Chapter 8 - The Story Began

[……Erhem……]

[No, sorry sorry. You had your mouth wide open, so I thought…… Are you alright?]

A familiar girl mumbled out an apology as she gently stroked my back as I coughed. It was my first night in a different world and a nightmare suddenly attacked me when I was a little drowsy. How amazing you are, oh different world. How frightening you are, oh different world…… I never thought I would be traumatized by baby castellas.

[……or rather, how come you’re here, Kuro?]

[Well~ what an amazing coincidence it is, isn’t it? It felt like it’s fate that we bumped into each other in a place like this!]

[No, no matter how I look at it, we’re in a personal residence, right!?]

[You know, it’s one of those common stories that it got boring to hear, where you went out of the city for a change of pace, but you notice a friend of yours “a few kilometers away” with his mouth wide open and raised up to the sky, so you just have to “slip through the detection barrier” and throw some baby castellas into his mouth.]

[Like hell that could happen! There are lots of abnormal things I can point out from that story!]

This place is completely locked down, right!? There’s no way in hell it’s a coincidence when you illegally intruded on a Duke’s house in the middle of the night! No good. There are too many things that I have to tsukkomi that I can’t even keep up with them.

[Now, now, let’s just put the small details aside.]

[……They’re not just small details. Something like this is a large enough incident……]

Doesn’t seem like she wants to hear the shout of my soul, Kuro continued speaking with an innocent smile on her face.

[Look, didn’t I tell you before? That if you’re in a predicament, I can help you. Kaito-kun, you seemed to be troubled with something, but what’s the matter?]

[Eh? Ah, no, I don’t know if you could say I’m bothered with it…… I don’t know I should say this……]

Fuuunnn… It was the same when we met in the evening, but I still can’t catch up with Kuro’s pace. Or rather, I felt like I’m being overtaken by her innocent smile and end up being carried away by it.

[I was just thinking about the things that have just happened and the things that were about to happen.]

[I see…… Alright! Well, how about I listen to you while we go have an “otsukimi”!]

[Why!?]

As soon as Kuro’s coat touched the floor of the balcony, it undulated and a black mat suddenly unfurled out on the floor. Ah, no, looking closely, that’s not just a mat, but a tatami mat.

And it doesn’t end there, the black shadow under her coat stretched out and a stand where you place the tsukimi dangos—- I think it was called sanpo? It detached from her shadow and placed itself on top of the tatami. What the heck is that coat? Does anything come out of that? That’s a terribly convenient coat you have……

[Now, sit sit, the moon is beautiful tonight and we can take our time talking about it~]

[……uh, yeah.]

I sit down on the tatami mats, prompted by the outrageous development and her lovely smile. Then, Kuro points at the sanpo and shook it lightly, and then… a tsukimi dango appeared there—-

[Why the heck aren’t they dangos, but baby castellas!?]

[Eh? Otsukimi is that festival where we eat sweets while looking at the moon, right?]

[……I feel like there’s nothing wrong with that interpretation itself, even though there’s a fatal mistake about it……]

That’s right, in front of me was a pile of…… the pastries that had imprinted an unfading trauma on my mind just the other day—– baby castellas. Why the heck would you know about the tatami and sanpo, but you would replace the most essential dangos with baby castellas? What’s with your half-baked information……

[Fufufu, I can’t have you underestimating me. These baby castellas were made especially for Otsukimi! Try it and you’ll see the difference right away!! Here, take some~]

[A- Alright. Alright already…… I’ll go eat some.]

While some of my trauma was stimulated from looking at the baby castella came closer to my mouth, I gave up thinking and brought the baby castella into my mouth.

[!? This is……]

The baby castella I put in my mouth looked like ordinary castella on the outside, but inside was a chewy dough with a solid elasticity and slight sweetness that tastes familiar for my Japanese tongue—- the taste of anko.

(T/N: red bean paste)

I see, so to speak, there’s a dango wrapped inside this baby castella. Within this small piece of baby castella is an encapsulated dumpling that could be called an extraordinary piece of craftsmanship—–

[Then, a regular tsukimi dango would have been enough! Why did you have to coat it in baby castella!? What’s with your obsession with baby castellas!? All I feel from seeing them is fear, you know!? Or rather, if you’re so obsessed with it, why the heck did you even remember its name wrong!?]

[You’re really well, aren’t you? However, won’t you get tired if you talk like that in one breath? Here, I’ve got you something to drink. It’s a legitimate other world beverage now, you know?]

[Ah, thank you—– Buuhhh!?]

Taking the cup offered by Kuro, who was staring at me as I shouted with a smile on her face, I took the drink she offered to moisten my dry throat from all these tsukkomis and gulped it down—– which I immediately spurted out.

[Are you alright? It’s dangerous to drink it all at once, you have to carefully drink it.]

[Gohon, gerhem…… Why…… coffee……]

[Eh? In the other world, you drink this when you eat sweets, right?]

[……………….]

All those previous heroes who have given Kuro half-baked knowledge about the other world, come out here so I can punch you in the face.

I thought it was a funny thing to call it tsukimi even though the new year is about to come, but it seems that in this world—- the moon in the skies is largest and most visible at Japan’s equivalent for nenmatsunenshi, which is the best time for them to see the moon.

(T/N: tsukimi happens in mid-autumn which happens in oct.1 for 2020. nenmatsunenshi is new year’s holiday happening from the end of the year to the beginning of the new year, from dec.28 to jan.3)

Most of all—– Looking at us sitting on a tatami mat, drinking a cup of coffee in one hand while I ate some baby castella, I can only think that everything’s wrong, regardless of whether it’s in a different world or not.

[……Funnn… How should I say this, you people of the human race still wants to worry about strange things as usual~]

[Is that how it felt like from the point of view of a demon?]

It was far different from the boisterous atmosphere we had been in earlier. While watching the moon with Kuro as she’s clad in a calm atmosphere as if she’s well acquainted with the long history, I spontaneously confided about what I had been thinking earlier.

Not knowing what I want to do, the anticipation and anxiety from the changes that came upon our arrival to the different world. Even though I wasn’t able to skillfully answer Kusonoki-san’s question, for some reason, it spontaneously came out of my mouth when I’m talking with Kuro. It may be because of the unique atmosphere she has, but Kuro’s voice somehow gives me a gentle sense of relief.

And after listening to my story, Kuro quietly spun her words as she tilted her teacup.

[I don’t think that people who have objectives and dreams are better than people who don’t. It’s not that it’s wrong to not have it, it’s also not wrong to want it…… It’s just that it would be a waste to not reach out for it, don’t you think?]

[It would be a waste?]

[Unn. Kaito-kun—– From my point of view, a human’s life is just as short as an instant. It’s only for less than a hundred years. What I meant is that you only have that much time in your life. However, if you worry about every single minor detail, you’ll end up living your whole life just worrying about it. In that case, I think it’s just much more beneficial to just put it all behind and have some fun.]

[……Have some fun huh……]

I don’t exactly know how to have some fun. I know that I wanted to acquire something, but I don’t know what exactly I want.

[……An old acquaintance of mine had said something similar to what you just said. He said he’s feeling empty.]

[Empty?]

[Yes, there are apparently so many hopes and desires piling up around him…… and before he knew it, he’s only walking down the path that someone has shown him. He said that he’s become someone empty…… It’s not that he hates it, and he just wants to live up to the expectations imposed on him… But sometimes, he wonders where his true feelings could be.]

[……We certainly resemble quite a bit.]

[Unn. I wonder if that’s why? The reason why I like Kaito-kun a lot just when I saw you.]

[Eh?]

Turning to Kuro in surprise from her gentle words, her golden eyes which seems to see through everything in the world was looking straight at me. It wasn’t something uncomfortable as being stared at by someone, it rather looked like the gentle, affectionate look of a mother.

[……You’re just like a newborn baby bird who still doesn’t know anything.]

[A baby bird?]

[Yes, a baby bird who wants to acquire feathers—– but doesn’t know how to grow them. A baby bird who wants to fly—- but doesn’t know how to. I think being troubled is the same as being hopeful. From deep inside you, there’s a glittering wish that you have not yet found yourself. Even though you still haven’t figured it out by now, it’s neither a shame nor is it a bad thing.]

It’s like she’s singing a lullaby, her gentle voice resonates deep in my heart. It’s like she’s wrapping me with her reminders that it’s okay… that I don’t have to worry about it—-

[That’s why… Let’s go treasure hunting!]

[……What?]

Arehh? That’s weird. Wasn’t this the beginning of a deeply moving storyline? Why did you suddenly start going off on a tangent again? Are you that free? Hey, are you that free?

[Mmhmm. I like Kaito-kun, so it should be fine.]

[Errr, I don’t really know what you meant by that but…… Why are you holding me from behind with both of your hands? Why is your coat suddenly shaped like gigantic wings? I’ve got a really bad feeling about this, but what are you doing? Or rather, stay away from me!]

[It’s alright, it’s alright. We’re just going to take a little stroll up in the sky!]

[I don’t feel like there’s anything alright about that explanation—– Gyyaaahhhhhh!?]

With natural movements, she tightly held unto my body from behind. My voice didn’t reach her ears as Kuro’s coat, which had changed into gigantic wings, moved and immediately afterward, I felt the scenery blown downwards in one breath.

I instinctively closed my eyes, but I don’t feel the resistance of the strong wind. Rather, it feels like it’s gently caressing my cheeks.

[Look, Kaito-kun. See for yourself.]

[Eh——!?]

Lured by her beautiful voice, my eyes slowly opened, but I couldn’t utter any more words.

I can see the big moon in the sky and the light of life, looking like stars shining on the ground. A magnificent and beautiful sight, I can’t think of anything to describe it—- other than calling it a sight to behold.

[Kaito-kun. We’re in a big world.]

[Eh?]

[Even though I’ve lived a long time, there are lots of things I don’t know and understand. Things you don’t know, sights you’ve never seen—- Even if you spend your entire life, that still wouldn’t be enough to know about everything.]

[……………..]

[You’ve finally come to this world, so why don’t we search for it? In here, for what seems to be your valuable “treasure” deep within your heart…… what you wanted to do, you don’t have to find that answer. When it’s time for you to leave, even if you don’t know what you want to do, you would instead be able to acquire the answer to “what you’ve done” and “what you’ve discovered”…… That’s why it’s okay for you to be empty for now.]

With those words… Kuro let go of the hand that was holding me. I’m falling!? is what I thought for a moment, but my body wasn’t rapidly falling, but I found myself slowly descending towards the vast earth.

Descending from a considerable altitude, I turn my gaze to the stars shining on the ground—- A little ahead of me, I could see Kuro smiling gently with her arms spread out in front of her.

With the light of the glittering stars on the ground from behind and her shiny silver hair fluttering in the wind, she’s so beautiful that I can’t take my eyes off her as she looked at me with her golden eyes that seem to be gently sucking me in.

[Wanting wings—- but you don’t know how to grow them. Wanting to fly—- but you don’t know how to. Yes, you’re still an innocent and adorable baby bird who has yet to know anything……]

I thought we were a distance away from each other, and yet, her voice isn’t drowned out by the sound of the wind but it reached straight to my ears.

[In that case—- I will teach you! Things you don’t know, sights you’ve never seen, this world itself!]

[!?]

Dear Mother, Father—– I was dragged in the summoning of Heroes and came to a different world.

[In this gentle world, I bless your visit!]

But—- that different world is at peace. Nothing has changed for me and I haven’t had the courage to change.

[In that case, from now on, let’s start looking for it here in a different world! The thing you couldn’t find by yourself!]

However—– I had a strange encounter, got swung about with her nonsense, and got my common sense shattered without even knowing why.

[From now on, let’s start from this moment onwards! Let’s do something different……! ]

However—- looking back upon it, this encounter with this irrational demon was the biggest moment of change for me.

[…where you—- are the protagonist of this story!]

Yes, in this very nonsensical, yet gentle and warm different world—– The story began.