I see white.

White, stretching infinitely into the distance.

Now I see blue. Bright blue.

My vision starts to clear up and I see black outlines. Movement.

Colors become lines, lines become shapes, shapes become...

Breasts?!

"Is this Satou-sempai? He looks different." (??)

"It's him, I'd recognize that lecherous smile anywhere." (???)

There's good reason to smile, though!

"Satou-san, are can you hear us?" (??)

"Satou-sempai, wake up please!" (???)

Ahre?

I realize that two of my kouhai are seated right in front of me.

They've been speaking to me for some time, apparently.

"Good morning, Tachibana. Good morning, Hina-chan." (Makoto)

I greet them while staring at Hina-chan's breasts.

"Sekuhara." (Hina)

"Sempai...show some modesty please." (Tachibana)

"Sorry, my vision was blurry and I didn't know where I was looking." (Makoto)

I avert my gaze from Hina-chan's shapely chest and look around.

The three of us are seated on a round park bench. It's smooth like marble and there's an umbrella overhead.

Or, it acts like an umbrella. It's really

"A cloud..." (Makoto)

And that isn't the only cloud.

The "white" I've been seeing are clouds, stretched out like pavement across a brilliant, blue sky.

The table feels like it's bobbing up and down. we're floating on a cloud.

The bench we're seated at is on a patio etched on a cliffside made of cloud. Behind us is a smooth ramp, leading up higher and lower, to areas obscured by wispy clouds floating above our heads.

Tachibana and Hina-chan are dressed in their normal work attire. None of us show any signs of the heavy sweating we were going through in the Ashikaga Millennium Building (our HQ).

"Sempai...did we die?" (Tachibana)

Tachibana asks a stupid question.

"Haah? Tachibana, look at your clothes. Weren't you soaked in sweat a minute ago?" (Makoto)

"Ah, yes?" (Tachibana)

"You too, Hina-chan?" (Makoto)

"I'm dry right now." (Hina)

"Well that's evidence enough we're not dead. None of us crossed the Sanzu River." (Makoto)

I don't know about Tachibana, but I don't have the money to pay the Datsueba. I would have tried to swin across.

Oh, my cute kouhai are giving me strange looks.

"Don't mess around, sempai!" (Tachibana)

"Isn't this clearly heaven?!" (Hina)

Heaven? You mean Christian Heaven?

"What the hell!!! Tachibana, Hina-chan, what are you two doing dragging me into your religion's afterlife?? I'm no Catholic!" (Makoto)

"NEITHER ARE WE!" (Both)

Well shit.

...

Tachibana and Hina-chan are holding each other and sobbing.

I don't really blame them. It looks like our brains and bodies melted in that damn heat wave and we somehow ended up in the Christian afterlife.

Where else would there be a city park, complete with benches, playground equipment, and lamposts, atop the clouds?

That damn Amane...

There were rumors. A stunnigly beautiful 24-year old woman making it into middle management in a company like Ashikaga is unheard of. She either had tremendous motivational skills, a great night game, or both.

Being a virgin I sacrificed my health on that slim chance. I put in the extra hours and even did Amane's 'club activities'.

Since she took charge of our department I fell to heat exhaustion twice, both times in Winter. Who knew you could overheat when it's cold outside?

I should have figured it wasn't worth it. But I was thinking with my little brain. And also my ochinpo.

Well, Amane's hopeless anyway. With at least three members of her staff dead she'll not only miss the app store launch, she'll probably go to prison too.

But as for us, what do we do now?

"I have no idea." (Makoto)

"Eh?" (Both)

"Ah, no, I was just thinking what we should do now." (Makoto)

The "park" extends ininitely in front of us but the marble equipment is few in number.

Most of it is far away from our becn as well. I can barely tell the equipment is in use...

Oh, hey.

Maybe they just appeared, or were there the entire time, but right now I see hamster-sized red dangos on the playground equipment.

The blobs are swinging on the swings and sliding down the slides.

I squint a bit and I can see they have some tiny, hummingbird-sized bat wings.

And on the dangos themselves you can make out a crude face, like a Jack-o-lantern.

"Hey...we have company." (Makoto)

Tachibana and Hina stop and look around at the red dangos.

"Kawaii..." (Hina)

"Eh." (Makoto + Tachibana)

I don't think they're cute? They look edible, if anything.

My stomach isn't growling but I wouldn't object to eating something.

"Perhaps they're angels? What else would be found in Heaven?" (Hina)

I don't know enough about the Christian religion to call them angels, but my idea of an angel was a beautiful woman in a revealing white toga, with feathery wings.

Bat wings...wouldn't they be demons?

"I think we should stay away from them. Something about those creatures feels off." (Makoto)

I'm also getting a bad feeling about this. Since after Hina-chan spoke up, all the creatures in sight are making their way towards us.

"It's worth a shot to talk to them, though? What's the worst the could happen?" (Hina)

"Tachibana?" (Makoto)

"I agree with Hina, sempai. This isn't the time to skip after work drinks and mahjong." (Tachibana)

But wasn't that you brat?!

"Haah, well, then you go with her. There's no way down off this plateau except to the ground where the dangos are." (Makoto)

"I'm off." (Tachibana)

"Have a nice trip." (Makoto)

My kouhais descend down the ramp behind me, disappear beneath the cloud cover, and emerge on the bottom cloud to meet the crowd of dangos.

Hina-chan, without any caution at all, walks up to the crownd and bends down, her hands on her knees.

One of the winged dangos lands on the ground and hops up to her.

"Ohayo!" (Hina)

Hina gives a big smile and flashes a peace sign.

She's really cute, goddamn.

It's easy to forget she's 10 years older than Amane, she doesn't look her age at all.

Tachibana pulls up behind Hina-chan during her greeting to the crowd of red dangos.

Oh, the "King Dango" is giving her a big smile, too.

...

A really big smile.

...

A smile that's currently bigger than Hina-chan herself.

"Hawawa??" (Hina)

Hina's pupils dilate, her mouth hangs agape as she looks at the stretchy, smiling dango.

Suddenly,

"POP!"

Hina's cute face, well proportioned breasts, and wide back disappear into thin air.

Her waist and legs fall to the ground, enciting a frenzy with the crowd of dangos, who rush forward clapping their jaws like Spanish castanets!

"Hapapapapapapapapa!"

"What?!" (Tachibana)

Tachibana's foot vanishes and he falls forward into into the ball pit.

"SEMPAI, HELP ME!" (Tachibana)

Tachibana reaches out to me, but only for a moment before his shoulder is consumed, the outstretched, orphaned limb splashing down into the waves of red.

In spite of the feeding frenzy I can't tell if there was any blood. Or if there was blood, and I just coudn't tell because it matched the color of the dangos.

Goodbye, Tachibana, Hina-chan. You were kind, if fearless, dumb kouhais.

Now as for me, I should get going?

I mean if if I don't get out of here I'll be eaten too right...

But I can't move a muscle.

My arms, my legs, my neck...

I'm glued to the marble bench.