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{POV: MC}

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Coming into the storage room, the environment inside has become like another space itself, with a lush green grassland environment, a blue sky, and a lot of birds flying around. If I didn't know that it is still a storage room, I would believe this place is on the outside. Perhaps a park or a forest. The thing is... I know the current time is at night, and there is no way sunlight appeared within this time.

The moment I enter the door, I was immediately greeted by Vera who also waved her hand at me. In front of him is the stinky old man, who currently sitting and sipping tea. Both of them sit together at one table and seem to enjoy a snack together.

"Jin-kun!"

"You are late to the party, Young man!"

...

Looking at they seem to have fun together, I just got cheated on, aren't I?

"Your imagination sure is amazing, young man." The old man suddenly called me out, interrupting my own thought.

"Stop mind-reading me, old man!" I quickly rebuked him in response. Damn it, I forget this old man liked to peek at other people's minds! 

However, Vera looked at my response to the old man feeling disappointed, and said, "Jin-kun, you are being rude to an elder!" 

"But Vera-chan!"

"See, young man. Even your girlfriend understood that you should treat an elder with care." The old man said while shaking his head as if he does not anything wrong.

This damn old man, I swear there's no way I would get along with him in any circumstances. I really regret that I give him free food on that rainy night!

And once again, the old man looked at me with an amused smile and answered my thought, "If you are not giving me food that night, there is no way you would be able to even meet your lovely childhood slash girlfriend, young man."

"What do you mean, Ichi jii-san?" Vera asked as she was confused about what the old man talking about.

The old man smiled at Vera and answered, "It was about why I pick young man Jin as a god, at the rainy right I was hungry and---" But soon I realize that the old man going to storytelling, I quickly cut him,  "Stop it, old man! We are here for business!"

"Jin-kun! You are so rude this night! What's wrong with you?" Vera said to me with a disappointed tone. 

"Nothing. It is just we better move quickly as it is already late at night." I said while averting my eyes from Vera. 

I know it is okay for any of us not to sleep several days, but to be honest I just want to sleep quickly to recover from the mental trauma I got from Vera's cooking. I am not kidding when I said I want to end this quickly.

The old man who peeked at my mind laughed and then replied, "Well, young man Jin is right, we have a lot to talk about so better get started." 

*ZAP* *ZAP*

...!!!

Soon after the old man said that the surrounding area completely changed into a white blank space. A sofa shortly appeared behind the old man, and then he quickly take a sit on it. I wondered why the old man transferred us to this space.

"Welcome. This space exists between the universe, known as the Void dimension. Here, usually, I am residing watching all thing happening in the multiverse." The old man answered my thought.

Does it mean I will live here in the future? That would be pretty boring...

*ZAP* *ZAP*

As I wonder about that, another sofa suddenly appeared behind us and the old man quickly instructed, "Sit down."

Both me and Vera nodded and sit quietly, realizing that they need to get serious.

The old man take a sip of his tea and asked, "What do you all wish for?"

To his question, I shook my head as I did not really wish for anything. 

"I do not wish for anything" I said, and then turn my head to my girlfriend, "But Vera-chan might have something to achieve."

Personally, I honestly think this wish reward is quite tasteless since I can achieve it myself with my own power.

"Is that okay, Jin-kun?" Vera asked me, which I answered with a smile. "Yes. Go for it."

It seems Vera really wanted to wish for something. I wonder why she did not ask me through all of this time. It would be a lie if I wasn't curious about her wish.

"Thank you!!" Vera gratefully replied and then she looked at the old man seriously and said, "Then, I want... to contact my father again, and be able to tell him that I am still alive."

...!!!

I never expect that kind of wish at all... Why did she never tell us? I know the fact her identity is kind of problematic if it was revealed...

The old man who hear Vera's request nodded at himself and replied, "Yes, I can." Then the old man become serious and then explained, "But it will be limited to your own father, and I hope you do not reveal your identity to the whole world on your own."

"I agree!!" Vera agreed without hesitation.

The old man gestured to follow him, as a magic circle suddenly appeared below his feet, "Alright, let's teleported together to your father's location."

Hearing the old man's instruction, both of me and Vera nodded and walked to the magic circle. 

However, as I want to walk into the magic circle, I can't move my muscle any of my muscles as if I lost control of my body.

"Young man Jin, you stay here." The old man said to me seriously.

"Why? You all going together why am I would be excluded?" I complained.

The old man shook his head and answered, "Because I need to talk about something else here, and this is about your punishment."

After saying it, the old man suddenly split himself into two, and one of them seems to be staying with me. Damn, when I could learn that split technique? It would help a lot in the restaurant!

Anyway, I guess I can't go with Vera. To be honest, it's probably rude for me to follow anyway. It seems she does not really want to anyone know about this, as she hasn't told any of us about this concern of hers.

...

"Alright, Let's go."

"Thank you, Jin-kun!" Vera said as she was about to disappear under the magic circle.

I smiled and replied, "Don't worry about me, take care of yourself!"

...

*BLINK*

After Vera and the old man (clone) disappeared from this place, the old man waved his hand and told me to sit on the sofa again. I nodded following his instructions, then he took his tea again saying, "Please relax, wait for me to finish my tea first and I'll be ready to tell you something."

Well, I also quickly wished myself a cup of tea in my hand and enjoyed our time together... for no reason.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

...

After enjoying our time together for a while in silence, the old man finally put his cup on the table and called me, "Young man Jin."

"Yes?"

"You know why you are here, right?" He asked while staring at me with a serious expression.

I slightly nodded and answered, "Isn't this about my second punishment?"

The old man smiled at me and once again asked, "Yes. Did you regret it?

"Not at all."

I really mean it when I say did not regret it. Everything I could do for my employee, I will do without hesitation even if the old man punished me over and over again. It's not my fault... This old man should know better that I will do this kind of thing, yet he still makes me a god.

I am not a god, I still consider myself as a human being with more power.

The old man who seems reading my mind close his eyes and muttered, "I see."

"I see?"

"Despite all everything that happened around you, you still have not fully accepted your identity. Your responsibility. Your role." 

"Well..." I nodded and then answered, "I can't really see myself being a god. I have been living for 17 years as a chef, with a life goal just want to make this restaurant the best restaurant in the world. And then just last month, you made me a god."

"How could I suddenly accept it?"

Hearing my explanation, the old man seems to understand my situation and said, "I understand. But..." the old man suddenly opened his palm and there's a small vial of water appeared with his hand. "You don't really have a lot of time to do a self-acceptance."

I frowned and asked, "What do you mean? Why do you make me a god in the first place?"

"I won't answer that kind of question for you." The old man shook his head and then give the vial in his hand to me, " Take this vial."

...??

I take a closer look at this small vial filled with water, my feeling tells me this is not an ordinary vial so I asked, "What is this, old man?"

"Inside that vial, the water you have seen inside contains a soul."

"A soul?"

Hearing the old man just say, it would be a lie if this had not caught my interest. The subject of the soul itself has always been my interest the moment I thought about my power, the old man said this water... is a soul?

"Is that interesting?" The old man asked me.

I nodded and asked, "Then, what I should do with this?"

"The soul inside that vial... is someone name Kumagaya." The old man stated.

...!!

Is this the soul I was thinking about? one of the bastards who did try to ruin our restaurant?

The old man who read my mind nodded and answered, "I caught this man before even he got a chance to ruin your event, despite being god you are still careless as always."

"...I see. Thanks for that, I guess."

I guess that's something that I feel off when we have to take care of my uncle that night. This bastard probably try to ruin our event today, but thankfully he did not know the literally omnipotent being himself was a guest of today's event.

I really owe the old man this time. I guess I will treat him with my dishes later on.

As I wonder about that, the old man continues said, "If you fully accepted your identity as a true god and activate your future vision and mind reading as always, he won't even have a chance to revenge." 

"I won't. I am still human." I quickly refused his idea.

"You are still naive, and you will pay the price for it later." The old man said with a dissatisfied tone.

I know he is right, but I just don't want to change. I feel... if I accept my new identity, I will change a lot and I don't want it. What makes me today, surrounded by a lot of people who supported me is me as a human, not me as a god.

"Even so, old man... this is my choice," I answered him with a serious tone.

Both of us stared at each other seriously for a while in silence as both of us seems does not to want to give up our ideas. I did my best to not lose here, as I try to convince him that my current decision is correct. No matter what he says, I won't yield.

...

..

.

After a while, instead of persuading me furthermore the old man suddenly broke a smile, and then laughed loudly, which made me confused.

"Hahahaha!! I see. In the end, my successor is still the same as me, imperfect."

"Imperfect?"

The old man nodded and answered, "If I was a perfect true god, I would certainly not need to have fun and throw away my feeling but here I am, in front of you, young man Jin." The old man suddenly appeared beside me and pat my shoulder, "Good job."

Well... when he said it, I just realize what he said was true. Despite being a god stronger than me, this man seems to have no responsibilities and just wants to have fun.

This old man is probably an even much worse god than me!

["You just realized that, Jin-sama?"]

...

"So.. it was a test for me?" I asked him for confirmation.

"Yup. And you are not disappointing me." The old man answered me and then hold his chin while murmuring, "There is still a disappointing part... but I believe you will learn that aspect in another world."

"Thank you." I said while slightly bowing at him. Genuinely, I just want this over and back to sleep... as I really tired mentally for today. I am curious about how Vera handles her business with her own dad but I believe she would be fine. I could ask her tomorrow, or anytime I wanted in the future after all.

*ZAP*

...!!

As I wonder if I could ask the old man for leaving, the vial in my hand suddenly disappeared. I wanted to ask what happen, but I saw the vial was in his palm... which means, he took it back.

"The soul..."

The old man cut my sentence and asked, "Young man Jin, I will take this man with me, torture him in hell. Is that okay for you?"

Hearing what he just said, I got surprised and asked, "Why you would do that? I don't think he does anything against you."

As I asked that, the surrounding scenery suddenly changed to red... as the old man seriously replied, "Because I want to and he made me unhappy. That's the proof that I am also imperfect true god." 

...!!!

"...Alright then."

Well, nothing I could do against him anyway. He is a stronger god than me, and I realize that we really can't talk about morality when it comes to god being. Besides, I don't have affection for that bastard. He is pretty sure going to hell sooner or later.

"So you understand." The old man said to me, as he read my mind as always.

...

After that, the old man quickly changed back the surroundings to a normal storage room (taking away all the surplus items from the event today) while disappearing in front of me together as if nothing happens here. Still, Vera has not come back, and I am also kind of afraid of the girls on the outside deciding to sleep in the storage room while waiting for my girlfriend. 

With a simple wish for a bed and fluffy blanket, it was easy for me to fall asleep even inside the storage room. Didn't I know the old man trolled me hard as Vera won't come back to the restaurant at all for 3 days and he also made me sleep for entire 3 days at the same time.

...

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[Intermission: What does the old man mean when he said that he is also imperfect?]

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(MC): "As the title of the intermission said, I wonder why is the old man saying that he is imperfect in this chapter despite being the strongest thing in the world?"

(System): ["You still don't really get what Original One means to say, Jin-sama? Jeez, I begin to wonder if he picks the wrong successor."]

(MC): "I kind of understand... but also don't. I mean, I got it when he says that he still acts like a mortal despite being a god. But what is wrong with it?"

(System): ["Tell me, in your opinion what is perfect god?"]

(MC): "Perfect god... Maybe... someone who acts like a proper god... gives a fair judgment without any personal feeling-- ah..!!"

(System): ["Indeed. Original One despite being the strongest god clearly likes to act like a mortal, fooling around, and bending fate as he wishes. In a way, he is truly imperfect."]

(MC): "Well, as someone who still wanted to run his restaurant despite being a true god, I guess I am also imperfect."

(System): ["Being imperfect doesn't mean bad anyway. Perfect is also a subjective matter. What you deemed as perfect, might be not perfect in other people's eyes."]

(MC): "Wow... you sound so smart, system. I am surprised."

(System): ["You tried to use this chance to mock me, Jin-sama? Too bad, I have always been smart. It's you who sometimes does not have enough brain."]

(MC): "I don't even intend to do that... Stop it."

(System): ["Like, you are still running a mortal restaurant despite already being more than that. A literal god. If I am not calling that stupid, then I must be crazy about it."

(MC): "I have the reason you know!? Anyway, stop mocking me and just end this intermission."

(System): ["Pffft! In the end, I am winning again. "]

(MC): "..."

Renaxan

As I have planned, this story will enter hiatus this month and I will continue it when I have enough material and clear direction for the isekai arc.

My estimation time when I continue this story was on early next year, just hope it will happen as I have planned.