Chapter 1: Consent Form

My mind couldn't move past the fear, the horror, or the confusion. Everything felt so damn real!

I unconsciously spoke.

"The . . . Afterlife?"

He nodded with a grin on his face. "Indeed, and you do know what that means, right?"

Do I know what that means?

Yeah, I know and It's ridiculous!

When he clearly said I'm in the Afterlife that could only mean one thing—but well. . . that is if you know what the meaning of the term Afterlife is.

To put it out. 'After' and 'Life' clearly translate to The Life after Death. So he wants me to say that I'm now only a soul or maybe a consciousness without a body, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'll believe everything, this must be all a dream, a nightmare to be exact.

"You don't know?" He frowned and tightened his brows.

I now realized that I haven't answered him yet. I stared at him trying my best to think If he's real or an imaginative person made by a dream.

"Are we just gonna have a staring contest or what?" he arched a brow. I could tell he is getting impatient.

I bit my lip a lump filled my throat. It took me a minute to answer.

"Of course not," I mumbled.

"Why are you making that face?"

"Well . . ." I pursued my lips, considering. "If you—no, If this is, after all, just a dream, that's exactly the kind of things you would hear. My Imagination must be used up and ended up having a you are dead type of dream.

He sighed. "You are making this difficult," He then proceeds to touch his forehead delicately rubbing his slim fingers up and down. "If I tell you something, will you finally believe that you are not in a dream?"

He waited for my answer. "Maybe," I said after a second of thought. "It depends."

"You woke up and head to the Cafe with your friends remember? Then you chatted and talked about getting a game, but when you crossed that road, you woke up in my place that is called The Afterlife."

"Hmmm . . . I don't know. Is that the best you can do?" I criticized. "That definitely won't prove I'm awake."

That's what I remember, but what If It was all a dream?

He hesitated then spoke with great haste. "Want me to slap you awake? I'll gladly do It."

The way he said those words gave shivers down my spine, also the way he looked at me, Yeesh, If looks could kill, I'll be dead by now. I tried to push away the feeling that I might wake up screaming because I was roughly being slapped by a kid. I wouldn't want my neighbors to think I'm crazy.

"Just listen to me, Komuko—" Komuko? that's not me.

"It's Koizuko" I cut him off.

"Just listen to me Koizuko." He repeated shrugging it off.

"I don't know how I'll get you to believe me, but I know you are not dumb. You are better than this. So you'll have to believe me." He said cooly with a serious look on his face.

"Are you Insulting me? —Also, how could I just believe a person who keeps saying I'm dead—On top of that, It's a kid that's telling me to believe him!"

"But you are dead, Koimuko!" Again, I'm not Koimuko.

"It's Koizuko!"

"I know what I said!"

"Know you didn't!"

This is unbelievable. . . I can't believe I'm arguing with a kid right now.

"I'm not dead! Why are you so persistent! Why am I not waking up?!"

I'm hyperventilating, I'm starting to panic—not because, I won't wake up—but because, I'm slowly starting to believe his nonsense.

He sighed "Do you even believe stuff like the Afterlife, bro?"

Huh? bro?

"No, I don't. Why would life not matter even if death is the end? To use the classic analogy, all food is just going to turn into shit in the end, so why eat food that tastes good? It's only a temporary circumstance." I replied. It is quite true and I see no reason to do this. I value my family, despite it being a temporary situation. I value my body, my mind, my skills, my friends, my life, yet all of these things will one day be gone. I see no reason to link value to eternity, and in fact... find the idea both alien and depressing.

"The truth is that everything we value in life is temporary. Our spouses will one day die, or we will. Our children will leave. We will change houses, cars, clothes, jobs. If value is only in the eternal, then you're simply defining value out of observable existence." The child then replied back. He sounded very wise for a second there.

"Ugh, this is actually stressing me out." I can't argue with this kid. Every minute I spend with him is slowly making me insane.

"Just believe me, you'll lose nothing If you do."

He is correct, even If I believe him. I won't lose anything.

"Fine, If you don't want to believe me then don't, I won't meddle any further—but I wish of you to reconsider." He heaved out a sigh of disappointment.

I'm relieved he gave up first than I did. It'll hurt my pride.

He walked past me and sat on the couch. Picking up a manga he was reading.

"I haven't introduced myself yet, huh?" He furrowed his brows with his realization.

That is quite true. You do realize that the more reason I won't believe you is that I'm arguing with a complete stranger. Everything is hardly stupid to believe in.

He did a short cough before speaking. "Hello, Nice to meet you. I am Kume. A god that gives guidance to those who have died young in Japan, you may call me whatever you like, I know this might come as a shock to you so I'm willing to answer each of all your questions, so we can proceed to the next step."

I was surprised when he started speaking so professionally. Every word he said sounded like It came from a provided script.

but wait?

"Pfttt..." I tried to hold my laughter, wow that was so sudden.

"Oi, what the hell are you laughing for?"

"Hey seriously, a God? really? I know you can do better than that!" I burst into laughter, I can't believe I'm talking to a God right now. Everything here sounded like It came from a novel!

"Y⁠—y⁠—You! Fine, you know what? I won't even bother anymore!" He pouted.

He threw the Manga off the ground and held out a document of some sort.

"I'll proceed then, here⁠—please put your name here and sign here and there..." He gave me a couple of documents and held out each one of them showing me what to write.

CONSENT FORM

I do hereby acknowledge, consent and agree to all of the following terms and conditions

1. I declare and give my consent to be reincarnated in another wor—

"Wait up! What the hell is this?!" I stopped reading and showed him the documents he gave me.

"It's paper, idiot."

"No! I meant the Consent Form, do I really need to fill this up?"

"Yeah duh, It's a rule that we must abide by."

"Wait then, what If I didn't agree?"

"Option one: be reborn as a human, starting a completely new life. And option two: Go straight to hell and work as a slave.”

Talk about lose-lose

"What about Heaven?"

"It isn't real."

"Wah? then why does hell exist!"

"I don't know, don't ask me." He replied, annoyed.

Hang on—are those seriously my only choices?

I was clearly dejected, but the self-proclaimed God gave me a huge smile.

"So being reborn isn’t so hot, either. You lose all your memories, and isn’t that basically the same as saying you, would cease to exist? and who even wants to go to hell? right?"

I've got no choice but to accept it huh?

...I had to admit, it was an attractive proposition, going into another world to live I wonder what kind of wor-

I could feel my excitement ramping up, first things first...

"Hey, this world you'll send me to? What kind of world is it? Is M⁠—m⁠—magic perhaps exist in that world."

"Yep It does, so hurry up and sign it already!"

Woah, wait wait wait. Magic? I liked games, sure, but I never thought I’d have the chance to live in a world just like one.

“C’mon, hurry up, will you? It doesn’t matter what you do anyway. No one’s expecting anything from a dead man so just sign it and get outta here! Come on—we haven’t got all eternity! Your friends are waiting!”

Friends?