The video cut to black. The file size was tiny, the resolution was grainy, but as Elias looked at the frozen black screen, he realized he didn't need to delete it for space anymore. Some "fan service" was worth keeping.
Suddenly, the memories rushed back. This wasn't a file from a forum; it was the last video he had taken during his study abroad trip, recorded on a cheap smartphone that he thought he’d lost on the train back to Narita. He had labeled it "Fan Service" as a dry joke to himself, a pun on the literal fan keeping his host family’s cat cool during the humid August heat. Fan Service_hvec_360p.mp4
The media player struggled for a moment, the codec barely supported by his outdated software. Then, the screen flickered to life. The video cut to black
The audio was just the low hum of the blades and the distant chime of a wind bell. There was no dialogue, no music—just three minutes of a cat’s fur gently ruffling in the breeze. Suddenly, the memories rushed back
As the video reached the two-minute mark, a hand reached into the frame to adjust the fan’s speed, revealing a silver ring Elias recognized instantly. It was his own hand.