Faced with Satoru Gojo's questions, Subaru Natsuki was completely honest, answering almost everything he was asked.
Before long, a lot of personal details about Subaru were laid bare in front of Gojo.
But after asking those questions, Gojo fell silent, deep in thought.
Because he had realized something.
Something important.
Even though both he and Subaru came from a country called Japan, and both knew places like Tokyo and Hokkaido, there were still countless differences between their worlds.
And these were not minor regional quirks.
They were fundamental contradictions. Even historical events did not line up at all.
That meant there was only one possible explanation.
The Japan Subaru came from was not the same Japan Gojo came from.
On top of that, the timing of their arrival did not match either.
Before being transported, Gojo had been living in the year 2006. Subaru, on the other hand, had come from 2016.
A full ten-year gap.
All of this completely overturned Gojo's common sense.
At the same time, it made him even more curious about the so-called "system" that had brought both of them into this world.
It could even manipulate time. That was absurdly overpowered.
It felt like the door to an entirely new world had been kicked open.
Lost in thought, Gojo kept shoveling berry cake into his mouth.
When it came to thinking hard, sweets were the most effective fuel.
"Excuse me, another berry cake, please!"
"One more berry cake!"
"Sorry, could I get another one too…"
Across from him, Subaru watched his companion wave his spoon nonstop, clearing plate after plate, and could not help but complain.
"Gojo, did you skip breakfast or something?"
"Of course I ate."
Gojo replied without even looking up, fully immersed in the sweetness in front of him.
"But you've already eaten a bunch of berry cakes."
"Haven't you heard? Desserts go into a different stomach."
"That saying shouldn't even exist."
Before long, after finishing the last bite of cake in front of him, Gojo finally stopped.
Not because he did not want more, but because the last silver coin he had gotten from Reinhard yesterday was officially gone.
Small plates were stacked up high on the table.
"Whew. I'm full. Let's go for a walk."
"Sitting around after eating isn't good for you."
Gojo stood up, stretched his body, and invited Subaru along.
After leaving the cake shop, Subaru scratched his cheek.
"Gojo, is it really okay for us to just… do nothing?"
"Then what do you think we should be doing?"
Gojo replied casually, his steps light.
"Like in light novels, forming a party and becoming mercenaries or something."
"Before you showed up, I already went to the tavern, you know. There weren't any quests at all. Just a bunch of demi-humans spitting at me."
"And I didn't see anything like a quest board, or bounty posters either…"
As they talked, sudden cries rang out from the street nearby.
Both of them turned toward the sound.
A child had fallen in the road and was crying.
Not far away, a carriage pulled by a creature called an Earth Dragon was charging forward at full speed.
At that pace, even if the driver tried to stop, inertia alone would carry it straight over the child.
"Th-This… could this be the event that triggers my special ability?!"
Since arriving in this world, Subaru's life had been so peaceful it barely felt like a transmigration at all.
But now.
Staring at this life-or-death moment, his thoughts instantly raced.
In all the novels he had read, scenes like this happened all the time. The protagonist awakened hidden potential in a crisis and gained unimaginable power.
"All right!"
"Leave it to me. I'll save them!"
Subaru shouted, swung his arm, dropped to one knee, and stretched his hand toward the child in the street.
Setting aside how effective it might be, the pose itself was full of spirit.
"Oh?"
"Hey, partner, don't forget about me!"
"Let this world witness our talent together!"
Just as Subaru struck his pose, Gojo, looking like he had noticed something amusing, stepped in beside him without hesitation.
Standing slightly behind and to the side, one hand pushed up his sunglasses while the other extended toward the child as well.
The two of them stood there together.
In the middle of a bustling street, at a critical moment, they looked exactly like a pair of tone-deaf weirdos.
But no one was paying attention to them.
Everyone's eyes were locked on the child's safety.
At that very instant.
Subaru suddenly saw the child, who had been lying on the ground, wobble slightly.
Then, right in front of everyone, the child was lifted up by some unseen force and flew straight toward Subaru and Gojo.
"Whoa!"
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
As for Subaru, his excitement nearly exploded out of his chest.
"It worked!"
"I did it!"
"Gojo, did you see that?!"
"This is it! This is the magic activation event!!!"
Subaru shouted excitedly, the plastic bag in his hand rustling loudly with every movement.
The lifted child flew toward the side of the road, narrowly avoiding the speeding dragon carriage and landing safely by the curb.
Watching the child draw closer and closer, the excitement in Subaru's eyes grew even stronger. He even tossed the plastic bag aside, ready to catch the child as gently as possible.
He had already planned how he would celebrate afterward.
Surely everyone around them would cheer for his heroic act.
Just as Subaru prepared to embrace that moment.
The child reached him.
Subaru reached out.
But the child did not stop.
Still flying.
Passing straight by him and continuing onward.
"Huh?"
Subaru froze as the child sailed past his side.
He stared blankly at his own hand and even waved it experimentally.
Trying to pull the child back through the air.
Nothing happened.
Everything that had just occurred felt like an illusion, leaving him questioning reality itself.
With those tangled emotions churning inside him, Subaru slowly turned his head.