Another side
Nowadays, words like “otherworld” and fictionalized ideas are starting to proliferate in the world.
What would be the impact on a world where, skipping over hypothetical or “IF” possibilities, it was suddenly declared and proven that otherworlds exist?
The answer is: chaos.
“Kakahakahaka! Well, that idiot son of mine really did something amazing! He’s become the most famous person in the world now.”
This is on a remote island in a southern country. In a rented house, a woman was cackling while fiddling with the latest smartphone from a certain apple-based company, one that made you wonder how she even got it in such a backwater place.
“No, but… Kirika-san? Isn’t this going a bit too far to be considered ‘amazing’? Should I go and give my son a lecture as his father?”
On the smartphone screen, an online news article was displayed. The woman, laughing, was reading its content while lying back on a beach chair on the wooden deck.
Tanaka Jiro’s mother, Tanaka Kirika, wore a daring swimsuit that showcased a figure and skin quality that belied the fact that she had given birth to a thirty-year-old man.
Next to her, a scene that her son would surely beg for forgiveness upon seeing, sat Tanaka Ichiro, Jiro’s father, looking appropriately aged and wearing an aloha shirt. He was also looking at the news on his PC, flustered and worried about how things had gotten so out of hand.
“It’s nothing to worry about. Thanks to my filial son, I’ve made a fortune in stocks and FX.”
However, Kirika, who had profited by taking advantage of the turbulent global situation, dismissed the world’s major crisis as a minor issue. She reached for a drink on the nearby table and took a sip.
Ichiro almost protested about the presence of Ramune, a candy typically found in summer snack shops, but living with his wife day in and day out, he found himself agreeing with her simply because she was his wife. Because of that, he could clearly see his anxieties vanish, thinking that if she said it was fine, then it probably was.
“Instead, we have to worry about something else.”
“Something else? You mean the increased number of pursuers lately? Two weeks ago, Kane-san told me those were American special forces, but I wonder if it will be Russia next time.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“Doesn’t matter, you say? Only you could say that, Kirika-san.”
Ichiro considered what “something else” this woman could be referring to. He thought it might be about the special forces unit that attacked them two weeks ago, but it seemed that wasn’t it either.
Kirika placed her glass back on the table, put on her sunglasses, and grinned with a malicious smile. Seeing that, Ichiro realized she was up to no good again.
“My intuition tells me we’ll have another grandchild or so. It’s a prank for my idiot son who won’t report it.”
“Oh, but he’s always changing his communication methods, so I don’t think he’d be able to find us, would he?”
“If they visit their parents’ home regularly, they’ll find a way to locate contact information.”
“Your standards are pretty high, Kirika-san. I don’t understand how you find those methods.”
“That just proves I still have more to learn.”
While an ordinary person might have called her words and actions outrageous, Ichiro was used to them. He wondered whose child it would be.
“So, are you going to visit him?”
“Ah, I haven’t even seen my grandchild’s face yet, and I need to ask about the new grandchild too.”
“But Jiro must be busy, right? How will you meet him?”
Ichiro didn’t try to stop her. He knew that by going wherever she pleased, he could see scenery he’d never seen before, as she served as his bodyguard, guide, and interpreter for his hobby and profession of landscape photography.
“Well, I could just barge in normally, but…”
“Let’s avoid that, shall we?”
And he knew that she would spare no legal or illegal means to get to where she wanted to go.
“Asking Kirie for help will just bring more trouble.”
“Ah, Kirie-san, right? I wonder how she’s doing. I think it was about five years ago the last time we met.”
Ichiro gently intervened, deciding that it was better to avoid breaking into his son’s company by illegal means given the current situation. Kirika wouldn’t be stopped if she were serious, but fortunately, she wasn’t, and she began to consider other options.
Ichiro reminisced about the relatives who must have gone through a lot for her sake.
“Alright, if we’re going to do it, I’ll just wait on the island Jiro made.”
“Hold on a moment.”
Ichiro’s voice became quite serious as he heard words he shouldn’t have, and he restrained his wife’s actions.
“What? Is there a problem?”
“I know that your problem is based on whether things can be achieved and whether the people you inconvenience are appropriate. I’m also well aware that it’s not a matter of common societal sense.”
Kirika glared at him, pushing him away as if to stop him, and slid her sunglasses down. Her gaze had the power to make an ordinary person freeze, but after decades of married life, Ichiro understood it was simply dissatisfaction and felt no fear.
“I’m also well aware that with your drive, connections, and power, you could achieve anything. Knowing you, you could probably bypass surveillance, slip through Jiro’s abilities, build an underground shelter on that uninhabited island, and spend a month there at ease.”
“Oh! My husband is so understanding. And by the way, I was thinking of creating a urban legend there.”
He also knew that his wife would do things he couldn’t even imagine, given her drive.
“And what about your parental affection for troubling our son?”
“I do have it, but what about it? In the end, you’ve caused us trouble. You’ll handle that much inconvenience, won’t you? Besides, my escape is reaching its limit. It would be safer to be protected by my son soon.”
Before he could wonder if one could create an urban legend, Ichiro thought that a Santa Claus-like urban legend would be nice, but he imagined his wife would create something more akin to a Namahage.
“Jiro… forgive your helpless father.”
He couldn’t stop her. When Ichiro saw Kirika, still in her revealing swimsuit, gently rubbing her stomach, he looked up at the sky and remembered what had happened a few months ago. He realized that any further escape could risk the life of the child in her belly.
One might wonder why she doesn’t just contact them for help directly. However, in reality, Kirika and Ichiro’s situation is extremely precarious.
The fact that major world powers are sending special forces indicates that Tanaka Jiro’s parents hold significant value. Not only as hostages, but also in terms of their lineage for the future. Therefore, they are attempting to apprehend them through various means, both overt and covert. However, Kirika has proven to be one step ahead and has managed to evade them so far.
One should indeed have connections. Kirika has been desperately fleeing from around the world, exploiting weaknesses, appealing to emotions, or using Hollywood-level special makeup and infiltration techniques. Her ability to achieve all this while dragging along Ichiro, who is essentially a hindrance with no talent other than photography, is extraordinary.
“For now, I’ve contacted a courier and sent out about forty-seven dummy information routes, making it look like we’re heading through Asia.”
“As usual, your skills are impressive. So, what’s the real plan?”
“I have a friend who owns a used submarine, so we’ll use that to get to near Taiwan, then switch to a seaplane, and then, blending in with the new moon night, we’ll land on that island and wait for Jiro to pick us up.”
“I think going directly to his company would be simpler.”
“That wouldn’t be fun.”
Ichiro smiled, finding it typical of her not to rely on her son directly, even in a situation where she needs to.
“By the way, what happened with their consultation request?”
Thinking that they would be saying goodbye to this southern island in a few days, Ichiro suddenly asked Kirika if the acquaintance who provided and sheltered them on this uninhabited island had resolved their problem.
“Ah, you mean how to deal with someone whose power is like your son’s?”
“Yes, yes. Our son has somehow become like Superman, but they asked if there was a way to beat him.”
When she was being sheltered on this island, the owner of the island asked Kirika, who possessed superhuman physical abilities, if there was a way to defeat their son.
“If any means are allowed, there are plenty,” Kirika had replied.
“Is that alright?”
Ichiro confirmed with a troubled look towards his wife, who had asserted that victory was possible if one didn’t choose their methods, including illegal and inhumane acts.
“He’s a very serious soldier. He already knew that he could win if he chose his methods. What he wanted to hear was that he couldn’t win with legitimate means.”
However, for Kirika, that answer was merely a warning against confronting the otherworlders who were causing a stir head-on. It was a matter that a high-ranking officer of a major power was willing to risk hiding from their own military to confirm. It was about how to deal with otherworlds.
The otherworld camp had displayed its power. Therefore, they could not predict future shifts in the power balance. Witnessing technology that could turn an individual into a strategic weapon up close, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of crisis. However, this sense of crisis could lead to dangerous actions. Yet, they needed to take countermeasures as quickly as possible.
A certain officer, caught between these dilemmas, turned to Kirika for help. And in return for their hospitality, she gave him a single piece of advice.
“Having a high position must be tough.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Ichiro. Did you see his face when he came to say goodbye? What kind of expression did he have when he realized how difficult things were going to be?”
“He looked incredibly excited as he smiled.”
Only a god could know what result that advice would bring, but at least, one major power would now completely shift to a friendly policy towards the otherworld. This would greatly contribute to the infiltration of magical civilization on Earth.
However, the one woman who accomplished this was.
“Ah, I really wanted to participate in this commotion.”
She complained about not being able to join the fray.
“Well, the problem was that we’d had a bit too much to drink at that time.”
The cause of it all was an accident that occurred during a time when Kirie was the only one who needed to flee. The alcohol suddenly tasted great, a large sum of money came in, and fueled by their excitement, they booked a high-class hotel, creating the perfect atmosphere. Ichiro himself couldn’t help but think he was too old for this, but he got caught up in the moment with his eternally youthful wife. And so, a child, thirty years younger than his wife, was conceived.
“Well, seeing Jiro’s surprised face will be enough for me.”
And Kirika’s words would indeed be fulfilled by seeing Jiro’s jaw-dropping surprise.
Another side End
A word for today:
Even if the world changes, some people remain at their own pace.
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Pandora Pandemic Panic. The Pandora’s Box has been reopened, but we’re fighting back with various things from our secret base!!
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