LIGHTNOVELONLINE Abnormal Phenomena Report
1983rd Abnormal Phenomenon
Alias: “Dimension Gate to the Multidimensional Maze”
Risk Level Classification: III (Very Dangerous)
Special Procedures
The 1983rd gate must always remain open, and under no circumstances should it be allowed to close except in special cases.
Special cases include detecting earthquakes, changes in the internal environment, or personnel running towards the gate.
If, after opening and closing the 1983rd gate, a view resembling a complex shopping mall appears beyond it, the gate must be closed immediately.
Furthermore, if an unidentified shape appears beyond that view, declare a state of emergency at the base containing the 1983rd phenomenon and mobilize armed forces based on Lambda-5 regulations to the relevant isolation room.
These regulations take precedence over all other rules regarding the 1983rd phenomenon.
—
A shape began to rush towards me quickly.
No, could we even say it’s “rushing”?
Without the slightest movement, it approached me as if it were separated from space, so unnatural and grotesque that it was hardly suitable to attach the word “running” to it.
Before I knew it, the shape had come close enough to touch me.
Despite being just a tumble away, I still couldn’t clearly identify what the shape was, and as if it were spreading its arms, it elongated something on both sides and then, just like that, it pounced on me as if to envelop me.
“――――――――――”
Something felt like it was crawling on my body.
Countless wriggling little beings felt like they were swimming beneath my feet.
Those crawling around my feet gradually began to tickle the tops of my feet,
and then started to creep up my calves and thighs, crawling up my body, and finally began to infiltrate my neck.
It was an incredibly bizarre, nauseating sensation that was unbearable.
That sensation was finally attempting to invade my ear, and because of that absurdly unpleasant feeling,
I—I just couldn’t—
I couldn’t bear the ticklish sensation,
and burst into laughter.
“Ah, hic, ha, uhee…!”
Stop it, seriously.
I’m incredibly weak to tickling, you know.
Just lightly tickling my soles or armpits is enough to incapacitate me instantly.
I don’t even know what the heck is going on.
What is this? Are you expressing affection or something? Out of nowhere? Coming at me, a complete stranger?
“―――――?”
When I pushed the persistent creature away in a gesture to stop, it began to stare at me, looking somewhat confused.
What’s up with that? Why are you staring like that?
I don’t know how you greet someone in your dimension, but here, hugging and tickling a complete stranger isn’t a normal greeting.
Especially not if they don’t really like that ticklish sensation.
But the shape I pushed away just stood still, as if shocked by what I had done.
It simply continued to stare at me intently.
‘Hmm…’
Ah, could it be?
Is it one of those overly friendly kids who suddenly rushes to hug someone they like?
It might be a bit bewildering for the person on the receiving end…
But well, that’s not entirely incomprehensible behavior.
After all, normally, kids are supposed to run around and yell with their peers, right?
But considering it has been playing alone in this spacious playroom, how lonely must it have been?
Thinking this way, I started to reasonably understand why this little being had suddenly pounced on me and hugged me.
Sure enough, now that I looked closer, it did seem a bit cute.
I still couldn’t express what it looked like in a language I knew, but
after all, it has to be a child from a different dimension that fell through the dimension gate.
So that’s why it was playing alone in this kids’ protection center’s playroom.
And when you travel through different dimensions, the biases about appearances tend to vanish quickly.
What’s more important is the vibe, that feeling, and atmosphere.
And I’ve become quite adept at reading those vibes when it comes to judging someone’s appearance.
But for some reason, people don’t seem to acknowledge that much.
“――Ah,”
The little one in front of me suddenly let out a short sound and began to slowly back away.
Wait a second. It wasn’t intentional.
I didn’t mean to push you away; I was just caught off guard when you started tickling me.
‘…Ugh, what should I do? It’s so inconvenient not being able to speak.’
I wanted to clear up the misunderstanding for the seemingly hurt little one, but sadly, I was currently unable to talk.
Of course, this was simply a matter of keeping up the concept, and from what I could see, there didn’t seem to be anyone else here except for me and that little one,
but still, you never know who might be watching, and it’s possible that the little one might later say something like, “Oh, that guy can talk!”
But anyhow, at this point, it was becoming quite uncomfortable not being able to speak.
Maybe it was time to show I could manage a few words.
‘For the time being, I need to express that I’m okay through gestures…’
As I was thinking about appropriate body language to convey that sentiment, I suddenly recalled a suitable gesture for the situation.
Clearly, the reason that little one was backing away was because I had refused the hug.
If I spread my arms and stepped toward it, surely it would understand what I wanted to say.
Thinking like that, I opened my arms wide and took a step forward.
‘…?
At the moment I took a step forward,
that little one also stepped back.
One step, then another step.
Worried the little one might be startled, I cautiously continued to take slow steps forward,
but it kept backing away further every time I approached.
‘…Huh? Didn’t it want a hug?’
I paused for a moment, caught up in the little one’s perplexing behavior, but soon enough, I figured out the reason it was trying to escape from me.
It wanted to play tag with me at that time.
The fact that it had rushed over and hugged me upon our first meeting was probably a signal that it was determining whether I was to be “it” in tag.
And right now, as it was slowly running away from me, it was likely judging whether I wanted to play with it.
If it darted away from me quickly, yet I stood still here not understanding what tag even was, that wouldn’t be a very fun game at all.
‘Well, it’s not like I can’t play with it at all.’
As I mentioned earlier, I quite liked kids.
That doesn’t mean I’m the kind of person with a wide heart who can embrace all of their wild pranks,
but I felt a desire to play with kids who approach me purely with the intention of playing, even if just for a short time.
Especially since I had all this time to spare, and a big wide space at my disposal.
It’d be silly not to play a simple game like tag.
Having realized the little one’s intent, I opened my arms wide again,
and struck an exaggerated pose intended to let everyone know that I would be chasing it from now on.
――Tack!
I began to sprint towards the little one in front of me.
“―――――?!!?!”
At the sight of me running, the little one turned away and started running away.
Even though there was no sound of a starting pistol or a bang! to signal the beginning,
like with all kids’ games of tag,
without any preamble or sound, we both started to dash across the spacious room almost simultaneously.
“――Aaaah, aaaah, aaaaaaah!”
Ah, here it comes. The sounds made by kids when they are excited.
Usually, those words sound like they’re trying to say something or scream joyously—
like “Kyaa!” or “Byaa!”— at something fun happening.
From the listener’s perspective, it’s hard to tell if they’re cheering or screaming, but
at least in this situation, anyone could tell that those sounds carry happiness.
Yeah, normally, in a playroom, the joyful sounds of kids running around should fill the air.
—
Inside the playroom that resembles a shopping mall,
we enthusiastically moved about, like the kids in a playroom, continuously engaging in innocent play.
I was diligently tailing the little one fleeing, adjusting my speed so that I could almost touch it,
making sure the little one could enjoy for as long as possible while I chased.
—
Continuing our thrilling game of tag,
I suddenly came to a halt in front of a collapsed staircase.
The sudden reason for stopping the game was… simple.
The little one, while fleeing, had surprisingly dashed toward the dead end,
and without hesitation, leaped into the densely blocked collapsed staircase.
‘No, that’s cheating!’
I slapped my forehead, feeling troubled by what the daring little one had done.
While I had to admire its creativity in utilizing its own physical traits for play,
it still might find itself in trouble later if it behaved this way when playing with other kids.
Even kids can feel a sense of unfairness sometimes.
It’s evident that nobody would want to play with a kid who kept acting unfairly while playing.
‘Maybe I should just clear it a bit…?’
I reached out to the debris blocking the staircase.
Of course, I couldn’t go through as it was, but clearing it out would be no problem.
After all, it was just some playroom props; a few of them could be safely moved aside.
…Yeah, it should be fine.
Most importantly, this action would also serve as a lesson for this little one.
It’s essential to have at least one adult to teach the lesson that not everything in life goes as you wish.
Let me clarify; this isn’t because I feel childish pride for not catching it.
It’s simply out of genuine concern for this little creature. I mean it.
Having made up my mind to clear the debris, I grasped one of the pieces of rubble,
and just as I was finally about to exert force to remove it—
“―BANG!”
Suddenly, I heard something behind me that sounded like a door opening.
I halted my actions, turning my head towards the source of the noise.
‘…A door?’
It was clearly the sound of a door opening.
Normally, doors don’t open automatically, so I assumed someone had entered the room, but
there was no one there, just a solitary open orange door lingering.
‘Did the wind blow it open? Or rather, was there always a door here?’
I stared intently at the now-opened door, pondering those questions.
It made sense since I had run around this room a lot while playing tag with the little one,
and yet, I couldn’t recall having seen a door here at all.
Of course, I hadn’t scoured the room thoroughly, but
it felt like there had definitely been nothing of the sort around here until now…
“…”
I glanced back at the staircase blocked by rubble for a moment before resigning to giving up chasing the little one.
After all, I had been here for quite a while now.
Considering how long I had been neglecting the little one’s energy while we dashed around,
even though it had the boundless energy of a child, it must be reaching its limit soon.
Running into a secluded space only it could access like that must be because of that very reason.
‘Well then, it’ll either catch up when it’s recovered or continue to play alone.’
In that case, let’s give it some recovery time.
Honestly, I was beginning to feel the urge to explore another room myself.
Anyway, since there’s a door right in front of me, let it either come along to play or do as it pleases.
—
Behind the collapsed staircase,
I pointed several times towards the direction I would be heading, so the little one could see me,
and after feeling that should suffice, I waved as if indicating a farewell,
then stepped towards the opened orange door that unveiled a different scenery.