Illustration: Tomoki Kurokawa

To make a book and to search for something necessary, K and 21LO meet at the Kosuge residential area late at night.

At 27:05 A.M. on June 8th in 2027

A book I attempt to make is not made only by my intention. It should be an old-fashioned art mag with a great deal of eventuality and plagiarism. I need materials for it.

Keeping this in mind, I headed to the high-class residential area Kosuge dressed in an all black sweatsuit. Mainly resided by artists, Kosuge is a high-class town that has no relation to the part-time workers at Time Company.

Since the continuous convulsion of nature in the 10s, there have been frequent floods. The wealthy people then moved away from the lowland to the ground-stable area located at relatively higher altitudes. After this age, this sort of “residential segregation” has become more pronounced.

I am at the back of the resident owned by Umitaro Nikaido a notable experimental erotic novel authority. I am in front of a gigantic intimidating high wall. Oh, please please someone scribble something cheesy on the wall.

It is quiet at 3 a.m. 21LO is late as usual.

It’s not too much to say that Zakuians adopt flextime as a whole. Definitely they do get things done right. Basically they are serious. But they are totally unpunctual. There are no technologies on the earth that surpass Zakuians, except for the accuracy of time.