Chapter 2: Tumult of the world and childhood friend (1/2)

An uproar that was as if heaven and earth had turned upside down spread around the whole world soon after.

God had made its appearance after all.

For the countries that respect religion, it had enough impact to overturn common sense itself.

The internet, television, newspapers, and almost all forms of news media were talking about ‘God’.

‘Just what was that?’ ‘Was that really God?’ ‘In the first place, what even is God?’

It was a discussion that had no answers at present, but it was certain that this was the biggest ‘incident’ of the century. We are talking about God appearing in the displays of the whole world -apparently didn’t show up in the ones that were being used though- at the same time.

It was morning in Japan when it happened, but there were apparently places where God appeared late at night or early morning due to the time difference.

The countries and religious organizations were giving their respective statements regarding God.

The only thing that they shared in common was that all religions and all countries didn’t acknowledge that as being the true God.

It has God-like powers -that point alone was certain. Even so, using this as the reason to acknowledge that as being God would apparently destroy the notion of religion from its very roots.

One religion said that’s the devil, and one country claimed it was international cyberterrorism.

In one country, there was even a tragic incident where a group of people had killed a ‘Marked’ boy stating that he had been seduced by the devil. They said things like ‘the ‘Mark’ disappears once they die’, and ‘the ‘Mark’ is passed to the person that killed them’; news that lacked any sort of credibility…

Most people easily accepted that as being God, and their interest mostly shifted to the parallel world.

43 people were chosen from Japan.

It is apparently on the high side when considering the population, but I can’t really tell.

The problem for me is that my childhood friend Nanami has been chosen.

“Uuuuh… This is the worst… The worst… Can you return from this…?” (Nanami)

“I don’t know, but according to the information we have now, it doesn’t sound possible.” (Hikaru)

It has already been half a day since then, and yet, Nanami was still crying in her bed.

Nanami is the gentle and calm type, so it was a bit surprising that she already had a life plan, but what’s certain is that she now has been cut off from all things like university and employment -even if there’s the chance to go to school or get a job in that other world.

God has been uploading bits and pieces of information since then.

But, putting it bluntly, there’s currently no information that would bring her peace of mind.

There’s not much time left for Nanami.

She has only been given half a year in order to prepare until she is transferred.

There’s no way the mass media and the countries would leave the ‘Chosen Ones’ alone in that half year span.

When Nanami went to school, all the students gathered to spectate this ‘Marked’.

There’s only 43 japanese people who have the ‘Mark’, so of course they would find it intriguing, but it was a situation where it was almost impossible to have classes.

Curious onlookers would come even from outside the school too, and the mass media would lie in wait in front of the school gate. It didn’t even take 3 days for the principal to tell Nanami to be on standby at her house which was just another way of telling her to stay away.

I could only watch my childhood friend crying without being able to do anything.

The most I can do is gather as much information as possible so that even when she goes to that other world, she can still manage to live there.

◇◆◆◆◇

The days passed by together with the same noise.

My life didn’t change much, but the life of Nanami was already changing drastically exactly because it is before going to the parallel world.

Because her face has been shown around now, even more onlookers have come to the school. Nanami has technically dropped out, so she hasn’t come to school.

A special program was made by gathering the 43 Chosen, and Nanami showed up in her usual school uniform on tv.

Her presence at school was thin just like me, and if I had to put her on one side, I would say she is on the bullied side, but right now she is completely the favorite child of the era.

Due to the parallel world information that was slowly being disclosed by God, the gears of the world were turning even faster.

I would note that information down and explain it to Nanami.

God has allowed the chosen 1,000 to ‘bring one thing that they can hold in one hand’. The countries have put their all to create the products for their own country’s ‘chosen’.