Chapter 1

Recently, the atmosphere in the office has been bright. I guess I'm probably the only one who's in a bad mood from the morning. Even the president, who usually only gives annoying lectures, was beaming and praising the employees. Incidentally, I was also praised by name. Still, my mood didn't improve at all. In fact, it didn't budge from its low position.

(What am I supposed to believe!? You were calling me incompetent just last month!! Even organic farmers don't repeat it that much!)

No matter how annoyed I am, I'm still a salaryman. I have no intention of complaining to the president face-to-face, and I don't have the guts to do so. My survival strategy as a salaryman is to not defy those above me and to not be disliked by those below me.

The best thing to do is to use complaints about my superiors as a snack with alcohol. However, I have to be careful about those who exaggerate the story. If such a person gets a hold of it, saying something like "I think the new employee is cute" can turn into "I like that kid" before I know it. "I have a boyfriend, so sorry" is just too painful when you haven't done anything.

"As everyone knows, 'Holding Hands and Going on an Adventure with You' has recorded the highest sales in our company. The sales of merchandise are also skyrocketing. You can look forward to this year's bonus."

The employees' moods soared after hearing the president's words... Incidentally, my mood is still low.

The cause lies in 'Holding Hands and Going on an Adventure with You.' To be precise, the cause lies in the characters in 'Holding Hands and Going on an Adventure with You.'

'Holding Hands and Going on an Adventure with You,' or 'KimiTe' for short, is a simulation RPG released by our company. It's a retelling of a clichéd story where a boy with the blood of a legendary hero goes on an adventure with girls who also have the blood of heroes to defeat the demon king. Despite this, the game is selling very well thanks to its realistic world and charming heroines.

The problem is the annoying character that comes with the game. The name of the annoying character in KimiTe is George Acoghi. George is the eldest son of the Acoghi family and constantly interferes with the protagonist's adventure. His personality is obnoxious, vain, and he has a strong possessive desire and is selfish. His physical characteristics are freckles and flashy clothes. To put it bluntly, George is a foil for the protagonist. George is disliked in the game, and his popularity among players is the lowest by far.

Obnoxious? Selfish? Vain? Of course. George was created to highlight the protagonist.

My name is Jyuzo Noki, a 35-year-old single programmer... the programmer for KimiTe and the model for George.

According to Mr. Yamada, the scenario writer, the scenario for KimiTe came to him suddenly one day. The character details were so specific that the illustrator found it easy to work with.

Regarding George, it was "imagine Jyuzo's high school days." Thanks to this, George is said to be a realistic character that could really exist. When I saw a comment on the internet saying, "George looks like a real-life ugly person," I was quite depressed.

Incidentally, George is hated by the heroines to the point of being G-rated. In the game, he is subjected to extremely harsh words. It's almost as if he's being verbally beaten up.

"George, I have never once enjoyed or been happy being with you. I even hated breathing the same air as you."

This is a line from Marina Ryteck, George's fiancée and the main heroine. Incidentally, the Ryteck family is in debt to the Acoghi family. Isn't it cruel to say you don't even want to breathe the same air after borrowing money?

Even though it's not George, I don't want to hear such lines. However, I have to do test plays, so I can't help but hear the lines that torment George. During development, I fixed bugs and had my mental strength drained by test plays, and then I had to endure the full beating again after working all night.

The internet is even worse, with comments like "George is creepy," "George, serve you right," "Seeing George's stills makes me feel sick," and "Beating up George is too much fun"... I'm shocked, Jyuzo.

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Thanks to the good sales of KimiTe, the salespeople are busy and have almost daily receptions... I say "almost daily" because I, as the model for the now infamous hated character George, am forced to attend these receptions... and every time, I have to say George's obnoxious lines as if I were imitating him.

"Noki-san, good work. Be careful not to get caught in a George hunt instead of a father hunt."

After the drinking session, Tanaka from sales approached me. George is so hated that even Tanaka is worried. George doesn't receive fan letters, but he gets mountains of hate mail.

"Yeah, I'll be careful."

After parting ways with Tanaka, I realized I was hungry... Of course, I hadn't eaten much during the drinking session, as I was busy pouring beer and talking to the guests.

However, to get to the convenience store, I have to go through a street where young people hang out. Right now, I'm drunk, so I'm an easy target for those guys.

(Should I take a shortcut through the residential area?)

It's a road I've been curious about for a while, but I've never walked it. If it goes well, it might be a shortcut, but if it doesn't, it could be a dead end. Walking through a residential area as a stranger might make me look suspicious, so I've avoided it.

But the orange streetlights look warm and inviting. Thinking about it, it's been 17 years since I left my hometown. Even though I'm still single, I think I've been working hard.

As I walked down the street, I was enveloped by a strange sense of nostalgia. Even though I've never walked this road before, it felt familiar. Suddenly, I stopped in front of a house.

(This looks like my parents' house... and the smell of curry!?)

Even though I was on an unfamiliar road, the smell of curry my mother used to make wafted over. Moreover, the house looked exactly like my parents' house.

"Jyuzo, it's dinner time."

A young version of my mother's voice rang out.

"Seriously...?"

A strange fear overcame me, and I instinctively ran... but I tripped and fell.

I tripped on nothing... no, my suit pants had somehow become longer. Not just the pants, but my shoes and jacket had also become larger.

(No... I'm shrinking!?)

"Your name is Jyuzo. Jyuzo, grow up strong."

"Jyuzo, thank you for being born to us."

Hearing the voices of my young parents, I lost consciousness.

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I was awakened by a shrill woman's voice... far from a refreshing wake-up call.

"Congratulations, madam. It's a healthy baby boy. This will ensure the stability of the Acoghi family. And your husband has chosen a name. If it's a boy, he wants to name him George."

(Am I in a hospital? Getting drunk, falling, and being taken to the hospital is too embarrassing.)

The woman must be overjoyed about the birth of the heir. She's so excited that her voice is loud, and it's echoing into the room where I'm sleeping. And the father, you should show your face to your child... I haven't even seen the word "marriage," let alone a child.

Jealousy is unbecoming, so I'll bless the baby in the next room.

"George? Will he be George Acoghi?"

The response came from a young voice, almost that of a girl. I estimate she's in her late teens... I'm revoking my blessing, and I hope the father gets castrated.

(Still, to encounter a child with the same name as me in a hospital... huh? The same hospital?)

If I were to have a child, it would be in an obstetrics and gynecology hospital. Even in an emergency, a drunk person who fell on the street wouldn't be taken to an obstetrics and gynecology hospital.

Even if it were a general hospital, the emergency room and obstetrics and gynecology department would be separate.

Come to think of it, I can't open my eyes properly. If the reason I can't open my eyes is due to the fall, it's strange that I don't feel any pain on my face.

The only plausible explanation is that someone in my room is watching a drama, or I'm currently experiencing astral projection.

(Astral projection is caused by confusion of consciousness. Probably, someone in the same room is watching a drama. First, there's no such thing as a baron's family in Japan. Wait, they said Acoghi baron's family... George Acoghi?)

The Acoghi family in KimiTe was also a baron's family. No, it's a coincidence. This is a one-in-ten-thousand coincidence. It's just that a drama featuring George Acoghi happened to be on in Jyuzo Noki's room. George Acoghi is a game character, he can't exist in reality... I want to believe he doesn't exist.

(Anyway, I'll check what kind of drama it is... w, why can't I move my body?)

It's bad... I can't open my eyes, I can't stand up, and I can't move my body properly.

When my anxiety reached its peak, my body floated in the air. No, to be precise, it seems someone lifted me.

It must be a muscular nurse helping me transfer.

Cold sweat ran down my body, and my heart pounded like a drum. I recalled the time when a major bug was found just before the deadline... I felt like I had a hole in my stomach from the pressure from all the staff... Yeah, I completely escaped from reality.

The uncertainty of my current situation was crushing my heart.

"Mr. George, it's your mother. Madam, could you gently hold his neck?"

"George, I'm your mom."

Then I was enveloped in a warm, gentle feeling. The cold sweat subsided, and my heartbeat calmed down. Soon, the anxiety disappeared, and a comfortable calmness settled in.

It felt like the warmth of my mother hugging me tightly when I came home crying as a child... In the comfortable drowsiness, I fell asleep without realizing it.