“It’s fine now, ma’am, so please go home quickly. Take the girl and go away.”

Oh, it’s no use. It’s over, it’s over, it’s over for me! Yeah, I’ll buy a katana tomorrow. Then, I’ll commit harakiri. Rather than exposing myself to any further disgrace, I’ll expose my innards and prove myself as a warrior. That’s right, I’ll do that… I wonder where they sell katana.

I thought of asking, “Hey, ma’am, do you know where? You don’t? No, of course not. It’s fine. That’s not something you need to know. It’s fine, so just go away. Yeah, right, right, I am very sorry. I am a hikikomori. A top-class, high-level hikikomori. There are hardly any hikikomori out there who can claim to be as worthless as I am. I’m unemployed. I’m trash. I’m a hack! I don’t want you people to help, though. I’m fine, so just go away. See? Look, I’ll give this back. I’ll give back your two pamphlets. So, please, just go away as fast as you can, right now!”

“W-w-well then, please forgive me for bothering you at such a busy time.”

Hurriedly averting her eyes, the older woman turned abruptly and prompted the girl behind her. “We’re going now, Misaki. Let’s walk back to the assembly hall, okay?”

Yeah, go home, go home. Go home right away. You too, Misaki, disappear quickly!

Hm? What, Misaki? What’s that expression for? Even though the old lady’s already left, why are you going out of your way to lower your parasol and stare into my face? What, you have a problem with something, huh? Hey, what’s that look for? What the hell are you looking at? What are you laughing at? Are you making fun of me? Are you laughing at me…?!

Indeed, it appeared that I was being thoroughly ridiculed by a religious girl I didn’t even know.

For just a second, she raised her parasol and looked directly into my face; She was smiling brightly. It was an adorable, mocking smile. And I wanted to die.

Because I was being laughed at by someone as crazy as a cult-loving girl; because I was being completely looked down upon; and, more than anything, because her smile was unnecessarily cute, for those various reasons…

I can’t go on. I’m seriously going to die.

Goodbye.

Goodbye, religious, middle-aged woman.

Goodbye, Misaki, holding your parasol.

Goodbye, goodbye, everyone.

I’ll be setting off on my journey. I’ll shut my apartment door, turn the lock, draw the curtains, and set off on my journey.