Chapter 7: Lonely Alone

{TN: The author switches a lot between first person and third person perspective in this novel}

　Takaya, who finished shopping and entered the forest again, was wandering in search of a place to die instead of today’s bed.

　I could have stayed at the hotel since I still have money left, but if I die on the bed, it would be a terrible annoyance to the host. There’s no regret in this world and I have no intention of leaving a grudge, but the possibility of becoming an evil spirit after death is not zero.

“I should just leave it to the people living after I’m dead… what am I doing really?”

　So Takaya made the decision to go to the forest.

　Takaya made his way along a roadless path in the forest, which was shrouded in total darkness. The area was silent, of course, with only the occasional distant chirp of some bird, but there was no sign of nocturnal predators or bandits.

　As I walked on the vegetation as quietly as possible, I suddenly caught sight of a white light in my field of vision, which had been pitch black until then.

　As if being drawn in, Takaya approached the spot.

“… Oh, this place looks pretty good”

    What appeared in front of him was a huge stone that seemed to glow in the faint light of the moon. The area around the stone, which was supposed to be thickly covered with randomly grown plants, was covered only with normal field grass, which made him feel as if he were on top of a small hill.

　So Takaya immediately went beside the stone and sat down.

　Well, it’s a good place for my last supper.

“Alchohol … I bought it on impulse but I wonder if it was a good idea.”

　Looking at the swaying purple liquid in a glass bottle large enough to fill a box, Takaya, a small-minded person, muttered awkwardly.

　Underage drinking is prohibited in the original world. I don’t know how it is under the laws of this world,

“I don’t care anymore.”

　Then, Takaya put his mouth directly on the bottle and poured what looked like wine down his throat.

　Takaya dies, whether or not he chooses to die himself. He can’t go back to the original world, therefore he chose to end it by himself.

　He felt alcohol passing down his throat for the first time.

　The moment he put it in his mouth, Takaya first felt a fierce astringency (bitterness). He thought it would be sweet since it was called ‘grape wine’, but that wasn’t the case at all.

　At the same time, a burning sensation struck.

　The alcohol he tasted for the first time in another world was very bittersweet.

“! Goho … Eho … What is this?”

　Takaya, who couldn’t bear it, spit it out in a gagging manner.

　To drink such a thing as “delicious”, he thought that the taste of adults might be broken, then he rinsed his mouth with the water he’d set aside.

“But it’s a waste to just throw it away … Should I drink it slowly while eating food?”

　In addition to the liquor, the cooked food he bought was spread out, and Takaya’s lonely last supper kicked off.

　× × ×

　―― Yes, the school trip group selection is ……. Hey Nagami, which group are you going to be in?　You’re the only one who hasn’t joined any, so tell me the group you want to join.

　In front of the blackboard, where only his name is out of a group, Takaya was scolded ruthlessly by his homeroom teacher.

　The school trips are usually conducted in groups, and the room assignments for the accommodation are decided based on this.　

　On the blackboard, there were already groups of four to five people, and they were already discussing how to use their free activities.

    He was not allowed to go alone, so it was fine if he was put it in an appropriate place. However, Takaya’s body stiffened at the words that came out of someone in the class.

　-Don’t come to us, it’s annoying.

　Takaya himself knew that. In a group formed by good friends, if a foreign element is thrown in, It just spoils the atmosphere.

　It’s only natural that they don’t want to tarnish their last memories with their one-time friends.　

　–Hey, who said that?　Who said such a thing? It’s …… awful to say that in front of Nagami.

　Immediately, the chairman, Akito, stood up and blamed him.

–Then you take care of him.

Akito’s face also tensed up at those words.

　　Akito probably doesn’t want to go on a trip while paying attention to Takaya, the foreigner in the class. But that doesn’t mean he can ignore him.

　After apologizing to the other members, Akito reached out to Takaya.

　――Nagami, put your name in our group.

　Takaya’s hand, which wrote his name in Akito’s group, was quivering as he held back the tears that threatened to overflow.

　× × ×

“…A Dream?”

　Takaya regained consciousness when the gentle moonlight entered the gap between his eyelids.

　Around him, there were messy dishes and the empty bottle of wine that I thought was bad but eventually emptied.

　Apparently I drank too much and fell asleep.

　The moon was still hovering in the sky, so it seemed that day hadn’t broken yet.

　In such a conspicuous place, even though I threw out all my valuables and fell asleep, there was no evidence of being attacked.

“Hah … to think I’d dream about it. I did well to endure without crying that time.”

　Thanks to Akito’s wearing a good boy skin, the damage was somehow stopped, without that, the class would have turned into an annoying hell.

　Why us? Why not you. I hope you can take care of him. Why should we have to take such a disgusting guy- A group split that would have baffled even the homeroom teacher was going to happen because of Takaya alone.

“But that hell is over.”

　　Wiping away the tears that were still rolling down his cheeks, Takaya going with the flow, took his partner knife from his backpack, put it to his wrist, and pulled it with all his might.

　Feeling the warmth slowly flowing from his wrist, Takaya lay down beside the stone monument.

　Again, intense drowsiness strikes Takaya.

“Goodbye, my shit life. If there’s a next one, I’d be happy if I could lead a better life this time.”

　Takaya’s eyelids gradually grew heavier and he finally couldn’t stand it anymore, so he closed his eyes.

　Finally, I’m released from these hellish days-Takaya thought while trying to be invited into the darkness.

　

　However,

“–Hey, hey! are you okay? Heyyy!”

　

Before that happened, a strange woman’s voice called out to him, bringing his consciousness back into the light.

　When I don’t want to die, I’m told to die, but when I’m about to die, I’m not allowed to die.

“The world is really selfish …”

　Takaya thought so with a laugh.

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