Volume 2 - CH 10

As it turns out, I was alive. It took me a month to wake up. It took me another month in the hospital, but I survived without any aftereffects. I even heard that my internal organs were damaged, but I guess it was pretty lucky for me.

It is now mid-September. I can finally leave the hospital tomorrow, but my stomach is still upset. Not because of the wound, but my heart.

It’s been a month since I woke up. Many people visited my hospital room. My parents visited me about once every two weeks, which is not much, but it was more than I had imagined and some of my part-time job buddies came almost every day. Classmates who were not so close to me came often, and an old friend whom I don’t remember so much was there. The police also came to inquire about the situation, as well as reporters from newspapers who seemed to be interested, and reporters from magazines I had never heard of, who were all suspicious.

But my own brother, Daiki, and my ex-girlfriend, Saki. I don’t care about these two, the adult Shinobu san …… Nobu Nobu also didn’t come to the hospital room. The latter is a problem. It’s not that she didn’t come, but what if she couldn’t? That could be something happening in the next 10 years. That’s why.

“Fwe—–ba—–!”

“Agent, test mode.”

Finding time to go to the toilet where no one is coming, I dropped an axe made of origami into the toilet. Then the goddess-typed robot, Agent, appeared, pushing up the toilet seat. I asked the interesting looking goddess who appeared from the toilet.

“Is Shinobu san alive?”

“Yes, without a doubt. Her employee information is still in my data. But she doesn’t seem to have traveled back in time.”

“I see…….thank goodness….!”

Shinobu san is alive. I am relieved to know that.

“Then, what about my future?”

“I don’t know. No information.”

“Then what triggered my time leap?”

“The Phoenix high HQ thought that a hero who risked his life to protect his brother would be willing to go along with this experiment.”

……Hero? What the heck.

“In short, it’s a ploy by smart adults who think they can fool me because I’m stupid.”

“I don’t think so. Even though I’m a machine, I’m learning human emotions. At least, I feel like I’m getting a lot of positive responses.”

“Well, of course. People tend to like good people. But that’s because they don’t harm you. It’s because I’m  a guy who will do anything. I’ve been identified as such a fool, you know.”

“……Seems like you’re reading too much.”

A machine wouldn’t understand. The human complex. But I, as an adult, know it well. I know how such people are treated.

“There are many kind people in this world. Most of them hide it well. They’re afraid of getting the short end of the stick. I couldn’t do that. In short, I’m a loser.

The incident two months ago made it clear to me. I can’t be a winner, I’m a person with a hopeless loser mentality. If I hadn’t defended Daiki there, my future would have changed.

“Okay,……, thank you. You can leave.”

“…..Are you sure you’re okay? You don’t seem to understand what’s going on…….”

“I know best what’s going on. I lost. That’s all.”

I asked the agent to leave and went back to bed. And decided to sleep. Because school starts tomorrow. I’m sure I’ll make a fool of myself. They will mock me. As a good and stupid person who defended his brother. I really hate it…it makes me nauseous. I never wanted to be this kind of person. I wanted to be someone who could win, like Daiki…….

“Igarashi, congratulations on your discharge !”

“Huh?”

The next day at noon. Once I returned to an empty house and headed to school, and as soon as I entered the classroom, I was surrounded by loud applause.

“Amazing ! It’s not every day you get to defend your sarcastic little brother like that !”

“Really, really ! Everyone in the school was watching ! Igarashi kun’s heroic figure !

And you didn’t even let the killer get hurt ! What a good guy you are !”

Praises from classmates, whom I don’t even remember talking to, were pouring me. What is this situation? I made a fool of myself. Why am I being praised like this? Why is this happening?

“……Kouki kun !”

When I couldn’t understand what was going on, I was hugged.

“Will you go out with me again …..?”

Saki. Saki who had betrayed me was fawned over me.

“Screw you……!”

I pulled Saki away from me and ran out of the classroom. And then I vomited in the bathroom. To this situation. To Saki’s bullshit.

“What the hell is going on……!?”

I could only continue to vomit in this incomprehensible situation.