Katagaki Naomi

The day that i lost her "i lost my future"

- Katagaki Naomi describing how he felt after he lost Ichigyou Ruri.

**Katagaki Naomi** (堅書直実, *Katagaki Naomi)* is a high school student of **Kyoto** **Municipal Horikawa Senior High Schoo**l and the main male protagonist of **Hello World**.

## Personality

**Katagaki Naomi** is an ordinary high school student and especially doesn't have any social skills. He is usually seen reading a novel books, but he gets to a point where he wanted some friends.

His shy type personality had eventually made him a loner. Naomi's failed attempts garnered him no friends even in his class, except **Ichigyou Ruri**.

## Appearance

**Katagaki Naomi** is usually seen wearing his uniform when outside of his home. On spring season, he always wear his black coat uniform. Before and during the summer season, he wears only his inner white polo t-shirt and pale blue bowtie. Naomi then uses a pair of maroon sports jacket and jogging shorts along with a pair of white shoes when he's attaining mastery with the **Good Design**.

Although his physique is pail, he has a fair white skin and brown hair.

## **Plot**

**Katagaki Naomi** is a high school freshman who harbors a love for reading, but one day he makes an interest for social activities after refusing his classmate's karaoke invitation. He then goes into a bookstore to buy a certain book titled '***Decisiveness'*** as a reference for socializing but his indecisiveness always put him in position that he probably can't initiate.

### Exchanging Contacts

*"Yes... I accept it."*

*--- Naomi agreeing to join the Student Library Commitee*

In the following days, the **Student Library Committee** attempts to recruit some people on Naomi's class. Naomi wants to refuse but his faltering confidence allows him to accept their offer. He then gets to introduce himself to his fellow new members on their meeting and gladly exchange contacts with his "**WiZ**" account. The committee adjourns later on but he notices **Ichigyou Ruri'**s account, No Name, wasn't with their group. Naomi suddenly calls for her before she could get out and asks her for an exchange of contact. Annoyed by his interruption, Ruri suddenly picks her phone and accesses her **WiZ** account, whilst her expression shows that she doesn't understand the app herself. Naomi instead asks her phone number. She remains silent and then slips her phone into her bag. She grabs a notepad and pen, writing her home address in it, and puts it on the table then mentions he should send a letter on that address he wants something from her.

### The Aurora, The Strange Man, and a Bird

*"Who the hell are you?"*

*--- Naomi asking the strange man's identity.*

**Katagaki Naomi** departs from the school and visits a library on his way home. He sat into one of the chairs as he reads a book while having 4 more reserves on the table. He later borrows the books after the library announced it is due to close at 4 PM for maintenance purposes. As he walk into the streets holding the books on a bag, he notices the people around him suddenly flocking the area gazing upon the mysterious aurora in Kyoto's airspace. Everyone feels astonished to the phenomena, although Naomi feels like something is off. On the midst of the aurora Naomi spots a tiny bird silhouette. It then lands in front of him, and realizes that is not just an ordinary bird, a **Yatagarasu**, a mythical creature that is said to be a three-legged crow. The bird instantly startles him with its caw, letting him drop the bag of books he was holding. It abruptly picks a book from the bag and flew high into the nearest temple. In his attempt to take it back, Naomi meets a **strange man** wearing strange white hooded clothes. He literally freaks out and he runs away when the man attempted to communicate. But the man was able to follow him into the next train station. Naomi warns the man in his fear that he might do something to him. But he realized no one could see him when a kid passes right to where he stands. Naomi asks the person who he is, in which he'll gladly reveal who he is later on.

### The Recorded and the Real One

*"Not... particularly"*

*--- Naomi responding to the strange man's offer.*

The next day, **Katagaki Naomi** wakes up from the words of the strange guy. He spreads his curtain and sees the **Yatagarasu** waiting for him on the terrace. Realizing that everything happened yesterday was real, Naomi refuses to listen to the crow as it continuously pecks his glass door. Naomi had no choice but to accept the strange guy's invitation for a free tour at the **Center of Kyoto Prefecture History Records**. His tour gives him the introductory knowledge of the **Chronicle Kyoto Project**, but as the project was explicitly massive, and the ability to show accurate 3D images of Kyoto's present and past maps, it clearly needs a massive device to store the large information. That is where the '***ALLTALE'*** comes in, a the project's quantum storage device.

After seeing **ALLTALE**'s construct, the strange man rushes him to cut the tour short and rides a bus into **Demachiyanagi**. The two discusses the **Chronicle Kyoto** and **ALLTALE** further inside the bus, until an insecure man made him stop. When they arrived into the bus stop, they hustle into the riverbanks to only see nothing strange. But the latter confirms the "recorded event" is about to happen. Naomi isn't convince to his words until a drone crash lands directly into his face. The man further discusses that in the year 2020, **Chronicle Kyoto Project**'s secret purpose was to observe Kyoto's whole area with a large number of drones. It's goal was to record every event in Kyoto to the **ALLTALE**. He discloses that what happened to him now was a record from the quantum storage itself, and the high school student **Katagaki Naomi** is a record of the past while he is **Katagaki Naomi** of the present. He tells the younger Naomi he knows everything about him and he knows that Naomi wanted a girlfriend of his own. Although the latter isn't particularly sure to his statement.

Later that night, his mother patches his injury. She wants to report it to the public office but Naomi thinks otherwise and thanks her instead. He goes straight to his room and see the adult Naomi staring at his book shelves. The latter confessed he also bought the **Decisiveness** book and put numerous bookmarks on it. **Katagaki Naomi** asks him if he's really him in the future because of the gap of their height. The older one tells him he'll grow eventually but in his current state, Naomi is seeing his avatar for the **ALLTALE**. Naomi asks him if there are difference with the recorded world and the real world. Although he states that Naomi's world is a perfect copy of the real one, and switching into one is rather meaningless if he's differing what's fake. With the way he answered it, Naomi doesn't any choice but to accept it, referring to **Greg Egan**'s Sci-Fi books to quickly adopt to the situation.

The **Yatagarasu**, with adult Naomi's command, topples the topmost box to tell him his purpose. The box flips as it fall into the floor, revealing female gravure magazines. Naomi screams, turning beet red as he tries to cover his magazine from his sight. Then the adult one states again of his true purpose, to have Naomi get a girlfriend in order to ease the pain of his adolescent suffering.

### Stalking a Girl

*"Yes, I saw, but... is it true?"*

*--- Naomi asking his future self.*

    On the next day, Naomi gazes to his cute and lively classmate, Kadenokouji-san, until she was called by another classmate. He then concentrates on observing the uninterruptable bookworm **Ichigyou Ruri**. The other boys messes around catching a blue bag, rather recklessly throwing it into Ichigyou. They got scared when they saw it flying pass her, but she rather ignores it, continuously ogling at her book. They apologize to her, although who knows if she can hear them at all. He later follows her into the canteen and watches **Ichigyou Ruri** pushing her way through the crowd to buy a cinnamon twisted bread, then returns to their classroom and disturbs her 3 female classmate gossiping at her seat. For one last time he observes **Ichigyou Ruri** on the corridor beside the school library, seeing her reading again in the library while ignoring the line of students waiting for her to receive the books.

All of a sudden, the **Yatagarasu** pecks his hair and guides him into the male comfort room. **Katagaki Naomi** could have finished his sentence until his future self interrupts, added that no one can see him but Naomi alone. He then asks Naomi if he checks everything out about **Ichigyou Ruri**, revealing that she is his girlfriend to be three months from now. But Naomi feels that **Ichigyou Ruri** isn't meant for him because he prefers the cute-type of girls like **Kadenokouji**. He also thinks if he gets close to **Ichigyou Ruri**, she'll probably eat him alive, and her OG lone wolf attitude has the tendency to scare him. The adult one gets angry to what he said and confronts him but Naomi literally differs her cuteness and beauty, although he thinks she is not a cute-type. He persuades him that **Ichigyou Ruri** is one, and he'll prove it otherwise by heading into the library with Naomi. But as he sees her in the distances, adult **Katagaki Naomi** starts crying.

On the school rooftop, he further discussed in the next 3 months, **Ichigyou Ruri** would be dating **Katagaki Naomi**. On the span of those months they'll be much closer and are exactly in love to one another. However, **Ichigyou Ruri** was killed when a lightning struck the tree where she waits for him on the night of the fireworks festival. It was a tragedy he would never forget, and it should've been his happiest memory of her, rather he lost his future that night. The Fireworks Festival should have been their first to go out together, but their fate dictates that they're not meant to be together. That's why he accessed **ALLTALE**,to tamper the record by rewriting it three months before and prevent the accident. If she survives, her existence will be the primary source of chain reaction to rewrite the records of those surrounding her, it is an exact example of butterfly effect. He theorized that with **ALLTALE**'s infinite area, a certain world will record it and let **Ichigyou Ruri** live. **Katagaki Naomi** questions him if it's worth saving her recorded data because **Ichigyou Ruri** of the real world will not be revived with this process. He shares that the both of them just started dating and hasn't gone deeper with their relationship. He confesses that he has no memories of her, not even a single photo. If he could get a chance, he want to see her smiling face. He personally wanted that record even if it's not the real one.

He admits that he is powerless as he can't do anything. He knows his avatar's limits, that even touching Naomi's physical data isn't possible, he bows into Naomi and asking him to lend him a hand. Still, Naomi is uncertain and he doesn't even know anything more about **Ichigyou Ruri**, and he can't imagine they're meant for each other. Although he thinks he'd be happy to go out with a pretty girl, and if he can prevent her death, he will gladly help out too. All of the sudden **Katagaki Naomi** asks how he will address his future side. He later suggest to call him **Sensei** instead as they "shake hand" as formality. **Sensei** then ensures **Katagaki Naomi** that he'll teach all kinds of things since he's 10 year older than him since Naomi can only rely to his knowledge. But he assures him that he is no longer powerless because he have him and the Yatagarasu.

On the spur of the moment that the **Yatagarasu** landed to his right arm, it slowly transforms into a mysterious glove called the '***Good Design'***. On the next day, Naomi went off early at 5:59 AM to receive his training from **Sensei** on the mountains. The latter tested him if he can create something with the '***Good Design'***, Naomi learns that the glove have to power to access the records of the quantum storage and all that he touches can be rewritten. The Good Design is also their only hope to save Ichigyou. However, Sensei warns him that a people's mind can't be rewritten with the glove. That is where Sensei enters by guiding with his diary he calls the Perfect Manual.

### Growing a Bit Closer

*"It isn't nice at all! She likes me even less now! How is that the Perfect Manual?!"*

*--- Naomi arguing Sensei after receiving Ichigyou Ruri's slap.*

In the afternoon of April 20, 2027, **Katagaki Naomi** and **Sensei** visited the Kita Library to borrow certain books and rides a bus to go home. According to Sensei's log, on a certain event that day, **Naomi** and **Ruri** will grow closer together. Naomi then thinks if these things were already laid out, it will be best if Sensei just left him alone. But **Sensei** states he has started changing the records by the moment they first met, he doesn't know what might happen if he'll let him be, and guiding him now is their best chance. **Naomi** isn't still convinced to his answer but **Sensei** assures they're on the right path with his future diary.

**Katagaki Naomi** asks him what he must do next, the latter tells him to take out his book, open it, and intentionally drops it. He then tells to pick it up, but the book moves further away as their ride stops. Unbeknownst to Naomi - **Ichigyou Ruri** also rides the same bus - and as he stands up, he then bumps his head into her lower back "accidentally". Both of them left the bus in the same station and Ruri slaps him before he could apologize and silently leaves them on their own. **Sensei** approves his action but Naomi thinks he just made it worse, and feels like he'll never get closer to her. Otherwise, **Sensei** pointed an object on the ground, stating the item is his key and he should rather do things one at a time.

    On the next day in the afternoon, **Katagaki Naomi** goes into the library to give her a bookmark, which she mention she's been searching for it since yesterday. Realizing the soft side of Naomi, **Ichigyou Ruri** apologizes for misinterpreting his intention and interrupt his attempt to explain. Naomi approaches her and offers it to her, Ruri receives it, her face expression is dull, she looks him in the eye and thanks him for his efforts. Afterwards, Naomi watches her heading off from the library and realizes he somehow feel they grew closer. Sensei tills him he must do it bit by bit and mustn't rush for his the next opportunity - for his love story have only begun.

**Katagaki Naomi** received a message on the WiZ community at the night of **April 23, 2027**, Friday. Their president asks them to bring rugs for their library chores on Monday. He remembered that Ichigyou wasn't part of their WiZ community so he sends a letter to her home to inform her. Monday arrives, Naomi sees her brought a rug, it puts him to smile whilst Ichigyou stares back and responds with a bow. Naomi eventually receives her letter mentioning her gratitude for letting her know.

### Bookworms

*"Is that so? I go there and read as well.. every month."*

*--- Ruri revealing her own activities to Naomi.*

On **May 6, 2027**, **Katagaki Naomi** is with **Ichigyou Ruri** on library duty and learns how ruthless she can be with rule breakers. They end their duty as the bell rings subsequently on the afternoon. They both head into the same street and Naomi part ways at the nearest bus stop. Before he goes off, Ichigyou interrupts him by asking why they were at the same bus that time. Naomi then answers her question in a completely awkward manner because of the incident. She then accepts his reply normally and ride the bus, though she also reveals to him that she reads the same book at the same library every month. She then leaves him with a glimpse of smile on her face. Naomi feels good after knowing they both have the same interest at **Kita Library**, he then left the bus stop with a smile after reading a piece of reference from Sensei's Perfect Manual.

Naomi creates an iron nugget the next day on his training. He brags that he's been practicing secretly at night and thinks how awesome he had become. Sensei suddenly test if Naomi can erase the illusion he created in an instant but he freaks out instead. He then lectures Naomi to build more courage, because whatever happens he must be ready to protect **Ichigyou Ruri** on the night of the Fireworks Festival. He reminds him again that he must master thefull potential of the **Good Design** before the day of their reckoning. The next day, Naomi shows him his progress with a copper nugget. Sensei feels they still have a long way before Naomi can truly control the **Good Design**.

### Slow and Steady

*"We all have shortcomings. Next time I'll do the upper bookshelf."*

*--- Naomi suggesting Ruri to divide their committee work.*

On that same day, **Ichigyou Ruri** attempts to return a book on the upper book shelves, she instantly fainted afterwards and **Katagaki Naomi** is there to cushion her fall. He then carries her into the committee room to rest and reveals that she has **Acrophobia**. Naomi believes no one is perfect in everything and offers to do the upper shelves next time. But then she insisted to do the lower shelves which he thinks she mustn't because heavier and larger books. Ichigyou persuades him then to let her be with the middle ones and agrees with it. He later confirms that splitting the bookshelf into three parts is always inefficient, but because of that work they begun to talk more often. Naomi ends up teaching Ichigyou on how to use her WiZ after doing their chores, and as thanks, they both exchange contacts.

At night, Naomi grins seeing his phone screen with Ruri's account added on his WiZ. The Yatagarasu interrupts his small smile by messing his hair. Sensei asks him why he's grinning, but Naomi says nothing other than his thanks for note's log. Naomi asks him what he'll do next. Sensei just let him continue how he is now and assures him everything will be alright so long as they have his future diary. He then guarantees him that they'll be a couple later on.

### Her Smile

*"In the real world, I'm just an extra. That's why I can't explain at all."*

*--- Naomi answering Ruri's question at the riverside.*

In the early June, **Katagaki Naomi** and **Ichigyou Ruri** were assigned as partners for gathering secondhand books for the upcoming event - the **Secondhand Book Fair**. They later put up Offering Boxes in every class on **June 7, 2027**. By the **14th of June** however, they only saw a couple of book on certain box. Naomi expects this to happen on their initial committee meeting, but Ruri isn't bowing down as she sees it a challenge. She encourages Naomi to do his best too. The two would then persuade every person they encounter on their school campus for donations. On the last three days before the event on **June 25, 2027**, their committee's effort only garnered just a total of 37 books, as their president pass by he seemingly suggests donating some of their own books is also applicable.

Without anymore option, **Ichigyou Ruri** asks Naomi for assistance. She later invites him to tag along into her house. **Katagaki Naomi** never thought he'd get this opportunity since getting invited into her home is a sign of trust. Ichigyou guides him into their home's attic and shows him the entire floor filled with books. She then explains that everything is from her grandfather's collection, and she thinks there'll be expensive ones. In his awe, Naomi suggests to donate some, but pauses to ask her if it's okay fine to take some of grandpa's precious collection. Although she regrets she'll get jealous if someone bought it, her grandfather wasn't someone who'd not be angry for it and happily tells him every books have their desire to be read.

Naomi and Ruri would later carry the books they selected on a big cart. Their cart is heavy enough for them to push, but it is expected because their physique is clearly not for it. After a while, they both decided to catch their breath sit on a tree-shaded bench at the riverside while the drank their own bottle of water. With all the talk of them being closer, Naomi and Ruri keeps a great distance between them. All of a sudden she asks Naomi for what kind of books he frequently reads. Naomi though has no appropriate answer and thinks he prefers most genre he knows. Ochigyou responds with her catchphrase and discloses her love for adventure novels. She expresses how she loves the character's determination, she likes them for never giving up even in hard times. She also feels to try living like that, and really wanting to live just like that. Naomi understand how deep her message is, he just knows it, because he's always looking out for her. After hearing her thoughts, Naomi thinks that Sci-Fi books fits him the most. He loves how the genre shows him a wonderful new world and differs that it's more than just a fairy tale, he feels as if it's an extension of their normal lives. Reading them gives him the sensation like he's part of the tale, and that in the real world, he's just an extra - that's also why he can't explain his part at all and repeats his love for the genre.

Ruri agrees on him and understands how he feels, she also showed him her brightest smile. Naomi is left struck by her, and realizes how precious her smile is. The mood was even lifted after petals of white daisy flew straight towards as she showed it. He literally keeps his composure sooner and later grabs the "'***The City at the Bottom of the Great Lake'***" on the cart. Ruri asks if he wants it for free, but Naomi rather wants to buy it on the fair. Naomi suddenly finds a Loan Card attached to the front cover's back prompting her to sit right next to him, suggesting he might be the luckiest person to see it.

### Confession

*"Ichigyou-san, uhm... I..."*

*--- Naomi awkwardly telling something.*

Sooner or later they reached the school entrance, their committee members were surprised to see them bring a cart full of old books. Kadenokouji then proposes to donate her books too and asks all members to help her bringing them. They stack the books and covers it with plastic later on at the guard post along with their fair's sign and left. But an accident occurred when their sign post slid next to a light bulb and slowly burns and all the books they managed to collect were completely destroyed. Ruri stood there facing the burnt books in the next afternoon, especially ***The City at the Bottom of the Great Lake's*** that was at the top. Everyone is devastated, but Ruri never showed how depressed she is and might have returned to her former self. Naomi wasn't addressed by Sensei about it, he really wanted to strangle him, but the boundaries of his avatar keeps him safe from harm. He thinks how Ruri feels that night, he wanted to something to make her smile, he wants to do something for her.

Later that night, Naomi heads into their school by himself to make exact copy of her grandpa's books with the Good Design. However, his imitations are far from the original until Sensei allowed him the access on **ALLTALE**'s records. Naomi makes up an all nighter doing the copies for her sake. He greets Ruri on the locker area the next day with a completely exhausted face. He takes her into the library to shows her a box of books of her grandpa including '***The City at the Bottom of the Lake'*** that was supposed to be burnt. She grabs it with both of hands, Naomi happily tells her how relieve he is to see it unharmed and falls into her hands due to exhaustion.

**June 25, 2027,** **Katagaki Naomi** skips the entirety of their Secondhand Book Fair sleeping. He woke up next to **Ichigyou Ruri** later in the afternoon with '***The City at the Bottom of the Lake'*** on her hands. She then inform him the fair is a success due to his efforts and eventually sits right next to him, thanking him twice with a soft smile. As he sees her cute side, Naomi then confesses that he likes her. Ruri is slightly shocked for his revelation and keeps her composure. She stands and walks halfway into the door to throw her catchphrase as if she doesn't care for his feelings. She then states that dating isn't something he can do alone, so it'd be best if they try it together. Naomi was surprised for her answer- Ichigyou Ruri gladly accepts his feelings.

### Tampering the Record

*"Ichigyou-san, you're saved! Yes I did it! I'm glad I did it!"*

*--- Naomi while embracing Ichigyou Ruri.*

Days have passed and the **Summer Festival** is almost in the distance, **Sensei** acknowledges ****Katagaki Naomi**** after he successfully masters the **Good Design** and created the Sun on his palms. He has shown him how dedicated he is to protect his girlfriend.

On **July 3, 2027**, the date they'd been waiting for has come. Yet this time, Naomi and Sensei decided to not invite Ichigyou to the **Fireworks Festival** to prevent the accident on happening. But as they guard her house just outside of their gate, Naomi notices kitsune men hording the same street as them, Sensei immediately warns him of their presence. He then reveals that it's the disguise of **ALLTALE**'s **Homeostatic System**, the quantum storage's watchers and file managers, and they are there to fix the anomaly of the records.

**Katagaki Naomi** then fights them with a laced heavy book and hits his first target. His initial targets freezes mid-air and Naomi realizes he can interfere their movements permanently. He continues to knock every fox men, but some have entered Ichigyou's house and encircles her. The same thing happens to Naomi after he trips at the lawn. The two are transferred into a bridge at Ujigawa. **Ichigyou Ruri** was dumbstruck after she sees herself outside and Naomi with her. **Sensei** rushes in realizing he completely messed up the system's privileges and notifies Naomi that the bridge is the place of the lightning strike.

Naomi grabs Ichigyou's hand to run, but Ruri drops her book and trips when her right leg was wrapped by a shadow from the ground. Naomi pulls the thing that is stopping her from moving but it then returns when he tears it apart. He also notices the numerous kitsune men standing on both bridge exits. Sensei screams to him that they have no time to escape rather he must create a defense against the lightning strike. He encourages Naomi to be flashy just for this moment.

Convinced by Sensei's words, **Katagaki Naomi** materialize a dark sphere of gas with the **Good Design**. But the fox men thinks otherwise and jumps into the sphere to destroy it. Naomi feels the increasing weight in every second. His enemies is completely undermining his concentration. **Sensei** encourages him further to not give up. Naomi compresses the sphere much further, his enemies starts to dwindle and disappear. As the sphere completely collapses, a small purple star glows on his palm. Naomi suddenly crushes it with his right hand and slowly let a small Black Hole float in the air. The sky constantly rumbles, the lightning strike is coming. Then, the area flashes in an instant and Ruri sees the thunder coming. Before it could hit Ichigyou, the small Black Hole sucks the thunder with its gravitational pull. Yet the lightning is indeed powerful as it hits certain things on the environment including the kitsune men. The wind swirls into the black hole with the thunder dissipates into nothing. Dust flies and twirls and eventually stops. Naomi finds himself and Ichigyou on constant silence.

With the tampering is finally over, **Katagaki Naomi** frees Ruri completely. **Ichigyou Ruri**, surprised to see Naomi in front of him, takes his embrace and hears his happy tone of finally saving her. As she finally realizes that she's saved by Naomi, she thankfully returns the favor. But then, Naomi felt his clumsy approach and eventually releases her. However, Ichigyou gives her a flushed look, she closes her eyes as Naomi holds her hand for their first kiss.

### Betrayal

*"Anything! I don't care just come out! Just get out now!"*

*---Naomi.*

The two is about to express their feelings to one another. **Ichigyou Ruri** knows how deeply in love she is, she knows he cares for her the most, and trusts his every words he says. ****Katagaki Naomi**** wasn't really sure 3 months ago if they'd click after all, but he's wrong to have misjudged Ichigyou in the first place. Bit by bit, he learns how innocent she can be even with her given personality. He knows the actions he has taken was to finally be with this lovely girl he thought wasn't cute from the start.

However... before their lips could touch, **Sensei** takes full control of the **Good Design** after its mark reaches 100%. It completely ruined the mood as it flips away and takes off from Naomi's hand. It returns to its Yatagarasu form and transforms into an octagon shaped cell. Ichigyou was trapped inside it and calls Naomi for help.

**Sensei** suddenly discusses a thing about the importance of the necessary step of uniting the body and soul at the same time. That he needs to bring the state of mind close to the accident to get rid of the gap between the physical cranial nerve and the quantum mind. He happily tells **Katagaki Naomi** that **Ichigyou Ruri**'s data is ready to synchronize. Dumbstruck, Naomi pleads to free her, but he discloses his true purpose instead.

The cell pillars light up and extends into the sky and distorting space, followed by the mysterious crimson aurora. **Sensei** was secretly using him, he unravels the truth that **Ichigyou Ruri** isn't dead, but in brain dead state for 10 years. The pillar's lights increases and she gets pulled upward. For one last time, Ichigyou screams his name for help, he tries to reach out her hand, but grasp nothing but the air, as he watches her pulled away into the sky. **Sensei** smiles at him and expresses his gratitude then disappears forever.

### The City at the Bottom of the Great Lake

*"Am I going to die?"*

--- Naomi as he escapes their world's destruction.

**Katagaki Naomi** and **Ichigyou Ruri** have been had from the start. He was a fool that his future self became a selfish bastard. He isn't convince that she's gone forever and hopes to see her back on her home. Instead, Naomi sees the entire structure barricaded inside out. He sees a notice in every corners implying that her house was corrupted and can't be used. He pleads to the **ALLTALE** to open the barrier, and asks to let Ichigyou out of her house. But it prompts the **fox men** to appear before him at SAFE MODE state. The system increases its security further to prevent him interrupting their work. Naomi tries to materialize something but Good Design isn't with him.

Naomi succeed to outdo his chasers and hides on tarps and under the vehicles. Sooner and later the fox men freezes, only for their mask gain a big yellowish eyes. **Homeostatic System** was commanded to destroy his world and the fox men turn violent, and cripples any object they touch. **Katagaki Naomi** eventually runs away after he was discovered hiding below a cargo truck. As he kept his pace, the land rotates vertically, and Naomi constantly falls into the aurora. In his hope for survival, Naomi grabs a light post and mounts it. He sees his world die as the crimson aurora extends further, erasing anything it touches. Naomi remembers the first time Sensei tells him he's a recorded data, and he thought if this is the fate of all records of the **ALLTALE**. Tears fill up his eyes and he speaks Ruri's name. He look upon the aurora and notices a black sphere. Naomi thinks the possibility to save her, but he isn't 100% sure if jumping into the sphere guarantees that he'll make it in one piece.

Then a lone fox men appears before him, Naomi hugs the post tightly to save himself. He hears Sensei's voice telling him to follow the Perfect Manual, although the diary is completely empty after the lightning strike incident. He then sees Ruri holding the book '***The City at the Bottom of the Great Lake'*** inside his mind, and remembers his diary log on June 25, 2027, the day he saw her smile and laugh - the day she accepted his love. She sees her again holding the book, standing and smiling on the flowerbeds of white daisy waiting for him.

Sooner or later, he gambles for fate as he bravely jumped into the aurora. He then went straight into the sphere, its environment consist of odd and obscure things, he even felt like he's traversing the bottom of the sea. He reaches its bottom only to get sucked into another dimension after another, feeling his body twisting then ripped apart. The last thing he sees is his body shattering into pieces, followed by a white void and a water bubble.

Naomi asks himself if he's dead, but he finds himself alone on a temple-like structure in the depths of distorted space. He feels a pecking sensation on the back of his head, and sees a black fallen feather stand on its own, turning into the Yatagarasu. In his surprise, he realized the crow can speak, it confirms question that he is indeed not dead. It explains to him that the world is completely distorted and the **Homeostatic System** is there to fix it, although it'll also try to erase **Ichigyou Ruri.** The crow tells him she is his ally, that Katagaki Naomi must go and take Ichigyou Ruri back with his own hands. Naomi wanted to rescue her but he has no powers to execute it. The crow disagrees, and manifests into the **Good Design**, it then created the portal into Sensei's world as it asks Naomi if he wants a girlfriend.

Naomi bravely answers its question with a yes and he snaps his finger.

### Hello World

*"Ichigyou-san, it's okay. Let's do this!"*

--- Naomi encouraging Ichigyou.

Unbeknownst to Naomi, **Sensei's** world was nothing more than an extension of **ALLTALE**'s quantum world. His attempt to finally reawaken his beloved goes into a wrong turn. The **Homeostatic System** has gone rampant after he stole the recorded data of **Ichigyou Ruri**, and now they are there to destroy the foreign object: Ruri herself. Sensei was pushed into the ground, and then a fox man chokes Ichigyou Ruri. He pleads them to go away but the program is extremely set for its goal to eliminate her. As he sees her losing her strength to resist, **Sensei** gets frustrated as he painfully shrieks from watching her. But then Sensei sees a vision of Naomi's struggle and suddenly arrives in the scene to make her rescue. Naomi uses the **Good Design** to plunge the fox men with bear traps. Ichigyou Ruri catches her breath and sees Naomi in front of her. The two calls unto each other's name as they embrace one another. Ichigyou felt relieve seeing him, and Sensei is dumbstruck expressing Naomi's idiotic action to breach their world. Naomi waves his right hand to block the door and the window from their enemies. He then faces Ichigyou to explain what was happening and assures her he'll do something to protect her. Ichigyou accepts his resolve without doubting his actions and give her a faint smile. He also smiles back at her then asked the **Good Design** to get off for a chance to punch Sensei in the face. His hit was solid and Sensei gets knocked on the ground, Naomi also felt the pain after the punch. Naomi notices him taking a hard time to get up and he somewhat feel regret.

The Yatagarasu transforms back into the **Good Design** even without Naomi's command, and the latter offers his hand for Ichigyou to help her return into their world. Later on Katagaki Naomi carries her at his back to escape the hospital but the fox men immediately recognizes them. As they traverse the streets of Kyoto, the **Good Design** materializes robotic legs to assist Naomi on carrying her around. Hordes of fox men are seen following them, Naomi holds the ground and materializes a wall to halt their chase. But some have quickly reaches the top, he resumes to run while the **Good Design** guides them to where they must go. It then gives Naomi a bicycle to increase their mobility, but the area influenced by the Homeostatic System has somehow increased. This made the fox men to spawn in every places it wishes.

Sooner and later, **Sensei** comes for their rescue and gives them the ride they needed the most but Naomi is puzzled why he's helping now. Sensei wants to apologize but he can't find the words to say, he wants to assist them, he wants her to return to their world safely. He knows the distortion and the **Homeostatic System** going rampant is his fault alone, because he stole her data in order to save **Ichigyou Ruri** of his world. But it backfired, because the data did not recognize him as her lover. This is all because he want to see her smile once more.

To make amends for his sin, Sensei wants Naomi to guide him in exchange. Naomi asks him to take them to the Grand Staircase at Kyoto Station, the final destination of their adventure. As they arrived on the stairway, Naomi initiates the **Good Design** to get ready in an instant. He touches the ground and the stairway gets covered by long yellow bubble and pops off in an instant. He then erects the first conversion gates and asks her if she can make into the end of the stairway, but he knows Ichigyou is too exhausted for it. Naomi encourages her again to bring her best just like before the Secondhand Fair. Ichigyou would then ask Sensei if he is also Katagaki Naomi, yet he pointed the true one in front, expressing that he is nothing more than just an extra to their story. She suddenly hugs him to tell her thanks and makes her final goodbye. Naomi completes his goal to erect the conversion gates and tells Ichigyou to start on descending the stairway. As she finally touches the last conversion gate, Ichigyou found herself alone. But before Naomi starts on converting his body, the fox men successfully destroys every gates.

After successfully beating the grotesque arm, the rest of the fox men transformed into an enormous single being. Sensei tells him the quickest solution to stop the homeostatic system, and asks Naomi to erase him. Naomi hesitates, asking for explanation. Sensei doesn't want to, but he pointed out the system is attempting to erase and fix the address duplication. He pointed out that the fox guards wanted to get rid of Ichigyou Ruri's mind inside ALLTALE and Ichigyou Ruri's body. He explains that this is also applied to their situation and erasing him is the best solution to stop its rampage. Had Naomi dies now, all the efforts he's made to save is all for nothing. Yet Naomi disagrees, he'd rather defeat the Homeostatic System than erasing him. But Sensei shielded him for Homeostatic's impaling attack. Sensei reaches his hand to Naomi, and wishes him to be happy with Ichigyou Ruri. After his final words, Naomi follows Sensei's wish to be erased and save himself from danger. Sensei's data dissipates into nothing, the homeostatic system freezes and was manually shut down for good. The ALLTALE blows up due to the surge of quantum record bit caused by the rampancy of the Homeostatic System while Naomi is transferred back into their world.

Naomi finds himself at the rain soaked Kyoto alongside Ruri. He initially catches her after she trips due to her frail body. Realizing that they finally reunited, Ichigyou repeats calling his name as she buries her face into his shoulder crying. Naomi feels the relief to see her again, he wants to let his tears run down too, but he chooses to hug her instead. Sooner and later, Katagaki Naomi and Ichigyou Ruri gazes upon on each other's flushed face, finally sharing their first kiss.

The Good Design turned into an ordinary white glove by the time they returned. As they share their kiss, the white glove on Naomi's right hand and the black feather on Ruri's pocket crumbles into dust. Naomi then thanks the Good Design for its help as its dust also flew away into the air. Later, Naomi and Ichigyou stands side by side holding hands. Ruri asks him if they finally returned into their original world but Naomi shakes his head. He later states that they've truly returned into their own, but it is a new world that no one really knows about.

## Epilogue

In the aftermath, Naomi was seen awakening from a deep slumber, and Ruri is seen on his side. She is also holding a white suite that's similar to what he used to fully dive into ALLTALE. Ruri congratulates him for finally returning to her side. Surprised by seeing her, Naomi figures out that Ruri was actually the Yatagarasu, cries out her name as she reaches his hand to her, and they embrace each other, crying.

### Plot Twist

Four worlds were involved in the story which is:

The real world (RW) cast consists of:

* Katagaki Naomi (in coma)
* Ichigyou Ruri (revived, scientist)

The W1 consists of 16 year old:

* Katagaki Naomi (student)
* Ichigyou Ruri (student)

The W2 consists of 26 year old:

* Katagaki Naomi / Sensei (scientist)
* Ichigyou Ruri (in coma)

While W3 consists of 16 year old:

* Katagaki Naomi (student)
* Ichigyou Ruri (student)

When Katagaki Naomi successfully full dived, he might have made the extraction of Ichigyou Ruri's data in a state that she can recognize him. He and his W1 counterpart might have followed the same event in which the book fair did not happen. However he fell into coma in his one last experimental full dive, and his supposed return to the real world was halted due to his experimental gear unusable. Then Ichigyou Ruri was revived and realizes that Naomi is in the state of coma, and all that has happened when he dived to the ALLTALE was recorded leading to the creation of his W2 whilst W3 as the counterpart of W1 and his access to be.

In the real world, Ichigyou Ruri might have pursued the same course as Katagaki Naomi in order to improve his full dive research. She also wishes to see him again, and their love is something bound by trust. As her research improved into a safe and usable full dive gear, Ichigyou Ruri might've accessed ALLTALE as a Yatagarasu scene in the very first frames of the film. She knew that W3 is the best candidate and knows that Sensei and his crow would dive into it later on as she stayed in the shadows. She crossed out the possibility with W1 as it is where Katagaki Naomi retrieved hers. Although she never anticipated the fact W3 Naomi altered the timeline before the Secondhand Book Fair. It is also the reason why the Ichigyou Ruri of W2 can only recognize Katagaki Naomi of W3 since she knows he'd rather return the book she had on the night of the Fireworks Festival.

In the abduction of W3 Ruri, Sensei's crow made its final purpose after that night while the Yatagarasu that helped W3 Naomi to traverse the boundaries of his and Sensei's world is RW Ichigyou Ruri. On the last fight, W3 Naomi's attempt to erase Sensei allowed RW Ruri to transfer his data back into the real world. Although some people might think this is skeptical, but when looking at the time Sensei accessed the **W2 ALLTALE**, W3 Naomi received his memory data by the time the former arrived, although he couldn't decipher the information. The same thing happened to Sensei, when W3 Naomi dived into his world although this time, the memories flashed into his mind before the latter prevents the death of W2 Ruri. This gives the theory that the data of two Naomi have synchronized by the time W3 Naomi returned to his world and Sensei's erasure, and their consolidated data was the one RW Ruri used to revive RW Naomi. This is also the reason why Katagaki Naomi recognizes Ichigyou Ruri as the Yatagarasu when he finally awakens.

Lastly, W3 Naomi and Ichigyou returns to their world after the Recovery completed. With the Homeostatic System been laid to rest forever, its function to fix the tamperings were halted and their world can be distinguished a Parallel World from the real one.

## Trivia

* **Naomi** is usually used a feminine name, although it is also unisexual.
* In Japanese, Katagaki (堅書) stands for Firm (堅) Book (書), while Naomi (直実) stands means a Straight (直) Fruit (実).
* Naomi still calls Ichigyou Ruri with her last name even after they've confessed.

## References

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello\_World\_(film)
2. ↑ https://heritageofjapan.wordpress.com/2011/08/22/yatagarasu-the-three-legged-crow-and-its-possible-origins/
3. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg\_Egan

## External Links

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello\_World\_(film) (in-english)
2. https://sonicwbii.fandom.com/wiki/Hello\_World\_(film) (in-english)
3. https://myanimelist.net/anime/38816/Hello\_World (in-english)
4. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=22139 (in-english)