Chapter 1

August 8, 2020, the first volume of the book was released! The manga adaptation has also been decided!

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I felt a shock run through my head. Then I woke up.

Everything around me was completely white. In front of me, a blonde girl wearing a completely white garment was holding my cheeks with both hands, frozen in place. I didn't understand what was going on, but I decided to try speaking to her.

"Excuse me, where am I?"

"…Huh! …So you've woken up after all. I wish you hadn't woken up. Hmm, what should I do…"

The girl, who had shaken her body and then made a disturbing statement, dropped her shoulders and answered. Upon closer inspection, she wasn't just blonde; her eyes were blue, making her look like a foreigner. She was a genuine beauty.

By the way, it looks like she has wings on her back. Is this some kind of cosplay? The quality of foreigner cosplay is exceptionally high, which is great.

While thinking about such unnecessary things, I began to understand the situation in front of me and noticed the changes in my own body.

Huh? I don't have any hands or feet? And I'm a round ball?

I can feel something touching my cheeks, but I don't have any hands or feet, and I'm aware that I'm a sphere. The blonde girl is holding me in her hands, lifting me up to about the same height as her face. To be honest, this is not normal.

"Um, what's going on here?"

"Ah, yes, I'll explain. You died."

Ah, yes. …No, no, that's not right!

Yesterday, I finished work and went to my usual izakaya, got quite drunk, but managed to get home and crawl into bed.

"Ah, it's true that some people can't remember the moment they died, but in your case, it's different. You slipped dramatically and hit the back of your head on the floor when you were drunk. You might not remember it, but that's what caused you to die in your futon. It probably wasn't that painful. Lucky you. If you had been taken to the hospital right away, you might have been saved."

Seriously? I died. I still had things I wanted to do. And you're reading my thoughts directly without me even speaking.

"Yes, that's right. I'm an angel."

The angel (self-proclaimed) answered with a smug look. I want to think it's a joke, but it's too realistic to be a prank or a dream. I guess I really did die. And the girl in front of me is an angel.

"Um, so what happens to me now? I'm a sphere, right?"

"Ah, yes… Well, right now, you're in a state where you're just a soul. We were supposed to wash your soul in the soul washer, erase your memories, and send you on a journey of reincarnation."

Soul washer? As I wondered about this, the angel's gaze shifted to the side. There was something that looked like a two-compartment washing machine. What? Am I going to be washed in that?

"Yes, normally, we put you in here, spin you around to wash away your memories and sins from this world, and then send you back to the world, all clean. Like this…"

As the angel's gaze shifted to the side, the white wall that I thought was a small white room became translucent, and I could see what was happening around me.

It looked like a call center or a factory, with a row of white-winged beings grabbing the spherical souls that suddenly appeared in the space and throwing them into what looked like the washing drum of the soul washer.

Then, they immediately took out the washed spheres and slammed them into what looked like a spin dryer. The white spheres, apparently dehydrated, rolled out of a hole next to the spin dryer and were placed on a white conveyor belt that disappeared into the distance.

They repeated this process endlessly. The work speed was incredibly fast. It was truly a craft. By the way, the angels were lined up in a row, but I couldn't see the end of the line. How wide is this place?

"If they're working at that pace, don't you think it's a waste of time to focus so much on just one person like me?"

"Yes, but if a soul regains consciousness like you did, it becomes quite troublesome. The soul washer can wash away memories and stains from the previous life, but if you wake up in the heavenly realm, those memories and stains get overwritten and can't be erased. Oh no… What should I do?"

The angel, still holding me in her hands, squatted down. She seemed quite depressed. Please don't drop me again.

"But, haven't there been other cases of failure in the past? And, you know, if it's within three seconds, it's safe!"

"Yes, that's true. If a soul regains consciousness, it's safe to wash it within three seconds before the memories are completely overwritten. I learned that in training. It's like stubborn stains. But I was so shocked that I went blank and just stood there holding you."

There's a three-second rule? And it's too late now?

"Ha… Well, I'll go report to my superior. Communication is important, after all. I'm going to get a severe scolding…"

The angel, still holding me, closed her eyes. Then everything in front of me turned white, and the next moment, a powerful old man with long white hair appeared.