Well, let's test the waters. If this title has decent viewers, I will continue to translate it.
In the world of creative works, there are countless genres, but if people were asked which one is the most common, most would say: "Romance."
This makes sense because romance is not only a genre on its own, but it's also a vital part of many other genres. Think about it, whether it's fantasy, youth, or horror, love plays a big role.
I mean, who would want to read a dull story full of old men with no heroine at all, and lacking any romantic elements? Sure, there might be some niche readers who enjoy that kind of thing, but they are the minority.
So, in most stories, heroines and hero (protagonist) end up together in a happily ever after. Sometimes, they get together even before the epic battle to save the world is over. It's a simple and understandable ending, and it's also satisfying for the readers.
Well, if it is a fictional story, that's fine. They can simply put "END" on the last page and wrap it up all happily ever after. But in real life, it's not that easy.
Confessing your love, getting a "yes," and then saying, "Great! My story ends here! Stay tuned for the next episode!" No, in reality, it's a bit more complicated.
So, what's a real happy ending?
In the real world, it's about dating, getting married, building a happy family, and living a fulfilling life. That's the extent of a "real happy ending," and suddenly, the level has been raised to hard levels.
For those who stop thinking after getting into a relationship and feel happy, I have a message: the real challenge begins now.
Once you break up, all the goodwill you earned in the latter stages of the relationship goes from positive to negative. No matter how many tears you shed during your one-sided crush era or how romantic and successful your confession was, it all becomes pointless.
What remains is the weight of the memories of the good times, pressing down heavily on you like a blanket of despair.
So, what's my point?
"Because Isumi broke up with you, let's hope all the lovebirds out there explode."
"Yeah, that's right, you idiots!"
With a loud thud, I slammed my empty beer mug onto the table. The small octopus-shaped figurine on the table shook from the impact.
The place where my friend and I were drinking right now was called "Shouraku," a delightfully cheerful name for an old-fashioned izakaya with paper lanterns swaying at the entrance. It was frequented by students from our not-so-well-known Tokyo university, Seijo University. A place with tradition, as the stories go.
It may not seem like a place with much tradition, considering it's a hangout for university students.
"Ah, man, it's such a shame that Isumi and you broke up. You guys were so close," the guy across from me said, laughing.
He was a flashy guy who drew attention with his tall, sturdy frame and strikingly dyed red hair. His rugged face was nothing short of handsome.
His name was Kongou Souji. He was a second-year student like me in Seijo University.
On the other hand, there was me. I was just an ordinary guy with average build, a nondescript face, and three white eyes. My name was Yamamoto Yuusuke. Even my last name was notably unremarkable.
In terms of academics, I was average, and my athletic abilities were catastrophically lacking. As for my looks, well, I wasn't hideous. At least, I hoped not.
But here's the twist: until recently, I had something about me that was far from ordinary.
That was the cute girl whom any guy would envy.
Isumi Tsukiko. A petite girl with glossy black hair and a translucent beauty who was our classmate at Seijo University.
It was love at first sight. When I saw her for the first time among the new students in college, I unconsciously fell in love with her. It was only after entering the same Literary Club and getting to know her better that I became aware of it.
In the end, Tsukiko and I started dating, but just recently, as we were approaching the end of our first year together, Tsukiko suddenly broke up with me.
I didn't understand the reason. It was truly sudden.
"Why... why did this happen?"
"Don't ask me," shrugged Souji.
Since Souji was generally successful with women, I thought he might have some good advice, but...
"You useless guy..."
"What kind of thing is that to say to a friend who came running at your sudden summons?"
Saying this, Souji took out a cigarette, lit it, and exhaled a puff of smoke.
"Anyway, you really have no idea?"
"I don't... We had our arguments, sure, but nothing out of the ordinary recently."
"Well, then maybe she found someone she likes?"
"Ugh!"
His casual remark felt like a sharp body blow to me.
Dangerous, my beer is flowing back
"Is... Is that what happened!?"
"I don't know, really."
"Don't just make baseless assumptions like that! And stop with the insults like a hair-colored character from a dating sim!"
"What a scathing remark."
In my mind, I pictured several of Tsukiko's male friends, and it made me dizzy. Even though we were no longer a couple, I couldn't help but feel jealous.
While we were together, life seemed full of color, but now everything looked blurry.
As Souji said, we did get along well. We went out to different places together, held hands, and... well, we kissed.
But now, it's hard to come to terms with reality. If I faced it head-on, I'd probably take a long time to recover.
"Well, have a drink, Yuusuke. It's alright; there are plenty of other great girls out there."
"Shut up. I know that. But, you see, there's only one person I want to be with right now!"
"Your point is valid, but you're such a hassle, my friend."
Souji, looking exasperated, pushed another beer towards me.
The cold sensation of the beer mug against my flushed cheeks felt nice. Thanks to alcohol, my head was pleasantly fuzzy. After being rejected by Tsukiko, all that circled in my mind were happy memories, so alcohol truly is a wonder.
I used to watch scenes in dramas where adults would drown their sorrows in alcohol and wonder why they did it. Now I understand; without alcohol, my heart breaks.
"Okay, I'm going to marry alcohol."
"Stop, stop. That one's too heavy for you."
"Are you saying I wasn't good enough for Tsukiko?"
"No one's saying that..."
Wait, why is there still beer in my mug? It's quite rude to leave it in there.
"Souji, you should drink too! We're not going home tonight!"
"Going out all night with a man is creepy."
Afterward, every time I dried my tears, I drank more alcohol and kept pestering Souji.
"Ugh... Oops, drank too much..."
I hunched my back, trying to keep the contents of my stomach from swirling while walking along the nighttime streets.
I lost count of how many times I threw up; once I surpassed five, I couldn't remember anymore. Before I knew it, Souji had led me out of the izakaya, most likely because I couldn't stop throwing up.
And now, Souji was gone. I wasn't sure if I should consider him heartless or be grateful for sticking around this long.
Maybe it was because I threw up so much or drank so much water on Souji's insistence, but my consciousness was relatively clear. He's a good guy, after all.
My apartment is about a ten-minute walk from here, so getting home shouldn't be a problem.
"Ahh..."
But when I was alone, I couldn't help but remember. Tsukiko's shy smile, her cheerful voice, her warmth...
"Ugh...!"
Maybe it was the tightness in my chest, but suddenly, nausea struck again. I dashed into a nearby park.
After managing to use the restroom, I bought some water from a vending machine and sat on a bench to collect myself.
The warm breeze of early summer caressed my skin, and when I looked up, the pale blue moon seemed to be mocking me. It was as if it found me foolish and pathetic.
"Hmm?"
It was at that moment. The atmosphere changed. The early summer air that had clung to my body suddenly grew chilly. The moon's pale blue seemed even more pronounced.
Even in times like this—or perhaps, because it was a time like this—it appeared.
While moistening my burnt throat with water, I looked around.
Ah, there it was.
Hidden in the night's darkness, it had been watching me.
To put it simply, it was an indescribable, distorted spherical shadow.
I'm basically an ordinary guy, but besides dating Tsukiko, there was another unique aspect to my life.
It might seem trivial compared to dating Tsukiko for nearly a year, but I had once been a Hero in another world.
I'm exactly twenty years old now, so it's been over seven years since it happened. Back when I had just started middle school, I was suddenly summoned to another world after school one day.
You know the deal, it's the kind of thing you see in manga, light novels, and web novels.
It was a world supported by swords and magic called "Asteris."
I spent over four years there as a Hero, and in the end, I defeated the Demon Lord, as per the Hero's tradition, and returned to Earth. I was seventeen at the time.
Initially, there was a lot of talk about me since I had suddenly come back after being reported missing or kidnapped, but now, it's rare to find someone who remembers.
People's memories fade quickly, that's the reality.
In reality, who cares that I was a Hero? Even if I defeat the Demon Lord, I can still get dumped. Or maybe, can I put "Former Hero" on my job applications? Worse than having a flashy name, I'd get rejected during the document screening.
So, that's the ex-Hero life. But coming back to Earth didn't mean everything was the same as before.
Somehow, some kind of sixth sense had awakened in me, allowing me to see things that weren't from this world. Not exactly a joyous development.
The privileges that came with being a Hero had turned into a burden worse than trash. The world wasn't as kind as I thought.
Now, the mysterious sphere-like entity that was approaching me was probably something like a youkai, a mysterious being. Most likely.
Unfortunately, I'm not an expert in these matters, since it's not my specialty.
It's truly an unhelpful ability.
Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle.
As the shadow came closer, it extended multiple arms with eerie sounds.
Tentacle attacks on a guy, I think they only work if it's in a bishounen context.
As I contemplated this in my drunken state, the outstretched arms came rushing toward me.
If they touched me, it would probably be some sort of physical or cursed attack. That's the kind of beings they were. But...
Plop! The sound of a water balloon bursting echoed through the night park. Well, only I could hear it.
The shadow that had been approaching me disappeared as if it had never been there. Nothing special, just a punch did the trick. Even drunk, there was no way I'd lose to an opponent of this caliber.
This is the "Hero power" that's completely useless in both love and employment. Impressed, aren't you?
"..."
...And now, I'm overwhelmed by emptiness.
So much so that it sobered me up. Because of it, I decided to get up from the bench and head home as soon as possible.
But then, something happened.
"...What?"
Strange. I had definitely defeated the spherical shadow. That was undeniable.
Yet, the unpleasant atmosphere still clung to my body. Not only that, it seemed to be expanding.
This wasn't the presence of youkai or mysterious entities; it was something different. However, I was familiar with this feeling. I had experienced it in "Asteris," not on Earth.
Why was there a sense of magic?
Magic, a higher-dimensional energy that defies the laws of physics. It's the power to invoke magic and create supernatural phenomena. Although it was common in "Asteris," I had never seen it used on Earth.
Yet, the sensation that suddenly filled the world was undoubtedly that of magic.
"Ugh... What should I do?"
Honestly, ignoring this and pretending not to see anything was the easiest course of action. In fact, it would be foolish to stick my nose into it.
Entering into an unsettling situation Hero days, and now, I'm just an ordinary university student. I had classes to attend tomorrow.
Under normal circumstances, I would have probably been thinking about going home. But today, I had been dumped by Tsukiko, and on top of that, I was drunk. That was reason enough to do something out of the ordinary.
However, continuing like this would be unwise. Since I didn't know what was happening, I was painfully aware that I needed to act cautiously.
"Well, I guess there's no choice."
It had been a while, but I decided to use magic. It had been nearly three years.
To avoid any mishaps, I concentrated and began to shape the magical energy within me.
Magic, as I had learned in "Asteris," was the manifestation of knowledge, a dialogue with one's soul, and the drawing of one's beliefs.
And now, this mysterious power pulsed through my body, and I felt the shackles of the mundane laws that had bound my existence being cast aside. In their place, a sense of omnipotence took hold of my body.
In the next moment, my entire body was enveloped in a silvery light.
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