Chapter 39: Alex and the Demon Lord in the heart (1/2)

“Ah, a message came. Let’s see here… ‘The black haired one there is Hikaru’…?” (Alex)

Alex tapped something in midair and said that.

I ended up looking at Alex unconsciously from that.

Our gazes clash.

—Kusukusu.

—Kyakkyakkya.

The relaxing atmosphere until now made a complete turn.

Piercing gazes and sneers I felt were coming from somewhere.

Cold sweat ran down my back.

The two party members of Alex were also looking dubiously over here.

They are looking over here with eyes as if saying ‘who is this guy?’, and my body is paralyzed I can’t even move.

At some unknown point in time, it seems I have begun feeling a strong fear towards gazes.

I am probably growing blue and red in an amusing way.

Even though I dipped in hot water, my whole body feels cold.

My fingers are trembling, and even though I want to run away, my body isn’t responding.

“Hikaru…? You are that Hikaru? The chinese guy?” (Alex)

Alex spoke to me.

Looks like he didn’t hear about me and Nanami from messages, he spoke to me normally.

…No, thinking about it normally, there’s no way he didn’t.

It might just be me being too self-conscious here, but I was the highest ranked in viewers among the 1,000 Chosen. Those numbers wouldn’t have been possible without the matter of Nanami.

Even so, I don’t have the courage to throw that topic in.

More importantly, I am currently in a mental state where it would be hard to even make simple responses here.

“…I am japanese.” (Hikaru)

When I answered that, Alex made a happy expression. He closed the distance to me.

“Hoh, a japanese person! This is my first time meeting a Chosen! I am Jack Alexander Fox! I came from Ontario, Canada. I am mostly called Alex.” (Alex)

“I-I see.” (Hikaru)

“I didn’t know left and right being suddenly sent to a parallel world, but I was shocked that it was really a world like those of movies. Ain’t that the same for you too, Hikaru?” (Alex)

“Y-Yeah…” (Hikaru)

“I thought I would be fine going to a place where I don’t have a single acquaintance, but it was actually pretty rough. But I got messages from my friends saying I can just go to the guild and make comrades, and I am somehow managing like that. Are you alone, Hikaru?” (Alex)

“Well, yeah…I guess.” (Hikaru)

“I see. They do say japanese people are stoic after all.” (Alex)

Alex was a cheerful guy.

I could see pure happiness as if he had met someone of the same village from that friendly smile of his.

But I couldn’t take that sincerely.

“I had a lot of friends in our world that wanted to go visit Japan. You have a lot of anime and manga, right?” (Alex)

“Well…yeah.” (Hikaru)

“Hm…? You don’t look well. Are you okay?” (Alex)

“Y-Yeah…no problems.” (Hikaru)

The 3 were looking at me.

And most of all, Alex’s viewers and my viewers together definitely make up several millions of people.

Everyone is watching this encounter with amusement.

When I think about that, I can’t even have a conversation.

“Oi oi, are you from the same place as Alex? You said your name was Hikaru, right? He said he came from a parallel world, but is that true?”

Even his companions were joining the conversation now, and I was honestly at my limit.

“Sorry…I have business to attend to. Can we talk about this at another time?” (Hikaru)

“Oh, is that so? Sorry for suddenly speaking to you. There’s no people here that I can talk about Earth with, you see. I come here every now and then, so let’s talk again!” (Alex)

“…Yeah.” (Hikaru)

Alex was a good guy till the end.

I felt embarrassed about myself and left the public bathhouse as if running away.

No, I actually did run away.

◇◆◆◆◇

I left the public bathhouse, returned to the inn, and lied down there as if collapsing onto it.

(I should have spoken more normally.) (Hikaru)

I didn’t kill Nanami. I was suddenly chosen to be transferred to the parallel world…no, you could even say I was dragged into it. To put it bluntly, I am a victim.

There’s no need for me to be so distant.

And yet, I ran away.

Even though I could have made proper conversation.

He could have understood my circumstances.

And yet, I ended up running away as if I felt guilty about something.

“Aaaaaaaahhh!!” (Hikaru)

I escaped from it.

Even though it was a Chosen from Earth I finally met.

Even though he was a comrade who faced the same hardship as me.

I ended up escaping that place while speaking practically nothing.

I was scared.

My heart was churning at the thought of speaking with a stranger, and most of all, the moment I was bathed by attention, I lost my sense of self.