Chapter 2
「I’ve clearly remembered who I am, but—」
I’m walking along a dark, rain-sodden street. But now? I’m in a bedroom lit by a lamp, complete with a candle – it’s a real budget-friendly setup.
「The last thing I remember doesn’t connect to this place. Plus,」
With unkempt hair and short stature, a slightly chubby child – maybe around the upper grades of elementary school? An image reflects in the kid’s hand.
「Why am I in that video? I don’t get it.」
It’s not like a tablet or something. The image is floating above his hand, like a hologram.
「Ah-ha! This, you see!」
The kid’s face lights up.
「It’s a new magic I invented!」
「Magic, he says.」
This kid’s nuts. I want to drop a tweet about this madness ASAP. Where the heck is my phone?
「Y-yes, really! It’s a magic to see another world!」
「…Another world?」
「Yes! The thing is, the scene on this is from another world!」
The reflection of me sitting slumped with my eyes closed is a different world.
「Wait, what? So, this place is another world? Did I… reincarnate into another world or something?」
「To you, Mr. Tsutsubuki Yasukichi, this would be another world.」
Whoa, this is big. I gotta tweet about this. I can already see the notifications blowing up. Where’s my phone?!
「But, I don’t think it’s reincarnation…」
「Oh, I see.」
I study my hand. It’s definitely mine. My clothes, too, look familiar. Doesn’t seem like I’ve been reborn or anything.
「So, I just moved to another world?」
Apparently, the simple act of moving to another world is called “world transference.”
「No, not exactly a transfer either. You, Mr. Tsutsubuki Yasukichi, are still over there.」
「What?」
The kid points at the screen. At the me in the video.
「…Isn’t this just a recording?」
「It’s not a past clip. It’s live.」
「But I’m right here, aren’t I?」
「Well, to cut to the chase,」
The kid looks genuinely apologetic.
「This version of you here… I conjured you up with my magic.」
◇◇◇
「So here’s what happened.」
I begin, my brain riddled with question marks. As I’m mentally grappling, a child with short arms starts waving them around, eagerly explaining.
「I was using my magic to watch a different world’s Tsutsubuki Yasukichi when I noticed a gaping hole ahead where water was getting sucked in.」
A hole in the road? …Is that like a manhole? Why was it open? Construction? At night?
「I tried warning through my magic, but it seems you didn’t hear…」
Nope, I heard it perfectly. Just thought I was hearing things because it started so meme-ish.
「And so, when you fell into the hole, in a split second, I used magic to…」
「…Save me?」
Here I am. But I’m also at the bottom of the manhole.
「Uhh, umm…」
「Huh?」
I tilt my head in confusion, and the kid’s eyes start to well up with tears. Oh no, what to do? Please help, followers, this is a first for me!
「I’m so sorry!」
「Huh?」
While I’m metaphorically shouting for help into my Twitter timeline, the kid bows deeply.
「You weren’t saved. The Tsutsubuki Yasukichi from that world fell into the hole and died… The you here is just an illusion I created using magic!」
「Wha-? Dead…? An illusion?」
So, this body of mine is… an illusion? Feels pretty real though.
「Here’s, um, proof…」
Sniffling, the kid walks over to a bed, lifts a pillow, and throws it at me. I try to catch it but…
The pillow makes a soft noise as it hits the floor behind me. It passed right through me.
「No solid form…?」
「Yes.」
Slowly, I reach out to a wooden table nearby – my hand goes straight through.
This is nuts.
All this talk about another world sounded like a joke, but now it feels way too real. Maybe it’s some trick or virtual reality, but the no-solid-form explanation fits.
「So, I’m… an illusion you created. What do you mean by that?」
「I’ve been studying information magic.」
The kid rubs his eyes and starts explaining.
「With this magic, I can capture real-life things as images… For example,」
The kid points to a flickering candle. Suddenly, there’s another candle floating right next to it. The kid then sticks his hand into the flame, and it doesn’t burn. Just an image.
「Like this. I quickly used this magic to copy the Mr Tsutsubuki Yasukichi into this world.」
「You copied… me?」
「Yes. I didn’t think it’d work this well.」
Magic sounds unbelievable. But the kid’s hand isn’t burnt, and mine goes through everything. The only other explanation is that this is a dream, but it’s way too vivid.
「So, I couldn’t really save the Mr Tsutsubuki Yasukichi.」
The original me is dead. So, I wasn’t saved.
Watching the scene again──
「Huh?」
The screen showing a lifeless me suddenly changes. A man in work clothes is descending and calling out to me. Seems like they found my body.
「Mmm?」
The worker slaps the cheek of the lifeless me, and slowly… my eyes open.
「…You alive?」
「Eh?」
The man starts prepping to pull me out. As I get pulled up, my hand frantically reaches down, probably trying to grab my phone. The worker, looking annoyed, picks it up for me.
「Look, seems pretty lively to me.」
「Wait… Huh…? Alive!?」
The kid leans in, eyes glued to the screen, and –
「Oh?! Uh, oh?!」
Just as the original me is safely lifted out of the manhole and placed in an ambulance, the screen goes blank.
「Why did it go off…?」
「Well, that’s a relief. He looked okay, no broken bones, and there’s an ambulance, so he should be fine.」
Falling into a manhole and being okay? That’s some luck. Both me and the other me probably wanted to tweet about it. I want my phone.
「Thanks for trying to help though,」
It wasn’t of any use, but the sentiment is much appreciated. This could be a funny story and might even go viral. Just as I think that –
「I… I’m so sorry!」
The kid bows deeply again.
「I shouldn’t have meddled like this!」
◇◇◇
「No, you saved my life, so there’s nothing to be sorry for──」
「Regarding Mr Tsutsubuki Yasukichi from the other side, yes, but…」
The kid looks at me with teary eyes.
「It’s about this world’s Mr Tsutsubuki Yasukichi.」
「Wait… me?」
Oh right, what happens to me, the copied version? Living without a physical body is pretty inconvenient, isn’t it?
「You exist due to your own magic.」
Says the kid, sniffling and wiping his tears.
「So if I fall asleep… the magic can’t maintain… and you’ll disappear.」
The kid breaks down, sobbing. All I can do is watch, feeling a bit stunned.
Bummer. Just when I thought I had avoided death, I’m about to vanish.
「But if I disappear once… can’t you just recast the spell and bring me back?」
「If the magic isn’t sustained, all data… information… can’t be saved… so even if a new spell is cast… it will only be the current version of you.」
So, even if the spell is recast, it would only be a copy of the current me. All my memories and experiences up to now will vanish.
In essence, I’ll be gone—kind of like dying.
The kid must be crying because he feels guilty. Because of his interference, I’ll experience an unnecessary death.
The situation sucks, and it feels super unnecessary.
「Hey, don’t cry.」
The kid had no ill intentions. He genuinely wanted to help.
「If I… if I don’t sleep… forever… to conserve the magic, to maintain…」
「Don’t be ridiculous! Don’t worry about it.」
Even if he’s from another world, he’s still human. Not sleeping would literally kill him.
There’s no point in preserving me, a mere copy, for just a few days.
「You should rest. Sleep, and forget it. Consider it a bad dream.」
I pretend to pat his head, careful not to pass right through.
「Sleep, okay?」
The kid keeps crying for a while, but eventually calms down and nods.
「I’m so sorry…」
The light goes off, and from the bed, I hear the kid apologizing, his voice sleepy from exhaustion.
「It’s fine. I’ve often thought about dying because work sucked. This way, I get to experience it for free. By the way…」
I suddenly realize I don’t know his name.
「What’s your name?」
「Sorry for not mentioning it earlier. Call me Towa.」
「Towa, huh? You can call me Bookie or Yas.」
「Then… Yas…」
His voice is fading as sleep takes over.
「Goodbye, Towa.」
「Goodbye… Mr Yas…」
It’s best not to talk more, or else I’ll get too attached. We fall silent.
So, I’m in another world?
I didn’t reincarnate or teleport. Since my original self still exists, is this… transcribing? A new genre? Man, I wish I could tweet about it! I need my phone!
It’s such a waste. This other world is full of stuff to tweet about. Even though I’ve only seen Towa’s bedroom, maybe I should’ve asked him to stay up for a day, let me sightsee, then disappear?
But without Twitter, there’s no point. Without my followers, it’s meaningless.
If I think about it this way, this ending is fine. Living without Twitter is basically not living. Wanting to tweet but not being able to is pure torture.
Man, the original me is probably tweeting, “Fell into a manhole lol” or “Got distracted by a voice in my head and fell into a hole…?”
………。
Is it time yet? Has he fallen asleep? Am I going to vanish?
I think I hear him snoring, but it’s dark, so I can’t tell.
Maybe he’s having trouble sleeping. I wish he’d sleep soon. This is getting pretty boring…
◇◇◇
「Hey, why haven’t I disappeared yet!?」
「FUWAA?!」
I mean, WHAT is going on here!?
「Look! The window! The morning sun’s already shining through! It’s morning, morning! And here you are, snoozing away, while I’m still here, not disappearing!? I’m not even sleepy!? I’ve been waiting out of sheer boredom and yet I haven’t vanished!」
「Huh, um, Mr Yas…」
Towa stirs in bed, rubbing his eyes.
「Huh? You didn’t disappear? Wh-what’s going on? There’s no magic that lasts even when I’m asleep!?」
「That’s what I wanna know!?」
I mean, what do I know about magic!?
「Eh, whaaat!? U-um, what!?」
Towa holds his head, alternating between shouting and groaning. And then…
「Princess? Is something wrong?」
From behind the room door, a woman’s voice. I stiffen instantly.
Princess? Did she just say… princess?
「Wait… you’re a girl?」
「Oh, you didn’t know?」
With a smug look, Towa puffs out her chest… which… is… huh?
「Nevermind that, this is bad!」
She’s called a princess. So, Towa seems to be a high-ranking lady. And here I am, a total stranger, in her bedroom. This is 100% sketchy.
「Don’t worry. The figure made with information magic won’t be visible to others unless I intentionally share it.」
Towa whispers with a conspiratorial tone. Got it? So, I’m invisible to everyone except Towa?
「It’s nothing. Please come in, Loretta.」
「Excuse me.」
On Towa’s invitation, the door opens, and a maid with her hair tied in a bun enters.
「Wha-!? Who is this man!?」
She yells.
Oh, boy. I see how it is.
「She can see me!?」
「Eh~, HOW?!」
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