"You are dead."
Seated on the sole chair floating within that strange, ethereal space, an old man—no, a god—announced this with an utterly unhurried, nonchalant air.
"Eh, um... excuse me? That was so sudden, I couldn't quite keep up. Could you, uh, say that one more time?"
"You are dead. Having spent twenty-six years without even a bride, let alone a girlfriend, and with both parents already passed on, you ended up dying of illness with no one at all to see you off."
Hearing this from the god, the man remembered, and tears threatened to spill. It was such an unbearably sad end.
At that moment, he had been alone in his home, his body giving out while tears of loneliness streamed down his face.
"I... see... So I really did die... huh..."
"Indeed. Your life, lived as a corporate drone without so much as a bride or girlfriend, was a truly pitiful one."
"Please don't say it twice... That just makes me sad in a whole different way... So, what happens to me now?"
"I shall revive you forthwith. However, returning you to life in your original world is not permitted. Such are the rules."
If it's the rules, then it can't be helped. But the question remained: where would he be brought back?
"Then, where will I be revived?"
"You, were you not quite the anime otaku while alive?"
"Ah, yes, well... that's right..."
The man's level of otaku devotion could be called extreme; his home had been absolutely packed to the brim with anime and game merchandise. Well, that was probably one of the reasons he'd never managed to get a girlfriend, but...
"But, what does that have to do with anything?"
"There exists a world most fitting for one such as you. It is a realm where all kinds of girls, who would never normally cross paths, coexist together."
"All kinds!?"
Unable to contain himself, the man leaned forward. Naturally, for an anime otaku, this was simply not something one could let pass by.
"Such a dream-like world actually exists!?"
"I am a god, am I not? It would not do for a god to tell falsehoods, you see."
"I see..."
Satisfied, he pulled his leaning body back into place.
"Furthermore, you shall receive a bonus for your reincarnation. Those who ended their lives as corporate slaves without taking a bride are granted special treatment."
"What kind of special treatment?"
"This boon grants the reincarnated individual their wishes. Ordinarily, only one wish is granted. However, for such a person, three wishes shall be fulfilled."
"...That's rather generous."
"Consider it a small token of gratitude for those who sacrificed themselves and labored for society's sake."
Though, in his case, it wasn't exactly as if he'd chosen that path willingly, but since it was offered, he decided to gratefully accept the kindness.
"Are wishes... anything I want?"
"But of course. There is nothing impossible for a god."
"Well then..."
The man opened a notebook and showed it to the god. On its pages, alongside an illustration, were meticulously detailed settings that seemed to belong to that very illustration.
"What... is this?"
"It's the protagonist of a story I used to write. My first wish is to be reincarnated as this character."
"I see... So be it. Then, I shall reincarnate you as that depicted character. Naturally, I will also reflect the details written here upon your destination. Now, your second wish?"
"I died of illness with no one to see me off, right? I never want to experience that again, so please make me immortal and ageless."
"So be it. In that case, it would be better to reincarnate you with a youthful body. How does sixteen years of age sound?"
"That's about high school age in modern terms. Yeah, that works for me."
"Hmm. Then I shall reincarnate you at that age. Now, speak your third wish."
"No, that's all of my wishes."
"Hm?"
The god tilted his head.
"That is... all?"
"I don't have to make exactly three requests, right? What I've said is more than enough."
"...You were unpopular with women, were you not?"
"As you know, I was twenty-six, unmarried, and without a girlfriend."
"Then, is it not normal to wish for popularity?"
"Well, yes. The thought of being wildly popular, flirting and frolicking with girls, having some steamy fun—it's certainly appealing. However…"
"However?"
"I think desires like that are something you earn through your own effort. More than that, using some external power to alter someone's heart just doesn't sit right with me. It feels... wrong."
"...I see."
The god nodded, as if convinced.
"But still, you do have such desires, no?"
"Well, that's something any man dreams of. Especially those who aren't popular. By the way, in my world, a man having relations with multiple women in his company was frowned upon. How is it in the world I'm being reincarnated to?"
"There is no such censure there. Polygyny is permitted in that world. However, if you refuse to use skills to aid you, whether you can gather women around you will depend entirely on your own efforts... Are you truly alright with that?"
"I don't mind. Incidentally, are smartphones available there?"
"Ah, yes. Just like the world you came from, smartphones are widespread there."
The god stood up and approached the man.
"Now then, let us begin the reincarnation process. Close your eyes."
Obeying, the man closed his eyes, and the god placed his open palm against the man's head.
"One such as you is a first for me. Here I am, offering you the power to have things your way, and yet you desire it not."
"My late mother told me: 'Don't stop trying hard'. If I were to obtain such power, I feel I would surely cease striving."
"If you do not forget that, then surely you will find happiness. This I, a god, guarantee."
"If I have a god's endorsement, then it must be certain."
Whether it was the effect of the reincarnation process, drowsiness began to creep over him as they spoke. Yet, even so, the man continued to listen intently to the god's voice.
"You are nearly at your destination. I shall watch over you from here. Should anything arise, simply visualize me within your mind. Then you and I can converse via telepathy."
"Yes, I under... stand..."
The drowsiness had reached its limit. The god's voice, too, seemed to be growing gradually more distant.
"I wish you the best of luck. May you find happiness."
With those final words from the god, the man's consciousness faded away.