The Blind Love Life of the Returning Hero: The Companions I Lost in Another World Resurrect in the Modern Era and Indulge Me - Episode 44

Hayato returned to work for the first time in a while. A few days after coming back from the cruise, he headed to the familiar office of the security company. Compared to the luxurious cruise ship he had been on until just yesterday, the clean but simple atmosphere of the office felt strangely comforting against his skin.

“Good morning!”

He greeted cheerfully at the entrance, and a response came immediately.

“Oh, Sato-kun! Long time no see. How was your vacation?”

President Yasumoto looked up from his desk and smiled.

“Yes, I really enjoyed it. I went on a trip around several Asian countries with a friend—it was a great way to recharge. Here, I brought back a souvenir. Please have it if you’d like.”

Hayato pulled a small package from his bag. It was a set of premium tea leaves he had bought in Singapore, chosen on Josuke’s recommendation.

“Oh, thank you. You didn’t have to go out of your way.”

President Yasumoto accepted the package with care and looked at the contents with a pleased expression.

“Mmm, it smells wonderful. Thank you. Now, starting today, I’d like you to resume hands-on training. Thanks to your guidance, the employees have improved significantly. I’m counting on you.”

Hayato nodded and headed to the locker room. He exchanged greetings with his coworkers and handed out the souvenirs before changing into his training outfit and moving to the training room. He felt the familiar texture of the practice mats, saw the protective gear lining the walls, and glanced out the window at the training field.

“Good work today, Sato-san.”

A few younger security staff members approached him. They seemed eager for Hayato’s instruction.

“Sato-san, I tried practicing the move you taught us last time, but I just couldn’t get it right…”

“I see. Then let’s go over it again today. Starting with the basic form.”

The morning was spent mainly teaching the younger staff the basics. Hayato couldn’t speak directly about his experiences in another world, but he could still convey the essence of the skills he had gained—reading the opponent’s movements, identifying openings, and subduing them with minimal force. He taught these techniques patiently through practical training.

In the afternoon, he continued with practical self-defense drills. Although it had been a while since he last trained like this, his body hadn’t weakened at all. In fact, he felt even more agile, perhaps thanks to the refreshing vacation.

“Huff… Sato-san, were you training even during your vacation?”

One of the trainees he had been instructing that afternoon asked, breathing heavily. After thirty minutes of training with Hayato, all of them were drenched in sweat, while Hayato still looked composed.

“Not really. I just moved my body a little bit.”

Even on the cruise ship, Hayato had kept up with his stretches and light kata practice every morning. He also used the onboard training room whenever he had the time. But to him, that hardly counted as training.

“Haah… You’re kidding… And you still have that kind of stamina…”

“Ugh… Just barely keeping up.”

“Sato-san really is in a league of his own.”

Hayato gave a wry smile at their overwhelmed reactions. The body he had forged in another world wasn’t going to weaken from a short vacation.

After finishing work and grabbing a light dinner, Hayato headed to the IVE studio later that evening. Josuke and Riri were already there. Riri was checking the streaming equipment, while Josuke was looking over some documents on his tablet.

“Hey, Hayato. How was work today?”

Josuke looked up from his tablet and asked.

“Smooth. Everyone’s doing well. They also liked the souvenir you recommended.”

“That’s good to hear.”

As Hayato chatted with Josuke, Riri turned around and joined the conversation. The three began discussing the upcoming stream.

“Since it’s our first stream in a while, let’s talk about the trip we just got back from.”

“Good idea. But we should be careful not to reveal too much.”

Josuke gave a measured suggestion to Riri’s idea.

“Better not to mention specific places or names.”

Hayato agreed. They decided it would be fine to say they went on an overseas trip together, but would avoid mentioning details like the cruise ship that could identify them. In the end, they settled on simply saying “we went abroad with some friends.”

As the stream started, a large number of viewers immediately tuned in. It seemed their audience had grown even larger compared to before their break.

“Good evening, everyone! It’s Hayato. It’s been a while since our last stream!”

Hayato’s avatar waved cheerfully on screen.

“I’m Lilia! Sorry for the wait, everyone. We missed you!”

“And I’m John. Hope you’ve all been well.”

Riri and Josuke’s avatars also appeared on screen and greeted the audience.

– Welcome back!

– We’ve been waiting!

– Finally, you’re back!

The comment section exploded with excitement. Clearly, many fans had been eagerly awaiting their return.

“We took a little break from streaming to go on a trip together.”

As Hayato said that, the viewer response surged.

– Where’d you go?

– That sounds fun!

– Show us pictures!

Curious comments flowed rapidly.

“The ocean was beautiful, and we had a lot of amazing food. Experiencing a new culture was truly eye-opening.”

Riri added, carefully avoiding specific details, and talked about the scenes from the ship and her impressions. Her voice conveyed genuine excitement and wonder from seeing a world different from the other one they had known.

“It was a really great trip. I’d like to go again.”

Josuke’s happy tone prompted another wave of responses.

– You guys are so close!

– Did you go abroad?

– I’m so jealous.

– Are you really friends off-stream too?

“Yeah, we’ve known each other for a long time. We’ve overcome a lot together.”

Hayato answered the questions naturally, expressing how strong their bond was.

After some casual chatting, they moved on to the main topic.

“Well then, it’s time.”

Riri’s avatar stepped forward, drawing attention. She wore a proud smile.

“We’ve got an important announcement. Thank you for waiting!”

The screen momentarily went dark, then displayed the title screen of the game they had been developing. Beneath the title stood the characters based on Hayato and his friends.

“The game we’ve been working on will officially launch next week!”

The comment section exploded again.

– Been waiting for this!

– Yes!!!

– It’s finally here!

– I’m definitely playing it!

The enthusiasm filled the screen.

“We made final adjustments based on feedback from our beta testers.”

Riri explained the upcoming release.

“We polished the graphics, improved the UI, and even added some hidden features. We hope the game lets you really feel like you’re part of our adventure.”

Hayato glanced at Riri’s profile with a smile. She looked so happy and fulfilled, proud of what they had finally accomplished.

“And now, here’s the game trailer.”

The screen played a video depicting their adventures in the other world, recreated as a game. It was edited by Josuke. Hayato fighting monsters, Lilia casting spells, John analyzing enemy movements, Celestia using healing magic, and Gallet showing off his blacksmithing skills—all rendered in beautiful graphics.

The trailer was so immersive, it made viewers want to play immediately. Once it ended, the response was even more overwhelming than expected.

– Amazing! The quality’s insane!

– Is this really free?

– I can’t wait a whole week!

Comments streamed rapidly. Watching their fans’ reactions through the screen, the three of them exchanged satisfied smiles.

“We’re really happy with your reactions. Please look forward to next week’s launch!”

After the stream, they let out a collective sigh of relief in the studio.

“That went well,” said Hayato.

“Yes, the response was great,” Riri nodded with satisfaction.

“Final checks are done too. Now all that’s left is the release.”

The three of them continued chatting in a relaxed atmosphere. They also reported the results to Go and Seika, who couldn’t make it that day.

That night’s stream had become a major milestone in their VTuber journey. And next week’s game release would be an even bigger step forward.