With a final tighten of a screw, Kiteretsu held up a pair of goggles fitted with shimmering, multi-faceted crystals. He stepped into the backyard where Miyoko and Butagorida were waiting. Butagorida, as usual, was skeptical. "A pair of glasses that shows the past? Unless they can show me where I dropped my favorite gold coin yesterday, I’m not impressed." Kiteretsu adjusted the dial. "That’s exactly the point."
But as Kiteretsu tried to power down the device, the lens began to hum with a high-pitched frequency. The "recorded" image of Butagorida didn't vanish. Instead, the projection grew solid. Now, two Butagoridas stood in the garden—the real one, mouth agape, and the "Past-Butagorida," who was stuck in a loop of tripping over the invisible rake.
As the wooden robot spun, Kiteretsu aimed the Chrono-Lens through the center of the "fan." The blue light turned a deep violet. With a soft pop —like a bubble bursting—the spectral Butagorida, the localized rain, and the ancient cat vanished instantly. With a final tighten of a screw, Kiteretsu
"Korosuke, I need you to spin as fast as you can in the center of the yard! Create a centrifugal magnetic field!"
"Kiteretsu! The snacks are ready, but the atmosphere in here is far too serious!" Korosuke exclaimed, his wooden clogs clattering as he bounced into the room. "A pair of glasses that shows the past
"Kiteretsu! You’ve brought a glitch into reality!" Korosuke squealed, hiding behind a tree.
The situation spiraled quickly. Every time the Chrono-Lens flickered, another "glitch" appeared: a rainstorm from last Tuesday started falling only on the shed, and a stray cat from three years ago began chasing a butterfly that wasn't there. The neighborhood was becoming a collage of different times. The "recorded" image of Butagorida didn't vanish
"I agree," Korosuke said, dizzy and wobbling in circles. "But can we use the lens one more time to see where I left my bowl of croquettes five minutes ago?"