プロローグ お断りします
Prologue: I Refuse
Prologue
I have no particular complaints about modern Japan.
My workplace isn't exploitative either.
I don't have a wife or daughter.
But I'm not pessimistic about the world.
Every day consists of watching TV, playing new games, reading novels, taking a bath, and eating. I'm past my student days, but I don't particularly wish to return to them.
There are probably many opinions on this, with many people saying, "Student life is better!"
But think carefully, were we really that free during our student days?
We were hounded by studies, had little money to spend freely, and had to mind our parents.
Oh, for those whose parents have passed away, I apologize. I'm not saying parents are a nuisance.
Becoming an adult, no longer receiving support from my parents, and living on my own—that was enjoyable. I felt a sense of being alive.
What I'm trying to say is...
"I'm satisfied with my current situation."
That's why I can clearly tell the person visiting my apartment's entrance right now:
"Oh, I'm not interested in religion. I'm already part of the one my family recommends."
Most people are like that, right? It's rare for someone to actively seek out and join a new cult. It's usually more like, "Before I knew it, my parents had me join that religion."
Well, I tried to refuse in that manner and close the door.
"W-wait! C-could you please listen to me a little longer!?"
She put her hand in the closing door to stop it.
I'm not so heartless as to knowingly close the door on her hand.
However, if a beautiful blonde woman in a suit suddenly opened the door and immediately said, "Are you interested in dungeon management? You'll get the Goddess's blessing and support right now!!" anyone would react the same way I did. If she had said something like, "I fell in love with you at first sight," I might, by a long shot, concede her reason for barging into my home.
No, saying "by a long shot" means I wouldn't concede it at all.
For those thinking, "This has nothing to do with religion," listen: I believe it's a mistake to respond to someone who suddenly talks about management or money-related matters like this.
Listen, these types aim to "make you listen" by saying something incomprehensible. So, if you ask for details or reply, "I'm not interested in management," they'll definitely say, "It's fine! We'll support you!!" and you'll inevitably get stuck in a long, drawn-out situation.
And vague excuses like "I have work" or "I have an urgent matter" will only draw them in further.
That's why I deliberately pretended to mishear and chose to close the door. By the way, if she hadn't been a beautiful woman, I would have immediately shut her out and turned off the intercom.
Well, there are probably various ways to refuse visitors in each household.
So, this beautiful woman who put her hand in the door and tried to make me listen—I no longer consider her a "beautiful woman" or even a "woman."
I'm not so naive as to set up some kind of flag like in a drama, light novel, or manga.
"Alright, please remove your hand, it's dangerous."
Saying that, I opened the door wide (this is important). She then removed her hand and stepped back, waiting for the door to fully open.
Then I immediately closed it. Perfect.
"Huh? What!? Whaaaat!!"
I locked the door, disabled the intercom, immediately retreated into my room, and turned up the volume of the game I was playing to a level I could comfortably hear.
What, you think that's heartless? Those people should listen to her properly, waste a long time, and then make a fraudulent investment.
You might wonder what I'd do if she kept making a ruckus. Don't worry, reality is harsh. I'd just call the police and that would be the end of it.
In the end, she must have given up when the door was closed, as she left quietly without causing a fuss.
I'll turn down the game volume and enjoy my day off.
"Don't mess with me!!"
Suddenly, the screen was blocked, and the beautiful woman from earlier appeared.
The game I was playing was a real-time action RPG, and I couldn't even pause it with the start button. And I was in the middle of a boss battle where instant death was common... I immediately tried to look past the beautiful woman at the screen, but a momentary delay in judgment was fatal, and my character was defeated.
...My heart feels like breaking...
"You're the one messing around!!"
Naturally, I snapped. But I remained calm. I immediately grabbed my smartphone... and dialed 110... Ah, it connected.
"Is this the police? An unknown person has invaded my home... Yes... The address is..."
"Ah!? Wait!! It's a misunderstanding!!"
The beautiful woman, finally understanding my actions, immediately reached for my smartphone and ended the call.
"Misunderstanding or not, it's still trespassing."
I tried to dial 110 again... but was interrupted.
"This guy's tough... I see, this might work..."
She was muttering something, but no, this is a normal reaction. I'm 90% confident that if the Japanese public saw what just happened, they wouldn't say my response was wrong. Nothing is ever 100%...
Then the beautiful woman extended her hand towards me.
"I'll explain over there!!"
A flash of light enveloped me...