Flag 2.1

I pinched myself three times to make sure that it was just a bad dream. But unfortunately, it wasn't.

The highly strung Elsie and the words she are saying are all real.

"Kami-niisama, we are going to Okinawa!"

Well, at least I think it's real.

I presumed that maybe she was just joking. Yes. That may be it. I bet she was just itching for my attention. Considering that she was dead bored since school ended days ago, she didn't do anything except cleaning the house until it sparkled in every inch.

"That's impossible," I said with much disbelief. "You don't even have the money to afford to buy yourself that CD of Kanon that you keep insisting to buy. Why in the world are we going to Okinawa?"

"But it is true," she flung her arms into the air. "We are going to Okinawa! Didn't I tell you about it before?"

"I didn't remember anything about that. Neither do I care," I answered. "Now please excuse me. I'm in the middle of a game here."

Then Elsie dashed out of my room.

When I thought she left me for good, Elsie came back with an envelope. She handed it to me.

"You see, I am telling the truth. I won a raffle promo they are having in a TV show. I was always curious with the places in this world so I sent in an entry. As luck would have it, I won an all expenses paid trip to Okinawa for a week." Elsie explained casually.

I looked inside and surely, there were plane tickets, a brochure, and other stuff crammed in. I pulled out a letter from the back and read it. I felt a lump stuck in my throat.

"A week?" I suddenly felt nauseated as she nodded.

She blabbered on. "Isn't this great? We are going to see crystal clear waters, beaches, and seas as wide as the eyes can see. There will be lots of trees and…"

I sighed. I was hoping to spend the summer break at home. I was hoping to be alone, at peace, at solitude. I was hoping for a summer with just me and all the dating sims in the world. Even Elsie knew that this was all that I wanted.

But for some reason, Elsie is forcing me to leave all that behind for some silly trip.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"I'm not going with you," I firmly resolved.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to." I made a face.

"Because why?" She demanded.

"Well…. because! I don't want to go. I'd rather stay here…"

"…So you can play your games again, Kami-niisama?"

"You knew all along? But why are you still persistent in getting me to go there?" I yelled. My voice was getting louder and louder.

"It's because you play your games all the time," she answered back. "Isn't that already enough?"

"It isn't!" I answered without hesitation. "Could you please go? There is no way you are forcing me to come with you!"

Her face was getting all puffy. "I'm not leaving until you agree to go."

"I'm telling you, there is absolutely no way you are going to make me come with you," I yelled.

"Yes I can. And I will force you."

"For the last time," I made myself clear. "I don't want to go."

"Look, it's only a short-"

"I said I don't-"

"Enough," a voice behind us said.

Mother stood at the doorway with her arms folded across her chest.

"Look young man. I think you are overreacting."

"I am not," I stood up in protest. "You just don't understand. I can't spend the whole Golden Week1 with Elsie, especially if it is somewhere as far as Okinawa. I'll probably be bored to death or what he hell is going to happen to me. I'd rather stay here and play games until I pass out and die rather than spending a single day in Okinawa!"

My mother flinched. I stared at her for a long moment, then to Elsie, then back at her. I felt the fever surging through my hands, which were now held back into fists.

There was a long moment of silence.

Then finally, Mother spoke.

"Give me on good reason why you can't come with Elsie to Okinawa."

I opened my mouth to say something. But to my shock, no words came out of it. My mind was running blank. It was as if I was fighting for something so thoughtless. A full minute has passed and I still came up empty. So I closed my mouth shut.

I stood in horror for a few seconds.

As if mocking me, Mother's lips twitched into a disdainful and triumphant grin. It irritated me so much.

"You have until tomorrow morning to pack. If you don't start, I'm going to confiscate your PFP," she said as she stepped out of the door.

I looked over the door, and then to Elsie – who was giddy and excited at the moment- then to the window, where the rays of the summer sun seeped through the blinds.

Then I looked at the floor and placed my hands on my head.

"I told you so," Elsie said before she did exactly what I was praying for her to do - leaving me alone.

I sighed in despair. I have bean defeated.

Flag 2.2

I shuffled from left to right on my seat- which was too cramped for comfort- adjusting so that I could t least concentrate on my game. We have been flying for hours now. But for some reason, I felt too nauseated and a little queasy even to press a single button. This, I certainly believe, in one of the reasons why I hate travelling so much.

By now, the plane had probably reached the islands of Okinawa. I can tell by just looking at Elsie who was now sticking her head on the window like a little child.

As I expected, the sign saying to fasten our seatbelts blinked. Then, the pilot is announcing our landing on Naha Airport2. Sooner or later, I felt the plane rush downward. And when the plane slowly came to a stop, I sighed in dismay. It was the beginning of what could possibly be the worst vacation I ever had.

By the time Elsie and I got out from the airport, a shuttle service slow rolled its way towards us. A man- whom I assumed was the tour guide because of his gear and his flashy smile- signaled us to join the rest of the group who were also heading to the same place as we were.

"Mister, Miss," he called out as soon as we approached. "May I know your names please?"

"I am Katsuragi Elsie," she said. I winced as Elsie used my family name. She felt as if she really were my sister.

He checked his clipboard. "Ah, so you are the winner of the raffle draw." He mused. "Congratulations. And who is this fine young man with you today?"

I was aware that he was referring to me.

"He is my Kami-," Elsie corrected herself. "-my Oniisama, Katsuragi Keima."

"It's a pleasure serving you, Katsuragi-san," the tour guide extended his hand to me while keeping his friendly nature. I wasn't in the mood to be friendly, let alone to shake hands with anybody at the moment. I was too busy concentrating on my game. I simply ignored him. Fortunately, the tour guide took my message loud and clear. He withdrew his hand.

I sighed as I boarded the shuttle.

Why can't my mom be like that tour guide? Why can't Elsie be like that tour guide? If they were, then I would never have been here in the first place.

In a few minutes, the shuttle's engine roared to life and hit the road. It's about an hour drive from here to our destination, Ikei Island, one of the easternmost and most isolated islands in Okinawa.

Another long and dragging trip was ahead of me. And what was worse is that my PFP ran out of batteries, which rarely ever happens. But considering the fact that I have not brought the extra batteries I use in case the original one dies out, I was in for a long ride.

An hour had passed and I was already anxious to get to the resort- or anywhere I could charge my PFP for that matter. The tour guide had announced that we were almost there. So I looked out the window to see for myself.

I expected to see the resort over view. But instead, all I can see were factories. There were lots of them filling the landscape.

"The tour guide said that we were almost there. But I don't see any resorts or anything the least bit wonderful here," I said to Elsie tediously.

"You are always the observant one, aren't you, Kami-niisama," se replied. "But we aren't there yet."

I looked at her, confused. "But the tour guide said that we are almost there. Shouldn't the tour guide know better than you?"

Elsie shook hear head. "What the tour guide meant is that we were nearly there. But according to this brochure"- she produced the brochure from her bag-"this is still Henza-jima. We still have to pass Miyagi-jima before we can reach Ikei-jjima."

I glared at the tour guide. Liar, I muttered under my breath.

"But you know what?" Elsie said as I turned back to her.

"What?" I asked.

'I am glad that you are finally excited at this as I am," Elsie told me.

"Yeah, I'm really excited."

As she turned away, she didn't catch the sarcasm in my voice.

Where were the crystal clear waters? Where are the beaches? That sea which was wide as the eyes can see?

I looked out the window half expecting to see more factories.

But I was wrong.

I saw everything.

On either side of the road, the calm, flat ocean extends beyond the horizon. The crystal clear waters- in its aqua green and blue colors- rippled waves across its calm surface. As we crossed the land bridge, the scenery was filled with lush greenery and quiet Okinawan villages nestled in the rustic farm fields of sugar cane. Before us were smaller villages situated on the side of a hill with plenty of papaya and banana trees. As we came to the other side, I saw before me the sea expanding in what was undeniably breath taking. There were those beautiful ocean views climbing on to the west coast with cliffs that drop down to the Pacific Ocean. As we moved further to the red bridge leading to Ikei Island, I saw small beaches just below the bridge with huge rocks and emerald green waters. I watched as all these unfolded before me.

Before I knew it, I opened the window and immediately the cool breeze brushed against my skin. I basked under the warm summer sun.

I didn't know what was happening. But it felt good. It was like I was in paradise.

"Kam-niisama, be careful or else you might fall," Elsie warned me.

I snapped, waking up from my reverie. As I closed the window beside me, I saw Elsie break into giggles.

"A little while ago, I thought you were being sarcastic. But you are really getting excited; even way more than I am right now." Elsie said as she smiled.

I flushed red out of embarrassment. Did I really look that overwhelmed?

"I wasn't," I defended myself. "I was just- uhm – really anxious for the hotel. Yes! My PFP ran out of batteries and I'm in desperate need of…"

I cut myself short. We have already arrived at the hotel.

Flag 2.3

"I can't believe we are here," Elsie said as we entered our room.

I paid no attention to her or our room. Instead, I immediately rummaged through my luggage. After I located my charger, I ran straight to the power outlet. I had a lot of gaming to catch up to.

"Kami-niisama," Elsie said all of a sudden. "Do you want to go for a swim? There is this big pool at the other side of the resort and…"

"I don't want to." I cut her short sternly, my focus still diverted towards my PFP.

'Then can I go on ahead?" Elsie asked.

I just ignored her. I didn't want to be disturbed at the moment.

"Okay then, but you are going to regret not coming," Elsie said in a sing song voice as she ran for the door.

When she left, I finally got my way. I had my peace and quiet at last.

An hour had passed by. Elsie hasn't returned yet from swimming. I am proud to say that I am about to finish the game that I have been working on since the beginning of the journey to Okinawa. I was a few more rounds closer to victory.

Suddenly, a cold wind drifted in from the window. It sent chills down my spine and it made me shiver a little even in this tropical place. So I stood up to close the windows.

Just as I was about to lock it shut, I saw the sky. It had now turned into the beautiful shades of golden yellow. I watched as a flock of birds flew past me. The palm trees swayed with the wind. The sea was majestically set up with the backdrop of the beautiful sunset.

I, the god of the gaming world, stood there completely infatuated by the real world.

This was too hard to accept.

I tried coming back to my senses. I shouldn't be acting like this.

I turned away from the window and reached for my PFP.

Wait a minute.

Where is my PFP? I swear I left it here by the windowsill.

Then suddenly, I drew back from the foreshadowing thought that my PFP fell down the window.

But could it be?

My heart skipped a beat.

I rushed out of the door and ran to the outside. I ran as fast as I could to save my PFP.

I ran past the boardwalk, running into different kinds of people. I pushed my legs faster as I let them disappear behind me, hoping I could make it in time before anything else happens.

Then I came to a stop when I reached the place just below our window. I took unsteady, shallow breaths. I was tired. But at the sight of my PFP just at the edge of the cliff, I had to keep going. I had to hurry before it might fall off.

I rushed, pushing my legs faster.

The PFP was almost at my reach.

Then my legs felt weak. I felt very queasy. My vision blurred.

I took an uncertain step forward.

Then everything went black.

1 The Golden Week is a series of Japanese national holidays when many families take a vacation in Japan or abroad.

2 Naha Airport (那覇空港 Naha Kūkō?) is a second class airport located 4 km (2.5 mi) west of the city office in Naha, Okinawa. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)