Chapter 1: When i tried to go to the company, I was sent flying to another world.At 6:30 both my alarm clock and smart phone began ringing.
I did it like this just in case i didn’t feel like waking up, but man does my head hurt.
Since there is a meeting in the morning, i set both of them to ring earlier than usual by half an hour.With my head still half asleep, i move my hands around the bedside.I press the switch of the alarm clock that my hand has touched, which stops the bell. To force myself awake, I bought one with a loud ringing for the time being, but this it’s gonna upset the neighbours.
I also stop the alarm on my smartphone that i found. and after i did that i opened up the screen and open up the mail.
I haven’t received an alert about any obstructions. thank goodness.
As soon as i let out a breath in relief, once again the alarm clock starts ringing. Ahh. I pressed the wrong switch because i was half asleep.
I flip over the alarm clock, and turn off another switch.
“Sle……sleepy”
While shaking my metabolic gut, i reluctantly get out of my futon, i miss its warmth already.
(TN:in j.a.pan there is a “metabo” law which makes people between 45 and 74 to have their waistlines measured once a year and maybe even get medical attention, metabolic basically means a fatty waist and high blood, sugar and cholsetrol levels)
My wife used to wake me up until 2 years ago, But after the divorce i had to deal with everything on my own.
Useless feelings are welling up.
“I’ll only take a shower, and i’ll eat breakfast at work”
(TN: he actually says he will eat morning [asa] at work but he is just to lazy to say breakfast [asa gohan] the three meals are [asa gohan] [hiru gohan] and lastly [bangohan] with [gohan] being rice, yeah we asians love the stuff)
While being showered by winters cold air, i shiver in the bathroom while waiting for the hot water to come out.
(TN: j.a.panese homes tend to have a dedicated bathing room)
Because it’s an old apartment, it will take around 5 minutes for the hot water to come out.
“Today’s meeting is the kickoff meeting of the year end company wide simultaneous update of the phone system, I wonder if that guy has prepared all the paperwork”
I remember my juniors face.
Aaah awhile after my divorce, everyday my speaking to myself is increasing.
After making sure that the hot water started to come out, i take of my pajama, and i lightly throw it on the futon after folding it.
I shove my underwear in the clothes basket, and enter the bathroom.
I bask in the showers hot water.
(TN: a naked overweight man taking a steamy shower, hows that for fan service )
The feet that have been freezing since i got out of the futon, are now having a numbing warm feeling spread into them.
(TN: hot showers in the winter are numbing, you cant leave them until you run out of cold water)
“The end of the year is already close, those days cant be replaced”
(TN: come on your not that old your 35)
With a self ridiculing smile, i roughly rub my body with a towel.
My hair is short with a sports cut, so i dont need to groom it.
I put on my underware and a shirt, then i sit down on my computer chair.
I check today’s news relating to the apple marked smart phone and my holdings price.
(TN:holdings as in stocks, im guessing he owns stocks in apple)
“There is no worthwhile change huh, and nothing big in the news either, there was no big changes yesterday as well, i wonder if itll stay like this for a while longer, have to sell too much is a pain after all”
With the daily morning routine done with, its about time to leave the house.
“Well, shall i do my best for today”
I still was not aware that “The days that i thought will never change” will in a short while undergo a great change.
The moment i opened the apartments door after putting on my suit, taking my commuter bag and putting on my shoes.
There was a shining white s.p.a.ce in front of me.
“Huh?”
The s.p.a.ce which was supposed to be a small corridor leading to the first floor stairs was not there, there was only a white s.p.a.ce spreading from the doorway.
Immediately turning around, the apartment door that i just closed was gone.
“What is this? what just happened? can someone explain this to me”
I half heartedly ask the question while not waiting for reply in this s.p.a.ce.
‘Situation recognition as well as a response has been requested, Skill {knowledgable} has been granted’
I clearly heard a young androgynous voice, but it was not sweet, it was close to the hardness of an electronic voice.
“Asthma?”
Asthma………conductor? expert? i have no idea what that means, Asthma.
(TN: they all sound the same [shikisha], to be honest i had to MTL these two lines)
I simply asked that question just wanting to understand this current situation and have it explained to me.
But what came out was this, it needlessly made me more confused.
“I don’t really get it, i just want to know what’s going on right know, Who are you? and what kind of situation am i in?”
‘Request of understanding the situation has been received, Skill {Identify} derived from Skill {knowledgable} has been constructed, Skill {Identify} has been granted’
Even though i asked a question, all i got in return is a meaningless answer, it seems information cannot be exchanged in this situation.
I feel as if im talking to a badly made artificial incompetence, it just purely replies to my requests and i got the feeling that things were moving along quickly.
(TN: yup he actually says that, which amusingly enough can still be shortened to AI)
“I want all the info i can get about this situation, can your provide that?”
For the time being after getting all the info that i can get ill think about what to do, if then i can break through this, i can go to the company and get back to my daily life.
(TN: seriously going to the company is what your going to do after escaping O_O )
While thinking of that, i asked in a all encompa.s.sing manner.
‘Request to obtain all knowledge and experience has been executed, Skill {Acquisition} has been granted’
A misunderstood answer came back, even though i heard it, the fact that an answer isn’t coming out is making me feel barren inside.
Even if we keep asking and answering, its easy to tell that nothing will be made clear.
“I want to get out of this white s.p.a.ce, is this possible?”
I asked in a way that’s exceedingly simple and cannot be misunderstood.
‘I am Interface, the one who shall send you to a place far beyond here’
here?beyond?
Just going back to that apartmnet and being able to go to work is good enough for me.
(TN:again with the work obsession)
‘Well then, may you have a pleasant journey’
(TN: wait what about truck-sama, is she taking the day off?)
As soon as the being that named itself as Interface has finished speaking, the white s.p.a.ce became even brighter, to the extent that it was hard to open my eyes.
“Oiii, it would have been fine to put me back in the place i came from,Oiii”
It kept on getting brighter, and at the same time i thought i was even starting to float.
Not knowing whats happening and not understanding it was making me shiver in fear.
I realized that i fainted after i found myself lying down in an open s.p.a.ce in the middle of a forest.