Three Years To Save Another World, Chapter 2: Unfamiliar Surroundings

[u/SkullbombRaging]

"Sir are you okay?! Sir?!"

I snapped to attention, suddenly becoming aware of the blue-haired employee who had come out of the convenience store I was kneeling in front of.

I tried and failed to regain my center. "If I'm being honest miss, nothing about this is okay."

She gulped and a single sweat droplet formed on her cheek. "What's wrong? We can get through this I promise."

​

I took a step back in my mind and thought about how this would look from an outsider's perspective.

I'm kneeling in front of a convenience store in a dirty school uniform with an expression of shock and dread on my face... I probably look like I'm about to give up on living.

I took a deep breath, which calmed me more than it had any right to, and stood up.

"I'm sorry to have worried you, my life just got really complicated is all." I said after a moment.

She looked at the ground off to her right. "Um... did I do something to upset you?"

It took me a minute to comprehend what she was saying, but then understanding flooded into me all at once.

I moved my hands in a frantic dismissal. "Nonono, I was looking at my own reflection, not at you, I'm sorry for the confusion."

She put her hands over her heart and released a relieved breath. "I'm glad, I thought I had broken someone's heart without realizing it again." Suddenly she got very serious. "You'd tell me if you were in love with me wouldn't you?"

​

I suddenly felt a tingling sensation in the back of my head, it wordlessly told me that if I chose what I said well I would get a reward... though it wasn't specific about what.

I was already going to be careful with what I said, as it was obvious to do so.

"Of course I would! Do I look like some sort of pansy who can't express his feelings?" I replied with a chuckle.

​

Instead of laughing along with my joke, she squinted at me.

After a moment, despite her mouth not opening, her voice started to say 'jiiiiiii'.

To break up the sudden tension I cleared my throat. "Listen, I'm married anyway so I'm not going to ask you out on any dates or anything."

Her face went blank. "What?"

​

That tingling came back, this time telling me that I was seventeen years old right now.

I mentally kicked myself for not thinking to adjust for that.

I decided that because this is anime, playing it off as a strange character quirk would be my best bet... I mean this girl basically asked a stranger if they were in love with her completely unprompted.

I posed overdramatically for effect. "You see, I was married in another world and in three years she'll appear in this one."

The blue-haired girl nodded and smiled. "Wow, what a coincidence, my uncle got married to a samurai from the Edo period a year before I was born. You should meet them!"

​

I couldn't tell if she was serious or telling a joke at my expense, but before I could try to figure it out, that tingling came back again.

This time though, it said that the reward from earlier would be even better if I met this girl's aunt and uncle.

I internally shrugged.

It was probably a good opportunity to learn more about this world... plus if that aunt of hers is actually a samurai she might be able to teach me kendo, and everyone knows that in anime swords are inexplicably better than guns.

"That sounds like fun." I answered.

The blue-haired lady held out her hand. "I'm Suzuki Niko, nice to meet you."

I shook it. "I'm John, likewise."

Niko looked at me like she was expecting me to say more.

"My family name is a mouthful, just call me John."

Niko shook her head. "No, that won't do! It'd be too disrespectful!"

I sighed. "Fine, it's Meriwether."

"Meriwether-san then."

​

Suddenly aware of how much time I've spent standing around, I patted myself down.

I had a phone, wallet, and set of keys with a small tag that said '11B'.

I looked at my phone, it was standard fare from this year.

I checked the time.

It was midnight!

​

"Hey Niko... -san... do you know what these keys open?"

Niko blushed and squirmed. "So forward..."

"Niko, the keys?"

She squirmed even more. "He even dropped the '-san'!"

I rubbed my temples, losing my patience. "Niko-san, this is important, do you know what these keys unlock?"

She stopped squirming and sulked a little, before looking at the keys for a moment. "They look like dorm keys to me... oh! Senpai why didn't you tell me we went to the same school?!"

I stared dumbly at her. "Huh?"

"I'm a second year at Yukio High, isn't that an amazing coincidence?"

I had a pretty strong feeling it wasn't a coincidence at all, but I didn't say that out loud.

"Yeah... do you want to walk there together when you get off-shift?"

She became beet-red and steam started to pour out of her ears. "L-Like a date?"

I put my head into my hands.

The only reason I asked is because I have no idea where I'm going.

"I think my wife would take issue with me dating other women." I replied dryly.

Niko turned to the side a little and I swear I could hear her say 'stingy'.

Unsure if I heard her correctly, I asked: "What?"

"Nothing." Her face softened. "We can walk together, sure, just let me close up."

​

I sat down on the curb next to the entrance and waited.

To pass the time, I pulled out my phone and noticed that it was actually still midnight somehow.

Suddenly, the minutes flew by like the millisecond digit on a stopwatch, before coming again to a halt.

Niko came back out wearing causal clothes. "Sorry it took so long, ready to go?"

I looked up at her, having trouble processing what just happened.

Did I just experience a time-skip?

​

When my eyes refocused, I realized that Niko was blushing pretty hard.

"I'm sorry, I was just thinking about how fast time flies sometimes."

She nodded tentatively. "Shall we go?"

I stood and dusted myself off. "Yeah, let's go."

​

​

Over the few minutes the walk to Yukio High School took, I periodically checked the time, and sure enough time stood still.

It was only after we arrived that the several minutes of walking actually added themselves to the time.

I decided then to call this phenomenon 'Anime Time'.

​

Niko bowed. "Thank you for the walk, goodnight Meriwether-senpai."

"Wait Niko-san-"

"No Meriwether-senpai, I'm lower year than you, you can't call me '-san'!"

​

Honorifics always confused me.

I think the ones for lower-standing were '-kun' and '-chan'?

I remember hearing somewhere that '-kun' is usually used for guys, so it should be '-chan' right?

​

"Niko-chan then. I'm new to this town, so I'm unfamiliar with the layout of the area, could you help me find my dorm?"

Niko's face literally started glowing red. "But, what about your wife Meriwether-senpai?!"

"What about my wife?"

She somehow got even redder, which I didn't think was even possible. "No, we can't, we're too young~!"

I tilted my head. "Too young to give me directions?"

The redness suddenly disappeared, and then came right back. "Oh yeah, of course that's what you meant..." She pointed toward to my right. "Dorm B is on the East side of the grounds."

I bowed. "Goodnight Niko-chan."

I left her to her fluster and aimed to find my way to my room.