"I'm home!"
"Welcome back. Are you okay?"
"Well, somehow."
I deployed the [Gate] at the entrance, and Yumina greeted us as we returned home.
I was dragged along by Lu and Arcia, who were eager to get to the kitchen, and we took out the things we bought from [Storage].
The vegetables, rice, kitchen appliances, and other items will be delivered in the evening, but the side dishes, bento, and smaller kitchen goods I bought from the supermarket were brought back using my [Storage].
Ah, I also bought ice cream for everyone as souvenirs. I got a lot of different kinds.
"Sue, could you distribute these to everyone?"
"Oh! Ice cream, huh? There are so many different kinds!"
I handed the bag of ice cream to Sue, who had come into the kitchen to check on us. Sue let out a delighted voice when she saw the contents.
Wait, is it okay for Fuyuka to have ice cream? What about allergies?
Feeling uneasy, I decided to call Mom to confirm.
"Oh, there are no allergies, so it's fine. Just don’t let her have too much. She won’t be able to eat dinner if she does. Oh, and we’ll eat dinner over there with you, so come pick us up."
"Got it."
It seems it's fine. Relieved, I watched as Sue took the ice cream into the living room. I could hear the excited voices of the kids from there.
"First, let’s cook the rice and start preparing for dinner!"
"My arms are itching to get started!"
In front of the rice, vegetables, meat, and fish I had put in [Storage], Lu and Arcia were getting all fired up.
As for me, I became somewhat redundant, so I turned my feet toward the living room.
In the living room, the kids were still playing their game. This time, it was a racing game, the kind where they drive carts.
The ones competing were Alice and Linne. From behind, I watched them as both of them moved their bodies in sync with the movements of the car, and I couldn’t help but laugh. Seriously, stop playing with ice cream in your mouth.
Next to them, Elna, Steph, Yoshino, and Sakura were playing a board game, one where cats and mice chase each other.
"Hmm. Nyantarou is so fast..."
Don’t name the cat piece Nyantarou... Even that cat wouldn’t eat a mouse, right?
Elze, Yumina, and Suu were feeding ice cream to Fuyuka, who was sitting on Elze’s lap.
On the sofa next to them, Leen was reading a book, probably one she brought from Grandpa’s study.
The rings worn by the wives and the children’s bracelets made by Craft, the god of crafts, also had [Reading] enchanted on them, so they could easily read texts from any country.
In the garden, Yae, Yakumo, Hilda, and Frei were sparring with wooden swords.
What? Seriously? Are you training even though we’re on a trip?
Those wooden swords, they’re the ones that were in the umbrella stand, right? Mom used to say something about using them in a fight... One of them is the one I bought during my school trip, though.
"Huh? Where’s Kuon and Quun?"
"Kuon’s upstairs watching TV."
Yumina told me with a wry smile. There’s a small TV in Grandpa’s room upstairs. Apparently, she’s watching TV programs there since the living room was taken over by the game.
"Quun is..."
When Yumina looked toward the garden, she saw Quun, belly-down on the ground, peeking under Mom’s car.
"What’s that kid doing..."
Apparently, Quun was trying to compare the Ether Vehicle with a regular car. Seriously... What is she doing, even on a trip?
Leen, looking up from her book, let out a voice of exasperation.
"Well, as her mother, you should stop her..."
"As her father, you should stop her."
Ugh, when she put it that way...
I put on my shoes, went to the entrance, and circled around the garden from the outside.
Right in front of me, there was Quun, struggling to peek under the car on all fours.
I don’t know why, but it really makes me feel so sad as a father.
"Quun, stop that, you’ll get your clothes dirty."
I called out to Quun, who was peering under the car with the flashlight from her phone.
"Ah! Father! Father! Can you lift this up for me?"
"Don’t say such unreasonable things."
Well, if I use [Power Rise], maybe I could lift it...
"Ah, ah, ah... My nice clothes got dirty."
Quun, who was wearing child clothes similar to what you might find on Earth (instead of her usual clothes), had dirt all over in places. Not even on the first day, huh...
I patted her shoulder and back, trying to brush off the dirt, but I couldn’t get it all off.
"I guess this is going to the washing machine..."
I have some spare clothes for her, so it’s not a big deal, but I can’t have her getting dirty this often.
I think there was a book about cars in Grandpa’s room.
A visual encyclopedia with many photos showing the history and cultural changes of cars. I remember reading it when I was a child.
It wasn’t just about cars; it explained the social environment surrounding them as well, and it was very easy to understand.
When I mentioned this to Quun, she quickly grabbed my hand and dragged me inside. She’s really hard to calm down...
I changed Quun’s clothes and went up to Grandpa’s room. There, I saw Kuon, sitting in a rocking chair, watching an afternoon wide-show on a small TV.
On the TV, commentators and experts were having a serious discussion about political news.
"...Is it interesting?"
"Whether it's interesting or not, it’s educational. As someone who will eventually oversee the country, it might serve as a good example of what not to do."
So it's an example of what not to do, huh. Well, I understand the sentiment. The theme of the news is about the people’s anger regarding tax hikes on top of more tax hikes, so it makes sense to think, "I don’t want to end up like that."
When it comes to politics, I think Kuon is probably better informed than I am... As for me, I just leave everything to Kousaka-san...
Kuon has probably been taught by Yumina and Kousaka-san since she was young.
Well, the political systems between this world and Earth are different, so I’m not sure how useful the knowledge he gaining here will be.
I found the book I was looking for on the bookshelf and handed it to Kuon, who immediately started reading on the bed in the room. He was so absorbed in it, happily reading. It seemed like he completely forgot about my presence. Well, that's fine.
Before returning to the living room, I decided to bring the travel-related books I had looked at before. If Dad and Mom are coming with us, our range of activities will expand. Traveling by Shinkansen would be easy with two more teachers chaperoning.
When I came downstairs with the books, Yumina was preparing the bath. It seems like Yae and the others, who got sweaty from training, were about to take a bath.
This house has a somewhat larger bath, so even with multiple people, including the kids, it should be fine.
When I entered the living room, Fuyuka was happily laughing on Elze’s lap. Next to them, Blanca, who had wiped her feet, was lying down.
"Looks like Fuyuka has really warmed up to Elze."
"I've been taking care of younger siblings since I was little. I've used to it."
"Eh, eh, eh!"
"Oh, yes, she is your aunt, right?"
The younger siblings Elze was talking about were her cousins. Their family is large, so it was probably normal for the older kids to take care of the younger ones.
"Darling, what’s that book?"
"It’s a travel book. I was thinking about where we should go."
I brought a few books, handing one to Leen, who was reading on the sofa.
It’s a domestic travel magazine. It focuses more on introducing ryokan and hotels than tourist spots, but where we stay is important too.
I flipped through the magazine. There are a lot of hot spring areas. Hot springs... that could be nice. It would really feel like we’re traveling.
But come to think of it, this magazine is from before Grandpa passed away... I hope that ryokan is still around.
After staring at the photos in the magazine for a while, Lu called me, saying the rice was done.
I wrapped the freshly cooked rice from the rice cooker in plastic wrap and tossed it into [Storage].
Then I used the empty rice cooker to cook more rice.
It looks like I really need to buy a large rice cooker from the big electronics store... I bought some packaged rice from the supermarket and have rice from the other world, so I won’t run out, but still.
"Dad, what’s this?"
"Hm?"
When I returned from the kitchen, I saw Linne, who had gone down to the garden, holding a pair of stilts in her hands.
How nostalgic. These are the ones Grandpa made for me. I didn’t know they were still around.
I also went down to the garden and taught Linne how to use the stilts. Since they were made when I was a child, they were the perfect size for me.
"Whoa, ho, whoa?"
At first, my steps were wobbly since it had been a while, but I'm soon remembered the technique and started walking steadily. When I used to use them, I would get excited about the higher vantage point, but now, even though I’m on the stilts, I’m still shorter than I was back then...
"That looks fun! Dad, let me try, let me try!"
"Linne, I’m next!"
"Me too!"
The children flocked to the stilts. As expected, or rather, naturally, Linne and the others easily mastered the stilts without falling.
Perhaps they were enjoying the challenge of controlling them with their own physical abilities, as they even did somersaults while on the stilts. I had to scold them to stop, though, since it was dangerous.
Come to think of it, I think there were various toys stored in the shed...
Grandpa was fond of new things and would get anything that seemed fun, no matter what.
While the kids were playing with the stilts, I rummaged through the shed.
There it was, baseball gloves, bats, soccer balls, badminton, and putter golf items, as well as hopscotch, hula hoops, skateboards, jump ropes—sports equipment, all sorts of things.
"Oh, this is..."
Inside the shed, I found a remote-controlled car. The stick-type controller was also in a box.
The remote-controlled car was a four-wheel-drive buggy. I had the same one. I remember taking it with Grandpa to a circuit to race it. Those were the days.
The batteries are probably dead by now. But there’s a fast charger and spare batteries in the box. Maybe I’ll charge it and take it for a spin.
I set up the remote-controlled car for charging in the living room while watching the kids play badminton and hopscotch in the garden.
At the table, Sakura and Sue were reading the travel magazine I brought. They were more interested in the food served at the inns and hotels than the accommodations themselves. Well, enjoying the food is part of the travel experience.
"Hi, we’re here for the delivery!"
A light truck stopped by the entrance, and a box full of vegetables was delivered.
It wasn’t the bearded shopkeeper, but a young guy. Maybe his son?
As if waiting for this moment, Lu and Arcia went to accept the delivery. Yae, Hilda, Yakumo, and Frei, who had just gotten out of the bath, also brought in the vegetable-filled boxes.
One by one, items ordered from the greengrocer, rice shop, and fishmonger were delivered. Hmm... Maybe I should’ve spread the delivery days out...?
As Yae and the others brought in the deliveries, I stored them in [Storage] in the back room. Otherwise, the rooms would get overcrowded.
"You bought all this?"
"Well, it’s for twenty people..."
I could only respond to Yumina’s exasperated voice with that answer.
If I pick something I want to eat, I end up buying twenty of it to make sure no one gets left out...
There are twenty fish, too... Thinking about it now, maybe it would have been cheaper if I went fishing at the sea with [Gate]... though I might run into issues with fishing rights, so maybe it’s better I didn’t.
While I was pondering, the remote-controlled car’s battery was fully charged. Let’s give it a go.
"What’s that, Daddy?"
"Haha, just watch."
I placed the four-wheel-drive buggy in front of Steph, who had come over, full of curiosity. Receiving the signal from the controller, the remote-controlled car took off with speed.
"Whoa!?"
"Oops, that was close."
I cut the steering to the right just in time to avoid hitting Linne, who was on the stilts. The buggy narrowly missed her but then crashed into the wall of the house. I backed it up and let it run again.
"Wow! Is Dad making it move?!"
"Yeah, it’s called a remote-controlled car."
"Remote-controlled!"
Steph was watching the remote-controlled car zooming around the garden, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Want to try?"
"Yeah!"
I handed the controller to Steph, then went to the shed to grab a few spare batteries, plugging them into the charger again. The battery for that remote-controlled car only lasts about twenty minutes.
Both Linne and Alice were drawn to the remote-controlled car Steph was controlling, their eyes filled with intense interest. You can practically see the "Let me try! Let me try!" beams coming from their eyes.
"Alright, switch off and play in turns."
"“““Okay!””””
As I heard the energetic voices, I noticed there was one extra person. Looking over, I saw that, without me realizing it, Quun had come down from the second floor and was now completely captivated by the remote-controlled car. Between the microwave, the car, and the remote-controlled car, that kid sure keeps herself busy...
For Quun, I guess Japan here might be like a dream world.
I taught Quun how to change the remote-controlled car’s battery, then I headed back to the living room.
In the living room, Yakumo, Frei, Yoshino, and Elna had joined in, reading the travel magazine together, all excitedly chatting away.
It seemed that Yae and Hilda were helping Lu and Arcia in the kitchen. Those two may not be great at cooking, but when it comes to handling knives, they’re top-notch...
"Touya, don’t you think it’s about time to go pick up Linze and the others?"
"Hmm?"
When Sue spoke, I looked up at the clock in the living room and saw that it was already nearly 5:30 PM.
I could wait until the food is fully ready to call them, but I’m also curious about how the progress of the manuscript is going. Once we eat, I’ll get sleepy. Maybe I’ll take a quick peek.
I opened the [Gate] and connected it to the living room at my family’s house. Dad’s office is on the first floor, and Mom’s office is on the second floor.
I stepped out of the living room, which I hadn’t visited in a while, and went to the room at the end of the hall. There, Dad and Linze were sitting at their desks, diligently drawing on the manuscript.
Dad is still using analog manuscripts. I think it’s about time he switched to digital. It’s just more convenient.
"Hey, you two, it’s almost time for dinner. What’s the plan?"
"Huh? Oh, wow, is it already that time? We’ve made quite a bit of progress."
Dad lifted his eyes from the manuscript and looked at the clock. Linze also lifted her head at the same time.
"So, how’s it going? How’s Linze as your assistant?"
"Well, better than expected. At first, I had her do some rough sketches for the background, but it was so realistic that I had her redo it once. Since then, there have been no problems at all."
Ah, I see, maybe she overdid it. The background wasn’t quite in sync with Dad’s drawing style and touch.
It seems that Linze read through several of Dad’s manga volumes and mimicked the backgrounds, quickly adapting to his style.
Could a beginner really draw that well with a pen? I wondered, but then I remembered that in the other world, using pens was common... Well, there are even manga artists who use fine pens to draw. There’s no rule saying manga has to be drawn with a pen.
"Is Linze not tired? Is she okay?"
"No! I’m having fun drawing so many different backgrounds! Manga is amazing!"
Ah, I see... Has she had an epiphany? I wonder if this is okay...
Well, just because she can draw doesn’t mean she can create a good manga, so it’s not like things will change overnight...
...Wait a minute. I forgot that Linze has a friend, Princess Rieliel, who is a writer from Refreese. If that princess were to take the role of the original writer, she could probably create a manga in no time... Or rather, I could easily adapt her novel into a manga... Would the "Knights of the Rose" get a manga adaptation...?
The words "Do not mix" popped into my mind, but at this point, there's not much I can do.
All I can do is check the manuscript and make sure it doesn't get too extreme...
"Alright, let’s stop here for now. I’ll go check on Mom."
"Got it."
I left Dad’s workroom, went upstairs, and headed to Mom’s workroom on the second floor.
As the sunset streamed through the window, Mom was busy adding color to a picture book manuscript.
"It’s almost dinner time."
"Hmm...? ...Alright."
Mom continued her work without turning to look at me. I wasn’t sure if she heard me. As usual...
Suddenly, I noticed the door to a room at the end of the hallway.
...It’s my room. Or rather, it might have been.
I stepped away from the hallway and turned the doorknob, entering the room.
When I looked inside, I felt as if time had instantly rewound.
The large desk Grandpa gave me, the bookshelf Dad bought for me. Mom’s favorite carpet, the movie posters I liked, the board games my friends gave me, the bed I was about to get replaced...
The room I lived in until the day I traveled to the other world was still the same.
Rather than feeling nostalgic, what I felt was a sense of having come home and the joy that my place had been preserved.
"Do you miss it?"
Before I knew it, Mom was standing behind me.
"I didn’t think my room would still be here..."
"I thought about getting rid of it... But if I did that, it would feel like the fact that Touya was here would disappear... So, Fuyuichirou and I decided to keep it, at least until Fuyuka grows up enough to understand that she had an older brother."
I see… My existence, which is called "me," has disappeared from this world, but the fact that I was certainly here does not disappear.
The boy named Mochizuki Touya certainly lived in this house, in this room.
And there are family members who remember that. There is nothing more thankful than this...
It felt like I was being told, "Come back anytime."
"You kept everything, didn't you?"
"I was afraid I would get scolded from the afterlife for disposing of it. Fuyuichiro-san properly organized and left it for you."
Did dad clean up the room for me? When I was here, it was much messier. How grateful.
"I've also properly lined up the books that were hidden under the bed and left them on the bookshelf."
"Ahh! Why did you have to mention that!?"
Damn! My feelings of gratitude were blown away in an instant! Dad, please secretly dispose of that too! You know, if you're a man!
What kind of punishment game is it when your mother finds out about your hobbies and preferences? I want to die! I'm dead here though...
"Please, mother... I have a position to keep, you know."
"It's not like it’s something that will make me lose favor if people find out, but I really don’t want to embarrass myself."
"I finally finished at a good stopping point. Alright, let’s go... wait, ouch!? What!?"
"Nothing."
I cheerfully give a low kick to Dad’s calf as he comes upstairs.
Later, I’ll use [Search] to find Dad’s secret books and leave them on the living room table.
He’d better beg Mom for forgiveness. Hahaha...
No comments:
Post a Comment