The Jungle of Time wasn’t always pain and progress.
Each evening, Kaizo and Yumi would cool off in a small, naturally heated spring tucked deep within the bamboo-edge biome. In the mornings, they usually came here as well.
It became routine — Kaizo on one side, Yumi on the other — separated by a wall of moss-covered stone.
Steam, peace, and the soft bubbling of the water.
Until today.
Yumi hums softly as she rinses her arms, steam swirling around her face.
Her foot shifts—too far left.
The stone beneath her heel is slick with moss.
Yumi (muttering): “Huh? Wait—”
Sliiiide—skid—splash!
Her shoulder bumps the wall—
CRACK!
A section of stone crumbles free, revealing a clear gap to the other side.
Kaizo, towel draped around him, about to leave, turns toward the noise.
What transpired next was so dramatic, the narrator felt a need to actually say something.
Narrator (calmly dramatic): “Though Kaizo has lived a pretty short life so far, he has gone through a lot for a kid his age. Near death experiences, countless brawls and battles, and he learned and watched tons of different things, considering his ability to break the 4th wall. However, nothing, and I mean nothing, could have prepared him for what he just saw…”
The steam clears just enough.
Two pairs of eyes meet through the opening — one horrified, one enlightened.
Yumi freezes.
Her “progress” was now fully exposed from head to toe, and Kaizo no longer needed to imagine anything..
Kaizo (perfectly calm): “Thank you, whatever gods let this happen. Hard work truly does pay off, and dreams most certainly come true…”
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Yumi (screaming): “KAAIIIIZOOOO!!”
Kaizo (hands up): “Don’t blame me, blame the creators… Technically, I’m a victim he-”
Yumi (furious, clutching her towel): “YOU’RE NOT THE VICTIM, YOU HORNY HOMOSAPIAN WANNABE!!”
Kaizo (defensive): “... Well that wasn’t very nice, now was it?”
Yumi: “I’m gonna kill you.”
Kaizo (dead serious): “Go ahead, my purpose in this life has been achieved."
A long pause.
Thunk.
A shampoo bottle flies over the wall and nails him square in the forehead.
Kaizo (rubbing his head): “Okay, I deserved that one.”
Infinity (from the side of the spring, soaking in a leaf tub): “It was only a matter of time, really….”
Kaizo (groaning): “Yumi, relax, don-” “OUCH!”
Infinity: “I’ll begin planning his funeral…”
The Next Morning
Morning light filters through the bamboo. Birds chirp. Steam still rises faintly from the spring.
Kaizo is calmly stirring his breakfast pot.
Yumi hasn’t said a word since waking up—just side-eye and quiet muttering.
Infinity (stretching): “So, we talkin’ about last night or pretending it was a fever dream?”
Yumi (snapping): “It. Never. Happened.”
Kaizo (deadpan, without looking up): “Oh, it most definitely did.’”
Yumi (stiff): “Forget about it.”
Kaizo (turns slightly, smirking): “I have a perfect memory, remember? Even if I wanted to, I am NEVER forgetting what happened yesterday. The Hot Springs Moment is now my permanent 4K, high-definition mental wallpaper.”
Yumi: “YOU—!!” throws a piece of fruit at him
Kaizo (catching it mid-air): “Thanks. I needed more potassium today.”
Infinity (snorting): “You’re a menace.”
Kaizo: “For what?”
Yumi (face red, crossing arms): “You don’t even feel bad?”
Kaizo (sincerely calm): “Why would I? How is it my fault you slipped?
Besides…” (leans back, smug grin) “…if I’m honest, that image is motivation now.”
Yumi (jaw dropping): “MOTIVATION?!”
Kaizo: “Yeah. If I go through any tough times, I’ll always have something to fall back on.”
Infinity (wheezing): “He called your shower stumble a miracle—oh, this is peak cinema.”
A moment of silence as Yumi glares daggers at him.
Then she sighs, cheeks still red but smiling slightly.
Yumi (defeated): “…You really don’t know shame, do you?”
Kaizo (shrugs): “Not at all.”
Infinity: “I swear, one day she’s gonna kill you in your sleep.”
Kaizo: “Then I’ll die with a perfect memory.”
Yumi (groaning, face in hands): “You’re impossible.”
Kaizo (grinning): “That’s what they all say.”
