Translated: Sei, MTL-sensei-tachi
Edited: Sei, Grammarly no Danna

Support us on Ko-Fi to make this translation and the translators keep alive. Thank you
This chapter sponsored by orthius

Chapter 1 | "I Don't Understand" | Remake our Life!

Part 6

    After all the ruckus I made, my family got ready for bed without any trouble.
    "Maki, did you brush your teeth properly?"
    "Ye~s, I've brushed it!"
    The daughter showed her teeth with a grin, and the mother nodded her head with a smile and said, "Well done".
    I stared at the scene as if I were someone else.
    And before the day changed, I was in bed.
    (This, I didn't notice this when I woke up this morning... that)
    I thought it was awfully big for one person. I knew it was strange that there was still so much space beside me even when I was in a large position.
    "Dad, what's wrong? You've been lost in thought."
    In bed, Shinoaki speaks to me from a close distance. 
    "Ah, no... it's not like that."
    The bed was too big, but then again, it was a king size bed for two. I probably should have noticed when there were two pillows on the bed.
    (I thought it was because Maki was sleeping)
    When it came time to go to bed, it was the mother, not the daughter, who came into bed.
    "Maki was really excited today, wasn't she."
    Shinoaki said with a giggle.
    "Is that so?"
    "Yes. I guess it's different when Dad's home."
    It seemed that I was busy with work, or that I was usually not home on holiday.
    "Sorry, I've been busy..."
    "Hm-Hmm. You’re working for the sake of us."
    I thought, this conversation sounds like it was made in a drama setting.
    Shinoaki, who is here, is real, and so is Maki. However, the conversations I had with them were somehow unrealistic, as if they were saying prepared lines.
    I was remembering an SF story I read a long time ago. The human race had already died out, and the lone survivor was given the chance to live in a virtual space where memories of happier times were implanted. But he gradually realizes the true nature of the world he has created and questions and rants about it to those around him. Then the world began to collapse, and the Creator's words can be heard with a sigh, "It was no good after all".
    Then the stage goes dark and disappears, leaving only the man behind.
    (It became an unpleasant imagination. Let's stop...)
    From outside the window, I can hear the sound of the train running. The sound changes dramatically as the train passes a bridge over the Tama River. There must be a lot of people on the train, and each of them must have a past that they have walked through.
    But to me... At the moment, all I remember is that I was born this morning. As I gained more information, the number of things I didn't know decreased, but the anxiety of being left behind remained.
    Will it be like this forever. Or.
    "Kyouya-kun"
    Suddenly, Shinoaki called my name. The warm voice from before had a faintly moist tone to it.
    "Hmm?"
    I turned around and saw something gently touch my lips.
    "Ah... Mmm..."
    I let out a pathetic sound as Shinoaki kissed me.
    "Nn... Kyouya-kun ... Chu, Haa... Nn"
    "Shinoaki... Nn, Chyu..."
    It was very different from the one time I had kissed her, which had happened by chance or by the flow.
    A kiss that seeks each other out. A kiss between two people who love each other, who repeatedly touch and pull apart, and whose tongues occasionally touch each other.
    I wasn't in a relationship with Shinoaki yet. I had a hunch that it might happen in the future, but it would take some time.
    And yet, here we were, doing what lovers do. Cheat and skip the daily scenes and the first half of the exclusive route.
    (My head is... starting to feel fuzzy)
    I thought we were friends until yesterday. I wonder why we're kissing.
    (But... I'm relieved)
    Her hand was on my chest. The heat transmitted from there seemed to melt my anxiety.
    Naturally, I wrapped my hands around her body. In the midst of my anxiety that I couldn't share with anyone else, her warmth seemed clearly real.
    I remembered her naked body that I had seen earlier. The thought of that body right there, right now, made me even more excited.
    The scent of shampoo after a bath and the slightly elevated body temperature were pleasant. I was caught up in the fantasy that it would be nice to melt away with the world.
    "Kyouya... kun"
    Shinoaki's lips parted slightly. Her eyes are fixed on me.
    As she whispers,
    "It's okay……"
    Said so, she closed her eyes and surrendered her body to me.
    (Eh, this is...)
    The warmth was quickly turning into heat. The meaning of her words and actions were indeed recognizable, no matter how insensitive I was.
    Come to think of it, that could have happened at any time.
    I and she are a married couple.
    It was because of this that the child was born, and it is no longer a special thing now, but something that is done on a daily basis... maybe.
    But I hadn't done anything with her yet, as far as I could remember. Of course, I felt guilty about doing so, and that was a stopper.
    But shamefully, the male function was ready to go. The warmth of her body and her sweet scent were stirring me up, trying to erase the guilt.
    My heart is racing like crazy.
    What should I do here... Do it?
    "U-Um..."
    After much consideration, I.
    "T-Today, let’s stop... I've got an early day tomorrow."
    I chose not to do it.
    "Yes... I got it."
    She nodded easily and smiled.
    "It's been a long time since someone called me Shinoaki."
    "Ah... right"
    "Fufu, that made me feel a little nostalgic."
    Her current name should be Hashiba Aki. If she was suddenly called by the name she had been called before her marriage, she must have had some memories that came back to her.
    What was the story behind it? Was it a happy story? Or perhaps there was a bittersweet past?
    Shinoaki flicked her tongue out and kissed me softly,
    "Good night, dad"
    She said, turning her face to the ceiling and closing her eyes.
    "Yeah, good night..."
    I closed my eyes and turned my face to the dark ceiling.
    The last train had ended, and I could no longer hear the sound of the train. The sound disappeared, the images disappeared, and I rapidly became sleepy from the exhaustion of everything that had happened.
    Would I be in this world when I woke up, or would I go to another one? The memories I had just before I fell asleep ended with such questions.

Part 7

    When I woke up, I was safely in the world of 2018, facing tomorrow.
    Secretly, I was thinking of going back to 2007. Originally, when I went back ten years ago, something incredibly unorthodox happened. As I am not the one who decides the rules for the time leap, there is no way I can know what will happen next.
    "I wonder what's going to happen, today..."
    My mind was still a bit blank. It seemed that Shinoaki was already up and preparing breakfast for me. From the living room, I could hear Maki's excited voice and the sound from the TV.
    "I have to go to work"
    Shaking my head, I chase away the sleepiness.
    As I stood up from the bed, I felt a nostalgic pain in my shoulders and back.
    "Eh, it’s a lie, right."
    The pain in my shoulders and lower back, which I hadn't noticed yesterday because I was so nervous and probably from exhaustion, was slowly coming over me.
    It was natural that I had turned 30 from 19, but it was hard to explain because I had forgotten what it felt like to be young again.
    "Kuh... I wish they'd just conveniently cut this part out."
    Like I used to do, I rubbed my shoulders and hips as I made my way to the living room.
    "Ah~, it's Dad! Good morning~!"
    The moment I opened the door, Maki came running and clung to me.
    "Good morning. Is Maki ready to go to school?"
    When I said that, Maki gave me a strange look,
    "School starts at 8 o'clock, I haven't done it yet ~"
    "Maki loves Dad, so she's going to see you off."
    I could hear Shinoaki's voice coming from the kitchen.
    "Yes! That's right ~"
    Maki nodded and clung to me tightly.
    (Whoa...)
    Somehow, I suddenly felt very much in love with her, even though I had just met her yesterday.
    I don't even know what it's like to get married, so how can I expect to have a daughter? However, when I thought about the fact that such a cute little girl would eventually get married and leave my side, I felt that I could understand the pain of the fathers of the world.
    (Eventually, will we stop taking baths together, and will we do our laundry separately...)
    I don't know if that will really happen, but I thought it would be a big shock.

    I had breakfast, changed my clothes, and got ready to go out.
    "I'm off then"
    I told the two people who came to see me off at the door and put on my shoes.
    "Here, a lunch box"
    Shinoaki cooked not only breakfast but also lunch box. There were plenty of side dishes to choose from, and compared to the days when the only thing she could cook was instant noodles, she was a different person.
    "Thank you. Maki too, be careful."
    "Ye~s!"
    Maki replied, jumping cheerfully.
    I opened the door and walked down the hall to the elevator.
    When I turned around, the two of them had come outside to wave at me.
    I smiled and waved back, but it must have been unnatural somehow.

Part 8

    I left the apartment and walked down the street to the station.
    I had looked up the directions on the map, so there was no doubt, but I was still anxious and curious to see the scenery for the first time.
    "There's a park here? And if I go through here, it's a shortcut, and if I go to the other side, there's a shopping street... I see."
    I had always lived in Saitama when I lived in the Kanto area before, so the new atmosphere of the city was very refreshing.
    In front of the station, a bookstore and a game store were combined, and there was a lot of information about hot titles and new releases.
    Comics were even more likely to originate from the Internet. There were more titles that I didn't even know existed in light novels. I felt that the percentage of romantic comedies was much higher than before.
    There was also a great deal of change in games. Of course, I didn't know that the new hardware from Jintendo was such a hot topic, and it was also interesting to see the latest monster slaying game.
    "...Honestly, I'd rather be doing research on this one all the time."
    But right now, the company is my top priority. I don't have time to be absorbed in books or games when I'm not even sure who I am.
    With my hair pulled back, I hurried on my way to the station with the bookstore by its side.
    In front of the station, there were more stores lined up. In addition to the traditional restaurants, there was also a commercial building that seemed to have been built recently. It seemed that the area in front of the station had been redeveloped a few years ago, and the atmosphere of the town had changed as a result.
    If I had come here in 2007, I'm sure it would have been a completely different town.
    It took me six minutes to walk from my apartment. I arrived at Noborito Station.
    "Well, here?"
    Noborito station is crossed by several train lines, and the station building was large and magnificent, probably due to a large number of transit passengers.
    Even though it was still early in the day for commuting, the train was packed with passengers.
    "That means... uuh, I see."
    Even stupid, I finally noticed there.
    As long as I work as a salaryman in the city center, there is almost certainly an inevitable hell waiting for me.

Part 9

    It had been a long time since I had been on a crowded train, but the nostalgia was fleeting and quickly turned to pain.
    "Oops, was the train in Tokyo this hard, kuh"
    I was completely stuck in the express train that I was pushed into. Even in Osaka, I occasionally rode a crowded train, but the level of crowdedness in Tokyo was unbelievable.
    After talking to Kawasegawa on the phone, I checked my pockets and wallet and found a business card. The location of my workplace was written on it.
    I took the Odakyu line to Yoyogi-uehara station and then transferred to the Chiyoda line to Meiji-jinguumae. The destination was just a short walk away.
    (It's a good location, where I work)
    Even though it was in the same Kanto area, it was quite far away, and considering the fact that it was a rundown building with overdue rent, it was a big difference.
    But at the moment, I don't really know what job I'm doing.
    (I hope it's a job I can do without a memory...)
    It would take a lot of effort to get used to a job that would require the skills I had gained in the blank decade. The thought of having to take a leave of absence due to amnesia would be enough to take away my strength.
    The train arrived at Yoyogi Uehara a little later than the scheduled time, and the transit passengers moved to the next train like an avalanche.
    I arrived at Meiji-jinguumae and went up to the ground level. As the station was adjacent to Harajuku, the area was filled with university students.
    "I see. I'm not a college student anymore."
    As soon as I thought we were about the same age, I realized that in this world I was more than 10 years older.
    I walked down Meiji-doori toward Shibuya with a pain in my shoulders and back that reminded me of my age, and saw signs for shadow games here and there, something I never saw 10 years ago.
    "I have to get used to it again, little by little..."
    I looked at the icons of typical social games that I had installed last night.
    I needed to familiarize my hands with the feel of a smartphone and my gaming habits, as I was completely used to using a cell phone. That too as soon as possible.
    A large spherical monument appeared in front of me. It was a landmark that I had checked on an online map service beforehand.
    "Ah, I arrived"
    A brand new commercial building on the street.
    A social game development company occupying half of the 10th floor.
    Attraction Point Corporation. This was where I worked in this world.

    "The reception is on the 5th floor... Ah, I need to be in development, not reception?"
    I pressed the wrong button on the elevator and rushed to press the button for the 3rd floor again.
    Attraction Point was originally one of the most famous game developers in the world when I was there in 2016. The company had made a hit with its app development in the featured phone era, and had successfully expanded to smartphones, becoming a medium-sized company. The company was not listed on the stock exchange, but I don't think it was on the verge of bankruptcy.
    I seemed to work as a manager at the manufacturer. Development Manager, 3rd Entertainment Division, Development Department. I had no idea what I was doing, but the word "manager" implied that it was an important position.
    On the 3rd floor, a nice office separated by smoked glass appeared.
    "Good morni... Whoa!"
    When I used my card key to enter the room, I found myself in a different dimension from the stylish exterior. Snoring and distressed voices echoed from under the countless desks. A note was written on a piece of cardboard, "Please don't wake me up until ○ o'clock" which seemed to indicate the misery of the situation.
    "I wonder if it was okay for me to take a normal day off on Sunday "
    I go through such a hell that it makes me anxious, and then I go to my desk.
    The development floor was large. There were dozens of desks. It was divided into several groups of areas, with partitions separating them.
    The 3rd Entertainment Division, to which I belong, was on the right after entering from the entrance. A row of about eight desks. My desk was positioned on the head seat at the back of the row.
    "Great, looks like things are still good here."
    It seemed that no one had come to work yet on the unit where I was working. Probably not even the staff who had been staying there. The hell I had just seen was probably the team just before the release.     I felt a strange sense of nostalgia, as I had seen that scene so often before.
    I sat down on a chair for now.
    There was a picture of Shinoaki and Maki on my desk. Maybe it was a natural thing to do when you have a family, but I felt strange about what I was doing.
    "Is Kawasegawa... not here yet?"
    I looked around the floor, but didn't see anyone who looked like her.
    It was the moment when I picked up the paper with the number list to call an internal phone.
    "Ah, Hashiba-san!"
    Suddenly my name was called and I raised my face.
    She must have been about 24-25 years old. A young woman with glasses saw me and rushed over to me. As she ran, she bumped her body all over the place, dropping boxes and papers all over the place “Whoa-Whoa” “Mou!” She was angrily cleaning them up.
    "Morishita Miki" was written on the nameplate that was hung from the neck. Apparently, this clumsy girl is called Morishita-san.
    "Ano, the producer is calling, please hurry and come to Tahiti."
    She suddenly said something outrageous.
    "Eh, now?! That tropical country?"
    When I replied in surprise, Morishita-san puffed out her cheeks,
    "I'm sorry to call you here on a Monday morning! But I don't have time for jokes right now, so please, come quickly!"
    After saying that, she ran to the entrance of the floor, banging her body all over the place again.
    "What is Tahiti, ah"
    I had an idea, so I looked at the list of inner lines.
    It's common for companies with newer offices to name their conference rooms after animals or countries instead of using numbers to keep track of them.
    "……So that's it"
    As I had expected, the number list had Tahiti, Hawaii, and other tropical islands listed on it.

    When I took the stairs down to the second floor, I found a name plate with the names of the conference rooms posted in front of each room. I searched for Tahiti among them.
    I knocked on the door and was answered by a sharp female voice.
    "Come in"
    Morishita-san and a woman in a suit with bob-cut hair were sitting there.
    Compared to Morishita-san's nervousness, the woman seemed to have a strong spirit and seemed to be unfazed by everything. And I knew one woman in my memory who could create such an atmosphere.
    I didn't recognize her for a moment because of her hair, but her sharp eyes and well-groomed appearance were not so different from what I remembered.
    "Kawase... gawa?"
    I called out her name without thinking, and the woman with the bob cut ‘Haa’ she let out a sigh,
"Sorry, it's early in the morning. I'm having a little trouble."
    She said, and thumped the papers together in her hand.
    (But she's beautiful, as always)
    Even when she was a student, she was remarkably beautiful, and that has not changed even now, ten years later. In fact, I even feel that she is closer to perfection now that her age has caught up with her mature appearance.
    I must be about the same age as her, but Kawasegawa was much calmer, and to be honest, I was pressured. It was probably the result of the fact that she had been fighting since she was a student and continued to fight for the next ten years.
    "What's wrong? Look at other person's faces so seriously"
    Unconsciously, I couldn't help but look at her face and she gave me a dubious look.
    "N-No, nothing. Continue."
    "So. Then I'll talk."

    Kawasegawa began to tell the story in a straightforward manner, as if nothing had happened.
    A dignified voice echoes in Tahiti (meeting room) in the early morning.

Part 10

    Two hours after hearing the story in the conference room, Morishita-san and I were on the subway.
    "I'm really sorry I asked you to do this out so suddenly."
    Sitting next to me, she had been bowing with a sigh from earlier.
    "Don't worry about it. If I can help."
    "Thank you, after all as Kawasegawa-san says."
    She said and finally answered with a relieved expression.
    "What did Kawasegawa say?"
    "Yes. It will be okay if you leave it to Hashiba-san, so rest assured, she said. I always look anxious and fidgety, and Kawasegawa-san scolds me for it."
    Well, I can kind of guess what it looks like.
    But I guess I'm in a position where Kawasegawa has put all her trust in me, in this world.
    "Ano, Hashiba-san... You and the producer went to college together, right?"
    Kawasegawa was a producer? I think she is the right person for the job, but I was surprised to see that she is a bit far from the creative scene.
    "Yes, we've been making videos together for a long time."
    "He~e, you were on good terms."
    "Yeah, well..."
    It would be difficult to describe them as "good terms," but I think they understood each other well enough to cooperate.
    "Ano... You know, a relationship... like dating?"
    She's a girl who suddenly asks the most outrageous questions!
    "No, not at all, we've just always been normal friends."
    "Is that so? Your wife is also a classmate, so I thought maybe."
    "W-Well... that's right."
    Looking at it this way, since I was married to one of my classmates, Shinoaki, so it might be unavoidable that people think something happened with me and Kawasegawa.
    Well, since I don't have the memory, I can't be sure. Nothing happened... right?
    The name of the Ikebukuro station appeared on the information board inside the train.
    "The next one, right? Where we're getting off."
    "Ah, yes-yes."
    Morishita-san nodded and got up from her seat. I followed her lead.
    I used to work for a manufacturer in Saitama, so I am familiar with Ikebukuro among the cities in Tokyo... or it was supposed to be.
    However, I hadn't been to Tokyo in about a year, but I didn't feel very nostalgic. I suppose it was partly because I was spending a lot of time in the dark, but even discounting that, I didn't feel any emotion.
    It's just a big city. The Tokyo I was seeing now was still just a place like that.

    I got off the subway at Ikebukuro and went up to the ground through the west exit.
    "It's this way. I think it's straight around the corner from the park..."
    Morishita-san looked at the map on her smartphone and headed for the destination, still making a few mistakes.
    Compared to the east exit, where Sunshine and Otome Road are located, the west exit is more of a drinking area and has an image of being far away from otaku. I still feel a little self-conscious about it.
    "Ah, I've arrived! It's here"
    A dozen-story apartment building near the police station.
    Although it is not a so-called tower apartment, the building is luxurious and looks like a high-class building. The trees surrounding the building have been carefully pruned and look like a garden.
    "Wow, to live in a place like this."
    "Because she is a very popular writer... If it were me, the rent alone would be enough to wipe out my salary."
    In front of the intercom at the entrance, Morishita-san's movements came to a halt.
    "Ano……"
    She looked at me like she was having a hard time saying it,
    "Yeah, I'll take it from here then."
    "I am sorry……"
    She looked completely unsure of herself, and I pressed the intercom on her behalf.
    There was a ping-pong and dry sound, and after a while,
    "Ye~s"
    A woman's voice came over the speakers, sounding a little dour.
    "This is Hashiba from Attraction Point, who sent you an e-mail about earlier..."
    I said, in the middle of saying a greeting,
    "Ah, Hashiba-san, I've been waiting for you! I'll open the door now~"
    A strangely familiar voice sounded, and the front door quietly opened.
    "Is this OK?"
    I turned around and looked at Morishita-san.
    "Haa... Hashiba-san is amazing after all"
    With a sigh, there was her face, wrinkled between her brows.
    First, I walked through the door and went inside.
    "But where did you learn that method?"
    She looked at me curiously, and I started explaining from the beginning.
    "If we suddenly ring the intercom, they won't be ready to greet us, and there's a higher chance that they'll use the answering machine because it's too much trouble to explain in the first place, right?"
    No matter what kind of person you are, you will always want to be upset or reject a sudden visitor.
    "Yes, in fact, she always pretends to be out."
    ‘Muu’, Morishita-san muffled a grunt.
    "So, the first thing I do is to send an email, after confirming via social media that the person is at home, and then I send an email with this message. 'I'm on the street in front of your house, can I come and visit you?' Like that"
    "Eh, but you sent the mail about 30 minutes ago, right...?"
    "I mean, she's going to have to fix her makeup and get ready for everything, right?"
    ‘Aa~’, Morishita-san seemed to understand.
    "That's why I send an email ahead of time to get her prepared and to get her mind ready. And said, I'm not angry, and also include the atmosphere. Just by doing this, you can greatly increase your chances of meeting"
    ‘I see’, Morishita-san nodded with a look of admiration.
    Although not always 100%, it was important for us to show our "willingness not to antagonize" the other party if there was anything that the other party felt guilty about or hesitated to do.
    "That's really great, did you used to be a detective?"
    "No, not at all. I was just a normal director."
    ......Well, there have been many times in the Bishojou Game industry when staff members have run away or lost contact with them, so I naturally get used to these methods.
    If possible, I think it's the knowledge that I don't really want to gain. From the bottom of my heart.
    "Well, but I'm glad we made it just with this."
    "Just with this...?"
    "I wouldn't go so far as to say breaking the law, but I've had worse outrageous methods..."
    As I spoke quietly, Morishita-san trembled.
    Checking the electric meter to make sure it's working, checking the room's occupancy, and checking every single family restaurant in the area, and so on... when I remember, it's really like a detective.