Chapter Text
Isagi doesn’t know why he decides to grab the Book.
He’d gone to the library after school to study, but not unexpectedly, he quickly gets distracted (as goes the folly of most procrastinating high schoolers) and thinks that… maybe studying for history can wait? And surely a short break can’t hurt? So Isagi ends up wandering the library, meandering about the bookshelves aimlessly. There’s not really a goal in mind, but he’s bored and restless, tracing the books with his eyes—
And then he finds the Book.
Among the perfectly aligned stretch of books, this book juts out the bookcase ever so slightly—almost deliberately, as if begging him to notice it. And notice it Isagi does. His gaze zeroes in on it instantly, and he stops in his tracks, entranced. The book has delicate gold trimmings which glint beneath the light, and its royal blue spine doesn’t have a title, and Isagi doesn’t know why (because it’s just a book!), but it’s… intriguing.
Perhaps that’s why Isagi grabs the Book.
He grabs the Book, heads to a nearby table, and opens it up to the first page.
That’s his first mistake.
There on the paper is a cute, simplified illustration of a growling wolf with golden eyes. Above its head are the words Once upon a time, and then it hits Isagi. Oh.
The Book without a title is a storybook.
It’s quaint and childish and Isagi is definitely too old to be reading fairytales (he’s a second-year in high school for goodness sake), but something about the adorable little wolf has Isagi pausing, and then he makes his second mistake.
He flips to the next page. He reads it. And then because Isagi’s on a roll, he makes his third mistake. He flips again. And again. And again. Numerous familiar, yet simultaneously foreign fairytales flow through his head, painting a vivid scene, and the mistakes are piling up now. More and more and more, and Isagi doesn’t know it at the time, can’t know it (oh God, he knows now), but this is how he digs the hole to his coffin. It’s a cute little coffin with a blue bow on top, wrapped up neat like a picture-perfect present, and Isagi innocently tapes the lid shut by flipping to the last page.
There is no The End. Instead, there’s a mysterious message in big, bold letters.
[Dearly, beloved… Our story doesn’t have to end. Join us in this Blue Wonderland, and perhaps you too will find your ■■ Ever After.]
It’s an admittedly huge tone shift from the previous pages, and Isagi gapes at it for a few considering seconds. (Stupid, stupid. Perhaps if he hadn’t wasted time gaping, he wouldn’t have been as utterly screwed as he is now. But no, his fate was sealed the moment he read those words—nay, the moment he lay eyes on that mesmerizing book in the first place.) The message is eerie and fourth-wall breaking, and there’s a certain significance imbued in the lettering. However, just as Isagi is chalking it it up to the some meta writing tactic or the author screwing with him, the book’s pages start… glowing.
Really, really brightly.
Isagi quickly throws the book away in surprise, chair crashing to the ground. The entire book is now engulfed in light, pages flipping rapidly, faster and faster, like shuffling cards in a deck, and Isagi is warily backing up like a cornered animal. Suddenly, the book snaps shut with a resounding thwack. Isagi only has time to read the title Blue Wonderland (and he swears that wasn’t there in the beginning) before the world goes dizzying white.
One moment, Isagi is alone in the library ogling a clearly supernatural book.
The next moment, Isagi is completely surrounded by dark, scary woods.
“What the fuck,” Isagi says intelligently, eyes bugging out of his head. “What just happened?!”
Eyes wide, Isagi frantically glances around the clearing, soaking in the spindly black trees and endless foliage. It’s a forest, which is rather discombobulating. Er, not specifically because it’s a forest, even though it’s a seriously creepy one. You see, most people don’t make a habit of spontaneous teleportation, and Isagi is just really, really confused.
This is definitely the fault of that weird, glowing book, right?? He hadn’t been seeing things?
“Hello?” Isagi calls out to the dark, scary woods. The dark, scary woods don’t respond, which he expects, since that would make an already spooky situation a hundred times more terrifying. But a human or something would’ve been nice. Hell, even that dumb book…
Instead, there’s resounding silence.
Isagi falters, shrinking into himself. Okay. Okay. This is just great. He’s obviously been the target of some paranormal, magic kidnapping. Unless, was he isekaied? No, no, he probably shouldn’t get ahead of himself. Surely there were other more realistic explanations for the spatial displacement of his body through… space. But why him? Why here? And what in ever living hell is he supposed to do now? Pick a random direction and pray he won’t get even more lost?! The thought has Isagi considering scary direction #1, chilling direction #2, and bloodcurdling direction #3, and no choice seems amazing, let’s be honest, but just as Isagi crowns chilling direction #2 the winner, his gaze catches the edge of his sleeve.
He stares.
What. The heck. Is he wearing?
It’s certainly not his Ichinan High School uniform. Instead, he’s dressed in some sort of gold-buttoned, cornflower vest layered atop a white-collared shirt. It’s paired with knee-length black shorts, white stockings, and polished buckle shoes that looks like something you’d find on a… doll or formally-dressed child. Cute and refined. Where a necktie normally would be is a black ribbon tied into a neat bow (which certainly doesn’t help with the doll comparison), and as Isagi absorbs his new outfit, he’s inexplicably reminded of a fairytale, Victorian boy aesthetic.
Wait. Fairy tale?
“Damn it. That frickin’ book,” Isagi mutters, because he doesn’t need more evidence, or any evidence at all really—that Book is definitely the root of all his problems. Why did it change his attire? What does it want from him?
He clenches his fists, anger boiling in his chest.
“I just want to go home…”
Poof!
Right in front of his face appears a blue object just centimeters from his nose. Isagi flinches into a stumble, jerking back and landing on his ass. He doesn’t shriek (he didn’t, no witnesses!), but he does gasp in shock when he sees what’s floating in the air.
It’s the Book.
“It’s you!” Isagi shouts, pointing. “How did—What’s going on?! What the hell are you?”
Just like with the dark, scary woods, Isagi isn’t really expecting an answer. But this particular Book is no traditionalist.
The Book bobs in the air almost listlessly. Then, the white pages flip, flip, flip. It quickly halts somewhere in the middle of the book, and Isagi stares at the pages, because instead of the original fairytale illustrations, it’s starkly blank, as if the contents had been purged.
Lettering appears on the canvas.
[You want an escape, and it’s not too late!]
“...What?”
The words are scrawled in large, bold lettering, like an invisible pen to a paper. The style is remarkably reminiscent of that ‘Blue Wonderland’ message at the end of the book. Unfortunately, just like before, Isagi still has no idea what the author (which seems to be this Book) is talking about.
The Book flutters to the next page. [Finding the Blue will grant you a clue.] Another page. [You want to be free, and that is the key! ~]
Isagi feels like he’s about to have a headache. “Okay, why are you rhyming? And why should I even trust you?” He furrows his brow. “What are you? You’re the reason I ended up here, right? Why? Just take me back home already!”
The Book vibrates, and Isagi vividly hallucinates it laughing. [Trust is a must, and I hope you won’t fuss, or your chance at freedom will crumble to dust!]
“And now the rhyme scheme is different…” Isagi mutters, which he probably shouldn’t be focusing on, but he really hopes rhymes aren’t the only way this Book can communicate. Is this supposed to be a fairytale gimmick? And did it say trust? “How can I trust you when you literally just said my chance at freedom will crumble to dust? Are you threatening me right now?”
The Book freezes. [Blue is a clue, that much is true, and can’t you just see this is me helping you?]
“Why won’t you answer my other questions? And what do you mean Blue?” Isagi demands. “This is all really vague…”
The Book flips to the next page, quivering almost hesitantly. [That’s sorry to hear; your rage is quite clear!] Flip. [But finding the Blue, you simply must do.]
“I just want to go home!”
The Book ignores him. Instead, it writes, [The Blue is a Gate, so you mustn’t wait! To further your fate, might I suggest straight?] It snaps shut and tilts its spine forward, as if gesturing Isagi to walk that way. Even after Isagi nudges the book with a finger, it doesn’t open up again, plainly signaling the end of the conversation.
“…”
Isagi sighs.
“Fine.”
It doesn’t seem like he has any other option.
Isagi doesn’t know how long he walks through the dark, scary woods. He quickly learns he’s not a fan of this place though. It’s eerily silent and without a single hint of life, not even a bird. The only sounds are his own cloudy breaths and the constant pound of his heartbeat, thudding like a drum in his ears. Bathump. Bathump. Isagi normally can’t hear his heartbeat so intensely, but the silence seems to amplify the warmth of his pulse, the squeeze of his organs pumping away, visceral and wet.
…Are those sounds really coming from inside him?
Isagi suspiciously gazes at his surroundings. He then makes a very poor decision to touch a nearby tree—one of those charcoal-gray, pillory ones—which abruptly throbs beneath his palm like squelching flesh. Isagi recoils as if burned. “Damn it! Why is the tree warm?” he yells at the Book. The Book continues floating forward apathetically. “Is this tree alive? I mean, that came out wrong, trees are obviously alive, but—Book! Hey, wait up for me!”
After that seriously horrifying realization (maybe the dark, scary woods could’ve responded to him), Isagi takes great care to avoid accidentally brushing against any trees. He avoids touching everything, actually, sticking closer to the Book than ever before. (It's funny how that works; what was originally the root of all his problems has now transformed into his sole respite. Humans tend to cling to the familiar, and although Isagi has only known this Book for at max an hour, that's an hour more than anything else for miles.)
“Where are we going, by the way?” Isagi weaves around a stray branch. “Do you have a destination in mind?”
The Book doesn't flip open—the human equivalent of giving him the cold shoulder.
“These woods are kind of terrifying. Why did you take me here? Is it some sort of fantasy forest? Another world?” Isagi talks to empty air, musing aloud. “If I had to draw any parallels… This situation feels similar to one of those system-isekai light novels. Like, where the protagonist ends up in another world with a trusty system companion that gives them objectives or quests to level up.” He gives the Book a pointed look. “Most of those systems are more forthcoming with information though.”
Nothing.
“My parents are probably worried about me… I think I was supposed to be home around this time. This won't take too long, right?” Isagi asks jokingly, trying to lighten the mood. He fails. The mood in question remains oppressively heavy, full of tension, and thinking of his parents just makes him sad. He shouldn't get pessimistic, not when his journey’s barely begun, but… he can go home, right? Isekai novels were probably not the best mode of reference (they were fiction!), but most protagonists weren’t… able to return.
“Hey, Book?” Isagi says, tone subdued. “Why is—” The words catch in his throat, mouth abruptly dry, as Isagi gets a glimpse of something in the trees. Two golden pinpricks are suspended in the thicket, like glowing fireflies frozen in place. They're haunting in a beautiful, uncanny way, and Isagi squints closer.
Another golden orb appears.
Then another.
“Um. Book?” Three more golden orbs. “Book, Book, Book?!” Isagi moves to grab the Book in a panic, but his hands fall through empty air.
The Book is gone.
The Book is gone.
Traitor! Isagi can't help but think, jaw dropping. The book ditched him! It ditched him! He knew he shouldn't have trusted a crazy, kidnapping book!
Isagi warily looks back again.
There are dozens of yellow orbs now. And they're… bigger than before.
Suddenly, the yellow orbs flicker in synchronicity—like shades of a lamp shuttering open and shut—and if Isagi narrows his eyes, he thinks he can make out even tinier black dots centered in the middle of the spheres, each trained directly on…
Oh. Him.
Those are eyes.
Let it not be said Isagi doesn't have survival instincts, because he doesn’t even pause to scream before running like the fucking wind. Isagi’s legs tear through the ground faster than ever before, jumping over roots and swerving around tree trunks through sheer impulse. Every instinct in his body is screaming at him to run, run, run, get the hell away from the thing right fucking now if he doesn't want to die a horrible, agonizing death.
A monstrous shriek rips through the air in some twisted amalgamation of wolf howls, bird cries, and tortured human screams, and it's pure nightmare fuel, and Isagi swears he can feel its hot breath nipping at his heels. There’s a horribly strong desire to look back, but again, Isagi has survival instincts, and he’s watched enough horror movies to know that looking back is only a plot device to make mob characters trip and die, so he sets his jaw and charges faster. Adrenaline flooding through his veins, Isagi runs and runs and runs, ducking under branches, clawing through spiderwebs, and even launching over a river.
At some point in time, Isagi realizes that he can’t hear anything anymore and finally stops to take a break.
Panting, Isagi subconsciously leans against a tree trunk before remembering he doesn't like the trees around here and instead leans against his knees. He glances behind him. Nothing but forest. Did he escape? Is he safe? What in the world was that thing?
“Hi, there!”
Isagi nearly jumps out of his skin at the upbeat, cheery voice that pierces the dark. He whirls around, and he's not sure what he's anticipating, but it's certainly not…
A boy?
The boy looks around his age, only slightly taller than Isagi with a slim, lithe build. He’s wearing a conspicuously crimson cloak—brilliantly red—draped over a cream-colored tunic and black pants (much more comfy-looking than Isagi’s own outfit). His black hair is laced with pretty golden highlights, framing youthful cheeks and a boyish smile. Most striking are his eyes. They’re bright and mischievous, pinning Isagi with a playful intensity that momentarily steals the words from his mouth.
“Hello,” the boy says again, leaning forward. “Who are you? I haven't seen you around these parts before!” He tilts his head curiously, inspecting Isagi like a jeweler appraising a diamond, and Isagi shifts uncomfortably. There’s something mildly off-putting about the boy, something that raises goosebumps across his arms.
Where’d this boy come from? He appeared out of nowhere!
“Hi,” Isagi carefully says. “My name is Isagi. It’s nice to meet you… uh. What's your name?”
The boy slowly blinks. “A name? You want my name?” He giggles as if Isagi said something ludicrous. “A name, a name, a name… Mmm, you can call me Bachira. Bachira Meguru! Either’s fine with me.”
For obvious reasons, Isagi is mildly suspicious of the name Bachira just gave, but he simply says, “It's nice to meet you, Bachira. And, I don’t think we should stick around here for too long. A really dangerous monster was just chasing after me. I think I lost it, but I don’t know for sure. Do you know a safe place we can go?”
Bachira gasps. “Oh, no! A dangerous creature? What does it look like?”
Isagi recounts his encounter, detailing the creepy yellow eyes and horrific screams. Bachira listens solemnly, nodding his head at the appropriate times. Finally, Bachira claps his hands together. “Okay, Isagi! I’ll take you back to my house. It’s definitely safe there.”
Isagi’s shoulders sag in relief. “Thanks, Bachira.”
“Here!” Bachira snatches Isagi’s hand in his own. It’s warm and solid, and before Isagi can protest, Bachira is already pulling him along. “My house is nearby, don’t worry. We’ll get there soon!”
Isagi distractedly nods in assent.
Bachira chatters energetically as they zigzag through the trees. “I forgot to say it before, but it's really nice to meet you too, Isagi! I don't get many visitors out here, you see. I don’t know why! You’re the first one I’ve seen in years.” Bachira is visibly pleased with a skip in his step, and Isagi is reminded of an innocent, excitable child. It’s a strange juxtaposition, since if he’s following the conversation properly, Bachira is living in the middle of this monster-infested forest all by himself.
How admirable. Is he some sort of survival expert?
“Bachira, you live here, right? In the forest?”
“Mm-hm!” Bachira hums with a smile. “All my life! I was born here.”
“Does that mean you know… if there are any other monsters here?” Isagi asks nervously. “Besides that yellow-eyed one I saw before.”
Bachira looks at him weird.
Isagi reddens. Damn it. Did he say something unusual again? He really wishes that damn Book told him more information about this place, or at the very least some common knowledge. Where did it screw off to anyways? It isn’t gone for good, is it? “Sorry. Is that a weird question? That might’ve been a weird question. I’m pretty ignorant, since I’m not from these parts. Really not from these parts. I don’t even know how I got here, to be honest.”
A laugh. “That’s fine, Isagi! I like that about you. It’s pretty cute!” Bachira pokes Isagi in the nose, and Isagi wrinkles his face.
“Not really, Bachira… But thanks for the reassurance?” Isagi pokes Bachira back, and Bachira’s pupils comically criss-cross to track his finger, and dang. If anyone here is cute, then it’s clearly Bachira, because that has no right to be as endearing as it is.
Isagi withdraws, now a little embarrassed. “You’re a strange one, aren’t you, Bachira?”
Bachira’s straightens. “Am I? Really?”
“Not in a bad way though. Also, you still haven’t answered my question about the monsters! Like… how dangerous is this forest, would you say? On a scale of 1-10?”
Bachira laughs, tapping his chin thoughtfully. “One!”
“Ah, sorry, I meant one as in least dangerous, ten as in most dangerous.”
“Oh!” Bachira taps his chin again. “One!”
Isagi is not sure he believes that. “Are you talking about yourself? What about for a normal human? Like me?”
“Ehh? What do you mean?” Bachira pouts. “Fine, fine. For a normal human, ten. But for you, one! Because when I’m around, nothing can hurt you, Isagi-kun!” and that is quite the declaration. Has Isagi been underestimating Bachira? The boy doesn’t look particularly strong, what with his toned, yet ultimately lean build, but Isagi probably shouldn’t be judging the power scaling of a fantasy world.
Or Bachira is just talking big to impress him. That’s also possible.
Bachira points in front of them, beaming. “Okay, Isagi! We’re almost at my—”
“Bachira!”
A glimpse of black flashes in the corner of Isagi’s eye, glinting beneath the light, and Isagi moves before he can think. He tackles Bachira to the side as hard as he can, and they roll to the ground in a heap, Isagi sitting on top of Bachira. Bachira is looking at him with wide eyes, hair spread around his face like a halo (literally, because of his golden hair), and Isagi’s heart is pounding in his chest from the close call.
“Isagi…?”
Isagi glares behind them. Right where they’d just been is a terrifying, giant needle. It’s stabbed into the dirt like Excalibur's sword—probably just as lethal too based on the corrosive black spreading from the tip. Eyes scanning the treetops, Isagi quickly identifies their would-be attacker.
Perched on a nearby branch is a colossal, spiky, purple wasp. Isagi has no idea how they missed it before, since it’s the size of at least ten Bachiras.
It also doesn’t look happy.
The wasp narrows its angry red eyes and points its abdomen at the duo. Suddenly, another needle bursts from its butt like a harpoon, and Isagi instinctively covers Bachira protectively. The needle thankfully misses, burying itself into the ground a few feet from Isagi’s arm, but it’s a close call.
Too close.
Yanking Bachira to his feet, Isagi pulls him into a run. “We have to go, Bachira! Hurry!”
“Ah? Isagi?” Bachira blinks dazedly, stumbling a little before matching his pace. “Isagi, are you protecting me?”
“What? What are you talking about?!” Isagi shouts, feet tearing through the ground, and god, he’s getting déjà vu. Is Bachira a madman or what, because why else would he willingly live in a place like this? Bachira is insane, and Isagi’s going insane, and why couldn’t that Book give him something useful for situations like this?!
Bachira chuckles. “Oh, Isagi. You’re even cuter than I thought you were.” He casually runs in front of Isagi, now taking the lead. “C’mon! My house is just ahead!”
“Wait, what? Are you sure we should be leading it there?”
“It’s fine, it’s fine! That small fry is nothing!” Bachira is full-on laughing now, and Isagi knows he called him insane before, but maybe he’s insane insane. Isagi looks at him dubiously, and Bachira smiles back, and because he doesn’t have any better ideas, Isagi’s forced to accept it.
He just hopes Bachira knows what he’s doing.
“Here it is!”
The trees give way to a large, open clearing that curves into a grassy slope. There, seated in the middle of the hill, is an idyllic little cottage that looks like it sprung straight out of a storybook. It has a steeply sloped roof covered in thatch, archways made of cobblestone bricks, and ivy clinging to the wall in intentional, snaky patterns. A dirt path is looping from the rounded wooden door, and there’s something undeniably familiar about all of it that has Isagi stopping in his tracks.
Hold on…
Isn’t this the same cottage in the first fairy tale he read? The fairy tale inspired by Little Red Riding Hood, the one about a red-hooded boy who ran away from home into the woods?
Huh.
So Isagi really was isekaied.
He was isekaied into a fairy tale.
Ah. Then does that mean…
Isagi studies Bachira contemplatively. Is Bachira this story’s protagonist then?
The Book illustrations were simplified cartoons, so Isagi can’t say for sure if Bachira is that same character. Then again, that bright red cloak…
“Oh, would you look at that!” Bachira shields his eyes exaggeratedly, peering into the distance. “Seems like that silly bee isn’t chasing us anymore! So you can relax now, okay, Isagi? I’m going to show you around my home!”
Bachira drags Isagi up the path, and Isagi follows without resistance, still reeling from what he just figured out. It feels like this realization should tell him something, maybe grant him a clue on how to escape, but he’s got nothing.
From what Isagi can remember, the fairy tale he read doesn’t have many parallels to his current experience. No fleshy trees. No terrifying, golden-eyed monster. No wasp creature (that was a wasp, not a bee, right?). In fact, the only line about the forest he can recall is that it was “dark and filled with shadows,” which doesn’t feel right.
Is he forgetting something?
Frick... If Isagi knew he’d end up here, he would’ve read the text more closely.
“Come in, Isagi!” Bachira says, ushering Isagi with a hand.
Isagi pushes away his concerns as Bachira gives him an impromptu tour. First is the living room, which has a plush couch and stone hearth. Then the eating area, which has a tree stump for a table (wow!). Then the bedroom, the kitchen, the closet, the cellar… All the while, Bachira is constantly pointing out random objects—fluffy rugs, patchwork pillows, a snug bed, an iron kettle, sunflowers blooming from clay pots next to the window sill. He even shows Isagi this cartoonish, red-capped mushroom sprouting through a crack in the wall.
Definitely, Bachira is a little too trusting. Isagi is a complete stranger after all! Unfortunately, when Isagi tries to warn Bachira about ‘bad people’ and to ‘be more careful,’ Bachira merely grins and says that “Isagi isn’t just any random stranger!” (The idiot…)
Overall, Bachira’s home exudes a highly intimate, cozy feeling, and Isagi gradually feels the tension seeping out of him. For the first time since he’s arrived in this world, he feels… safe.
“Here, Isagi-kun.” Bachira hands him a cup of what looks (and tastes!) to be chamomile tea. “I just brewed some tea for you. I also blew it so it’s not too hot!”
“Thanks, Bachira. Uh, you don’t need to blow it though. You know I’m not a kid, right?”
“Mm? But I wanted to blow it?” Bachira collapses on the couch next to Isagi, stretching his legs like a languid cat. Then, he rests his head against Isagi’s shoulder, which Isagi allows. The boy is probably exhausted after everything that’s happened. “You know, I’m really glad I met you, Isagi. You’re so soft. And cute. And nice. I haven’t been this happy in forever.”
Isagi blinks at Bachira’s sudden stickiness. How lonely must’ve Bachira been? To already be this attached… and to someone like himself of all people. “You too, Bachira. You’re a very kind person. One of the kindest people I’ve ever met, actually.”
“There you go again!” Bachira suddenly sits up, pointing at Isagi accusatorily. “No one’s ever called me kind before! You’re so weird…”
Isagi tilts his head, amused. “Really? I don’t think I said anything strange though?”
Bachira hides his face behind his hands. “Stop it, Isagi!”
“Why?” Isagi asks, and he’s laughing now, because Bachira is so much fun to tease. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”
“Eh? Friends?”
“Yeah, sure. If you want to be.”
“Friends…” Bachira quiets down, looking at the couch.
Isagi takes a sip of his tea. The warmth pools in his stomach, spreading through his body, and he feels so comfortable and serene. He likes Bachira. More than he thought he could in only a few hours.
But Isagi also knows he can’t stay.
The Book said Isagi needs to find the Blue, whatever the hell that means. Is it referring to an object? Or a concept? Is it related to the title of the Book, Blue Wonderland? Isagi has so many questions and so few answers. And it sucks a bunch, because even his one other hint seems useless…
The Monster in the Woods.
It’s the first fairy tale in the Book, and almost certainly related to his current predicament.
The plot of The Monster in the Woods is short and simple. First, the protagonist—a red-hooded boy—runs into the forest after being bullied by the other village teens. Unfortunately, he soon gets lost, and after hearing some spooky noises, remembers a rumor about a monster lurking in the woods. So the boy runs, consumed by terrifying visions of demons and death. However, after tripping over a rock and hitting his head, the shadows disappear. The boy realizes it was all in his head, that the only thing he was scared of was his own imagination. The ending scene shows the boy happily munching cookies in a cute cottage—the same cute cottage Isagi is currently in right now.
While reading, Isagi had assumed the cottage was the boy’s house back in the village, which would’ve been a happy ending. Mother baking cookies, boy safe and sound at home…
But in real life, that ‘cottage’ is in the middle of the woods. That doesn’t make much sense. Who built this cottage? Why in the supposedly dangerous woods? Does the protagonist ever actually escape? And who makes him those cookies?
Besides that, there are other things he finds peculiar. Odd inconsistencies. For example, the story clearly states that the "monsters are in the boy’s head,” but that’s a flat-out lie. Isagi knows that from extremely recent personal experience.
And assuming Bachira is supposed to be that red-hooded boy, the timeline doesn't make sense.
The red-hooded boy was born in the village. Bachira was born in the forest.
Isagi scrunches his forehead. Could the fairy tale… be omitting details? Or, is it wrong to assume he’s even in that fairy tale in the first place? It’s possible he’s leaning too hard on his familiarity with the isekai genre. The fairy tale came from the Book, and he doesn’t trust the Book as far as he can throw it, so maybe the entire foundation of his confusion is wrong. Of course, the Book isn’t that heavy, so he should probably use a different metaph—
“Isagi-kun.” Isagi must’ve been making a troubled expression, because Bachira prods Isagi with his elbow. “What’s wrong? Do you need something? I can make more tea if you’d like.”
Isagi waves him off. “No, no. It’s not that, Bachira. It’s just…” He probably shouldn’t tell Bachira about the Book, right? “Bachira, I have a question. Do you know anything around here that stands out as… Blue? Super, duper Blue?” Isagi inwardly cringes at how foolish he sounds.
Luckily, Bachira takes him seriously. “Blue? As in, the sky?”
“Not quite. Or, actually, I don’t really know. Maybe?”
Bachira looks pensive. “There’s blue flowers. And blue animals. And there’s you, of course. You’re the most blue thing around here! Your hair, your eyes, your clothes, it’s all blue!”
Oh. Isagi hasn’t even considered that. It’s likely not the right answer though, not unless the Book was being stupid cheesy, like he has to ‘find’ himself if he wants to escape.
Bachira leans in. “Is that all you need, Isagi? Why are you asking?”
“It’s… kind of hard to explain. Thanks anyways, Bachira.” Isagi nods gratefully. “And, um, I have another question. I don’t want to intrude on you for too long, so do you think you could point me towards the nearest village?”
“…Huh?”
“You know, like a town. Or kingdom. Any human civilization.”
The mirth fades from Bachira’s face, leaving a pair of strangely clear eyes. He stares at Isagi expressionlessly. “But Isagi. Why would you want to leave? There’s no reason to leave so soon. Can’t you stay for a little longer?”
Isagi blinks. “Well, I was hoping to stay for another night. Only if you let me, of course!” He still needs to investigate this place in depth and ask Bachira more questions. “But afterwards, I have to find a way home, and one of my leads is a village that should be nearby. Possibly. Ah, if you don’t know how to get there, just a way out of this forest would also work.”
Bachira’s brow creases. “But Isagi—”
“I’m lost, you see. I didn’t mean to come here, and I’m worried—”
“Isagi, stop—”
“—against my will, and it’s super freaky, but either way, I have to find—”
“That’s not what—!”
“—so this might be goodbye, Bachira. It was really nice getting to know you.”
“No… no, Isagi. No!” Bachira grabs the sides of his hair, as if panicking, then latches onto Isagi’s arm. Surprising desperation shines in his eyes. “Isagi! Isagi! Why are you saying these things all of a sudden? You have to stay with me. You have to.”
“…Stay with you? Where's this coming from?” Isagi tries to withdraw, taken aback by Bachira’s ferocity, but the hold on his arm merely tightens.
Bachira eyes are wide and pleading. “You don’t understand, Isagi. You can’t leave. You see, I had no idea humans could be so interesting till you. You’re the first one! And I’ve been so bored for so long, because there’s nothing to do in this forest, and everything is so dull. Everything’s scared of me, no one wants to talk to me, but I’m also not able to leave, so I can’t do anything about it!” Bachira’s voice gains in volume, and Isagi tries to break free, but his grip is like a steel manacle—impossible to budge.
“Bachira, let me g—”
Bachira’s words tumble out faster and faster. “I don’t know the last time I had someone to play with. Not since that red boy, not for at least fifty years. And you’re just so cute, Isagi. You’re so nice! You’re the first one to ask for my name, to protect someone like me, to call me kind, to be my friend, and humans are food, but you’re the first I don’t actually want to consume, because then you won’t do any of those things anymore. That’d be so boring, so I don’t want to that. I like you, Isagi. Won’t you stay? Stay for a little longer? I really don’t want to eat you, I promise, but I don’t know what to do if you leave. Can’t I keep you?”
This is escalating way faster than Isagi anticipated, and Bachira must not have high standards (first to ask for his name?), and now Isagi’s starting to get scared, because what the fuck is Bachira implying, and this is not what he signed up for, and why is Bachira acting like this? Bachira’s fingers are bruising on Isagi’s skin, crushing him more and more, and it hurts.
Isagi lets out a tiny gasp of pain, fear cresting in his chest. “Bachira… your grip…”
But Bachira doesn’t let go, is in fact squeezing harder, and his golden eyes are glowing scarily, almost hungrily, like a predator viewing its prey, and from what Isagi’s gleaned from this one-sided conversation, that’s pretty much exactly what’s happening here. Did Bachira say he eats people?
“Isagi… please…” Bachira’s basically burying his head in Isagi’s chest now, and sweat drips down Isagi’s back. It feels like he’s standing on a precipice of something very, very dangerous, and if he says the wrong thing, he’ll topple over into the jaws of a beast (not even figuratively), never to emerge again.
So Isagi doesn't say the wrong thing. “I won’t go. Bachira. I won’t.”
His free hand shakily pats Bachira on the head.
“Promise.”
The pressure in the air immediately disappears. Bachira tackles Isagi in a hug, radiating joy. “Yes! I knew you’d stay, I knew it! This is amazing, Isagi! We’re going to have fun together forever and ever.”
“Haha… yeah.” Isagi forces a grin, wondering how in the ever living hell he got himself into this ridiculous situation.
Oh, right. That Book.
Damn that Book.