บท 4: Hanasaki Uta, the God

Uta wasn't lying. He was no mere human but a god—or more accurately, a forsaken god. Long before his current life, he had wandered the void, a solitary being with no kin, no companions, and no home. His existence had been aimless, an eternity of isolation in the gaps between time and space.

But fate—or perhaps some cosmic accident—had intervened. He had inexplicably been drawn into the mortal realm, reincarnated as the child of a human woman. Though he initially tried to reject his new existence, Uta eventually accepted his humanity. It wasn't as though his divine life had been fulfilling; after all, he could barely remember the concept of boredom, having been lost in the void for so long.

Becoming human, even temporarily, offered something new. Something exciting.

Uta stepped into the bustling streets of the kingdom's capital, the shouts of merchants and the chatter of townsfolk filling the air. He had teleported directly past the gates to avoid the hassle of entry checks.

"Let's get started," he said to himself, clenching a fist with determination. "I'll find a way to get back to Japan. And I'll make sure my friends come with me."

Though he retained fragments of his divine power, they were now limited. He could teleport, manipulate time to a degree, and reduce humans to dust with a touch, but returning to Japan was beyond him. For that, he would need to uncover this world's secrets.

"Alright, first step to solving this… explore the town!" he declared, his excitement drawing confused stares from nearby townsfolk.

The life of Uta, the god-turned-human, had just begun. What awaited him in this strange world was anyone's guess, but one thing was certain: his journey would be anything but ordinary.

As Uta took his first steps into his new life, one of his childhood friends left behind in the castle, Ryuya Nagumo, let out a heavy sigh.

"Hey… do you think Uta's going to be okay?"

The question was directed at the three women sharing the room with him. The setting was Ryuya's assigned chamber in the castle. The four of them had gathered there to discuss their plans moving forward.

"What do you mean by 'okay'?" asked Chika Kitagawa, a tall girl with brown hair tied into a ponytail. Her expression was skeptical.

"I mean, can he manage on his own outside the castle? The guy's kind of naïve. I'm worried about him," Ryuya admitted.

"Well… he is naïve," Chika replied, crossing her arms. "But it's Uta. He'll be fine."

Her words, while sounding dismissive, carried a weight of unshakable trust. She was confident that no matter what challenges came his way, Uta would find a way to overcome them.

"…"

Ryuya frowned, his expression turning complex.

Would Chika have reacted the same way if he had been the one leaving the castle instead of Uta?

(No… probably not.)

He slumped his shoulders, the realization weighing on him. He knew Chika didn't trust him the way she trusted Uta, and he understood why. Still, as a man, it stung.

Years ago, Ryuya had confessed to Chika and been rejected. She had told him she liked someone else, and though she hadn't said it outright, Ryuya was certain that person was Uta.

"Yeah, I think Uta'll be fine," added Miko Higashiyama, another of their childhood friends. Her short blonde hair and piercings gave her a striking, rebellious appearance. She spoke casually while fiddling with her phone.

"Uta's special. Different from us, you know? If anything, staying here would just hold him back. He wouldn't be able to move freely if he had to worry about us tagging along. He's better off on his own."

"That's true," chimed in Kazuha Nishimiya, her long black hair framing her doll-like, graceful features. Her voice was quiet, tinged with sadness.

"Uta-san said he'd search for a way to return us to our world. The idea that defeating the Demon King will guarantee our return isn't certain. If Uta-san is out there giving it his all, the least we can do is focus on what we can do here… even if, in the end, he solves everything by himself."

"You're right," Chika agreed. "We might not be as special as Uta, but we should at least try not to drag him down."

"Haha, good luck with that!" Miko laughed. "Keeping up with Uta is hard work. He's always running ahead of everyone else. I swear, it's exhausting."

"…"

As the three girls talked about Uta with admiration and enthusiasm, Ryuya's frown deepened.

The truth was, Ryuya hadn't only confessed to Chika. He had also asked out both Miko and Kazuha over the years—unsuccessfully. It wasn't like he had tried to date all three at once or anything.

He confessed to Chika in fifth grade.To Miko in seventh grade.And finally, to Kazuha in ninth grade.

Each time, he'd been rejected. He'd taken time to recover, improve himself, and try again, but the result had been the same. Most recently, he had made a second attempt with Chika just before their summoning—and had been turned down again.

Each of the girls had rejected him for the same reason: Uta.

To them, Uta was special. And as much as Ryuya wanted to hate Uta for it, he couldn't. Uta was special to him, too.

"…Can I ask you something?" Ryuya finally said, breaking into their conversation.

The three girls turned to him, surprised.

"You all clearly like Uta. That much is obvious. So why haven't any of you confessed to him?"

"…"

The girls exchanged glances, silently communicating with each other. Finally, Chika spoke.

"Well, I guess there's no harm in telling you," she said.

"Go ahead," Miko encouraged.

"I don't mind," Kazuha added softly.

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