A fiery red sports car sped like lightning.

On the streets of a small city in 2004, cars were scarce. Roads weren’t wide, but driving flowed smoothly. Traffic rules were lax; even red-light running seemed no violation back then.

"Hey, Mom! You ran a red light!" Leaf Grace cried in panic.

"It’s fine. No one’s ahead."

"Dangerous even if empty! You’re hitting 150 mph!"

"No worries. I can go faster, you know?"

"Eeeeeeek!"

As if teasing Leaf Grace, her mom slammed the accelerator to 180 mph—city roads blurred like a lightning bolt. Luckily, she eased off after ten seconds. Leaf Grace’s face stayed pale with lingering fear.

Unlike ordinary kids, Leaf Grace had clear memories and judgment from childhood. She’d watched her mother "grow up" year by year since her twenties. Her wild spirit never faded; Dad once mentioned she’d been an underground racer before marriage.

The crimson car glided onto suburban roads, soon reaching their seaside villa—a tranquil paradise anytime. Maids cleaned inside, while Water Poem relaxed; her only duty was following Leaf Grace after she woke.

"Huff!" Leaf Grace struggled into her bedroom with a plush bear, plopping it on the bedside table. "I’m dead tired."

"Pfft, not that heavy?" Water Poem chuckled, covering her mouth. "Madam asked you to give the plush toys to the other maids."

"Huh? Why not her—fine, I’ll do it." Leaf Grace sighed, abandoning her chair. She and Water Poem fetched the toys from the garage.

"Come on, everyone! Pick your favorite—one each!" Leaf Grace called in the living room. "No grabbing!"

"Wow, that rabbit’s adorable!"

"I want the black one!"

"Me! Me!"

"No snatching! One by one." Leaf Grace rolled her eyes. "Let’s play a game. Winners pick first."

"Agreed, Miss!"

"Sure!" The maids chirped eagerly.

"That dot-mat game you love," Leaf Grace explained, gesturing. "Roll dice for a number, place hand or foot there—hold until you fail or can’t reach the next."

"We use it for flexibility training," Water Poem smiled. "Fun choice."

"Great! Everyone has a mat, right? Bring them out—let’s start!" Leaf Grace grinned. Watching maids twist into wild poses to touch dots made her inner hentai spirit flare.

Dice thrown: "Red three!"

Easy start—all maids balanced on one foot like human cranes. *Moe crane girls?* Leaf Grace shook off the thought. Next throw: "Blue two." Simple standing. But difficulty climbed fast.

"Blue five!"

"Red eight!"

"Blue thirteen!"

"Blue nineteen!"

Poses turned bizarre—backs arched, tiny belly buttons peeking. Maids sabotaged each other with jokes.

"Hey, Water, your panties are black!" one teased. Others joined the "tactics."

"Chali’s are lace!"

"Jiujiu, you’re not wearing any?!"

"Zier, why two pairs? Matching Jiujiu?"

Chaos erupted. Low-laughter maids collapsed, clutching stomachs in spasms. Water Poem held strong but twisted like a pretzel—until a secret poke made her lose.

"Rankings recorded! Pick gifts by endurance time~" Leaf Grace beamed. Daily silliness felt magical with friends. Top ranks cheered, but everyone swapped toys freely—harmony and warmth filled the room.

Leaf Grace had missed school for days with fever. Classes started two weeks ago; Monday meant returning to normal.

Night fell swiftly. Starlight glittered in the unpolluted sky. Leaf Grace sat by her bedroom window, gazing up. Water Poem had her own room—tonight, solitude felt right.

"To the beach," she whispered, tiptoeing downstairs. She settled on the sand. Cool waves brushed her ankles; moonlight bathed her face. Once, she’d disliked Autumn Ease for being her past self. Now, after everything, she loved him deeply. He was reliable when it counted—timid yet always overcoming fears for her. Truth was, Leaf Grace still disliked men. Loving Autumn Ease? Simply because he was *him*. Not gender, just the person.

"Autumn Ease…" she murmured.

"Here~" A familiar, strange voice answered.

"Huh?" She whipped around. Autumn Ease stood behind her, hands clasped, faint smile playing.

"Autumn Ease?!"

"It’s me." He scratched his chin. "Surprised? I’m back!"

"Where were you?!" She hugged him—only to clutch a fluffy lump.

"Ahem, just arrived." He meant he’d materialized moments ago. Time-traveled, essentially.

"What did you do before?"

"Drifting in a void… forever. Nearly drove me mad."

"Huh…? What’s behind you?"

"Hehe, for you." He proudly pulled a plush bear from his back, shoving it into her arms. "Bought when you first became Leaf Grace in this world."

"Oh—the brown one was yours?"

"Yep! A surprise."

"Tch! Showing up earlier would’ve surprised me!" She punched his chest. "I didn’t miss you. Just… pity you died. You’re my other self, after all."

"Oh? Really? Not one bit? Then I’ll leave."

"Hmph, whatever!" She turned away, hugging the bear.

"You hugged me excitedly just now."

"Just checking if you were real!"

Silent, he wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his head on her shoulder. "Wenwen… I love you."

"So cheesy. Gross!"

"This time, we’ll live peacefully. No world-saving." He grinned. "Remember? I want to be a pro gamer."

"Tch, too early an era. No hot games for pros."

"Tech might leap forward. Era-defining games could arrive early."

"What game?"

"An RPG—enjoy the story."

"Tsk, hope League of Legends launches early. Crush opponents with patch advantage."

"Aiyaya, no-story games bore me! …Late now. I should go."

"Not scared walking back at night?"

"I’m a man. What’s to fear?"

"Tch, die for all I care. Come inside first."

She led him to the villa gate, then upstairs. She placed the brown bear on her bed, handed him the black one.

"This?" He blinked. "A love token? I’d prefer Wenwen’s panties…"

"Get lost!" She roared, face flushing slightly.