Light began overflowing in the ordinary apartment room.

The intensity of the light burst through the windows, even overpowering the sunlight and casting sharp shadows across the neighborhood.

And yet, no one outside seemed to notice...

"Well then, I guess I'll go after him too."

With those words, the beauty who had unleashed the light vanished from the room.

All that remained was the sound of the game he had been playing—

"...Now then, shall I continue?"

There he was—the same guy as before—gripping the controller and resuming his game.

What, you’re wondering why things didn’t go according to the usual trope? What are you talking about?

If someone points their palm at you and clearly looks like they’re about to do something, who in their right mind would obediently go along with it?

The trick was simple: I always keep a table between myself and the TV when I play. Modern wireless controllers are so convenient, aren't they? Back in the day, you couldn't get this much distance because of the cords.Ah, let me explain the sequence. The positional relationship when that beautiful woman (illegal intruder) arrived: initially, she was on the TV side with the table between us, and I was on the sofa side with the table between us.

Ah, let me explain the sequence. The positional relationship when that beautiful woman (illegal intruder) arrived: initially, she was on the TV side with the table between us, and I was on the sofa side with the table between us.

When I tried to call 110, she rushed over to stop me, so I backed away further. At that moment, our original positions were swapped.

So, when the flash erupted from her hand, I simply ducked under the table to avoid it. Thus, the "Under the Table is Invincible" theory was established. It turns out it's effective for more than just earthquakes.

I calmly settled back in to enjoy the rest of my day off.

Now, some of you might be wondering why I didn't run away. Think about it. This is someone who can suddenly appear inside a locked house. Even assuming I could escape and not be caught immediately, if she's obsessed with me personally, there’s no real way to flee.

In short, if she comes back, I'll listen to what she has to say. If she gives up, I can go back to my daily life. Call the police? Give me a break. If I tell them "A woman suddenly materialized in my room!" they’d either send me to a psych ward or flag me as a prank caller.

* * *

I continued my game for a while.

The clock struck twelve and began its melody. I’m quite picky about my wall clocks.

"Should I cook... or eat out...?"

A truly agonizing decision.

If I were at work, eating out (including convenience stores) would be the only option. But I’m home on a day off. I like to think there aren't many adult men in modern Japan who can’t cook. Heck, even students can manage. And for the record, I refuse to call "pouring hot water and waiting three minutes" cooking.

When you live alone, the cost and efficiency of self-cooking vs. eating out usually break even. But then, I remembered the deciding factor.

『Nii-chan, please eat this.』 The grandma next door in the same apartment had given me some pickled vegetables.

Her pickles were a "clean hit" for my taste buds. The saltiness was exquisite—perfect on their own, as a side for rice, in ochazuke, or as a snack with alcohol!

"Miso soup, salted grilled salmon, omelette, and dried seaweed."

The traditional Japanese spread. I prefer to save natto for breakfast or dinner. The rice just needed the switch flipped; I had the miso soup, eggs, and seaweed ready to go.

"I guess I'll go buy the salmon."

These days, they sell single-serving fillets, which is a huge help. I grabbed my wallet, smartphone, and keys and headed out.

* * *

"Man, the fact that two fillets are strictly cheaper than buying one is painful. I bought them without thinking."

Standing in front of the apartment with some green onions and other seasonings, I stared at my grocery bag with a hint of annoyance. Yes, two fillets of salmon were overwhelmingly more economical than one. It's common for a "Buy Two" deal to be 10% off, but this time it was practically 80% off the unit price.

Should I just eat both myself? Or invite the grandma over?

While I was debating, I opened the door to my apartment and—

"I can't believe you actually dodged that..."

The illegal-trespasser beauty from before was standing there imposingly in the middle of the room.

Well, I suppose this means I really can't escape. The woman pointed her hand at me just like before.

"I won't miss this time."

Indeed, I probably wouldn't be able to dodge the flash from her palm a second time.

And so...

"I'm about to eat, so move out of the way. Have you had lunch yet?"

"Eh? No... I haven't eaten yet."

"Perfect. I bought too much because it was cheap. I'll listen to your story, so just eat."

With that, I headed toward the kitchen.

"Here, just go sit on the sofa or something."

"Ah... okay."

She meekly obeyed and headed for the couch. When people encounter completely unexpected behavior, their reactions slow down and they lose the ability to make normal judgments. Whether or not she counts as "human" is a side issue for now.

* * *

And after the meal—

"Thank you for the food. Did you make those pickles yourself?"

"No, the lady next door shared them with me. Good, aren't they?"

"They were delicious. I understand now; that flavor is the result of years of experience."

"I agree. Here, have some tea."

"Oh, thank you."

We both sipped our tea (hot tea, of course). Now, let’s get down to business.

"So, I promised to listen to your story."

I'm sorry, but whether the intruder is a beauty, a monster, or a god, I'm not refined enough to use polite honorifics with someone who broke into my house.

"Oh, right!! That's it!! I almost forgot!!"

This girl is a lost cause.

"There's no need to move locations just to talk, right? I'll listen right here."

I made sure to preempt any "teleportation flashes" before she could act.

"Hmph. You've finally given up, then? Fine, I'll tell you."

Look at that—totally looking down on me. I knew it; there’s never any good in these types of beauties.

Unaware of my internal monologue, she stood up, hands on her hips, and pointed at me.

"You have been chosen to go to another world, manage a dungeon, and fulfill the role of maintaining the world's balance!!"

Hearing those words, I didn't flinch. It was pretty much as I expected. When these non-human types talk without causing harm, it’s usually something along these lines.

She continued:

"You can never return to this world, but you will bring order to the other world with nothing but your own body!!"

Whoa, hold on. I can't let that slide.

"Sorry, but I refuse!"

Who in their right mind would throw away their current life?

"Eeeeeeeehhhhh!?"

Her voice echoed in shock.

But honestly, I didn't see a single thing to be surprised about.