Published: July 30, 2025
A man stood alone in an empty space. His face looked somewhat worn, with streaks of gray in his hair, appearing to be in his late forties or early fifties.
Yet, in contrast to his head, his body from the neck down—wearing what was probably pajamas, a plain T-shirt and loose-fitting shorts—was covered in bulging muscles, telling of a well-trained and youthful physique.
“Hm...? Where am I?”
The man blinked and muttered, and suddenly three men and women appeared before him out of nowhere.
“You’ve regained consciousness, haven’t you?”
“Is your mind clear?”
“We’d appreciate it if you could respond.”
“Ah, yes, I’m fine. I was surprised by the suddenness, so I’m late in greeting you. My name is Ryoma Takebayashi.”
“Don’t be so stiff, come, have some tea.”
Hearing Ryoma’s reflexive greeting, the elderly man with a long beard smiled gently and waved his hand horizontally. Instantly, a low table appeared where there had been nothing, with tea and cushions prepared for everyone.
“Now, please have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
Among the three who appeared, the lone woman smiled cheerfully and beckoned Ryoma. He bowed politely and sat on a cushion. The old man took the seat opposite Ryoma, the woman sat to his right, and the last one, a boy, took the cushion on the left.
Surrounding the table, they began drinking the tea provided. After taking a sip, Ryoma asked,
“Excuse me, I have a few questions. May I ask?”
“Of course. We’re here for that. However, I can roughly guess what you want to know. First, listen to our story. You’ll probably understand the answers you seek within it.”
“Understood, thank you.”
Seeing Ryoma bow his head in agreement, the elderly man, who introduced himself as Gain, nodded once and succinctly explained the current situation.
“Indeed. We are what humans call ‘gods.’ I am Gain, the creator god. The woman on your right is Lurutia, the goddess of love. And the boy to your left is Kufo, the god of life. We come from a world different from your Earth.
Unfortunately, you passed away last night while sleeping. We brought your soul, now detached from your body after death, here. This place is what is known as Heaven.”
“I see, so that’s what’s going on.”
Ryoma nodded in understanding and took another sip of tea. The three gods appeared confused by his reaction. Kufo, the boylike god, was especially surprised.
“Huh? That’s it!? You’re not going to say things like ‘No way, this must be a lie!’ or ‘Why did I die!?’?”
“Most who come here have been more upset…”
“No, I am surprised and find it unreal, yes. But if it’s a dream, I’ll just wake up when time passes. And in reality, everyone dies eventually. Besides, my job—or rather, my company—was tough… many colleagues and new employees retired early due to health issues, so I always thought I’d probably die young too. Honestly, I’m surprised my body lasted until now, nearing 40.
Also, I have geeky hobbies like games and manga, even at my age, and I love stories like this. I had no family or relatives, so being ashes would be less pleasant than this.”
Ryoma spoke sincerely and contentedly, but the gods’ perplexity did not subside.
“Is that so? Do humans really think like that? Have you somewhat achieved enlightenment?”
“And your hobbies don’t matter. I knew others with the same interests, but they were excited, even unable to listen to the story… Though it’s much better that you’re not pessimistic.”
“Well, it saves us time convincing you… though it leaves us less to talk about. Is there anything else you want to ask?”
Ryoma pondered for a moment and then slowly spoke.
“Then… why did I die?”
“Oh? That’s your first question?”
“Yes. I figured death could come anytime, but I have no memory of it.”
“Well, with that kind of death, there’s no way you’d remember.”
“Your cause of death was brain hemorrhage from hitting your head.”
“What!?… As far as I recall, I was trying to sleep in my room.”