1 Into the deep forest

"It's 1000 yen, sir," I said, as the customer handed me the money and left the shop.

Glancing at the clock, I realized it was nearly time to close up for the day.

Just then, a familiar and beautiful voice reached my ears. I turned around to find my manager, a woman in her mid-thirties who always appeared younger than her age. She was wearing a stylish office dress, exuding an air of elegance and kindness. I owed her a debt of gratitude, as she had given me this job when I needed it the most, saving me from starvation.

"Good work out there, Rei-kun," she complimented me.

"I've told you many times, my name is Ray, not Rei. Please try to remember it," I replied, slightly exasperated.

"Ah, is that so? Your name is quite confusing," she responded, sounding genuinely unaware of her repeated mistake.

I couldn't understand why she struggled to remember my name, especially considering she had no trouble with others. Perhaps it was just a quirk of hers.

"Anyway, you can change back into your regular clothes. It's closing time," she informed me, her expression remaining unchanged.

"Okay, thank you very much," I said, heading towards the changing room to switch back into my usual attire.

After bidding farewell to my manager, I began walking home. I referred to it as my house, but in reality, I lived there alone. I had lost track of my parents a few years ago when they abruptly disappeared. I didn't know what had happened to them. One day, I returned from school to find an empty house, as if they had abandoned me and vanished to some unknown place. They had taken out loans from a notorious lender and couldn't repay them, ultimately fleeing from the consequences. The manager had rescued me from the clutches of those loan sharks and provided me with a job at her shop.

"Okay, I should head home now. It's getting late," I overheard a high school girl saying to her boyfriend.

Observing them, I marveled at the girl's beauty and wondered why they were out so late. Ah, the speed at which young people progress in relationships these days. Even though I was in college, I had never been on a date myself. I had foolishly believed that attending college would lead me to find a girlfriend, but reality had proven to be harsh. And now, here was this guy with a girlfriend, who happened to be incredibly cute.

"Wait, we're going home? But I've already booked a room in the hotel," the high school boy said, sounding panicked.

"What? I'm not ready for that! It's my first time," the girl responded, also flustered.

"Well, you should have told me earlier. I had a different expectation. Do something about it," the boy insisted.

"Okay, wait. Let me call my parents," the high school girl said as she took out her phone.

"What are you going to tell them?" the high school boy asked.

"I'll let them know that I'll be staying at Saki-chan's house. Oh, by the way, do you have any gum?" the girl asked, blushing.

"Yeah, I brought some," he replied.

After that, I decided to ignore them and headed straight for my house. It seemed like they were about to have their first intimate experience tonight. How fortunate. I wanted a girlfriend too, but I felt like it was impossible for someone like me. I don't consider myself unattractive, just average. Yet, for some reason, girls didn't see me that way. One of my friends even once said, "I wish I had a boyfriend like you, but not you." Believe me, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Well, let's forget about those bitter memories. Now, all I wanted was a life where I could embrace being a NEET. Being a NEET seemed like the perfect way to enjoy life. Who cares about girls or anything else?

Lost in those thoughts, I finally arrived at my home. Unlocking the door and peering inside, I noticed it was completely dark.

"Wait, what happened to the electricity? Did I forget to pay the bill this month? Ah, I must have," I muttered to myself, realizing my forgetfulness, and stepped inside.

The moment I entered the house, a strong gust of wind hit me.

"What... what is this?" I tried to shout, but my voice betrayed me.

Confusion overwhelmed me. Suddenly, my legs stopped functioning, and my vision began to blur. I collapsed onto the floor, losing consciousness.

The last thing I recall was the sinister smile lurking within the darkness.

===========================

When I woke up, my surroundings were unfamiliar. Instead of the comfort of my own room, I found myself in the heart of a dense forest. The sunlight filtered through the towering trees, casting dancing shadows on the forest floor. The air carried a crisp scent of pine and earth, mingled with the sweet fragrance of wildflowers. It was a breathtaking sight, but it left me bewildered.

I struggled to recall how I had ended up here. The last thing I remembered was entering my room, seeking solace in the familiarity of my everyday life. Had I fallen asleep and somehow ended up in this strange place? I needed to be sure. With a hint of desperation, I slapped myself, hoping to awaken from what seemed like a vivid dream. The sting on my cheek told me I was very much awake.

Reality sank in as I pondered the situation. I was not in a dream; I had somehow been transported to another world. Thoughts raced through my mind. How was this possible? Was there a way back? Questions flooded my consciousness, but without answers, I decided to explore my surroundings.

As I cautiously stepped forward, a robotic voice echoed through the forest. Its ethereal quality made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. I strained to locate its source, searching for any signs of life amidst the dense foliage. The voice persisted, growing louder and clearer with each passing moment.

Suddenly, a series of cryptic messages flashed in front of my eyes:

[System is installing.]

[1....2.....10....50....100%.]

[Installation complete.]

[Welcome to the Ethereal Continent, Ray-sama.]

The messages appeared as if projected onto an invisible screen, leaving me both amazed and perplexed. The voice had referred to me as "Ray-sama." And what was this "Ethereal Continent"?

It seemed like I had stumbled upon a place of extraordinary significance.