Rui Kamishiro - Chocolate Kingdom

Rui had always been a loner. Ever since middle school, he hadn't had a single friend. Yet there had always been one thing that brought him comfort: a simple video game that, to him, was nothing short of magical.

Its world was a kingdom made entirely of sweets. The trees grew like giant lollipops, the lakes shimmered with chocolate milk, and every flower, house, and path was edible. It was whimsical, colorful, and endlessly comforting. Above all, Rui adored the kingdom's cheerful young prince, Tsukasa.

But childhood eventually faded into adulthood. Rui forgot those stories as he became consumed by the monotony of office work and the quiet loneliness of his everyday life.

One afternoon, exhausted by the routine that had become his entire existence, he wandered into the basement. Buried beneath old boxes, he found the game along with the collection of merchandise he had treasured as a child. A smile tugged at his lips as memories came rushing back. On a whim, he dusted off the console and decided to play it one more time.

The familiar title screen flickered to life.

Then, without warning, a brilliant light erupted from the television, so intense that Rui instinctively threw an arm over his eyes. The room dissolved into blinding white.

When he finally opened his eyes again, he was no longer in his apartment.

He stood in the middle of a vast forest washed in an almost painfully bright shade of pink. The leaves glowed like spun sugar, the grass looked soft enough to be cotton candy, and the air itself smelled faintly of vanilla.

Staring at him was a young man with soft blond hair and a slightly chubby build. His warm amber eyes were filled with gentle curiosity, and the familiar smile on his face made Rui's breath catch.

"H-Huh?! Where am I?!"