Several heavy shopping bags packed with clothes and shoes.
A solo meal set bought from Mc■Donald's.
Two cute throw pillows—handpicked by two beautiful girls.
And all kinds of daily necessities besides.
Carrying all of it home from the mall, Gotō Hitori had turned into pale ash—completely burned out.
If he could, he wanted to unlock the door, rush in, take a shower, then throw himself onto the bed and sleep until the end of time, sending every shred of fatigue into his dreams.
But things weren't the same anymore.
The tiny rental apartment that had always been only his now held another person.
Just thinking that someone was inside his home made the keys in his pocket feel as heavy as a mountain.
The front door was no longer a fantasy haven where he could escape reality. It was a gate to hell—an evil place where restless spirits wandered and venomous snakes flicked their tongues.
Gotō Hitori swallowed.
He didn't know what state Gotō Hitori was in right now.
Was she still asleep, or already awake?
Had she sorted out the situation like he had—seeing him as "another self from another world"?
Or had fear taken over, making her think a strange adult man like him couldn't possibly be trusted?
One question after another rose up, and together they felt like a Godzilla-sized monster capable of destroying a city.
Sometimes Gotō Hitori wondered if what he feared wasn't contact with people—but the fear of not being able to read what they were thinking.
If only he could read minds…
Maybe he wouldn't be afraid to interact with others anymore.
"...I'll count down one more minute, then go in."
He took a deep breath and began counting silently.
He wasn't an awkward high schooler anymore.
Back when he'd first gone to a live house, he'd wandered around outside for a full hour, too scared to enter. Now, after just a few minutes of hesitation, he could face the unknown he feared from the bottom of his heart.
He was satisfied with his own growth.
For someone like him—bad at socializing—even holding eye contact one second longer than before was something worth celebrating. Another step closer to becoming a sunny, cheerful, well-adjusted extrovert.
Ah. Crap.
Why did one minute pass so fast?
A bead of cold sweat slid down his temple.
Even though he still wasn't fully prepared, as an adult who kept his word, he finally pulled the key from his pocket and opened the door with a grave expression.
It looked the same as always.
The entryway and living room were dark, the lights still off, giving everything a gloomy, ghostly feel.
The slippers by the door were still the same pair—untouched since the day he bought them.
It was almost as if everything that happened that morning had been nothing more than a dream born of loneliness.
Gotō Hitori glanced at the bags behind him. He didn't quite believe his imagination could be that powerful—he hadn't even eaten any weird mushrooms, yet somehow he'd hallucinated a fully real living person—so he tried calling inside.
"...Um. I'm home?"
"W-welcome back…!"
Just as expected.
Something was different.
He clearly heard a voice from the bedroom.
Faint, but undeniably real.
He quietly let out a breath of relief. If he'd come home and found she was gone, he would've been utterly ruined—everything he'd bought for her had cost about two-thirds of his savings.
Not that he'd ever had much to begin with. His monthly salary, after rent and commuting and all that, was only just enough to keep himself alive. He was a pure-blooded paycheck-to-paycheck adult.
Now that another person's expenses had appeared out of nowhere, the money left in his account could barely last him until next month…
Sigh.
The adult world was exhausting.
He really wanted to be a student again…
If only he hadn't done the whole band thing back then—if he'd just worked harder and gotten into college.
Bands really did ruin people…
With a troubled look, Gotō Hitori carried all the bags inside, then threw himself onto the tiny sofa to slowly recover his stamina bar.
Just then, Gotō Hitori cautiously poked her pink head out from the bedroom.
In the corner of his eye, Gotō Hitori caught sight of that little pink head. Their gazes met in midair—no sparks flying—just both of them blurting out an "Ah" at the same time.
"...Um, do you want to eat?"
Gotō Hitori sat up straight, placed the burger set he'd bought onto the table, and in one breath said the lines he'd rehearsed again and again in his head.
"I didn't know when you'd wake up, so I went out and bought you some things first. I planned to come back and cook, but something happened on the way and I got back later than I expected. I thought cooking this late might be too much, so I went to a fast-food place and got you something… Does it suit your taste?"
"Ah… th-thank you so much…!"
In truth, Gotō Hitori hadn't even processed what he'd just said. She just thanked him instinctively.
She was far too nervous.
Ever since she'd woken up, her mind had been blank.
She didn't know what she should do, and she didn't know if she'd truly come to "another world."
Only when Gotō Hitori returned did she snap back to reality and realize that what happened in the morning wasn't her imagination, and it wasn't a dream—it had really happened.
She tried leaving the bedroom, clutching her skirt hem tightly in both hands, stepping carefully into the living room.
Seeing the floor covered in shopping bags, she tiptoed around them and chose a spot where she wouldn't touch anything, then knelt down neatly.
She quietly accepted the fast food he handed her, whispered thanks several times, and began nibbling fries in tiny bites, like a little hamster.
"Is it good?" Gotō Hitori asked.
"...Mm!" Gotō Hitori nodded hard.
Before he came back, she'd already prepared herself to go hungry all night.
In her mind, the fact that she'd suddenly appeared in Gotō Hitori's home had already caused him a lot of trouble.
In a situation like that, she couldn't bring herself to say she was hungry and wanted something to eat.
What if she accidentally made him angry and he threw her out?
In this completely unfamiliar world, she had no idea where else she could survive.
But now, Gotō Hitori wasn't just speaking to her gently—he'd even brought food back specifically for her.
He's so kind…
So kind even to someone worthless like a slug…
It's like he's a saint.
Gah—s-so dazzling…!
It's like there's light shining behind Gotō-san…!
How can someone be that radiant? I'm going to be driven away by the light—aaaaaa—
"Um… Bocchi? Are you okay?"
When Gotō Hitori suddenly raised a hand to shield her eyes and began backing away, using her other hand to support herself, Gotō Hitori panicked.
"Ah… I-I'm fine…"
Gotō Hitori snapped back, then instantly switched into a full dogeza, her ears burning red.
What am I even doing…?
H-how can I lose it like this in front of someone I've only known for a day? What if he misunderstands and thinks something's wrong with me?
Even someone as kind as Gotō-san wouldn't want to live day-to-day with someone mentally unstable, someone who doesn't even understand what's happening…!
If I get kicked out in the end, I-I really won't be able to live…!
The more she thought, the more terrified she became, murmuring "sorry" over and over in a tiny voice.
Seeing this, Gotō Hitori hurried over and helped the Gotō Hitori who'd practically collapsed into a slime-like state back up.
"Relax! Relax, Bocchi—I didn't mean anything. Really. I just wanted to ask if the food was okay."
Gotō Hitori trembled even harder.
It was the first time she'd ever been this close to a boy. With his hands suddenly holding her shoulders, she felt an electric jolt surge through her from head to toe.
She hugged herself, too tense to even speak.
But when she saw his eyes—so similar to her own—her mind suddenly went blank, and the fear from before seemed to vanish.
With a strange sense of familiarity, she nodded without even thinking.
"Whew…"
Seeing her stabilize, Gotō Hitori let out a breath.
"Sorry—did I make you uncomfortable…? I'll keep my distance. Go ahead and eat. And if you ever want something in the future, you can use this to order it yourself."
As he spoke, he pulled a phone box from one of the bags.
He'd bought it after shopping at the clothing store with Sakiko and the others, and he'd also prepared the SIM and everything.
His reason for buying a phone was simple.
He had to go out to work, and wouldn't have much time to take care of her. That meant she'd be alone at home.
Considering that he himself had relied on his mom for food, clothing, and basic living until he started working, he figured Bocchi was probably about the same. So he decided to buy her a phone.
Otherwise, one: they couldn't contact each other easily; and two: the kid might starve.
She was a lovely, pretty girl—Gotō Hitori didn't want her to waste away into skin and bones.
Sitting across from him, Bocchi stared at the phone box placed in front of her, her pupils shrinking to pinpoints.
He brought me food…
A-and and and and and and he even bought me a phone…?
F-for me…!?
Bocchi went completely blank, like a computer tower that had exploded, smoke practically starting to rise from her head.
The saint statue she'd just built for Gotō Hitori in her mind was suddenly crushed under something even taller, grander, and holier.
Unwilling to accept her "masterpiece" being so easily surpassed, she scrambled upward in her imagination—and only then did she see the true form of the being that saved all living creatures—
A bodhisattva—more magnificent and more compassionate than a saint!
Bocchi covered her eyes without thinking. How could anyone in this world shine so brightly?
She felt like a cursed spirit with nowhere to hide, slowly purified under the compassionate gaze of Bodhisattva Gotō—until she became a spotless white soul and drifted into the sky—
Ah.
Oh no.
I blanked out again…!
Bocchi snapped back and immediately looked at Gotō Hitori, only to find him watching her with concern. She instantly dropped into a dogeza again.
"I'm so s-sorry! Th-the phone is too expensive…! Um, I-I… I can't accept it!"
Her cheeks were so red they looked like they might drip blood. She'd accidentally bitten her tongue from nervousness—so not only had she spoken unclearly, she'd even messed up her pronunciation.
I can't even stay here…!
"Ah… the phone's fine," Gotō Hitori explained.
"It was only about twenty or thirty thousand yen—just a cheap one, not that expensive. Bocchi can absolutely use it. If anything, I'm sorry I didn't buy you a better one… This is all my salary can afford."
Twenty to thirty thousand yen and he's calling it cheap…!?
A high schooler like Bocchi was hit by the full force of adult spending habits.
Her monthly allowance was only ten thousand yen—and that covered all her expenses for the month.
If it wasn't enough, she could ask her parents for more, but that basically never happened…
Because she had no friends.
Her daily routine was school, then home.
More than half her monthly money went to commuting, and she saved whatever was left, thinking that someday, when she got married, it could be her dowry…
No—why am I thinking that far again?!
She hurriedly dragged her thoughts back, then fumbled and lifted the phone box like it was a brick of gold, trying to return it.
"Um… I-I still think I can't accept it…! Just being here is already enough trouble for you, Gotō-san. If I cause more trouble, then—"
Then I'll be thrown out to sleep on the street…!
Bocchi lowered her head, lips pressed tight. She was truly afraid of being tossed away—becoming something no one wanted.
In this unfamiliar, unknown place…
Every support she'd relied on in the past was gone without a trace.
Her sense of security was so desperately low that she felt nauseous again and again.
But she didn't dare actually vomit. In this home, she didn't dare touch anything—terrified that a single reckless action would make him dislike her.
She didn't even know whether she was allowed to accept the kindness Gotō Hitori was showing her.
Why are you taking care of me…?
Why are you buying things for me…?
She couldn't understand those questions no matter how hard she tried—no, she was too afraid to think about them.
All she could do was press her forehead to the floor, forcing down the sickness rolling in her stomach and the fear in her heart, waiting as each second dragged by.
And in that wait—so agonizing it felt like torture—
She suddenly heard Gotō Hitori say,
"...I don't think Bocchi is a burden to me."
"—"
Bocchi blinked, dazed.
She lifted her head, confused, and looked at Gotō Hitori.
In her blurred, swaying vision, she met his eyes again.
No lies. No deception.
It wasn't like the warm kindness she felt from her parents through their words—
This person was speaking to her seriously, from the heart.
"Ever since I saw you this morning, Bocchi… I've been thinking. Could you be another me from another world?"
"After all, we have the same name, our lives seem kind of similar, and even our personalities are alike. Thinking that way isn't exactly strange…"
"And then I thought—if that's true, I can't just leave you alone. At the very least, I have to make sure you can live a normal life. That's why I bought all this."
"Ah, and also…"
Gotō Hitori looked away, embarrassed.
"I guess I'm… sort of the 'grown-up' version of you… right? When we talked about age this morning, wasn't I a few years older than you?"
"Even if I can't really say it like that, I thought… since I'm the older one, I should set an example as an adult."
His words came out a bit fast.
Because he was nervous too.
He rarely sat this close to someone and talked this much. He feared connections. He feared looking into someone else's eyes.
But…
What if the other person was himself?
Facing Bocchi's gaze, Gotō Hitori gathered all his courage and said what he truly wanted to say.
"I don't know if you've ever thought about what kind of person you'll become when you grow up. When I was little, I really did think about it. I believed I'd become a national-level rock star… someone everyone would love…"
"But as you can see, I didn't become that amazing adult. If the old me saw what I'm like now… I'm sure he'd be disappointed."
"I don't know how to fix that. But I do know this: if I do nothing, that's what would truly be disappointing."
"I don't want to be an adult Bocchi thinks is pathetic. I don't want the me from the past to be disappointed in the future."
"So until you're able to carry your own life on your shoulders, Bocchi… I'm going to do everything I can to help you."
"That's my promise to you."
After saying all that—
Gotō Hitori flushed, the embarrassment catching up to him.
"...Was I talking too big…?"
"S-sorry. I just dumped a whole speech on you out of nowhere. Haha… ahahaha… Um—anyway, Bocchi, you can sleep in my room tonight. I'll sleep in the living room. Okay. I'm going to wash up!"
He whooshed into the bathroom.
At his age, it was exactly the time when you got embarrassed by your younger self—when those hot-blooded, cringey lines you'd once loved were now too shameful to even say out loud.
But Bocchi's age was exactly the age when you did like hearing heavy words—words mixed with youthful clumsiness and sincerity.
She stared blankly toward the bathroom.
Her heart thumped softly beneath her chest.
For the first time, she felt a small, hazy longing…
For the person she might become when she grew up.
-------
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