The Blind Love Life of the Returning Hero: The Companions I Lost in Another World Resurrect in the Modern Era and Indulge Me - Episode 23

As evening fell, the sunset painted the view outside Hayato’s apartment window in shades of red. In the spacious living room of his high-rise condo, five friends had reunited for the first time in a while. The wide windows offered a sweeping view of the city’s nightscape, warmly enveloping their gathering.

“It’s been a while since all five of us were together,” said Seika, sitting gracefully on the sofa with a coffee cup in hand. Her slender fingers traced the rim of the cup elegantly. Her golden hair was slightly shorter than usual, swaying lightly at her neck.

“I’d like for us to have more chances like this, but the timing’s always tricky,” Go said, sitting relaxed in a chair by the window. Today he was dressed casually in a shirt and jeans instead of his usual suit. Though he’d been checking his phone, he intended to prioritize time with his friends over work tonight.

“Everyone’s busy, after all,” Josuke added with a soft smile, glancing around while holding a glass. Then he looked at Seika and said, “Especially you, Seika, with all your overseas business trips, right?”

Seika gave a slightly weary smile, lifting her cup gracefully.
“Yes, I’ve been working with patients suffering from severe conditions recently. But things have finally settled down a bit.”

She worked as a researcher for a major pharmaceutical company, applying her expertise in the treatment of rare diseases. When she spoke of her work, her eyes sparkled with a sense of mission and pride.

“But today’s not about me—it’s about celebrating Hayato,” Riri chimed in, her cheerful high school voice brightening the room. She gave Hayato a light tap on the arm and beamed. She had changed out of her school uniform into casual clothes, but her trademark golden ponytail still gave her a lively impression. Hayato smiled shyly.

“Congratulations, Hayato.”
“Thanks.”

Their friends all chimed in with congratulations, and Hayato responded with heartfelt gratitude, albeit a bit bashfully.

“Here, this too.”
Josuke stood and retrieved a bottle of champagne from the fridge, pouring it into glasses lined up on the table. The sound of the liquid bubbling added a celebratory touch to the evening. He poured with practiced ease, making sure each glass received an even amount. For the underage Riri, he prepared a non-alcoholic sparkling drink.

“Josuke, did you bring the item?”
Seika asked with an eager glint in her eyes, a childlike curiosity sparking within them.

“Of course, I did,” Josuke replied with a grin, placing a luxuriously wrapped square box adorned with a golden ribbon on the table.

“Thank you. You’re as quick as ever.”
“It was nothing.”

Inside the box was an exquisite cake. When opened, a stunning dessert that looked more like a work of art appeared, with vivid fruits and delicate decorations like something from a jewel box.

“According to my source, this is the best cake in Tokyo. Let’s all have some,” said Seika, delighted as she elegantly sliced and served the cake.

“I also found a place with amazing sweets. Please try these too,” Riri said, pulling a small box from her bag. Inside were brightly colored macarons arranged neatly.

“I found them on the way home from school. They were so good, I wanted everyone to try them.”
“Thank you,” Hayato replied with a smile.

“I didn’t expect such a grand celebration,” he added.
“For a dear friend’s happy occasion, this is the least we could do,” said Go, raising his glass.

“To the toast!”

The five glasses clinked gracefully in midair, the clear sound symbolizing the bond they had forged during their otherworldly journey together.

Riri took a bite of the cake and let out a small “Wow.”
“This is amazing! Thanks, Seika!”
“And a thank you to Josuke for finding it.”
“Thank you, Josuke!”
“I just fulfilled a request,” he replied with a smile.

“Delicious food always tastes even better with friends.”
“Yeah,” Hayato agreed as Go tasted the macarons Riri had brought.

They enjoyed the cake and macarons while chatting and catching up on each other’s lives—Hayato’s new job, Riri’s accomplishments in her badminton club, Josuke’s real estate ventures, Seika’s research breakthroughs, and Go’s work at his company.

Sharing their new experiences in this world only deepened their bonds.

“I’d love to go on a trip together sometime,” Go casually suggested mid-conversation. His words lit up everyone’s eyes.

“That’s a great idea,” Josuke agreed immediately, gazing thoughtfully out the window as if already planning the destination.

“Don’t worry about the budget. I’ll book us a great place to stay,” Go added, revealing his desire to cherish time spent with his friends.

“Aligning our schedules might be tricky,” Hayato pointed out realistically. With everyone in different professions now, coordinating would be a challenge.

“But I still want to go,” Riri said, eyes shining with hope and longing.

“It’d feel like one of our old adventures together,” she added. Her words stirred a wave of nostalgic agreement among them, recalling vivid memories of their otherworldly travels.

“That sounds wonderful,” Seika said.
“I’ll see if I can arrange some time off.”
“Think I can get a break?”
“We’ll make it happen.”
“I’ve actually got a lot of free time,” Josuke chuckled.

As they all got excited about the idea of a trip, Riri suddenly stood up. Her expression hinted she had something more to say.

“Actually, there’s one more thing I’d like to try with everyone,” she said seriously. The room grew quiet as all eyes turned to her.

“Something you want to try?” Hayato asked with curiosity and warmth in his eyes, eager to support her.

Riri nodded enthusiastically.
“Have you all heard of VTubers?”

“VTubers? You mean the people who use virtual avatars to stream videos or do live broadcasts?” Go replied surprisingly knowledgeably. His awareness of new trends was likely a benefit in his line of work.

“Exactly!” Riri said excitedly.
“They use avatars to sing, dance, stream games, and do all kinds of stuff in virtual spaces.”

As she explained, her hands moved animatedly, her passion clearly shining through more than her words.

“I hear it’s really popular with the younger crowd these days,” Josuke added, ever the trend-savvy one.

“You mean, us… as VTubers?” Hayato asked, slightly confused but intrigued. Riri’s gaze grew distant, as if recalling a memory.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I want others to know about our memories of the other world.”

The room fell silent.

“But I’m not saying they need to believe us. By sharing our memories through VTuber activities—as stories—they might reach people. Even if it’s seen as fiction, we could still leave something behind in people’s minds.”

Riri spoke passionately about why she wanted to become a VTuber. Her expression was serious, and her voice carried conviction.

“More than that, I wanted to try doing something new with all five of us again.”

She spread her arms and looked around at everyone.

“That something is this VTuber idea,” she concluded.

When Hayato repeated her words in confirmation, Riri nodded again with determination. Her eyes were fixed on him with absolute trust.

The group exchanged looks—puzzled by the unexpected proposal, but undeniably moved by Riri’s heartfelt wish.

“That actually sounds kind of fun,” Seika said first.

“I’d love to give it a try.”

Riri’s eyes sparkled at her words.

“Leaving traces of another world in this one, huh…” Josuke muttered, arms crossed. Ideas were already forming in his head about how to make it happen.

“I don’t know how it’ll turn out, but I think it’s worth the challenge.”

He felt strongly about the idea of preserving their shared memories. He wanted others to know about Hayato’s journey—he supported Riri’s vision.

“I’m on board too,” Gou declared confidently.

“Trying something new is always exciting.”

Finally, Hayato gave a slow, thoughtful nod.

“Alright. Let’s do it. I believe we can make it work—together.”

He looked around at his friends as he said it. Everyone responded with bright, approving smiles.