Chapter 0: Misfortune at School – Part 1
ㅤI like nul-games.
ㅤBecause the unreasonable things are enough in real life.
ㅤ
ㅤNul-games heal me.
ㅤOnly when I’m defeating enemies that offer no resistance can I regain myself.
ㅤ
ㅤAs I was about to open the classroom door, I heard laughter coming from inside.
ㅤ
ㅤIt was a very unpleasant laughter.
ㅤI’m impressed that they can laugh with such a creepy voice.
ㅤAnd then,
ㅤ
ㅤ（Ah, again.）
ㅤ
ㅤI thought.
ㅤ
ㅤWhen I hear this kind of laughter, it’s always related to me.
ㅤWhen other people are laughing, they’re usually laughing at me.
ㅤ
ㅤIt’s not paranoia.
ㅤIt’s a lesson I’ve learned from my sixteen years of life experience.
ㅤ
ㅤI slightly opened the classroom door and peeked inside.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ah, she’s so cheeky! She was even spoken to by Shiroizaki-kun…… S-So, take this!”
ㅤ
ㅤThe one who was dumping the trash can on my desk with a strained face was━━
ㅤ
ㅤ（As I thought.）
ㅤ
ㅤEmily, who calls herself my “best friend.”
ㅤEmily, a timid girl with thick glasses, had no place in the class.
ㅤLike a magnet, Emily was drawn to me, who also had no place.
ㅤShe always wanted to be paired with me during class events…… but I knew.
ㅤ
ㅤThis girl looks down on me.
ㅤ
ㅤI open the classroom door.
ㅤ
ㅤEmily and the others turned around.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ah……”
ㅤ
ㅤSeeing me, Emily’s face turns blue.
ㅤThe gals around Emily are grinning maliciously, comparing me and Emily.
ㅤ
ㅤI said with a smile.
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”
ㅤ
ㅤEmily moved her mouth, opening and closing it.
ㅤ
ㅤDuring that time, I clean up my desk.
ㅤI put the trash back into the trash can I took from Emily and wipe my desk with the wet wipes I always carry.
ㅤI couldn’t get rid of the smell, but I decided not to worry about it and sat down at my desk.
ㅤ
ㅤEmily remained frozen, her face pale at my attitude, and the gals were dumbfounded.
ㅤ
ㅤThen, the chime rang and the teacher entered the classroom.
ㅤThe teacher looked at the girls gathered around my desk with a “not again” expression.
ㅤ
ㅤFortunately, there were no further events that day, and I was able to leave school at the scheduled time.
ㅤ
ㅤ……It was a relatively peaceful day in my school life.
Chapter 0: Unhappiness at Home – Part 2
ㅤI killed time in the park and went home around sunset.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’m home.”
ㅤ
ㅤAs if to overlap with my voice, I heard a shrill voice.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Why are you always like this!? You took out a loan and bought a house in such an inconvenient place! You confined me to the house! You decided everything on your own without consulting me……! And on top of that, you quit your job because you’re starting a business with a colleague!? Enough is enough!”
ㅤ
ㅤIt was my mother’s voice.
ㅤI walked quietly to the sink and washed my hands.
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s my life! What’s wrong with doing what I want!? You have it easy, don’t you!? You’re always piggybacking on me! You get money every month just by staying at home! What are you dissatisfied with when you’re so blessed!? If you don’t like it, try working instead of me! You probably married me counting on my salary anyway!”
ㅤ
ㅤIt was unusual for my father to be home at this hour.
ㅤBut,
ㅤ
ㅤ（I guess I’m lucky.）
ㅤ
ㅤIf my father wasn’t here, my mother’s shrill voice would be directed at me.
ㅤ
ㅤI quietly went up the stairs and shut myself in my room.
ㅤ
ㅤI took off my uniform, changed into my loungewear, and turned on the game console.
ㅤ
ㅤ”In that case, I’ll divorce you! I can’t be with someone like you anymore!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Do what you want! Don’t get in the way of my life anymore!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’ll be getting alimony! I don’t need custody, so you can take that child!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Are you even a mother!? If you’re going to get alimony, at least raise the child properly!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”After we divorce, I don’t want to see your child! I don’t want anything to do with that creepy child who just grins even when being bullied――”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You’re the one who raised her that way! That’s why I said, don’t send her to private school and let her have more life experience――”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Don’t act all high and mighty when you didn’t do anything to raise her!”
ㅤ
ㅤ……。
ㅤ
ㅤI picked up my headphones and put them on.
ㅤI’ll turn up the volume a bit today.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Today, on Very Easy.”
ㅤ
ㅤI lowered the game difficulty to the lowest setting.
ㅤMy character, who has been played for 300 hours and has gone through the main scenario many times, defeats the weak monsters at the beginning like pieces of paper.
ㅤThe pleasant sound effects soothe my frayed nerves.
ㅤ
ㅤWhile I was playing the game comfortably, I suddenly felt a tightness in my chest.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ugh……”
ㅤ
ㅤI pressed my right hand against my heart.
ㅤ
ㅤMy heart ached as if it was being squeezed.
ㅤ
ㅤStill, I returned my trembling right hand to the controller.
ㅤ
ㅤAnd,
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ah, ahahaha……”
ㅤ
ㅤI continued playing the game while laughing.
ㅤ
ㅤMy heart palpitations are a regular occurrence.
ㅤ
ㅤIt seems I was born with a slightly weak heart.
ㅤ
ㅤThat’s why I sometimes get these attacks.
ㅤ
ㅤI’m used to it, so I try not to worry about it.
ㅤ
ㅤThis time, too, the heart attack subsided while I was playing the game.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Phew.”
ㅤ
ㅤJust as I breathed a sigh of relief,
ㅤ
ㅤ”――I can’t take it anymoreee!”
ㅤ
ㅤMy mother’s scream came from the first floor of the house.
ㅤIt was so loud that I could easily hear it through my headphones.
ㅤ
ㅤ”What are you doing!? This is the house I bought!”
ㅤ
ㅤFollowing my father’s yell, I heard something break.
ㅤ
ㅤI turned up the volume on my headphones.
ㅤ
ㅤ”S-stop it! Stop throwing a tantrum! You’re always like this, sulking silently and urging me to improve my mood! I’m tired too! Why don’t you try improving my mood!? You’re living off my money!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You’re the one who confined me to the house! This isn’t my life! It wasn’t supposed to be like this! If you hadn’t forcefully seduced me, this wouldn’t have happened!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”……It’s noisy today.”
ㅤ
ㅤI guess the house is worse off since school was a breeze.
ㅤ
ㅤThen, the doorbell rang.
ㅤMy parents ignored it and continued yelling at each other.
ㅤThe doorbell kept ringing persistently.
ㅤ
ㅤ”What, it’s noisy!”
ㅤ
ㅤIt seems my father went to the front door.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Again, Norizakura-san? We’re getting complaints from the neighbors!”
ㅤ
ㅤThis voice belonged to the police officer from the nearby police box.
ㅤ
ㅤ”If it gets too bad, we’ll have to contact the consultation center.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”What!? Are you saying I’m being violent!? It’s my wife who’s rampaging!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Even if you say that…… Don’t you think there’s a problem with you, the husband, too?”
ㅤ
ㅤ……Huh? I can’t hear my father’s rebuttal.
ㅤI think he would definitely lose his temper if a third party said something like that to him.
ㅤ
ㅤThinking that, I took my eyes off the game screen.
ㅤ
ㅤImmediately after, a squelching sound!
ㅤ
ㅤ（Ahaha…… That’s a sound I’ve heard somewhere before.）
ㅤ
ㅤThat’s it, a similar sound is made when you smash a zombie’s head with a bat in a horror game.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Kyaaaaaaaaah!”
ㅤ
ㅤMy mother’s scream echoed throughout the house.
ㅤ
ㅤ”W-wait…… You’re kidding, right?”
ㅤ
ㅤEven for me, this was beyond the usual marital quarrel.
ㅤ
ㅤI hurriedly left my room, poked my head out from the landing above the stairs, and cautiously peeked towards the entrance.
ㅤ
ㅤAnd there,
ㅤ
ㅤ”M-murderer! You finally did it! What are you going to do about it!? We’re not even divorced yet!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”S-shut up! That’s the first thing you say!?”
ㅤ
ㅤMy father was standing at the entrance with a pale face, holding a bloodstained golf club.
ㅤMy mother was clinging to him and screaming.
ㅤ
ㅤAnd at my father’s feet, the familiar police officer was lying down, bleeding from his head……
ㅤ
ㅤ”This is terrible.”
ㅤ
ㅤI muttered involuntarily.
ㅤ
ㅤ”This is terrible.”
ㅤ
ㅤI muttered twice.
ㅤ
ㅤIt’s always terrible, but this is truly, truly terrible.
ㅤ
ㅤI felt an illusion as if the floor I was standing on was collapsing and I was being swallowed from my feet into a bottomless swamp.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I-I’ll call the police! But first, I have to call an ambulance! Ah, you’re not dead, are you!?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”S-stop it!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”What are you doing!?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Are you trying to make me a criminal!?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You’re undeniably a criminal! Serves you right, now you’re a murderer! You’ll be thrown in jail and all your assets will be mine!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”What the hell are you talking about…… at a time like this……”
ㅤ
ㅤ”……H-hello, is this 119!? Hurry, my husband――”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Stop it!!”
ㅤ
ㅤImmediately after my father’s voice, there was a wet sound.
ㅤMy mother’s voice disappeared.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Y-you’re kidding……”
ㅤ
ㅤEven I turned pale.
ㅤ
ㅤI never thought…… I knew they didn’t get along, but I never thought it would come to this……
ㅤ
ㅤFlustered, I involuntarily stepped back.
ㅤ
ㅤClatter, clatter, clatter!
ㅤ
ㅤWith a loud noise, the clothes rack in the hallway fell over.
ㅤMy mother’s hobby was buying clothes, and the clothes that didn’t fit in her room were left in the hallway.
ㅤ
ㅤ”W-who’s there!? Minato!?”
ㅤ
ㅤMy father said and came up the stairs.
ㅤIn his hand was the bloodstained golf club.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ha, haha……”
ㅤ
ㅤI couldn’t help but laugh.
ㅤ
ㅤMy father said with a cornered look on his face.
ㅤ
ㅤ”……Were you watching?”
ㅤ
ㅤDid he think I wouldn’t notice after all that commotion?
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ahaha……”
ㅤ
ㅤI couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
ㅤ
ㅤI always laugh when I’m in pain.
ㅤMy mother often asks me why I laugh.
ㅤI don’t know the reason myself.
ㅤIt’s just that laughter wells up from somewhere.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ahahahahahaha!”
ㅤ
ㅤI laughed with a strained smile.
ㅤI kept laughing.
ㅤ
ㅤMy father’s pale face turned serious.
ㅤ
ㅤ”……What’s so funny?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ahahahaha!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”What’s so funny!? Tell me!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ahahahahahaha!”
ㅤ
ㅤI couldn’t say anything.
ㅤI just couldn’t help but laugh.
ㅤMy mother once took me to a psychiatrist.
ㅤAccording to that psychiatrist, my laughter is a kind of defense mechanism that tries to reduce stress by reflexively laughing when tension exceeds a certain level.
ㅤMaybe that’s true.
ㅤLooking at my father gripping the bloodstained golf club, all I could do was laugh.
ㅤ
ㅤ”What’s…… What’s so funnyyyyyyy!”
ㅤ
ㅤMy father raised the golf club.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ahahahahahahahaha!”
ㅤ
ㅤI laughed.
ㅤ
ㅤThe golf club swung down towards the crown of my laughing head.
ㅤ
ㅤAt the last moment, I said.
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ”……What the hell is this shitty game?”
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤAn unprecedented shock ran through my head――and my sixteen years of life came to an end.
Chapter 0: Misfortune Even in Death – Part 3
ㅤWhen I came to, I was in complete darkness.
ㅤ
ㅤIn the middle of that darkness, a light was born.
ㅤA light of gold and rainbow colors mixed together, the perfect word for it would be “divine.”
ㅤIt was like the halo of light that shines from behind a Buddha statue.
ㅤ
ㅤThe light spread, engulfing me, and expanding throughout the entire space.
ㅤ
ㅤThe space that was once pitch black had transformed into a white space overflowing with light.
ㅤ
ㅤThe space was endless.
ㅤA smooth, white space spread out as far as the eye could see.
ㅤWhen I strained my eyes to look into the distance, I could see the golden rainbow light from before stretching towards the invisible horizon.
ㅤ
ㅤBut, that wasn’t what I should be looking at.
ㅤ
ㅤIn the middle of the white space, a young man with blond hair and blue eyes was floating.
ㅤHe was a beautiful, androgynous young man, seemingly in his mid-twenties, dressed in a white toga-like garment.
ㅤIf this young man were to smile, most women would probably fall for him.
ㅤThat’s how perfectly sculpted and sweet his features were.
ㅤ
ㅤThe young man slowly smiled and said,
ㅤ
ㅤ”――Hello.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”……Hello.”
ㅤ
ㅤI replied vaguely.
ㅤSometimes, ignoring someone when they speak to you can lead to bullying.
ㅤI carefully chose a weak smile and put it on my face, being careful not to let him realize I was wary, and at the same time, not to let him misunderstand that I was interested.
ㅤ
ㅤ”You’re on guard. That’s an unusual reaction.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe young man said, sounding intrigued.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I-It’s not like that……”
ㅤ
ㅤI was flustered that he had seen through me.
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s alright. You’ve been through a lot, after all.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe young man said magnanimously.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Do you know about me?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes, I do. I know everything about the children of man.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You sound like God.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”That’s right. I am God.”
ㅤ
ㅤI stared intently at the young man’s face.
ㅤThe young man gave a wry smile.
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s understandable that you wouldn’t believe me.
ㅤBut, remember? You should be dead.
ㅤAnd, this space.
ㅤEven if whether I am God or not depends on the definition, you could at least acknowledge that I have special powers, right?”
ㅤ
ㅤIndeed, he was right.
ㅤI was dead……probably.
ㅤMy own father smashed my head in with a golf club.
ㅤWhat a horrible way to die, even for me.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Where is this place?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”This is somewhere that is nowhere. A 『place』 where the concept of location doesn’t apply.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe young man — the self-proclaimed 🔹God shrugged.
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s a little difficult for humans to understand, you see. For now, I’d like you to put that aside.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I understand, but……”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You’re wondering why you’re here, right?”
ㅤ
ㅤI nodded.
ㅤ
ㅤ”There are many unfortunate people in the world, you see.
ㅤHowever, even for me, as God, it’s difficult to save them all.
ㅤBut, if it’s just saving a few of them, I can manage somehow.
ㅤYou were chosen in the lottery. Congratulations. You were blessed with luck at the very end of your life.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”……What do you mean?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You were chosen in the lottery, congratulations!” are the typical words you should never believe.
ㅤMy mother was also deceived by those words and lost money.
ㅤAs usual, my father went into a rage and beat my mother black and blue.
ㅤ
ㅤThe young man spread his arms wide and said with a bright smile,
ㅤ
ㅤ”Rejoice! You can be reincarnated into another world!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I refuse.”
ㅤ
ㅤI answered immediately.
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s popular, isn’t it, reincarnation into another world! Starting a second life in another world! It’s a story overflowing with romance!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I refuse.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Let me explain the other world you’ll be going to! The level of civilization is……well, you can probably guess, but it’s a world with magic!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I refuse.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Magic! The ability to manipulate God’s miracles with a human body! It makes you dream big, doesn’t it!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I refuse.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Um……”
ㅤ
ㅤFinally, God stopped talking.
ㅤ
ㅤ”……Huh? Did you just say 『I refuse』?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I did.”
ㅤ
ㅤGod froze, still smiling.
Chapter 0: I Don’t Need a Life – Part 4
ㅤI rejected God’s offer.
ㅤ
ㅤ”……Eh? Did you just say, 『I refuse』?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I did.”
ㅤ
ㅤGod froze, still smiling.
ㅤ
ㅤ”……W-Why?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”This so-called second life is probably another crappy game, right?
ㅤI refuse a world where civilization barely exists and monsters are rampant. I’m sure I’ll just be betrayed by someone and end up a slave.
ㅤI’ve had enough misfortune in my first life. I don’t want to live anymore.”
ㅤ
ㅤI thought I was being calm, but…… tears overflowed from my eyes.
ㅤI wiped them away with the back of my hand.
ㅤI thought I had run out of tears.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I thought God didn’t exist. But, you do.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”That’s right! That’s why I’m trying to give you a second life━━”
ㅤ
ㅤ”If God is this irresponsible, then it makes sense why my life was a crappy game.
ㅤA second life? Don’t be ridiculous. If you’re God, then make people happy in their one and only life!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ugh…… B-But, the current human population has exploded and I can’t keep up…… It would have been fine if it was just a few hundred people, but seventy billion!? Even as God, there’s nothing I can do!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I don’t care. Then you shouldn’t have let it increase so much.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Guh……”
ㅤ
ㅤGod was speechless.
ㅤ
ㅤ”If you can’t make me happy, then leave me alone. I’m better off disappearing.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Th-That’s not true! Everyone deserves to be happy!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Shouldn’t God make people happy?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”That’s half right, but people also shouldn’t neglect their own self-improvement!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Are you saying I was unhappy because I didn’t try hard enough?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Th-That’s……”
ㅤ
ㅤGod faltered.
ㅤ
ㅤ”If you understand, then please leave me alone. I want to disappear. I’ll be at peace if I disappear.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”B-But…… you’ve already won the lottery……”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I don’t want the prize. I’ll return it. I don’t even remember entering a lottery.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”C-Come on, don’t say that……”
ㅤ
ㅤ”No.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”This is putting me in a difficult position. If the other gods find out I was rejected after offering a gift, it’ll hurt my reputation……”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I don’t care.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”W-Well, that kind of attitude is no good! You’re just giving up on everything! Try to live a positive life!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”……I’ve tried my best to be positive. But, I couldn’t do anything about the bullying or my parents’ discord. On top of that, I had a weak heart. Did being positive cure it?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Th-That’s……”
ㅤ
ㅤGod’s smile twitched.
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s hopeless. So, please leave me alone. I’ve had enough of life.”
ㅤ
ㅤI looked straight at God and said that.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Die…… huh?）
ㅤ
ㅤIt wasn’t like I hadn’t thought about it.
ㅤBecause I had a weak heart.
ㅤI’d been bullied and thought about dying.
ㅤ
ㅤBut strangely, I didn’t feel any fear.
ㅤ
ㅤRather,
ㅤ
ㅤ（I’m finally going to be free.）
ㅤ
ㅤWhat welled up inside me was joy.
ㅤ
ㅤGod must have seen the seriousness in my expression, because his face became serious.
ㅤ
ㅤ”……I understand. I understand how you feel.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Then……”
ㅤ
ㅤ”But, I can’t just stay silent after being told that much. I will absolutely make you happy.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”That’s fine.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’m sorry, but I can’t cancel it. You can’t refuse reincarnation.”
ㅤ
ㅤGod’s words hit me like a blow to the head.
ㅤ……Well, I actually was hit a little while ago.
ㅤ
ㅤ”You guys…… You guys are always like this! You just force your own conveniences on others! You don’t care about me at all, but you pretend to be good people!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”W-Wait……! It’s true that I can’t cancel it! I can’t, but I’ll give you special benefits instead! With these benefits, even you, with your unfortunate constitution, can surely become happy…… probably!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Who has an unfortunate constitution!?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You, you! It’s pathetic, but it’s true! As you’ve been struck by misfortune, you’ve developed a mental attitude that attracts misfortune!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”That’s terrible!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”It is terrible, but it’s true! Anyway!”
ㅤ
ㅤGod cleared his throat.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’ll give you a special portion of my power.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I don’t need it!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Come on, don’t say that.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Let me die!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”That’s why I can’t do that.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I…… I……”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Oh, look, don’t cry! I’m giving you something really powerful! With this, you’ll definitely be happy!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”……Really?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Really, really.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”……What if you’re lying?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I can’t do anything about that, but if you really, truly can’t become happy, then I’ll at least give you a peaceful death.”
ㅤ
ㅤGod sighed.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Oh, it’s almost time. I can’t explain everything in detail, but it’s okay. It’s very simple, so you’ll understand immediately. It’s something you’re familiar with!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Eh, wait!”
ㅤ
ㅤThe figure of God in front of me began to blur.
ㅤIt felt like a mist was covering my vision.
ㅤ
ㅤ”━━Just remember this. When you arrive there, say 『Options』. You should understand everything then.”
ㅤ
ㅤGod’s voice sounded muffled, as if I was hearing it from underwater.
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ”━━I may not have been able to say it, but I truly want you to be happy. Have a good life, Norizakura Minato-san.”
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤMy consciousness ━━ faded ━━