Chapter 4

Startled by the strange bird's fly pass, the man and his pet decided to stay in and relaxed on the sofa in the living room. Incidentally, being in the suburbs, the living room was quite spacious, about 20 tatami mats in size.

However, the sofa was a black leather piece. While it might sound good to call it old-fashioned, in a word, it was an expensive and tacky sofa. But there was no help for it. There was no IKEA in the countryside.

The Hojo family's house had a living room, dining room, kitchen, Japanese-style room, toilet, and bathroom on the first floor, and three rooms, a toilet, and a shower room on the second floor. It was a typical 4LDK house, 20 years old.

In the yard, there was a covered garage for two cars, a prefabricated shed, and Kotaro's doghouse. Incidentally, due to a car accident involving both parents, one of the two cars was totaled. The only one left was the kei car that Yuzo's mother mainly used.

"Well, it seems to be surrounded by a forest, so I guess I should check the food supplies first."

This was Yuzo talking to himself. His voice was still loud, but he seemed to have regained his composure.

"The fridge... there are a few fresh items, and mostly seasonings and drinks. The freezer... oh, there's quite a bit. Good. Storage... oh, there are quite a few cup noodles and flour. By the way, the disaster kit is in the underfloor storage... good! It's a three-month emergency food supply for three people, so that's nine months for one person! It might get boring, but I can survive for a while."

Yuzo was talking to himself again. Thinking he was being spoken to, Kotaro ran over. Yuzo, who seemed to have regained his composure, hadn't actually checked the basics.

"Hey, what's up, Kotaro? Come here. Hungry? Thirsty? Hmm, this will do."

He turned the tap and poured water into a deep bowl for stew, then placed it at Kotaro's feet. Kotaro lapped up the water.

"Huh? Oh, the water is running. Hot water... no. The gas stove also works. Actually, the electricity is on. So the power is working too."

Yes, this was a check of the utilities. Yuzo finally confirmed the electricity, gas, and water.

He had been saying that the surroundings had turned into a forest, but he seemed to understand the bizarre reality that the Hojo house was in the middle of a forest with strange birds flying in the sky.

"Electricity, gas, and water are all good. Next is communication. The phone... it's working. But I don't remember any numbers. Don't underestimate a shut-in. How about the internet? It would be a lot easier if it's connected."

Yuzo headed to his room on the second floor. Kotaro, as usual, followed him up the stairs.

"Alright! The internet is working! I can win with this!!"

Incidentally, it was unclear what he intended to win.