Just Another Year

EPILOGUE

Saturday - 13:00

I had just finished packing up my things from my room when I heard a knock on the door. I opened it already knowing who would be on the other side.

“How was the meeting, Toby?” Tamari asked, walking to the bed and sitting down. I smiled at the greeting. Even though it had been a day since she started calling me by my preferred name, I still wasn't used to it. The first time she called me that, after that eventful board meeting, I nearly died of shock. However, that might have just been due to the blood loss I had suffered moments before that.

“As expected,” I said, sitting down on the other side of the bed. I had just finished an important meeting to discuss what should be done about ISEKAI and the technology. "Everything has been dealt with. I discussed possibilities with the government and the fantasy worlds, but an agreement couldn't be arranged between them. The government didn't care about the moral aspect but they were adamant about keeping the technology for themselves so that the general public wouldn't find out about the implications. They gave a flowery speech about not wanting people to give up on the real world to live in a fantasy one, but in reality, they were probably just worried about the economy or something along those lines. In the end, the technology got banned and sealed away, never to be used again.

"Meanwhile, the managers and directors have all been secretly arrested and sentenced to prison for life. Once their souls return to them, they will find things are a little less comfortable in prison than they might have thought. The ISEKAI campuses will be sold and I will split the profits among those that had been Isekai'd in the past. They deserve some compensation. Of course, they won't ever know the true reason why they were given the money, but that's fine. As long as they got it.

"The rest of the staff will be slapped with Non-Disclosure-Agreements and will be split up into different workforces depending on their job in ISEKAI. TRUCK-KUN agents will mostly get jobs driving trucks. The STEALTH agents will mostly become detectives or private investigators. The GAMER agents will be folded for the most part into other gaming companies. The RANDOM agents will be given a large list of job opportunities that they can each choose to be working in. Lastly, the ISEKAI workers will be forced into low-level government jobs.

"In regards to Isekai projects, there will still be a few products being made naturally by people in this world that become popular, but the tidal wave of Isekai that flooded the market will come to an abrupt halt. We expect that people around the world will be vocally split on the outcome, but after a couple of weeks, the uproar will die down, as it usually does. With that done, everything will have been taken care of on our end."

“How about Terry and Thaddeus?” Tamari asked. “I expected to see them at least once more before packing out. Where are they?”

“They didn’t want to stick around, both for different reasons. Thaddeus returned to university and is continuing his engineering degree. We made up and agreed to get together every month to just hang around and talk. Terry exiled himself into hiding since he can't get over his shame. We made up before he left, but he still blames himself for everything that happened. He promised to keep in touch though.”

"Well, you still have me!" Tamari said, moving closer to him on the bed.

“What are your plans?” I asked. “Are you going to continue to drive?”

“Sort of,” Tamari said. “I plan on becoming a driving instructor. I think I will enjoy it for its similar nature of tutoring kids on how to drive.”

"That’s very nice," I said. I plan on opening a karate dojo to teach karate. I have had enough of driving. I just want to focus on other things now.”

"Other things such as what?" Tamari prodded teasingly.

"You know," I said awkwardly. "Life....and stuff."

"I hope that 'stuff' isn't referring to a girlfriend," Tamari teased.

"Yep," I joked. "I agree that her name is stupid, but babies can't choose their names.

"So there’s no leftover business to take care of regarding ISEKAI?" Tamari asked, getting back on topic.

“There isn’t anything else that needs to be done,” I confirmed.

"That's good news," Tamari said shuffling toward me. "That means that we can have more free time together."

"Sadly, it won't be that much time," I said. "We are getting on in years after all."

"You know it's rude to imply a woman's age, right?" Tamari asked.

"Let me correct myself," I said. "I am getting on in years after all."

"That's much better," Tamari said.

They sat awkwardly on the bed for another minute before Tamari moved a little closer to me. "You know, Toby, when we first met in TRUCK-KUN all of those years ago, I knew right at that moment deep down that I liked you."

"Sorry, could you repeat that?" Toby said. "I am not fluent in Corny or Cheesy."

"Oh, shush," Tamari said, reaching over to flick my ear. Predicting that it was coming, I caught her hand and held it tenderly.

"I have liked you as well for a long time," I said, holding her gaze in mine. "I have just been too nervous to reveal my true feelings, even to myself. I hope you can forgive my rudeness, Tamari."

Tamari froze in shock. That was the first time that I had called her by her preferred name.

"Let's get out of here," I continued, getting up and leading her to the door. 

We left the campus once and for all, and spent the rest of the day together. Then the week. Then the year. That resulting year had been pure bliss for me. I had experienced for the first time what true love was.

As a smaller, yet still appreciative bonus, it was just another year without having to do any missions, without having to stalk targets, and without having to transport souls to another world.

In short, it was just another year that the world had to thank me for finally making the wishes that millions of people yearned for a reality.

NO MORE ISEKAI.

THE END