Hi. My name is Reika. I'm a totally average 17-year-old high school girl. Except, you know... for the fact that I can stop time.
And jump between worlds.
Okay, I guess I should explain.
It all started last month. I was walking home from cram school, grumbling about midterms, when I saw this weird glowing... puddle? Portal? It looked like someone spilled glittery shampoo on the sidewalk and left it swirling like a whirlpool.
Naturally, I stepped in it. I know, I know. "Why would you do that, Reika?!" But I thought it was a prank video or something. I wasn't expecting to end up standing in the middle of a forest with two moons and a giant purple bird staring at me like I was the weirdo.
Anyway, long story short: I now have a bracelet (probably magic), which lets me jump between that world—let's call it Atheria—and Earth. It also lets me stop time.
Yes. Stop. Time.
Of course, the first thing I did was use it to sleep through math class and then sneak second helpings from the bakery without getting caught.
Don't judge me. You would've done the same.
But after a few "experiments" (and a very awkward incident involving a frozen volleyball mid-air and me holding three buns I couldn't explain), I decided to take this seriously. Because Atheria?
It's not just a fantasy world. It's a medieval-style economy with swords, magic, and... serious business opportunities.
They don't have chocolate. Or shampoo. Or plastic containers. Or instant noodles.
So yeah—I may not be a genius, but I smell profit.
Thus began my double life. On Earth, I'm just Reika, that girl who always looks tired but somehow has new shoes every week. In Atheria, I'm "Lady Rika," the mysterious merchant who appears out of nowhere with miracle goods and always disappears before dusk.
I set up a little shop in the town of Menelvia—population: mostly confused peasants, three suspicious adventurers, and a mayor who keeps trying to marry me off to his son.
Today was supposed to be a quiet supply run. I stopped time, popped over to the supermarket, grabbed a dozen boxes of hair dye, two cartons of instant curry, and a set of plastic cups on sale. Then I un-paused time, hopped over to Atheria, and set up shop.
"Lady Rika! You've returned!"
"Ah, my shoulders! Please, sell us more of that magical cream!"
"I-I've saved up enough coins! Will you sell me that elixir that makes your hair shiny again?!"
It's honestly adorable. I'm not scamming them, to be clear—I'm giving good products and fair deals. I just add a bit of dramatic flair. Like calling shampoo "Essence of Moonlight" or "Liquid Flowerwater."
Sales were booming. I even managed to trade a box of matcha Pocky for a genuine fire-magic crystal from a traveling wizard.
But then came the incident.
While I was re-stocking behind the curtain, a young knight burst in yelling, "Lady Rika! There's a wyvern headed this way!"
A what now?
Apparently, a wyvern—a huge dragon-thing without front legs but with wings big enough to block out the sun—had been spotted flying toward the town. Panic was rising, people were evacuating, and I was... hiding behind a stack of ramen.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not a fighter. I have no sword skills, magic training, or death wish. But time-stopping?
That's a different story.
"Alright," I whispered, tightening my bracelet. "Let's test the limits."
I stepped outside. Froze time. Everything stopped—birds in mid-air, leaves caught mid-fall, people frozen mid-scream. It was surreal. Also very quiet.
And there it was: the wyvern. Ugly, scaly, and definitely on its way to barbecue something.
"Okay, Reika," I muttered. "You can't kill it. But you can confuse the heck out of it."
Ten minutes later, the creature suddenly unfroze to find itself surrounded by glowing fake firecrackers, a ring of pepper spray traps, and an entire pig carcass duct-taped to a tall tree—don't ask. I un-paused time, ran back to town, and waited.
According to witnesses, the beast flapped down, looked around in confusion, screamed once, and fled the other direction.
Instant town hero status: unlocked.
"Lady Rika saved us again!"
"She outwitted a wyvern without lifting a blade!"
I just smiled and said something vague like "Knowledge is the sharpest sword."
Am I lying? Not really. Am I being suspicious? Definitely. But hey—it worked.
Afterward, I returned to Earth to take a bath, eat pudding, and watch TV.
Two worlds. One girl. Infinite possibilities.
And a LOT of instant curry.