"Thank you for your time."
After getting off the wagon with the new guy, I turned and bowed lightly. Today's work started early in the morning and ended before noon, which was unusual for me, and I still had half a day left in the day.
It was June and the rainy season, but it was a sunny day, which made it easier for the wax to dry. Thanks to that, I was able to finish earlier than planned.
"Okay. Good bye."
"Good bye."
Mr. Yamamoto and the president replied in the same light tone as usual. Seeing this, the newcomer bowed deeply and stretched his voice as much as he could.
"Thank you for your time!"
You've got the youthfulness and energy of a newcomer at the forefront. I think...is a great thing, but six months ago I felt similarly.
"Are you sure you want to be here?"
"Yes, I am. I have plans to play with Yoshio at...."
When the president heard this, he said, "Oh, you guys are so close. I'll see you tomorrow then," as he started the car. As Makoto said, I'm going to ask him to come to my room afterwards to play, or rather to talk.
"Shall we go to the convenience store and get some snacks and drinks?"
"Yes! "
"Don't be so formal, okay?"
"No, Yoshio is a senior whom I respect in two ways."
It's nice to know that a junior colleague likes me, but I think he overestimates me. It's been two months since we met, and he's been like this ever since. The junior looks like a beautiful boy with thin lines, and he has a weak and quiet personality.
"Are you getting used to the job?"
"Oh, yes. A little bit, but I'm not so nervous anymore."
He scratched his head as if he was embarrassed. It was a gesture that made me think of the word "cute," even though I knew he was the same sex. It seems that Mr. Makoto used to be an idol chaser.
"True, you're so cute! I think I'm going to be a fan..."
I can't help but understand why he muttered to himself with a dangerous look in his eyes. He seemed to be concerned about his fine lines, and looked at the tall president with envy and respect.
"I was worried that you might be annoyed with me for forcing you to take the job."
"No, I wasn't! If I had been alone, I wouldn't have been able to get out of that room for a long time, but Yoshio pulled me out."
Then he looks up at me. If I turn this face to...I'm going to fall in one shot.
"You're exaggerating."
But I know exactly what he meant.
When you stay indoors, the hurdle to go outside rises little by little every day, and after a few years, it becomes too high to overcome on your own. The more serious you are, the more you regret and blame yourself.
If they have a chance, yes, a chance, there are people who can escape from being a recluse, an event that inspires them or if they have the help of someone like me. Knowing that it was unnecessary meddling, I invited Makoto, the player of the God of Nature, to work part-time. At first, he was confused and didn't seem to be ready to take the plunge, but my words seemed to give him a boost.
"If I earn enough money from the part-time job, I can pay for the game and make the villagers happy."
I tell him why I've decided to work. This seemed to resonate with Makoto, so I asked him to try out the job just once. Of course, I told the president about the situation beforehand and asked him to help me.
"You're welcome for the part-time job. What are you, a recluse and small? No problem at all, the cleaning business has a lot of use for both big and small people. Still underage? You look like you have a lot of potential, just like Yoshio!"
I was bowled over by the size of the president's capacity as he smiled and patted his back without a single displeased look on his face. I guess this is what the charisma of someone who stands above others is all about.
"The employees and the president are nice and the cleaning is fun!"
It must be his true feelings without any falsehoods. He clenched his fists and spoke happily. They're all good people. It wasn't a mistake for me to invite Makoto to work here, because I thought it would be the best place for him to take his first step into society.
After buying some snacks and juice at the convenience store, we headed to my house. On the way, my eyes met with a neighbor's. I lightly bowed and said, "Hello." He smiled and said hello to me.
–Normal daily life.
But I couldn't do that before. I avoided the eyes of people and went out late at night when there was no one around. That was my daily life. It's not that the people around me were avoiding me, it's just that I felt guilty and avoided socializing, so the people around me naturally avoided me as well.
"What's the matter, senior?"
Makoto looked at me worriedly.
"No, it's nothing. Oh, we're here already? I'm home."
I opened the door of my house and announced that I was coming home, but there was no answer from anyone. My mother should be home at this time, but she must have gone out for shopping or something.
"I'm sorry to bother you."
I chuckle when I hear Makoto's raspy voice. He told me that he hadn't been to someone else's house since elementary school.
"Let's go to my room for the...strategy meeting."
"Yes."
I brought him here for one reason in particular. It was to discuss the future of the "Village of Destiny".
I went upstairs and opened the door to my room to prompt him, and a nervous-looking Makoto stepped inside...and didn't move. His eyes were wide open as he stared at the golden lizard sitting there. As usual, Destiny is sitting on the side of the computer desk, staring at me.
"That's Destiny I was telling you about."
"I've heard stories about him, but...he's bigger than I thought."
He's size is from my fingertips to my elbow. I guess it's normal to be surprised if you're not used to it.
"He's a smart kid, so he understands what people say. Ow, ow, don't hit me. I'm sorry. You're a smart guy, no matter what you look like."
He didn't like my expression and slapped my hand with his tail. Startled by the ferocity that Destiny showed, Makoto backed away to the wall.
"Destiny, say hello properly."
When I urged him after patting his head and putting him in a good mood, Destiny stood up deftly, using his two legs and tail to balance himself, and bent his upper body to bow.
"Ho, you're really clever, aren't you?"
He reaches out his hand fearfully, perhaps relieved of his nervousness by the charming gesture. Destiny grasps his fingers as if wrapping them with both hands.
"Oh, that looks so cute..."
It's so easy to be seduced. But when did you learn the technique of winning people's hearts? Every time, you charge at Seika and scare her, but you flatter everyone else.
"You can play with Destiny as much as you want later. Let's get to the point first. Needless to say, I invited you to my house today so that we could discuss the game."
"Yes, of course."
I offer him a cushion and he sits upright on it. He's got a little animal vibe about him.
"There are a few things I haven't told you yet, Makoto. I'm going to reveal them to you."
"What are they?"
He gulped down his spit and stared at me with a serious look in his eyes. If you're so stern, I'm going to get nervous too.
"What did you think when you saw Destiny?"
"Well, it's a big, golden, beautiful, good-looking lizard."
Perhaps not fully satisfied with the praise, Destiny's tongue thrust in and out of his mouth more intensely than usual.
"What else?"
"Um, well, it's just a coincidence, but doesn't he look like the silver basilisk Gochupicchu in the village?"
I tilted my head and said, "That's what I wanted to hear."
I called him here today to prepare myself. I'm going to reveal something to him that I haven't revealed to anyone for a long time. I've been chatting and talking with him almost every day for the past two months, and after getting to know him, I've decided that he's okay.
"Actually…"
A real-life incident caused by this game.
Destiny's true identity.
The game world actually exists, and I have been there.
The god we are playing is real.
I finished revealing everything to him. Makoto, who had been listening in silence the whole time, kept his head down and didn't say a word. Until the middle of the story, he was surprised, his face changed color, and his expression changed seven times, but from the middle of the story, his mind couldn't keep up with the events that were far beyond his imagination, and he stayed like this.
"I know it's hard to believe, but everything I just told you is true."
I opened the top of the plastic bottle I bought at the convenience store and poured carbonated water down my thirsty throat after too much talking. The bubbles popping in my throat felt good.
"So, but that's what...is for."
The voice he managed to croak out was weak, as if it was about to disappear.
"Do you ever feel like the characters in the game are human and not NPCs?"
"Oh, yes....many times."
Anyone who has played this game would agree. There is so much rich motion, and the villagers have different conversations every day. The expressions of joy, anger, sadness, and sorrow are so realistic. I can guarantee that there is not a single player who does not have doubts about this.
"I can prove something right here and right now. Destiny, get me this plastic bottle."
I held out the empty plastic bottle in front of Destiny. While Makoto was watching with bated breath to see what was going to happen, Destiny took one look at the bottle, and right in front of him, the bottle lost its transparency and turned to stone.
"Oh, my God..."
I threw the stone-turned plastic bottle to Makoto, who was so surprised that his mouth was still wide open.
"Oh, eh, wow...it's really turned to stone."
He repeatedly held it up to the light to check its texture, but he still couldn't believe it and tilted his head again and again.
"Do you ever receive packages from your village at home?"
"I've never had that before, but...recently I've started to receive them. To begin with, there was no custom of making offerings to the God of Nature, but after moving to Yoshio-senpai's village, the Dark Elves began to imitate it, and so, every once in a while I receive a package."
Well, it's no wonder that different religions have different ways of treating their gods. I've heard that such rituals did not originally exist for the God of Nature.
"I thought they were sent by the game makers."
"That's what I thought at first, too."
I was astonished when the village sent me fruits for the first time. Now I accept it as a matter of course, but it's not normal, is it? It seems that he is leaning towards believing, but I think he needs a little push.
"I want you to take a look at this."
I tilted the computer screen so that I could see it better. What I see on the screen is the usual scenery of the village. Humans, elves, beastmen, and dark elves are busy but enjoying their lives. It's the same village routine that he and I are used to.
"Um, it's the usual village, right?"
I focused on a specific person and zoomed in on the screen. It showed a blonde haired girl cheerfully helping with the housework.
"What's wrong with little Carol?"
Now that two months have passed since the Dark Elves moved into the village, he, like me, seems to recognize the names and faces of the main members of the village. I took out my phone and showed him a certain photo.
"This is...Yoshio-senpai and...Carol-chan?"
When I showed him the photos of us going to the shrine together and the photos of us in the other world, he seemed to believe me and leaned against the wall, looking weak with empty eyes. Is this what happens to people when they are too surprised?