I found myself back in my private room in my original world.
“Wow, a full-time employee? I’m jealous.”
“It’s not confirmed yet.”
After work, my colleague invited me to a group date. We were in a booth at an izakaya, with three women sitting in front of us. The office’s Madonna, Kawata-san, was there.
“So, let’s start the drinking party. First, introductions.”
As soon as we sat down, my colleague, suddenly full of energy, got fired up. It was probably because his target, Kawata-san, was there. The other two women had faces I vaguely recognized. And the other man sitting with us was apparently a friend of my colleague.
“Hey, wait, wait. We need drinks first. Here, you guys decide.”
I handed the menu to the girls. The three in front of me were whispering to each other as they decided on their drinks.
“We’ll have beer, right? Excuse me, can we order?”
Once the drinks arrived, we toasted. Now, for introductions, there wasn’t much for me to say. Saying I’m a 22-year-old temp worker wouldn’t be interesting or charming.
“Alright, introductions. I’ll start. I’m Tazaki Riya, and my hobby is basketball. I sometimes play with an adult team after work. Of course, it’s because I want to be popular,” he joked.
That’s right, my colleague Tazaki played basketball. And the other man’s hobbies were fishing and Go.
“Oh, Go? That’s classy. Riya-kun, basketball is so cool too.”
Kawata-san immediately praised him. I guess this is why people like her. She also made thoughtful comments during the other girls’ introductions.
“Um, I’m Arisugawa. Nice to meet you. My favorite animal is a cat.”
“What do you mean, that’s all?”
I didn’t know what else to say. “A cat lover, how cute,” Kawata-san followed up. As we chatted, the salad and fried chicken were brought out. My hand naturally reached for them. It was okay, I hadn’t used chopsticks yet. I reflexively served myself. If I didn’t, a fight would break out.
“Ah, thank you…”
The girls were surprised by this. I couldn’t back down, so I served them all three portions. The colleague sitting next to me nudged me with his elbow.
“Hey, what’s gotten into you? It’s unfair to go ahead like that.”
“It’s not like that!”
As we talked, we drank more, and the atmosphere became lively and fun. Tazaki, in good spirits, told crude jokes, and we talked about each other’s work. It was truly a normal, enjoyable drinking party. How long had it been since something like this? We were laughing at silly jokes, and sometimes I’d get a little flustered by the girls’ gestures. It felt like it had been a while since I’d met other humans.
Humans, my own race. I didn’t need to lie or be cautious about different customs. Of course, nobody would care if I couldn’t use magic, nor would it put me at a disadvantage.
The same race, human…
“Well, shall we call it a night?”
“Yes, thank you for inviting me.”
When we left the restaurant, it was already dark outside. But the streetlights were so bright that it didn’t matter. I realized, belatedly, how bright the night could be. Though I couldn’t see any stars.
I thanked my colleague and the girls for inviting me and headed towards the station. The other members were going to a second round; they were energetic. As I turned my back on their cheerful voices, someone tugged at my sleeve.
“Hey, Arisugawa-kun, are you going home already?”
“Kawata-san? What’s wrong?”
Her sparkling, large eyes and long, brownish hair. I wasn’t so oblivious as to miss the intense gaze. But why me? I didn’t think I was particularly interesting.
“U-um, if it’s not too much to ask, how about we… together after this?”
“Thank you, but why me?”
“Well, you were cool during work, and, you know. I wanted to see you up close.”
The faces of my companions flashed in my mind. And this was a game, I understand that, but I couldn’t refuse here. Especially if it was a dream; it would be a waste not to enjoy it.
“If I’m okay with it, shall we look for a place?”
Kawata-san’s face turned red as she nodded. Then, veering slightly off the direction of the station, we searched for the building we were looking for. It must be somewhere. But was it okay, someone like me?
The lights of the buildings passed by the side of my face. This silent time was awkward, but also thrilling. Should I say something, or should I remain silent?
…I can’t find it. I feel like we’ve been walking for a while now. Did we pass it? Besides, how far does this road go? I can see lights, but beyond that, it’s dark and I can’t see.
“Hey, could you wait here for a moment? I’ll go find it.”
I ran, ignoring Kawata-san’s “Eh?” sound. The night town stretched on endlessly. If this was my dream, then the sights I had seen so far should be the basis. The shops I saw were all familiar. They were near the station I used, and I had visited them a few times on my way home from work.
But it’s not there! That specific shop! No way, it’s right in front of the station, there’s no way it wouldn’t be here among all these shops.
A hypothesis then occurred to me. It’s not in my memory because I’ve never used it.
