“What should we do about this?”
Staring at the smartphone, now stored in a can of toffee to prevent accidental vibration control, Hime muttered on top of the kotatsu table. She was referring to how to respond to the call from the Goldhead Dragon Company.
“It’s probably about the magical alloy materials, since the call came right after I put them in the junkyard.”
“Makes sense…”
It seems they were indeed monitoring my junkyard with some sort of ability. If I hadn’t KEEPed the materials right away, they probably would have swapped them out slyly.
“Feels like we’re in the palm of the Goldhead Dragon’s hand when it comes to these abilities. We’re no match.”
“Golden…what?”
Responding to Mars’ mumbling, Sierra, sitting on a kid’s chair, asked inquisitively. I had given her a vague explanation of our situation, but not the details about the Goldhead Dragon Company.
“There’s a bad group monitoring my abilities. Bad merchants.”
“Bad guys, I’ll beat them! Leave it to me!”
Sierra waved her tiny hands, but the problem was that they operated from places her hands could never reach.
“But now I’m wondering…was that game console also from the Goldhead Dragon? “
“Ah! Come to think of it, you’re right. That happened right after you put dungeon materials in your junkyard too.”
“Eh? What game console?”
Hime looked at me quizzically and kicked my foot under the kotatsu. Ah? I don’t think I had told her about that.
“You didn’t tell Hime about that?”
“…I guess not?”
“Was it before Hime came here?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Some monster materials got swapped out for a space game console…”
I explained to Hime about the folding space game console that closely resembled one I already owned. How it had flashed before making me drowsy, and the dream I had of a stronger version of myself, so different from who I am now.
As I recounted that experience, Hime silently listened while resting her elbows on the kotatsu. But when I finished…BANG! She slammed her fist on the table top.
“That was totally a trap!”
“Eh? A trap?”
“I guess so?”
“Hime, no hitting.”
“Sorry.”
Hime apologized and stroked the head of Sierra, who was rubbing the table Hime had hit.
…But what did she mean by a trap? If that was a trap, then what was that dream I saw of that brave, decisive version of myself?
The me with that huge back who gave me the courage to try instead of fearing failure. The me who always provided a clear way forward when I was lost. Was that just an illusion tailored for me by the Goldhead Dragon Company?
As my head spun from the shock of that realization, Hime casually extended her hand in front of me.
“Tonbo, hand it over.”
“Eh?”
“That game console, hand it over.”
In my confused state, I simply placed the game console on her outstretched hand…and she took it to her room.
“…I forgot to mention it.”
Mars brought his bearded face closer and said that, but I could only respond with an “Uh-huh.” I was shocked by how shallow and gullible I had been.
If that was all a lie…then I had blindly believed in, been captivated by, and made my goal a version of myself fabricated by someone else. I’m kind of appalled by how easily I was deceived.
“I just always assume Hime knows everything.”
“Yeah…”
As Mars and I leaned in close discussing this, Sierra also chimed in with approving nods, bringing her snow-white furry face towards us. I gently stroked her nose and straightened my posture.
My head was still reeling from the shock, but I couldn’t stay like this forever. No matter who I really was, I had to do what needed to be done. That was the genuine lesson I learned from my brief experience as a CEO. Even if I had been believing lies until now, that was something no one could take away.
“Mars…”
“What?”
“No, nevermind…”
The kind Mars didn’t pry further when I started to open up. He simply poured me some tea in silence.
Soon after, Hime returned to the living room with its indescribable atmosphere and unceremoniously shoved the game console back to me. Then, as if nothing had happened, she said:
“I’ve checked the contents, and that footage of Tonbo isn’t fake.”
“What?”
What does that mean!? Wasn’t that footage supposed to be a lie, a trap!?
“You mean it wasn’t fake?”
“Most likely, the dream Tonbo saw was real. However… it was a dream with a timestamp from galaxy’s future.”
“What!? What!? What!? …What does that mean?”
“I don’t know. Even Hime hasn’t heard of anything like this.”
“So does that mean the amazing Tonbo he mentioned was really his future self?”
Hime twisted her mouth while rotating her shoulder in response to Mars’s question.
“There were absolutely no signs of tampering or fabrication, so I think that’s the case. But since it’s about our galaxy…”
“Then what should I…?”
In my confusion, I asked her something that couldn’t possibly have an answer.
“To be honest, if Tonbo wants to admire that man, he can do what he wants. That’s what I’d like to say, but…”
Hime straightened her back and looked directly at my face. I instinctively straightened up too and met her gaze.
“This is Hime’s selfish request, okay?”
“…Of course.”
As soon as I answered, she suddenly grabbed my collar and pulled me closer.
“Don’t admire a man like that, Tonbo.”
“Huh?”
“I’ve seen many people like him before.”
While saying this, she cupped my face with both hands and pulled me even closer. Her golden pupils sparkled, reflecting my dumbfounded expression. Maintaining this position, she continued:
“They’re bold and powerful, acting like they can take care of everyone’s lives single-handedly, beloved by all, naturally commanding respect. That’s the kind of person you want to become, right?”
“………..”
I felt awkward being called out so precisely on my thoughts… but I couldn’t look away from those eyes that were staring straight at me.
“People like that… they’re all gone now. Over trivial things. They were envied, resented, targeted by crazy people… betrayed by those they trusted.”
“………”
“To you, Tonbo, they might seem dazzling, even enviable. But you know, being extraordinary… being radiant… means catching everyone’s eye. And that means being exposed to not just goodwill, but malice too.”
She said this with what seemed like genuine pain, then forced a smile at the corner of her mouth and asked me:
“Maybe if you try hard enough, you could become like that someday, Tonbo. You might become a huge star shining in the night sky. But Tonbo… when that time comes, can you protect yourself… and those around you? Not just once or twice, but for as long as you live, constantly?”
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When she put it that way, I realized it was absolutely impossible.
“Me? I couldn’t do it. I was betrayed, kidnapped, torn apart and thrown away… and then you saved me, Tonbo. What about you? Want to gamble on that kind of luck?”
“No…”
Maybe I was just going with the flow again, but… when she put it that way, I could see Hime had a point.
In the year since Mars came to live with me, I’d learned a little about myself. I’m a fool who can barely do anything alone… though there are a few things I can manage, and I’ve been blessed with good companions… I’m just a small, small person clinging to that.
“………”
If it weren’t for Mars quietly watching over me even now, I’d probably still be smoldering away, thinking “I should do something” but unable to do anything. And no matter how hard I try going forward, I don’t think that essential part of who I am will change. Maybe what I should aim for isn’t to be that one-man superhero I saw in my dream.
“Hey, what kind of person do you want to be, Tonbo? Tell me. Whatever path it is, I’ll help as much as I can.”
“…I want to protect what’s important to me. Family, friends, acquaintances… if possible, my hometown Chiba, and everywhere else as much as I can…”
Though I said these big words, honestly, I felt like “I can’t take responsibility for anything beyond family.”
“Then what would you do if a huge snake like before appeared somewhere other than Chiba?”
“Well, now that we have the pirate ship Psycho Dragon… I might go defeat it stealthily.”
It has a huge gun too, so that much should be possible.
“What if a meteor was falling toward Earth?”
“If the Psycho Dragon could handle it, I’d try.”
Depending on the size, that ship might be able to break up a meteor.
“What if space pirates attacked Earth?”
“You mean ones we can’t beat?”
“Like ten Psycho Dragons.”
Yeah, no way we could win against that.
“If there’s no chance of winning, I’d probably gather my family and friends and escape to another world or space.”
I could fight the ghost snake because I thought “we might have a chance.” No matter how much of a crisis Earth was in, I couldn’t fight a battle with no hope of winning.
“Good. Don’t forget where you draw that line.”
Hime said this and released her hands from my face. She probably meant I should understand what I’m capable of and live within my means. Makes perfect sense.
Come to think of it, the me in the dream had this intensity like he was carrying the weight of the universe on his back. That might work for a story’s protagonist, but I live in reality. Living like that would take more than one lifetime… and even if you didn’t die, you probably wouldn’t have the peace of mind to play games after work.
My goal isn’t to become great or extraordinary like that. As long as my family and hometown are safe and peaceful, nothing else matters.
Personally, I just want to take Mars back to his hometown, maybe visit Popinania, and if things work out, run a transport business with Mars in that galaxy… basically work moderately and spend the rest of my time playing games and enjoying life.
“So you two, what are you going to do now?”
To Mars’s question, as he watched us with somewhat lukewarm eyes, Hime answered concisely:
“We’re cutting off Golden Head Dragon completely. No need to play into their plans anymore. Don’t take out any suspicious gaming devices or letters that come through the Junkyard either.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll increase the security on Tonbo’s smartphone so it can’t be accessed from space… and set up jamming so they can’t access any devices near Tonbo either.”
“Will that be enough?”
“If it’s not, we’ll think of something else! Anyway, from now on, our house won’t negotiate with Golden Head Dragon! Is that okay, Tonbo?”
“Of course, I prefer it that way. That company is terrifying…”
“Well, they are a scary company indeed.”
“Okay, I’ll set that up then.”
Saying that, Hime went back to her room with the smartphone in its rice cracker can. After watching her leave, Mars gently poked my hand.
“Hey Tonbo, about what you said earlier… would you really stop a meteor? Like in the movies?”
“Nah, if it’s too big, I might give up…”
“That’s probably for the best, the particle cannon probably couldn’t break up a meteor anyway…”
“Eh!? Really?”
While Mars the cat and I were having this pointless conversation… Sierra the dog was curled up under the kotatsu, sleeping with her mouth wide open.
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