Fell into a trap set by the Ketsy who fled into the forest.
*Beep beep… beep beep…*
What is that sound? It’s an irritating sound that feels like it’s sticking into my ears. Ugh, stop it.
*Beep beep… beep beep…*
It’s still not stopping. Ah! That’s right, Sharin, Philiana. I’m surrounded!
Huh… I opened my eyes and my breath hitched at the sight that greeted me. Where is this… Why am I here? The sound of the alarm clock could be heard in the distance. The futon rustled as it was pushed aside and I slid out. It’s a small apartment, one room. There’s no mistaking it, it’s my room. My only two suits, a bag of snacks spilled from the trash can. A can of beer left on the table.
Wait, this is a trap. I know it’s a hallucination, you intend to trap me in a dream world and confuse me. Even if it’s a dream world, you can’t change my memories. I remember everything.
There must be an escape route somewhere. First, I’ll get changed and get ready. When I turned on the shower, hot water came out, and the toast tasted real. My senses are close to the real thing. When I left the house, a nostalgic sight spread before me. The park where I met the white cat, and a nearby convenience store.
I walked to the station, then two stops further, transferred, five more stops, and there’s the company I used to work for. Though I was a contract employee. I want to scold the me of that time, asking why I didn’t properly look for a job.
The seventh floor of the building, I entered the office and went to my seat.
“Yo, good morning.”
Sitting next to me is a fellow contract employee. We became friends quickly, probably because we are the same age. I greet them casually. Hmm, this is quite a well-made magic. To create such a detailed dream. I suspect there’s a very powerful magician involved.
“Good morning, Arisugawa-kun. Here, please check this.”
My boss immediately handed me some work. I flipped through the documents, checking if the numbers and clients were correct. It’s simple work. Meanwhile, my colleague talks about trivial things like that girl is cute or I heard this rumor.
“Good morning.”
“Morning, Kawata-chan.”
It’s Kawata-san from the administrative department. She’s kind and even pours tea for us. She’s cute, so of course, she’s popular. She handles her work competently and doesn’t put on airs, so she’s liked by women too.
I marked the places that seemed incorrect or suspicious. I’m surprised I haven’t forgotten. Meanwhile, my colleague is struggling with a phone call. Oh well, he’s gotten a troublesome customer.
“No, I’ve been telling you that, yes, I’m sorry. So, you see.”
The people around me pretend not to see. They know, but they don’t try to help. He should have handed it over to the boss sooner too. I tapped his shoulder and signaled for him to switch phones.
“Yes, Arisugawa speaking, I’ll take over the call.”
On the other end of the phone, the customer was angry, saying it was broken or they didn’t know.
“My apologies. We will send you a new one. If you still don’t understand, we can dispatch an engineer. Would you like that?”
It’s best to present clear options to an angry person. I don’t really want to hear it, but I’ll let them express their anger and say I’ll use it for future improvement. Well, it’s a pretense, but sometimes people just want to complain.
“O-oh, Hiroaki, thanks, you saved me.”
“That kind of thing is troublesome, isn’t it? Being yelled at and not being able to solve it.”
Even though it’s a dream, it’s strangely real. Then I take the documents I checked to my boss. I found questionable points, typos, and misprints.
“I’ll go fix these.”
I could leave it to them, but if I do that, it’ll be double the work. It’s faster if I do it myself. Then, at lunchtime, I went to a nearby beef bowl restaurant with my colleague. We used to eat beef bowls like this often, it’s nostalgic. Through the window, I could see the standing buildings, cars, buses, and train tracks.
Without carrying heavy luggage, wearing nice shoes, and eating until I’m full. Nobody carries a weapon. We don’t get sick from water, and there are no insects. What a peaceful world. I want to savor this peaceful world a little longer…
Huh? What was I thinking just now? Dangerous, this is a trap. Remember, I am a hero. This is a dream world created by the enemy.
“…You, Arisugawa-kun, Sasatsuka-san was calling for you earlier.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Kawata-san from administration called out to me. I hurried to my boss’s location.
“Um, is there something you need?”
“No, Arisugawa-kun, about the mistake you found, it was a great help. Look, here, it was off by a digit.”
Ah, right. I was surprised when I found it too.
“If this had gone unfixed, it would have been a disaster. Your phone handling today was also excellent. Say, have you ever thought about becoming a full-time employee? What do you say?”
“Eh, full-time?!”
“Ah, when your contract is up for renewal, why don’t you quit and apply for a full-time position?”
I can’t believe I get to become a full-time employee in a dream world. Even if it’s an illusion, I can’t help but feel happy.
