Vol 1 Chapter 2 (1/2)

Chapter 02

Jihad

Part One

Several ht the NHK, I looked

out the aparthborhood park across the street

The cherry blossoms were in full bloom—a cheerful, endlessly beautiful

scene

However, no victory was in view I saw no sign that I would win this

battle

For starters, I didn't knohere

I thought maybe I should blow up the NHK headquarters

No, if I did so like that, I'd just be shot and killed by the

police I rejected that plan

Most important, I knew my enemy was the NHK I had to believe

this—or at least pretend that I believed it That had to be it I needed to

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21

refrain fro any careless moves

If I continued like this, my situation would never improve

Recently, I'd been increasingly depressed over the signs of spring,

which loomy six-mat, one-room

apartment

Another student had arrived to replace the one who had just vacated

the apart the road to

school, s thelet in a cool

spring breeze, cherry blossom petals, or people's lively voices

Argh, how could this happen? I alone had been left behind by the

gaieties of spring No,actively mocked by

the rest of the entire world, ail of which was in high spirits due to

spring's onset At least, that was the ot

I hadn't had proper contact with another hu for almost a

year

I felt like Iat this

rate I sensed that I was constantly getting farther and farther from my

return to society That would not be good; it would be very bad If I

didn't escape from my life as a hikikomori soon, I would be socially laid

to rest by the world forever

First, I needed to consider my independence I knew I had to find

work Thus, I recently bought a job inforazine from the

convenience score After reading through it, however, everything

seemed impossible

Oh, it's impossible Absolutely impossible I'm a dropout from a thirdrate

college, with zero qualifications That's me If I were the personnel

er at some company, I'd definitely never hire a hikikomori like

Welcome to the NHK

22

et work—there's

no way any coly would hire a useless person like me

Eventually, though, at so, no

matter who, must work That's the fact of the matter

I couldn't just keep riding my parents' coattails forever

And I couldn't keep tricking my parents with the worst kinds of lies

like, ”It's all right! Even if I did quit college with only a few

qualifications, I'll have no trouble finding work! Right now, I'

for all kinds of certifications, including the IT-administrator certificate,

the TOEFL, word processing, co, and abacus proficiency,

as Please, send me just a little more allowance!”

Yeah, ht even be just a few

months away

Beforemy allowance, I needed to

reform my leechlike personality and escape this rotten hikikomori

lifestyle

I had to take down the NHK

Could I do it? Could I do so that reckless?

The world outside er Cars drove at

fearsome speeds, cedar pollen floated on the wind, and random killers

sometimes haunted the streets Could I really launch myself into that

dangerous world? Would I really be okay?

Quite honestly, I was very anxious about it

Actually, it was impossible

A loser like ular life within society A

normal social life would be impossible for someone who, just yesterday,

woke at the decent hour of seven o'clock in thefor the first time

in a long while, only to lie in bed, lost in thought, until afternoon Yes, a

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23

decent life in conventional society would be impossible for someone

who, after that, decided to take a quick nap, closing his eyes only to sleep

soundly through the day and night until five o'clock this

A normal life within society would be impossible for someone like

me, who cried so unsuccessfully to apply Freudian analysis to last night's

drea in an impure heterosexual

relationshi+p in a sh

school, and ested only that it indicated a subconscious

desire to indulge an impure heterosexual relationshi+p in a small room

with the feh school My final result

concluded, ”What part of this is a dream interpretation? You're just

reiterating the sa!”

I the

refrigerator, realized that there was not a single item of food inside

Inore my empty stomach and

take a bath, only to discover that I was entirely out of both soap and

shampoo

And impossible for me, who responded to the horoscope read on the

TV o's luck in love is up today An unexpected person

may profess their love to you—with the pathetic comment, ”How are they

going co profess it to me if I don't leave my room all day? Huh? Let's see

them try it”

A normal life within society was totally impossible for me

Argh

Maybe I should just die!

Welcome to the NHK

24

Maybe I should just die No I won't die because I a, capable soldier

I was determined to live until the day I defeated the NHK, even if

thatthe floor

I would win or I would lose; I was still uncertain which Anyway,

what I required was a good ae; thus, I needed to make

efficient use of every ounce of courage in ,

however, first I needed to make breakfast

After slowly rising from my bed, I opened the cupboard and

reencies I poured hot water

froerator And then I waited—

listening to the faint notes of an ani that echoed from room 202,

the apartment next to mine, I waited patiently for three minutes

Not that it was ihbor,

who had just , really seemed to like anime While it

didn't really matter, school should have started already Was it okay that

he hadn't left his apart is no time

to be engrossed in the the to Ojamajo Doremi

12 You're going to

be late!” Of course, I didn't do any such thing My next door neighbor's

lifestyle wasn't my concern

While these thoughts ran through my mind, three minutes passed in

what felt like a matter of seconds

My ramen was ready

Just then, it happened

At the very moment that I was about to thrust my disposable

chopsticks into the noodles,

dong” interrupted the entire process

Who could it be?

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25

Naturally, I didn't panic The unexpected visitor disturbing my

breakfast was probably just a bill collector, co to pick up my electric

utility payment As I would be in trouble were I to lose my lifeline, I

obediently put down my chopsticks and headed toward the door, still

clad in my pajamas

I flung open the door and quickly said, ”Oh, electricity! The

electricity, right? I can pay you now Uht”

My words trailed off Alerted by the smile plastered across the

visitor's face and the subtle aura e from her entire body, I

realized there was no way this ed woman possibly could be the

bill collector for the electricity company

”Please, forgive us for interrupting your busy schedule,”' said my

visitor The wo sun ”We're actually

handing out these pa me two small

pamphlets

Printed on the cover was: ”Awaken! Tower of Druaga”13

A refreshi+ng spring breeze blew in through the open door Outside,

thewas calm and cheerful

Part Two

At Mita House's14 roo the inside of my

apart open The woman on a

religious er

Then, I saw it Diagonally to the right, behind the woman with the

Welcome to the NHK

26

bottoelical smile, stood another woman

Did they plan to use two people to recruit

the balance of power, two against one? Hoardly!

Then, further realization dawned I noticed just how young the

other religious recruiter was

For so when the

sun shone so gently, she shaded herself with a pure white parasol

Although I couldn't see her face, which was hidden by the parasol, I

could tell nevertheless that she was young, particularly compared to the

ed woer

than me

Holding her parasol, draped in a plain, light-colored, long-sleeved

dress, she gave off a sanctified, pure air As if guarding the older woman,

she stood calmly, clean and quiet

Withoutto my eyes,

unbidden

This young girl, no older than seventeen or eighteen by my estimate,

was being taken advantage of by so about it,

I couldn't help but feel compassion I mean, come on, what is this?!