Chapter 2: Square 1: Return to Start
I was sitting on a bench by the river.
Or rather, it was probably closer to a canal than a river.
But there were no clear-bottomed waterways like this near where I lived.
I looked around, but the scenery was clearly nothing like Japan.
Even at a glance, there were stone-paved roads with horse-drawn carriages running along them, and many buildings with red-tiled roofs.
The people casually walking around were carrying swords and shields or wearing armor...
"What the hell is this place...?"
It was a vibrant, European-like scene full of bright colors.
But there was one strange point.
For some reason, the buildings and signs around me had Japanese writing on them.
It went beyond unnatural and felt downright eerie.
Still, wherever this was, it didn’t matter right now.
I didn’t understand why I was alive.
I was definitely supposed to have died back then...
"Is this what they call a coma?"
A dream world. That was the only explanation that made sense.
I strangely found myself convinced by my own conclusion.
"Thank god... if I miraculously survived... Hm?"
Something hard bumped into my right hand.
It was the commuter bag I always used.
Inside were my work smartphone, tablet, writing utensils, and even copies of work documents.
"Even in a dream I’m still working... How typical of me."
Come to think of it, I had been completely buried in work lately.
Once I woke up and got discharged, maybe I should go drinking with some friends.
While thinking that, I checked my phone, only to see "No Service."
"What a weirdly detailed dream."
I slipped the phone back into my pocket, but I could feel eyes on me.
The stares from the people around me were strangely intense. I looked down at myself.
"Oh... right, my clothes..."
Compared to everyone else wearing armor or robes, a black business suit was bound to stand out.
On top of that, I was muttering to myself while fiddling with a modern device in a place that seemed completely disconnected from such technology.
It wouldn’t be strange for people to think I was some kind of weirdo or suspicious person.
"Better change locations."
To avoid the stares, I slipped into a side alley.
As I walked down the dimly lit, narrow path, loud, crude laughter rang out from a nearby building.
Curious despite myself, I turned toward the sound.
It was a small, old-fashioned tavern.
"A tavern? Straight out of a western movie..."
I pushed open the double doors that gave off a nice atmosphere and stepped inside out of morbid curiosity.
The moment I entered, the noise in the entire bar quieted slightly.
A rough-looking group at a table glared at me, but there was no point worrying about every little thing.
I sat down at a random seat at the counter.
"Master, shochu please."
"What the hell’s that? We don’t have that here."
"...Then beer."
"Comin’ up."
At least let me eat and drink freely in a dream.
While thinking that, I overheard a dangerous conversation from the right rear.
"Foreigner? What do we do?"
"That thing on his arm looks like jewelry. Looks like precious metal too."
"Then it’s decided. We surround him when he leaves the store."
Cold sweat ran down the back of my neck after accidentally overhearing their very ominous discussion.
I slowly moved just my eyes to look at my own arm.
Wrapped around it was a cheap 7,000-yen watch I’d bought at some random store, not even a brand name.
"Here’s your beer."
"Wah....
Because it was suddenly placed in front of me while I was tense, my body jolted in surprise and the chair made a loud noise.
In the reflection of the master polishing glasses, I could see the trio in the back glaring at me.
I couldn’t see them clearly, but they were all big, muscular guys.
If people like that targeted me, I’d be done for.
"Hm? What’s wrong?"
"No, nothing..."
If I showed fear in a place like this, I’d clearly look like easy prey.
If they surrounded me right here and now...
"... ... ... ..."
Their voices had clearly gotten quieter than before!
If I stayed like this, they might attack me inside the store...
There was nowhere to run inside, and I didn’t think the master would help me.
He’d probably just kick us out and tell us to fight outside.
It was a gamble, but I’d leave and try to run.
"Master, check please."
"Yeah, 600 yen."
"...Hm? Yen?"
"What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you don’t have money!?"
"No, it’s not that..."
The currency was yen.
In a place that felt like it came out of an adventure novel, the appearance of Japanese yen felt so out of place that I smiled bitterly.
"Right... this is a dream after all."
It was a murmur that shouldn’t have been audible to others, but the owner apparently didn’t like a customer muttering without paying.
His tone rose with irritation.
"Hey, pay up already!"
"Hm? Oh... sorry. Here."
I had withdrawn money that morning, so my wallet had about 50,000 yen inside.
I casually took out a 10,000-yen bill and placed it on the counter.
"A ten-thousand bill? What a pain."
"No, just keep it."
I put my wallet away without taking change.
Seeing that, the master let out a grin.
"Hoo, you’re generous, kid."
"No, no, I just make decent money. See ya."
The "decent money" part was a joke, but in a dream I figured I might as well look cool.
I left the tavern with light steps. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, the trio from earlier started following me.
I wasn’t walking particularly fast, but about ten seconds after leaving the store, they surrounded me.
"Hold it right there."
"You look like you’ve got money on you."
"Get killed, or hand over what you’ve got. Pick whichever you want."
From the very first line, their words were stupid and threatening. I decided to ignore them.
If this was a dream, getting hit probably wouldn’t hurt.
If I just kept walking silently, they’d eventually leave...
"Guh....
...Sudden, intense pain shot through my entire body.
I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t close my mouth.
My sense of direction and balance became vague, I couldn’t even tell if I was standing or sitting.
By the time I understood what had happened, my body was already crouched on the ground.
"Ugh... uuuh..."
A dull pain rose from my abdomen in time with my heartbeat.
They had mercilessly punched me in the solar plexus with their unnecessarily trained muscles.
It hurt far beyond words.
Something sour rose from my stomach.
I couldn’t breathe. My legs had no strength.
Dream? Dream? Dream? Dream? Dream? Dream? Dream? Dream?
...This isn’t a dream... is it?
In just a few seconds, I broke into a sweat so heavy that drops fell from the bridge of my nose.
The falling ground had been an indescribable terror.
But the terror of "murder" chasing after me from behind was an even worse nightmare.
Terror piled on terror, blood stopped flowing properly to my brain, and I couldn’t think.
The one thing I thought with desperate strength was:
"...I don’t want to die."
"Huh?"
"I don’t want to dieeeeeee!!!"
I ran while crying.
My stomach and legs had no strength, so it was a pathetic, stumbling run.
I desperately ran, screaming for help at the top of my lungs.
But all I heard in return were the men laughing at me.
"Don’t you run, bastard!"
"Guaaaaaaaaah... ghii....
Intense pain shot through my leg and I collapsed on the spot.
When I looked back, a large knife was deeply embedded in my calf.
I was already unable to speak properly from the terror and pain.
Even so, I crawled across the ground trying to escape.
I couldn’t hear any of the surrounding sounds anymore, but this one thing reached my ears.
"See ya, old man."
At the edge of my vision, I saw a blade being swung down.
『Return to Start』
I thought I saw those words on the back of my eyelids.
When I opened my eyes, I was once again on that endlessly beautiful yet unnatural and unsettling bench by the canal.
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