‘By the way, including this one, doesn’t there seem to be an awful lot of stories about adventuring in other worlds?’
‘Really?’
‘It’s about a quarter of a century since the light novel genre was established, but such works are released regularly, and are popular. Why do you think that is?’
‘Well…I guess…people really like the idea of going on an adventure?’
It wasn’t that he was saying that isekai fantasy was boring. He just genuinely wanted to know the reason that they were made.
“So, was he persuaded?”
“Not at all. After that, he stopped reading light novels and focused on history books.”
Still, they would go to the library together and read up on Japanese and foreign history. And he would also visit his house in order to read comics or watch anime.
“It was kind of embarrassing. That was my first time inviting a friend over.”
“Really?”
“…Yeah, that’s why it was embarrassing.”
He was rather cold, and hardly touched the drinks or snacks that were served. Still, Keita remembered having fun.
He believed they would be like this forever. He did not doubt it.
“That day, I went to school. And he was gone.”
“Gone? He changed schools?!”
“Yes. The teacher said that it was because of his parents.”
And so he had suddenly disappeared without a word of goodbye.
“W-was there anything strange about him, the day before?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, you don’t know?”
“He was the same as always. At least, it looked that way to me.”
‘By the way, did you finish MonColo 6?’
‘Yeah. I completed all of the monster data too.’
‘You’re always so fast. And you’re also playing that foreign sim game, right? A real gamer, you are.’
‘I don’t see myself like that. Well, see you.’
“…That’s it?”
“Yes. That was our conversation on the way home from school.”
It was as if the staircase to heaven had suddenly disappeared.
His school life had seemed fun up until then, but it was now boring. More than anything, he was hurt that his friend had left without saying anything.
“There was something that one of my classmates said to me. When asked about which school he transferred to.”
‘Seriously? You don’t even know where he moved to?’
‘Yeah…’
‘I think I know why. He was probably annoyed by what an otaku you are. Right?’
“What the hell? That’s awful.”
“But… I wondered about that too. Deep inside. That maybe he actually hated me.”
After that, he started to have dreams.
Dreams of his old friend.
‘Could you stop it? Acting like you’re my friend.’
‘I’m not interested in that. I was just a little curious… Give it a break.’
“In my dreams, he talked in a completely different way. Always calling me annoying and troublesome…”
In the end, he never made a single other friend in junior high school.
And when he moved onto high school, he was even more lonely. But even after that had happened, he could not stop reading light novels.
“I still don’t understand. What he was thinking. Did he see me as a friend, or was I just some annoying person he didn’t care about.”
While saying that, Keita found himself thinking about him calmly.
“It’s not that I’m holding a grudge. I just want to know the answer. Maybe I did something to offend him.”
“Hmmm… But judging from what you said, he doesn’t seem like that type.”
The young dragon said after putting his empty cup down.
“After all, he sounds like someone who doesn’t talk much, and can’t read the room. Like an otaku who doesn’t react to things that don’t interest him.”
“Th-that’s true.”
“I think it’s possible that he just forgot to ask for your contact information.”
Surely that was not the case. Still, having another person’s opinion on the matter made him feel a little better.
“After that, Canila invited me, and I came to this world. It was hard to adjust at first, but the adventures were fun. Though…”
“Though?”
“I didn’t make any friends.”