LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 8.1 - The Day Before the Return
It was finally the day before our return to Earth.
We visited B2, made our farewells to acquaintances, and prepared ourselves for the journey ahead. By tomorrow night, once the clock struck midnight, we would likely find ourselves back in the places we had left behind on Earth.
The returnees had been reviewing the procedure repeatedly since yesterday.
“Let’s go over everything one more time, as a group,” Tau-san said, but for some reason, his eyes locked firmly onto me.
Even though he said “as a group,” he was clearly directing this at me. I wished he’d stop singling me out like that.
“When we return to the moment from ten years ago, our statuses will likely disappear, and we’ll return to being ordinary humans.”
That’s true. Right now, it’s easy to send messages via “Telepathy” or “Mail” through our status connections like friends or clans. Communication here is effortless, no matter where we are.
“Make sure you’ve all saved each other’s phone numbers and email addresses in your smartphones. Remember, apps like LAINE won’t let you connect IDs unless there’s a network, so write everyone’s ID down in your phone’s memo app so you can reconnect after returning.”
“Uh, I don’t know how to use LAINE IDs… Do you think I’ll manage when we’re back?”
“I gave Kaoru a written guide on how to connect LAINE IDs, but if it’s too much, we can just stick to regular emails or phone calls.”
“Thanks. It’s a bit overwhelming for an old guy like me.”
When I said that, Tau-san and Kan-san looked at me with gentle eyes.
“S-sorry. It’s not about age. I’m just terrible at using smartphones,” I apologized reflexively. Even though Tau-san and Kan-san were close to my age, they seemed perfectly adept at handling their devices.
“I’m just glad our phones didn’t break after being stored for ten years. But we do need to charge them,” Ane-san said, spinning the handle of the hand-crank charger I’d lent her.
“Right. Everyone, make sure to finish charging your phones today. Also, during the return, keep your phones and notes in your clothing pockets. If you put them in your item box out of habit, they’ll probably disappear when we’re back on Earth. Especially you, Kaoru—keep your wallet, phone, and anything important in your pockets!”
That was close. I almost instinctively put everything in my item box as usual.
“Kaoru, if you still have your old commuter bag, you should pack everything important in there,” Acchan advised, and I nodded emphatically.
“I wonder if we’ll be able to take back anything we originally brought from Earth,” I mused. “I don’t even have my old clothes anymore. I wore them out years ago and had to throw them away.”
“Same here,” Mireille chimed in immediately.
“Me too,” Yugo added.
“I’ll try to wear something that won’t stand out too much back on Earth, like a shirt and pants,” Kan-san said.
“Let’s just hope they don’t vanish the moment we return,” someone muttered.
“That would be a problem,” Tauro replied. “Everything I’m wearing right now comes from this world. If it all disappears, I’ll be stark naked in Destinyland. They’ll arrest me for sure.”
“That… would definitely be an issue,” I said. “I think I was heading to the station through the shopping district on my way to work… or sales calls.”
“I was at home, thankfully,” Kan-san said with a smug grin.
“That’s not fair, Kan-san!”
“I was at university. Actually, no, I was still at home that day. Safe,” Yugo said, sighing in relief.
“What?! This is really bad for me!” Ane-san exclaimed dramatically.
Hearing this, Rin-san panicked even more than Ane herself.
“Wait, Ane! Stay here. If my husband’s clothes will do, I still have some. They’re too big for me, but they might fit you. I’ll grab them now.”
Rin-san disappeared via teleportation and returned within three minutes, holding a T-shirt and a pair of shorts.
“Here, Ane. These are washed and clean. I’m glad I kept them for the memories of Japan. I have my own clothes too, but they wouldn’t fit you.”
Rin handed the folded T-shirt and shorts to Ane.
It made sense. Ane had a curvy, voluptuous figure, while Rin was slender—practically thin. It would’ve been impossible for Ane to fit into Rin’s clothes.
As the day wore on, the preparations for our return were nearly complete. There was a mix of nostalgia, anxiety, and anticipation in the air. Tomorrow would be the culmination of ten long years in this other world.
“Rin, thank you! I’m so glad I won’t end up naked on the train platform,” Ane said with a laugh.
At the same time, Tau-san, Mireille, and I turned to look at Yama-san.
“…No, sorry. I don’t have any of my original clothes either,” Yama-san admitted with a sheepish look.
I glanced at Kikku, but he was surprisingly small in stature. His clothes wouldn’t fit me. Parallrenda was lean and muscular, but his clothes wouldn’t work either. Damn it.
“It can’t be helped,” Tau-san said, sounding resigned. “If we return naked, we’ll just have to find somewhere to hide immediately.”
Then, as if remembering something, Tau-san perked up. “Oh, right. Since my entire office floor was transferred here, even if I return naked, it won’t be an issue. Any employees who chose to return will probably be naked too.”
Mireille and Tau-san both shot me envious glares. Not my fault, is it?
“Well, anyway,” Tau-san continued. “According to the gods, we’ll return 60 minutes before the disaster occurs.”
“Sixty minutes before the disaster? So it’s certain the disaster will happen, huh?”
“It seems so. That’s why those 60 minutes are critical. The first priority is reuniting with family.”
That’s right. Everyone is returning for their families. Without reuniting with them, going back would be meaningless.
As for me, I didn’t have anyone I was particularly eager to see. What should I do in those 60 minutes?
“In those 60 minutes, try to reunite with your family as quickly as possible. There’s a lot to do. If the internet or TV is functional, check for information about the meteorite, especially its impact location. Prepare for shockwaves based on the direction of the impact. Be wary of building collapses, fires, and, for coastal areas, tsunamis. Ensure the safety of your family and yourself first.”