Chapter 3:

'Himeko?'

Cecilia's eyes remained locked onto the red-haired woman speaking with Sirin. Her heart skipped a beat, but she quickly composed herself, stepping closer to them.

"Sirin, do you mind introducing this guest to me?" Cecilia asked with a gentle smile.

The red-haired woman turned at the sound of Cecilia's voice. Their gazes met, and for a brief moment, something flickered in Himeko's eyes-recognition? Surprise? Cecilia couldn't tell.

Sirin turned around as well, nodding eagerly. "Ah, Mom, you're here! Let me introduce you. This lady is our new neighbor who just moved in next door. Her name is Himeko."

Cecilia's expression softened as she turned to Himeko. "I see. Hello, Himeko-san, my name is Cecilia. I'm Sirin's mother." She offered a polite smile, extending her hand for a handshake.

Himeko returned the smile, grasping Cecilia's hand firmly. "Nice to meet you, Madam Cecilia."

"Has Miss Himeko already eaten? If not, how about joining us? We were just about to have lunch," Cecilia offered warmly.

Himeko hesitated, shaking her head. "Ah, no need. I don't want to intrude on your family meal."

Cecilia chuckled softly. "My, my, no need to be so formal, Miss Himeko. This is just the beginning of our friendship, after all." She then turned to Sirin. "Sirin, dear, could you take care of our guest and bring her to the dining table?"

Sirin nod. "Understood. Come on, Miss Himeko, let's eat together"

Himeko laughed nervously but nodded. "Haha... If you insist." With that, she followed Sirin into the house, stepping into Cecilia's warm and inviting home.

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The three of them sat at the dining table, the atmosphere warm yet quiet. Sirin and Cecilia sat next to each other, while their guest, Himeko, sat opposite them.

As they began their meal, Himeko's eyes subtly wandered around the room, taking in her surroundings with quiet curiosity.

Cecilia, who noticed Himeko's small observations, spoke up. "Is something the matter, Miss Himeko?"

Himeko snapped out of her thoughts and gave a small shake of her head. "Ah, no. I was just thinking about something. It's not important."

"I see," Cecilia said with a gentle smile. "Then let's eat."

She reached for the rice and scooped a portion into a bowl, handing it to Himeko. Then, she did the same for Sirin before serving herself.

The three of them ate in comfortable silence for a while, the only sounds being the soft clinking of spoons against bowls. However, Himeko soon put down her spoon and cleared her throat.

"Ahem... Madam Cecilia, do you mind if I ask something?"

Cecilia, who had been eating at a steady pace, looked up. "Ah, I don't mind. Go ahead."

Himeko's gaze sharpened slightly. "Have you noticed anything unusual lately?"

Cecilia blinked, slightly taken aback by the question. Something unusual?

She thought for a moment, but considering she had just been thrown into Cecilia's body today and hadn't even stepped outside yet, there was nothing she could recall.

"I don't think I've encountered anything unusual before," she finally answered, keeping her tone natural.

Himeko fell into deep thought. "Hmm... Is that so? Thank you for your time, Madam Cecilia."

The conversation seemed to settle, but after a moment, Cecilia spoke again.

"Ahem... Himeko-san, may I ask you a question as well?"

Himeko glanced up and nodded. "I don't mind."

Cecilia nodded back. "May I ask why you moved to this apartment? Does Miss Himeko work around here?"

At the question, Himeko paused. A noticeable silence stretched between them-almost two minutes passed before she finally spoke again.

"I... I moved in because... it's much cheaper?" she said, though her voice carried a hint of confusion. "Yeah, the rent here is much cheaper than my old home."

Cecilia studied her expression quietly, sensing that something is amiss about her answer.

Cecilia nodded, and they resumed their meal in a comfortable silence. 

A few minutes later, Himeko set down her spoon and smiled. "Thank you for the meal, Madam Cecilia. It was delicious." 

Cecilia waved her hand casually, a small smile on her lips. "No problem. You're welcome anytime." 

Himeko gave a nod of appreciation before standing up. "Then, I'll take my leave first." 

She made her way to the door, and both Cecilia and Sirin followed to see her off. 

"Take care," Cecilia said with a gentle tone. 

"Take care, Sister Himeko!" Sirin added cheerfully, waving her hand. 

Himeko chuckled at Sirin's energy and waved back before stepping outside and walking away. 

As soon as the door closed, Cecilia let out a small sigh and turned toward the kitchen. "Alright, time to clean up." 

Sirin nodded and followed. While Cecilia began washing the dishes, Sirin busied herself with clearing the dining table, humming softly as she worked.

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Outside, Himeko walked toward her residence, her expression calm but her mind deep in thought. 

Just before stepping inside, she cast a sharp glance toward the street. To an ordinary passerby, everything would seem normal-just another quiet day in the neighborhood. But to her trained eyes... 

A single building in the distance flickered, its structure glitching for a brief moment, as if struggling to exist. 

Himeko narrowed her eyes, her expression turning serious. "...So it wasn't just my imagination." 

Without another word, she stepped inside her home, closing the door behind her.

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After finishing the dishes, Cecilia walked into the living room and saw Sirin watching TV.

A soft smile formed on her lips as she approached. Gently, she reached out and patted Sirin's head.

Sirin, feeling the touch, turned around and saw Cecilia smiling warmly at her.

She smiled back. "Mom, let's watch TV together."

Cecilia nodded and sat beside her.

As they watched the TV drama Sirin had chosen, Cecilia's thoughts drifted back to her conversation with Himeko earlier.

"Something unusual..."

She still didn't understand what Himeko meant. Everything in the apartment seemed perfectly normal. There was nothing strange or out of place.

Cecilia turned her gaze toward the window, scanning the outside world.

The city looked just as it always had-quiet streets, distant buildings, people walking by.

There was nothing unusual.

She sighed and shook her head, pushing aside her messy thoughts.

Maybe she was just overthinking.

Turning her attention back to the screen, she decided to focus on the drama, enjoying the moment with her daughter.

A few hours later, night had almost fallen.

Cecilia glanced at the clock-it was getting late. Normally, she would start preparing dinner, but... her eyes drifted back to the TV screen.

She didn't want to miss the drama.

Looking to her side, she saw Sirin completely absorbed in the show, eyes glued to the screen.

Maybe cooking could wait.

Instead, she considered another option. "Sirin, do you want Mom to order takeout tonight?"

Sirin turned to her, blinking a few times before answering, "I don't mind, Mom. Sirin is fine with it."

Cecilia nodded, deciding to place an order.

Time passed, and before they knew it, night had fully arrived.

Cecilia let out a yawn, stretching her arms before noticing Sirin beside her doing the same.

She chuckled softly. "Sirin dear, let's stop here and get some rest."

She gently shook Sirin, who was on the verge of dozing off.

"Umm... yes, Mom," Sirin murmured, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

Cecilia glanced at the clock again-1:12 AM.

We must have gotten too caught up in the drama and lost track of time...

Turning her gaze back to Sirin, she saw the girl sluggishly making her way toward the bed.

"Sirin dear, if you don't want to take a shower, at least brush your teeth before bed, okay?"

"Umm... alright, Mom," Sirin mumbled, nodding sleepily as she headed toward the bathroom.

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The view slowly pulled away from the apartment where Cecilia, Sirin, and Himeko lived.

The perspective rose higher, revealing the entire neighborhood, then the surrounding city. At first, everything seemed normal-but in certain areas, the buildings appeared distorted, flickering as if struggling to maintain their form, like a corrupted image on a screen.

Higher and higher, the cityscape stretched out, but the distortions became more apparent. Pockets of the city blurred and glitched, their structures shifting unnaturally.

The ascent continued, piercing through the clouds, reaching the atmosphere-only to reveal a startling truth.

It was not a planet.

The city, the land, everything existed inside a massive bubble, floating in an sea.

As the perspective rose even further, more of these bubbles came into view-hundreds, thousands, millions, scattered across the vast sea.

Some remained stable, while others trembled and flickered before suddenly collapsing. Yet, for every bubble that burst, new ones emerged, born from the remnants of those that had vanished.

One by one, fragile bubbles broke apart, their contents vanishing as they plunged into an endless sea.

It was a vast, deep ocean-an ocean not of water, but of pure, shifting energy. Blue, infinite, constantly flowing. Strange mathematical symbols and unknown formulas shimmered within its depths, moving like waves.

A Sea of Quanta.