I loaded the geek game

Hidaka Mirai felt herself being gently set down, and the cool, flexible "ropes" wrapped around her body were gently pulled away and receded.

The texture beneath me was now clear; it seemed to have transformed into a thick, slightly elastic tatami mat.

The voice of the girl, who was probably wearing a black and white dress, spoke again: "Ah... I understand now. She went into the 'passage' I left near the Yokohama Shikane Shrine and then 'fell' here."

As they were talking, it seemed that more people had gathered around Future.

"path?"

Another girl's voice rang out, and this time it was different from the previous two.

The tone is more delicate and soft, and even a little timid.

Moreover, Hidaka Mirai felt that the voice was right next to her ear, but in her still blurry vision, which was still trying to focus, she could not see the outline of the person who spoke the voice.

"It's the 'travel tunnel' I left behind in the mortal world! Heh heh! This is a new project that Master Wu and the divine craftsman have been working on recently! It's similar to the Divine Box Passage, but much lighter. I call it—the mini version of the Divine Box Passage!"

The girl in the black and white dress spoke with a hint of pride and boastfulness in her voice.

Hmm... she seems to refer to herself as "Master Wu".

"The pathways are currently being built experimentally near several large Omoken Shrines, which conveniently allows me to closely observe and analyze the flow of faith data at these key nodes... Later, I also plan to use this data to build a more refined model of the spread and influence of faith at the Ministry of Education..."

As he spoke, which Hidaka Mirai couldn't understand at all, he puffed out his chest.

She must have made that gesture...

“But…” Master Wu’s voice deepened again, filled with confusion, “Even if it’s a test project, the psionic field and screening mechanism should be intact… There’s absolutely no way a mortal could enter the passage…”

"Oh, oh."

Just then, a pure white figure that had been hovering at the edge of Hidaka Mirai's blurry vision spoke.

This white figure, just by looking at it, inexplicably makes people feel safe and warm, and makes them want to get closer. It seems to have a natural power to soothe people's hearts.

It was also a girl's voice, soft and sweet: "Look at this."

At the same time, there was a small, soft touch as it gently touched the collar of the future's neck.

"Amulets? These things..." Master Wu paused, then his voice was filled with sudden realization, "I see. Ah... no wonder..."

After that, the girls surrounding her seemed to disperse a bit and stopped sticking so close to her while they were talking.

The pressure of being scrutinized up close also lessened.

However, Hidaka Mirai's consciousness became even more blurred, as if she were floating in warm, shallow water, only able to catch snippets of the voice of "Master Satoru," which came from a distance.

It sounds like they're making a phone call? Or perhaps they're communicating with someone far away in some way—

"...Anyway, with that little fish's power imprint, he can definitely ignore the basic screening and directly enter the path I designed... What do you mean by reserving a back door for your master in advance! Enough, enough!"

"...Even if she disappears into the spirit world, there are ways to remedy it. Didn't you say before that the guy with the crew cut in the countermeasures office has already reunited with his mother?...Besides, this girl didn't enter the ordinary world, so it doesn't count as disappearing into the spirit world. It's okay."

"...Okay, this could be considered a design oversight on my part, I'll fix it later. No... wait a minute! It's not entirely my fault! Who knows when that guy blessed a girl he'd never even met before!"

……

"Well……"

A low groan escaped her throat as Hidaka Mirai finally struggled to regain consciousness.

As consciousness returned, the first thing I felt was warmth, followed by brightness, and my eyelids could perceive the soft light coming from the room.

The senses gradually returned to normal.

The sound of boiling water could be heard, and the air was filled with the aroma of stewed food.

Hidaka Mirai slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing that catches the eye is a tightly closed glass sliding door, its surface wiped spotless.

Outside the door, a small courtyard was bathed in the dim twilight, with a few gnarled shrubs and the outline of a stone lantern standing silently in the shadows.

Looking up, through the glass door, you can see fine snowflakes silently falling in the deep blue-black night sky, shimmering with tiny crystals under the light shining from inside.

It was a cold, snowy night outside, but inside it was warm and cozy.

For a moment, I was in a daze before I truly realized that I was in a completely unfamiliar environment, and that it was already late.

"Eat?"

The innocent, childlike voice of the little girl she had heard when she was in a daze suddenly rang out very close behind her.

The future turns its head away.

A rectangular, dark red fruit, neatly padded with warm gray washi paper, was being "handed" to her, almost touching the tip of her nose.

It's for making yokan (a type of sweet bean jelly).

A type of wagashi (Japanese sweet) commonly seen in winter, made from red beans and sugar.

However, at this moment, Hidaka Mirai simply couldn't focus even a fraction of her attention on this seemingly delicious snack.

Because the hand that "handed" this piece of yokan was not an ordinary one.

It was a small human-shaped outline made of countless chaotic, twisted, scarlet lines that seemed to be randomly drawn doodles, intertwined and woven out of thin air.

It was about the size of a six or seven-year-old child, and its entire body was a glaring and ominous dark red. The lines were constantly wriggling slightly. There were no clear facial features, except for a wide-open "smile" that almost spanned the entire "face" in what should have been the "head".

This tiny, scarlet, graffiti-like figure stands on the tatami mat behind her, "holding up" the washi paper cushioned with yokan (sweet bean jelly). The "smile" on its face is hollow and fixed, yet it seems to be silently and passionately urging—

Eat, eat!

"Don't come any closer—!"

Driven by immense horror and instinct, Future lurched backward like a startled rabbit, crashing into the closed glass sliding door with a loud bang.

The door frame vibrated slightly, producing a dull thud.

"Ok."

Unexpectedly, the scarlet graffiti-like little figure simply responded in a childish voice with such a bland tone.

Then, it actually turned its "head" around, took a few steps with its "legs" made of messy lines, and jogged away, running towards a more central location inside the room.

The little figure ran towards an area in the center of the room that was bathed in warm light.

There was a low wooden table there, with two little girls around it.

A girl with pigtails, her hair as white as fresh snow, wore a black and white dress with a fluffy hem.

She glanced at Wei Lai with her pale red eyes, said nothing, and simply stirred the ingredients in the pot with her long chopsticks.

The other girl had long, jet-black hair and wore a pristine white kimono. She sat upright and had a relatively calm demeanor.

She nodded slightly toward the future, giving a reassuring and lovely smile.

On the low wooden table, there was a small pot bubbling and steaming.

Around the pot, a dazzling array of fresh ingredients were displayed: thin slices of bright red beef, tender tofu, plump shiitake mushrooms, emerald green chrysanthemum greens... as well as dipping sauces and small bowls.

However, what will be most incredible about the future is—

On that low wooden table, between the pot and the food tray, there was actually a "person" sitting.

It was a tiny girl, dressed in a pale yellow dress, who looked no bigger than the palm of your hand. She was facing away from the future, carrying a teru teru bozu (a Japanese doll that resembles a sunny day) on her back, which was even larger than her body.

She sat there calmly on the edge of the table, seemingly part of the dinner party, her small figure slightly enveloped by the rising steam from the pot.

"Don't scare people, Ayaori."

The black-haired girl in a pure white kimono gently reminded the crimson figure that had run back.

"Oh."

Caizhi responded.

Then, from within her abstract body, composed of chaotic scarlet lines, large clumps of thick, vibrant liquid, like oil paint, seeped out. These "oil paints" quickly spread and filled, covering the distorted lines.

In the blink of an eye, a little girl who finally looked relatively "normal" appeared on the spot.

She had a smooth, black princess-cut hairstyle with neat bangs, round cheeks, and wore an adorable princess dress. Apart from her eyes, which were still excessively lively and had an inhuman quality, she looked no different from an ordinary human little girl.

She was even holding the yokan (a type of sweet bean jelly) that was placed on a piece of washi paper steadily in her hand...

What's this……?
The heartwarming yet eerie scene before him almost brought Hidaka Mirai's mind to a standstill.

A winter gathering of adorable little girls?

"Hey." The girl in the black and white dress put down her long chopsticks and spoke in the same voice as "Master Wu" from before. "This is Tokyo. Now that you're awake, figure out how to get home yourself."

His tone was crisp, conveying the message that "the problem has been solved, and all irrelevant people can leave."

"It's very cold outside."

The girl in the white kimono beside her spoke softly, her voice gentle and sweet, carrying a natural, reassuring power.

She looked at Master Wu with a smile, her eyes clear, as if she could see through his awkward personality and knew exactly what he would do next.

"Hmph!" Lord Wu let out a disgruntled snort, his delicate face puffing out slightly as he pouted. "It's only for Zashiki's sake..."

Although she muttered "for the sake of the Zashiki," her gaze inadvertently swept quickly over the plain amulet around Hidaka Mirai's neck, a complex and unreadable glint flashing in her eyes.

Immediately, Wu looked back at the future, raised his voice, and tried to cover up a fleeting emotion with a fierce tone: "Hey, did you hear me? Come sit over here! Standing by the door is an eyesore!"

"Well……"

Hidaka Mirai hesitated before turning her gaze back to the low table.

Four girls, each with a distinct style and temperament, sat together, but five sets of bowls and chopsticks were clearly laid out on the table. One set of bowls and chopsticks was clean and tidy, obviously untouched.

It's clear from the future that these four girls are not human. The tiny, pale yellow girl on the low table, and Aya, who just underwent a terrifying transformation, need no further explanation.

The little girl in the white kimono is called "Zashiki," so she must be a Zashiki-warashi.

But... does a Zashiki-warashi wear a white kimono?
How unique.

Finally, there's Master Wu, who is probably similar to the other girls.

Although the strange and sense of crisis in my heart had not completely dissipated, the girls' cute and harmless appearance, coupled with the calming aura emanating from the Zashiki-warashi, eventually soothed my wildly beating heart and tense nerves.

Moreover, the aroma of sukiyaki permeated the air and kept wafting into my nostrils.

The future is indeed... hungry.

She hasn't eaten anything since she left home to visit the shrine this afternoon.

"excuse me."

So, under the increasingly "impatient" glare of Master Satoru and the gentle gaze of Zashiki, Hidaka Mirai walked to the low table and carefully sat down beside the untouched bowl and chopsticks.

……

The hot food was surprisingly delicious.

The beef was tender and juicy, the tofu was soaked in the rich broth, and the vegetables were sweet and refreshing.

The girls chatted casually and relaxed during the meal, and the zashiki would occasionally ask in a soft, sweet voice if the ingredients would suit their taste.

And there's Thumbelina in the pale yellow dress on the table; Hidaka Mirai now knows she's Hiyoribou.

Kohiwabo would emit a soft, satisfied humming sound as he swallowed his food amidst the rising steam.

cute……

The comfort of the food, the relaxed atmosphere, and the warm, sleep-inducing indoor environment finally allowed Hidaka Mirai to slowly relax.

Yes, it's often mentioned in TV news, isn't it?
Among the inhabitants of "another world," there are also many individuals who are benevolent towards humans; not all non-human beings signify danger or terror.

Thinking about it this way, the scene before me doesn't seem so unacceptable anymore.

When most of the ingredients in the sukiyaki were gone and the broth had thickened, Master Wu seemed to finally lose his temper. He wrinkled his small nose and took out an elegant white ceramic sake bottle from somewhere.

"Ahem!" She cleared her throat, trying to get the attention of everyone at the table, her face showing a mixture of smugness and excitement. "Today it's just the few of us at home, no one can control us... Hehe~ So, I brought this especially!"

As she spoke, she deftly laid out several ceramic wine cups and distributed them one by one—

Aya curiously poked the wine cup that had been given to her.

A smaller version was also placed in front of Hiyoribou.

Finally, even in the future of Renri Gao, one was undeniably placed before him.

The clear, transparent liquid poured from the spout into the wine cup, emitting a cool, slightly sweet aroma that seemed to carry a unique sea salt scent.

"Want some too?"

Hidaka Mirai looked up at the cup of sake in front of her, somewhat at a loss.

"Otherwise, what are you doing sitting here!" Master Wu glared at her defiantly, as if it were a matter of course. "Of course we should drink together!"

"But I'm still a minor..."

"How boring." Master Wu's attitude remained arrogant. "I don't care, you drink when I tell you to!"

Hidaka Mirai:......

That's really unreasonable.

Is it really okay for these "little girls" to gather together and drink?
But judging from Lord Wu's attitude, refusing her seems impossible...

I will try to convince myself in the future.

Driven by a secret curiosity, she hesitated and nodded.

Perfect timing, since Mom, Dad, and my nagging brother aren't around.

Actually... I'd really like to try what alcohol tastes like in the future.

So, drinking just a little bit shouldn't be a problem, right? (End of Chapter)