’ far from my own appearance. It didn’t resemble me at all; it looked more like Ruka-Chan.

 

“Ruka-Chan? Why…?”

 

Had the A.I. mistaken me for Ruka-Chan, right beside me? If so, what an audacious artificial intelligence. Mistakes needed correcting. I urgently pressed the “back” button.

 

“No… Go back… Cancel…”

 

But my hand stopped abruptly.

 

There were tiny red speck-like patterns distinctly on both cheeks of the ‘As.’

 

“Freckles…”

 

I unconsciously touched my own cheeks. Could it be… my “freckles“?

 

“Is that me…?”

 

In the [NAME] column of the registration screen, I typed slowly, letter by letter. This time, not “suzu.”

 

[B] [e] [l] [l]

 

“Bell” = “鈴（Suzu）”

 

“……Bell.” Deciding on the name suddenly made me feel that the ‘As’ before my eyes was precious.

 

[CANCEL] and [OK] buttons appeared on the screen, urging a choice.

 

“What should I do…”

 

I lacked the courage to make this beautiful ‘As’ mine; it made me feel timid.

 

On the other hand, I realized it didn’t matter how different it looked from my true self. In the online world, isn’t being far from the truth commonplace? 

 

There are countless examples of people using exaggerated names and avatars on social media. “U” is a virtual space, and ‘As’ is a virtual persona. Privacy is rigorously protected, and anonymity is strictly enforced. In that case, no one could fault me.

 

Yet, I hesitated. Why did “U‘s” A.I. create such a beautiful ‘As‘ for me? Was it just a random outcome due to chance? Or did it somehow discern my true desires deep within my heart? Or…

 

“Cancel or OK.“

 

It was time to make a choice.

 

In a dimly lit study room at midnight, I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself in front of the MacBook’s screen.

 

“Come, like the other you,”

 

 “U’s” message echoed in my mind.

 

“Click.”

 

I clicked OK.

 

At that moment, as if it had also been preparing, the “U” app on my smartphone automatically launched.

 

“Please equip the device.“

 

Following the instructions on the screen, I removed the earphone-like device from its case and put it on.

 

“Reading your bio-information…“

 

The letter “U” on the device glowed, emitting a wavering blue light. With just one device in my ear, it could scan all kinds of information about me as a human being, all in mere seconds.

 

“Complete,” the announcement said, then continued, as if seeking confirmation. “Begin body-sharing.”

 

*Whirr… the sound of something spinning at high speed filled my ears. I felt a sensation as if high-density air was enveloping my head. 

 

Apparently, this was caused by the strong magnetic field generated by the device, and perhaps because of it, my hair softly stood on end as if I were in space.

 

“First, your vision will be under control.”

 

The sensation from the magnetic field concentrated toward the back of my head.

 

Slowly, I opened my eyes.

 

“……Aaa…!!”

 

Blindingly bright white light assaulted my eyes.

 

White cloth. Overlapping sheets of white fabric, seemingly more than 10 meters long, fluttered and billowed in the wind.

 

I was startled, so I looked down at my body to confirm. My feet were suspended in the air.

 

I heard a resonant announcement, reminiscent of a divine pronouncement.

 

“Other cognitive function, as well as extremities’s baresthesia will be under control”

 

What a surprise. Words wouldn’t even come out in this unreal space. Sweat broke out all over my body, and my heart raced.

 

“Sense of subjectivity and proprioceptive, transferring to your registered ‘As.‘”

 

Something slowly approached me from behind.

 

Pink hair – it was the shadow of the ‘As’ I had just registered. However, the face was missing, smooth and featureless like a blank canvas.

 

“……..!”

 

The faceless entity – the ‘As’ shadow – and my defenseless body began to merge. The sensation of another body entering mine was unsettling. The ‘As’ shadow shifted back and forth, aligning itself, and quickly became a perfect fit. The discomfort I felt a moment ago suddenly faded away completely.

 

A large white door came into view amidst the fluttering white cloth. I extended my hands as I slowly approached.

 

An announcement said, “Welcome to the world of ‘U.’“

 

I forcefully opened the door, pushing with both hands.

 

Bam! 

 

I emerged to be greeted by a cluster of skyscrapers, filling my entire field of vision.

 

“Wow…!“

 

On the bustling main street, which crossed three-dimensionally, many beings – not people, but ‘As’ – floated by. There were creatures imitating animals and insects, copies of ‘As’ resembling aquatic life, objects like flower vases and triangular rulers mimicking ‘As‘, half-human half-beasts and goddesses that seemed to belong in fictional stories, and ‘As’ imitating warriors… And beyond the bounds of imagination, all sorts of ‘As’ went about, conversing openly.

 

When I looked up at the night sky, it was adorned with countless stars – or rather, the gleaming lights from the numerous windows of inverted skyscrapers.

 

“U” is another reality. Another world.

 

So, this… this is “U.”

 

Powdery snow whirled around. It was slightly chilly. When I spread my arms to catch the snow, my fingers, thin and long, fell into my line of sight.

 

“……..!”

 

I checked my body, taken aback by the unfamiliar sensations.

 

A slender body and long legs, clothed in a newborn’s white dress.

 

Is this… me?

 

—Live the other you— 

 

“U’s” message echoed in my mind.

 

“……!”

 

When I realized that multiple people’s gazes were on me, I snapped back to attention, facing forward. Several ‘As’ were watching from the side streets, but they quickly averted their eyes, giving me only a passing glance. It was as if they were saying, “Sure, you’re pretty, but this is ‘U‘. There’s nothing special here in ‘U’.”

 

Oddly enough, that worked in my favor. No one paid much attention to me. If they didn’t, perhaps I could finally do what I had been longing to do for so long.

 

Raising my face and taking a deep breath, I tested my voice.

 

“ ——”

 

The voice that escaped was undeniably mine. My voice flexed much more freely than I had anticipated. I continued to stretch, allowing my nose to hum. The sound flowed more smoothly than I had imagined. Was it because this was a virtual body that allowed me to adjust so easily? Still, it didn’t feel far from my own understanding. Could it be because the scanned bio information was accurate?

 

In any case,

 

“I can sing…!”

 

I couldn’t believe it at all.

 

Beneath the wondrous dance of the virtual world, my voice reverberated, echoing amidst the cluster of skyscrapers.

 

How many years had it been since I sang properly? There was a time gap where I neither sang nor warmed up my voice. The fact that I could instantly recreate the voice I had dreamt of was a marvel. I felt like I had gained immense freedom, but at the same time, it was a bit intimidating. How was my bio information being converted and outputted? What exactly is an ‘As’?

 

Nevertheless,

 

“Finally… I can sing…!”

 

This one thing brought me happiness.

 

I decided that I would sing a proper song with lyrics, with all my might. Of course, there was no accompaniment, but who cared.

 

Gales of song, guide me through the storm

 

On the wings of a small, simple melody

 

Words take flight and soar, they carry me

 

A world we’ll see

 

Seeking a farewell, I pull the threads

 

A life without you I cannot accept

 

Lyrics, translated into various languages, became numerous captions that surrounded me. Gaelic, Thai, Persian, and various other languages overlapped. Did it automatically appear without setting when it recognized a song? Furthermore, although the languages were limited, I could faintly hear synthetic voices singing along in those languages.

 

Thanks to that or not,

 

“Huh…?”

 

The copies of ‘As’ that were supposedly ignoring me looked up and turned around.

 

“What’s…?”

 

Many copies of ‘As’ in the city blocks stopped and hovered in mid-air, one after another. That was never my intention. I had merely wanted to test the technology called body-sharing. Even so, many more copies of ‘As’ than I had thought seemed to have gathered around to listen. It felt odd, like I was a virtual-world street musician.

 

Nevertheless, I couldn’t stop now. I thought, “I’ll keep singing for my own sake,” and continued.

 

I can’t tell that lie, I can’t let go

 

But now that you’re gone, I have to move on

 

Seems like everyone just smiles staring at the sun

 

But what about me? Tell me, how will I know where I should go?

 

Oh, gales, you sing and guide me

 

I walk alone, there’s more to life I have to know

 

It’s just me, lost so far away from home

 

Alone, I shut myself in

 

Still, the wind howls, they call

 

And their voices lead me

 

Gales of song, guide me through the storm

 

Let the melody lift me high, I’ll be me

 

Gales of song, please stay by my side

 

Winds of love, breathe into my life

 

A flurry of comments showered down from the copies that were listening.

 

“What is this?” “Who on earth is singing?” “Strange song.”

 

Initially, the comments were cautious, waiting to see what would happen next. But gradually, they turned impolite.

 

“Shut up.”

 

 “Weird song.”

 

 “Don’t pretend like you’re good.”

 

All the copies of ‘As’ shouting these hurtful comments were cute; they certainly didn’t look like they would say such things. They wore frilly pink dresses, some were little creatures, and others appeared as babies hugging tiny teddy bears.

 

“The looks aren’t bad, but…” 

 

“What’s with the freckled face (LOL)?”

 

Various comments flew in while I continued singing. I didn’t care. I was singing for myself. Still, those words did hurt. I could see from my end that only a few of them had decided to be unkind. It was tough, and perhaps it showed on my face. The comments escalated.

 

“Disgusting.”

 

 “Stop!” 

 

“Quit it already!”

 

I managed to finish singing before I broke down.

 

The copies of ‘As’ making a fuss about it logged off, leaving in frustration. I couldn’t do anything but watch them go with a heavy heart.

 

“BeLl.”

 

I looked up as my name was called.

 

“……Um.”

 

Something slipped in.

 

“Huh?… Ah.”

 

Scattering her glittering dust, she dove in once, twirling, and then settled gently in my hands.

 

A mystical ‘As,’ like a white fairy, an angel, or a clione. When I looked closer, I could see that her body was translucent, delicate like a bracken-starch dumpling. She spoke in a faltering tone, fluttering her wings on both her arms.

 

“YoU… nICe. You ARe… pReTty.”

 

Hearing that made me feel redeemed.

 

“……Ha ha, thank you.”

 

 

When I woke up, it was already morning. At some point, I had been placed in my bed.

 

Was last night’s event a dream? If that were the case, there were too many sensations lingering on my body. I picked up my phone to confirm.

 

Bell’s profile page that I had created was still there.

 

It wasn’t a dream.

 

Below Bell’s icon, I noticed a column indicating the number of followers.

 

[Bell: 0 followers]

 

The number was zero.

 

“No followers…”

 

I hadn’t really expected to have any, but it still left me feeling somewhat disappointed. Just as I thought that, my phone buzzed, and a notification sound chimed in.

 

Right before my eyes, the follower count changed to one. It was the Angel ‘As’ from last night. A comment bubble popped up, but it was completely blank.

 

I set my phone down and lay back on my bed, recalling the events of the previous night. There were so many unexpected things, but…

 

“But I was finally able to sing…”

 

More than anything else, that fact lifted my spirits. The morning light of winter seemed brighter than usual. I hadn’t felt so invigorated in a long time.

 

Next, there was a second notification. It was from Hiro-Chan, a cute bird-type ‘As’ wearing a round hat.

 

In the comment, [Re: First Encounter] were “This is Hiro. Suzu(Bell) is Awesome. I’ll do anything.”

 

 

 

Hi this is the translator. Just for clarification and to make things easier to understand. The main protagonist Suzu(鈴) ’ｓname actually means “Bell” in Japanese. Hence the username she chose, Bell.

And the songs she sings are a real existing song, since this book is originally a movie. Belle’s songs are really cool, and it might help understand the world she is in.

I hope you had fun, actually seeing Belle in U, and see you on the next release.