A cultural exchange project between Earth and a planet with a civilization strikingly similar to ours—Livalis. That was the “Planet Exchange Program.” Humans and aliens would spend time living in each other’s worlds to foster mutual understanding. It sounded like something out of a dream.
But to Yu Nitta, it felt anything but real. He wasn’t good at English, had no leadership experience. He was chosen simply because he was “average.” Apparently, it was his very normalcy—his adaptability—that made him the ideal candidate.
Livalis was a beautiful planet. Its skies and landscapes resembled Earth’s. But one crucial difference set it apart: time flowed in reverse. For the Livalisians, the past was their future. When it was morning for Yu, it marked the “end of the day” on Livalis.
Confused but adjusting day by day, Yu grew close to a local girl named Sera, who served as his guide. She was expressive, curious, and full of life. But their conversations were always laced with dissonance. After all, what was “going to happen” for her had already “happened” for him.
“One day, I’ll meet you,” Sera said to him.
Yu, puzzled, eventually realized the truth as his stay neared its end:
She remembered him as someone who came from her past.
Their first meeting was her last goodbye.
“I’m going to fall in love with you,” Sera whispered one day. “But you… you already…”
Her voice was lost in the wind. But tears shimmered in her eyes.
On the day of his return, Yu saw her one last time outside the departure facility. She acted distant, as if meeting him for the very first time.
Of course—
In her past, he didn’t exist yet.
Yu simply waved. “See you again,” he said.
Sera furrowed her brows slightly—then gave a small smile.
To him, it was her “last smile.”
To her, it was the “first.”
The universe is vast. Time doesn’t flow in just one direction.
And yet, even when time is misaligned, hearts can still connect.
That truth remained, quietly and firmly, within Yu.
