I'm in a Messed Up Situation that I Couldn't Care More. - Chapter 30: Mamejiro's Ignorance Knows No Bounds

Chapter 30: Mamejiro’s Ignorance Knows No Bounds

I received a message from Koichi.

“Mamejiro! Where the hell have you been?! Can you come to the gym now?”

“Sure. It’s been a while. I’ll be there soon.”

————————

As soon as I stepped into the gym, Koichi rushed towards me.

“Mamejiro! I finally got a hold of you.

Where have you been? You haven’t been coming to club activities at all.”

“Well… I was bedridden with the flu.”

“Eh?! The flu isn’t even in season right now?!

You’re really ahead of the trend!”

Koichi is straightforward… or rather, he’s a bit simple-minded, so he believes lies easily.

Recently, I discovered that “the other me” who belongs to this world attends a nearby university, and I’ve been carefully investigating his behavior patterns.

If I accidentally ran into “the other me,” it could be life-threatening.

Knowing his behavior patterns and the areas he frequents is crucial to avoiding such an encounter.

If we were to meet and both recognize that we are identical, one of us would disappear within 24 hours.

Not disappear as in death, but literally “vanish.”

Which one vanishes is decided randomly.

This is common knowledge among Travelers.

Hannya taking the risk to meet “the other” Koichi was quite a dangerous act.

I was relieved to find out that “the other me” doesn’t seem to intrude into my usual areas.

He appears to be a gloomy nerd who only studies.

Koichi started talking without even offering me a chair.

“Listen to this! A fake Aoi-chan appeared, a portal opened, and I ended up dating Yamaguchi Yuuka!!!”

“Hah?!?”

—————————–

I managed to calm down the excited Koichi.

He has a bad memory and seems to struggle with explanations, so his story was all over the place.

I had to stop him multiple times and ask for clarification before I could finally grasp the whole situation.

“To summarize, that Hiruma woman is a merchant who deals with Travelers.

And the fake Aoi, who is a Worm, is that Hiruma’s business rival.”

“Hiruma-san said the fake Aoi-chan probably won’t show up again.

However, I have a feeling she might come back.”

“So, is it true that you have a portal?”

“Portal? Oh, the ring-like thing? Yeah, I have it.”

Koichi casually and leisurely confirmed that he had it.

Koichi brought the portal from his room.

I narrowed my eyes at the prototype portal, seeing it for the first time.

Portals are terrifying items.

Seeing the prototype portal and its administrator together was a first for me.

Kashitani Koichi.

As I suspected, he is the administrator of the portal connecting 1142 and 1145.

He might even possess the power to open countless portals like Hannya.

Koichi then spoke.

“You can open it by throwing it against the wall. Want to try?”

He said this in a carefree voice.

“Don’t! The ritual shouldn’t be taken lightly.”

“Ritual?”

“Yes, opening a portal is a sacred ritual.”

“Mamejiro, did you learn all this from online videos too?

I’ve been too busy working to check the internet.”

Koichi carelessly placed the portal on the table.

“Hey! Don’t handle the portal so roughly.

If you put it down too forcefully, it could create a hole in the table or the floor.

And if someone gets sucked in, they could lose their life.

If you or I were to fall in, we might not find our way back.”

“Really? You know a lot about this.”

Koichi stared at me with a blank expression.

I held my head in my hands.

Hasn’t that Himura woman taught him anything?

He doesn’t understand the dangers of portals.

Depending on how it’s used, it could be an item that sends people into the abyss.

“Anyway, put the portal away for now.”

I couldn’t bear to watch Koichi handle the portal so carelessly.

“I think I understand the situation now.

Let’s talk more about the fact that you’re dating Yamaguchi Yuuka…”

I patted Koichi on the shoulder.

I didn’t care about Himura or the matter of the fake Aoi.

My top priority is Yamaguchi Yuuka, the most important target for me.

It’s my mission to confuse her and guide her towards the dark branch.