Quack!

On a gentle spring day, momma wild duck welcomed her six tiny ducklings.
The littlest one, she named Cmon.

Cmonchan, over here!
Cmonchan, hurry up!
Hey, Cmon!

The water glittered in the sun.
What a beautiful world.
Cmonchan couldn't stop quacking.

Before long, spring had passed, and the ducklings had all grown up.

Wild ducks gathered at the lake, ready to seek Da Richland.

Quack!
Cmonchan spread wings and followed the lead duck toward the morning sun.

The flock kept steady, now above a huge city.

Suddenly.
Quaaaaaack!
A web of electric signals appeared out of nowhere.
The flock panicked.
Some ducks got caught, and the rest scattered.

A gust swept Cmonchan up into the sky, and... gone.

Cmonchan drifted in endless black.
The long, raging wind finally stopped. Cmonchan floated down to the ground.
It was a land never seen before.

Quack...
Cmonchan was alone, lost for what to do.

Rain drummed softly.
Cmonchan dozed under a small shelter.

Come on, duckie! Wake up!
Mom, can I feed the duckie?
Cmonchan woke to find a little girl standing there.

Come here!
Cmonchan came closer, cautious.
Here you go!

Cmonchan took a bite of the mochi, a sweet rice ball.
The taste hit like nothing before.
Cmonchan started dancing.

The locals came together to rescue a stray wild duck.

A cardboard box was placed in the corner of the community center.
It became Cmonchan's new home.

Humans provided everything.

Nutritious meals prepared with care.
Cmonchan learned what communication was.

Brain-training toys and timeless books
pushed Cmonchan further and further.
The evolution was breathtaking.

Cmonchan lay in bed, eyes fixed on a glowing screen.
Snacks and juice scattered around.

The sun was gone.
The screen was the only light.

A news story about ducks migrating caught Cmonchan's eye.
Distant memories came back.
Cmonchan searched Da Richland.
No results appeared.

Quack...
Slowly, Cmonchan sat up and pulled the curtains aside.
Stars sparkled outside the window.

Cmonchan decided to travel to Da Richland.
Everything went into one bag.

At the skyport, all kinds of birds had gathered.
One by one, they took off.
Cmonchan checked the map on a gadget.

Wanna quack?
A black bird in a white suit came over and gave kind directions.

Cmonchan sighed with relief.
Then looked down.

The bag was gone.

Cmonchan sat on the shore in the dark.
No moon.
Only stars.
Cmonchan gave in to the rhythm of the breaking waves.

The world turned blue.
The sun appeared.
Blazing light split the sea and reached Cmonchan.

Cmonchan stood up, and walked toward the sun.

Driftwood, sea glass, shells, stones, and something.
Cmonchan had been selling a collection of found treasures.
The number on the screen grew.

Just enough for a secondhand laptop.
Cmonchan bought one and danced with joy.

Cmonchan was wandering the internet again.

Next post, next, next.
The scrolling won't stop.

Cmonchan, da terminally online duck.
The scrolling won't stop today either.

Then... Cmonchan froze at the screen.

A big duck with perfect posture was going viral.

Cmonchan stood in front of the mirror, straightened up, and tried the same pose.
Da same duck was looking back.

A dark afternoon, rain on its way.
A dance video caught Cmonchan's eye.
Human dance..
Cmonchan tried copying the moves.

Rain.
Cmonchan turned it up.

Rainy days are party time.

Flash, rumble..
Cmonchan kept on dancing.
Boom.

Alone in the room, eating, sleeping, dancing on the web.
It's fulfilling, for sure, tho...

Is this all my duck life?

Bright light slipped through a gap in the curtains.
Cmonchan decided to go right back to sleep.

Cmonchan dragged themself out of bed, opened a laptop, and checked the news.
A headline flashed: White-Suited Scammer Bird Caught.

Cmonchan taps LIKE.
The likes keep climbing…
Cmonchan felt something like a presence beyond the screen... and began to dance.

One afternoon, Cmonchan finished reading a philosophy book.
Feeling a little smarter.
What am I?
Cmonchan searched DUCK on the net.

A duck is a common name for small birds in the family Anatidae.

Duck is slang for an easy mark in Japan, and a "sitting duck" means a helpless, defenseless target..

Ducks are...

Cmonchan decided to go on a journey, and headed into the mountains.

Cmonchan kept walking, and the sound of birds and footsteps on dry leaves fell into rhythm, naturally layering together.

Over the mountain, along the valley, onward.

By the time it grew dark, Cmonchan had reached the spring.
One sip.
Cmonchan lay down, and fell asleep without realizing it.

A duck news clip landed in Cmonchan's feed.
A bronze duck with perfect posture, just unveiled.
The humans watching were quacking.
Quack. Quack.

A familiar silhouette.
It was him.

Cmonchan stood in front of the mirror and straightened up.
In the quiet room, Cmonchan was looking back.

Cock-a-doodle-doo
Cmonchan had been thinking since yesterday.
Are the ducks safe?
I want to fly with them again.
I want to see them.

The flock may not take me in.
I may not be wild anymore, tho...
Still.

Still, I'll keep looking for them.
I've decided.

Cock-a-doodle-doo!
The chicken called again.
Cmonchan saw a ray of sunlight reaching straight through a gap in the clouds.

Cmonchan flew out of the room.