It was a harder decision than Diesel thought it would be – whether to stick around and use his karma to make himself a better truck, or to return to being a human once again.
He had to admit, his adventures as a Truck-kun were unlike anything that he had every dreamed of. He had met many people. He had been to many places. He had even ended up in the weirdest situations that completely blew his mind. It seemed like as long as he stuck with Kami-sama as a truck, then he would experience even more adventures.
On the other hand, he missed being human. The normal day-to-day activities of just being a normal person was never more missed than when he had been unable to do them.
Diesel sighed. If only he could be both, then there would be no question as to what to do.
As he contemplated his decision in the Divine Realm, he had a drink with his fellow truck friends for the sake of it. He took a few drives through the places that he had visited, just to get a feel for them once again. He made sure to be careful and bring a blow-up driver this time, so no one would discover his identity as a magical truck.
After he had his fill, he called up Kami-sama and rolled up to him.
"I decided. Please, make me human again. This has been like a dream, a rather fun dream. But I realized, there were things I had to do back in my old world. Even if I end up in a brand, new world, I'm sure those desires won't change. They'll just come back to me somehow. And as it stands, I can't do them as a truck."
"I see…that's unfortunate, but if that is what you request, then it is my job to fulfill it." Kami-sama looked genuinely sad, as he failed to crack a joke like he normally did. Diesel would've felt better if he had. However, he was glad to know that Kami-sama had thought of him well. That he had made an impact on him.
"Well, then. Shall we start the sending off ceremony?"
"There's a ceremony?"
"Of course." Kami-sama grinned. "It wouldn't be proper to just say bye and off you go!"
A little bit later, Diesel found himself on top of some tracks. The others were beeping their horns as they said their farewells.
"Good luck on your next life as a human!"
"Don't forget that you can't drink gasoline anymore!"
"If you ever feel like sending annoying people into other worlds, look us up again!"
Diesel was glad that his friends were there to see him off. He would miss them, even though they had some weird quirks. However, why were they saying bye to him here? And why was he on a set of tracks? And where was Kami-sama?
Suddenly, a whistle sounded in the distance. Tilting his vision in that direction, Diesel sawing a boxy form coming towards him.
Wait. Tracks? Whistle? Wasn't the natural enemy of a truck…a train?
Sure enough, the train in the distance whistled again as it swiftly rolled along the tracks. Kami-sama popped his head out and waved.
"Here we go! One ticket out of the Divine Realm and to your next destination!"
!!!
Though he realized that he would likely have to be 'trucked' in order to be sent off, he hadn't considered that this would be the method to do so! As he stared at the face of the train getting quickly closer, he froze in place thinking, 'ah, so that's how it felt to them all along.'
CRAAAAAASHHHHH!!!!
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Diesel sprung up from his bed. It felt like he just had the strangest dream ever, but he couldn't remember what it was about. Like a fog in his head, the more he thought about it, the thicker that fog became. It didn't seem like it wanted to be remembered.
He went about his day – brushing his teeth, putting on clothes, getting a drink of water. His day was just the same as any normal person, as monotonous and uninteresting as could be.
As he surfed the internet a bit until lunchtime, he checked the forums for new mentions. He replied to the random, scattered comments on his stories that he was lucky to have. It was just another day being cooped up at home due to the issues outside.
He found out that his favorite restaurant was open once again. Excitedly, he grabbed his coat and his keys and made for the car.
Starting it up, the gasoline fumes and purring of the engine felt oddly calming as he stared blankly with his windows down in the garage. After a few moments, he shook his head and backed the car out.
"Something must be wrong with me today. My mind is still kind of in a funk from this morning. Was that dream that weird? Can't seem to figure out why…"
As he drove down the road, he almost failed to notice a truck that had blown the red light. If he had stopped a moment later, it likely would've hit him!
Diesel was a bit annoyed by it, but whatever, he was too hungry to care. However, he did take another look at the truck as he caught a glimpse of white feathered wings sitting on the steering wheel.
"Now, that can't be. I'm really just seeing things."
He shrugged it off and pulled into the parking lot of a Thai restaurant. 20 minutes later, a steaming hot plate of level 5 Drunken noodles was in front of him. He took a bite, savoring the intense spiciness coupled with the richness of the sauce.
It was the best damn noodle dish that he had ever had, better than any other time he had it. His stomach hungered for more like it hadn't consumed food in ages. Hesitantly, he glanced at his wallet before going up to the counter to order a second helping.
With his belly a little overly full and his tongue still mildly stinging from the spice, Diesel trotted back to his car, wondering what he should do next.
Life was getting back to normal in this town. It had been disrupted by a disease that had swept through the world, keeping people at home for the longest time. Diesel himself had nothing to do but to stay at home, having lost the job he once had. Now, he would have to find something else to pay the bills.
What could he even do with his skills? He yawned as he dreaded having to do a bunch of job interviews once again, but it couldn't be helped.
Suddenly, he noticed a strange flyer stuck under the wiper blade on windshield. He pulled it free and read the contents aloud.
"Heh? What's this? Do you love to travel to interesting places that you can only dream of? Experienced drivers wanted. On the job training available. An open mind is a plus. Hazard bonuses! Fantastical adventures await!"
Diesel stared blankly at the flyer. Normally, he would just laugh it off as a joke. The very things that it was advertising seemed a bit silly. Hazards and adventures through driving a truck? How much were they trying to romanticize it?
Though Diesel chuckled, he couldn't take his eyes off the flyer. As silly as it sounded, what did he have to lose?
"Well, it sounds better than accepting the terms and conditions of some golden ticket that was offered to me from a contest I randomly entered for fun…"
He needed a job anyways. Dialing the number at the bottom, it rang a few times before he heard a click.
"Otherworld Isekai Service…how can I help you?"
THE END