I am back – Chapter 122

There wasn’t anything particularly special. Siyun and I simply fell asleep as we were.

…No, that’s not right; that moment itself must have been something special, so I guess that’s a wrong statement.

In fact, since the moment I told Siyun that I wanted to stay the night, I had been mentally preparing myself. I thought… what if something more happened than just the kiss? Quite the perverse thinking, isn’t it?

This time, I diligently brushed my teeth to avoid the smell of alcohol and gargled several times. I bathed thoroughly and made sure to shampoo my hair as best as I could.

Yet somehow, we just ended up talking and then falling asleep.

It wasn’t that I wanted it or didn’t; I think it just didn’t cross my mind at all. Both of us. Though if we look purely at our hearts, we were probably closer to wanting it…

It was indeed my fault. If I had just tackled Siyun or seduced her right then and there, we might have gone straight through to kissing and beyond. But for some reason, I just wanted to talk.

I wanted to hear about Siyun, about the things I hadn’t heard during our time apart. Perhaps it was because I had accepted her as a version of past Siyun in my own way.

Having met someone I used to like again, I wanted to hear in detail about the things that happened during our separation. I also wanted to know more about that goddess she spoke of. She was supposed to be the reason that Siyun could come back to me.

So, we talked, shared warmth, confirmed our feelings with a kiss, and before we knew it, we both fell asleep without realizing who dozed off first.

It’s a bit embarrassing at this age, but it seems I let my guard down completely.

Suddenly, I opened my eyes and grimaced. I must have fallen asleep without even turning off the lights.

Siyun was quietly sleeping in my arms.

Her shoulders were rising and falling rhythmically, and soft breaths were heard. It was a comforting sound to listen to.

Siyun’s body, snugly pressed against mine, was warm and soft.

…Perhaps it was because I wasn’t wearing any underwear. I washed up for myself, so it’s only natural I’d have taken off any uncomfortable undergarments.

Well, it was the same for me.

I hadn’t noticed at all when I hugged her tightly earlier. We had been looking into each other’s eyes and talking, after all.

Siyun’s body was… quite… well-shaped. Now that I thought about it, that fact felt quite raw. Her breasts, her slender waist. Just the mere contact made her curves feel vividly pronounced.

As I felt her body and sensed my own rising temperature, I seriously wondered if I had an interest in women too.

…But I didn’t think so. The reason I felt both embarrassment and excitement at this moment was specifically because it was Siyun. Even if there were another man or woman, if it wasn’t Siyun, it might have felt unpleasant.

I liked her that much.

Being so close made me feel thirsty.

I gently brushed the hair that draped over Siyun’s face behind her ear, and after kissing her forehead, I slowly tried to pull away.

Fortunately, sleepy Siyun wasn’t tightly holding on to me.

However.

“Older sister…”

As I slipped away, Siyun mumbled.

Startled, I looked at her face, but she didn’t seem to have woken up. It was probably just sleep talking.

But even thinking like that, I held Siyun’s hand tightly for a moment. Then I kissed her forehead once more.

Perhaps it was just my imagination, but it seemed that Siyun’s expression became a bit more relaxed while she was asleep.

*

The reason I left the room was nothing special, just to quench my thirst. I was just planning to grab a quick drink from the fridge and head back inside.

However, there was already light on in the kitchen.

The person sitting at the dining table was Arna.

…The outfit she wore looked like something out of a fairytale, a green dress. Just looking at the shape of it reminded me of Peter Pan. Of course, the one wearing it was a mature woman, not a mischievous boy.

And there was another fairytale-like aspect.

Arna’s ears were pointed. Not just slightly pointed; they were clearly visible even from behind.

Seeing something like that in reality might have seemed a bit awkward, but perhaps because of Arna’s beauty, it didn’t feel awkward at all.

In my memory, the last image I had of Arna was her in casual clothes with ordinary ears.

“Hmm.”

When I turned my gaze toward the sound, our eyes met, but Arna didn’t even look surprised.

“It’s not surprising, is it?”

We seemed to be thinking similar thoughts.

“Those ears, it’s not a special effect, right?”

At my question, Arna laughed as if it was amusing.

“Do you know it’s considered rude to ask elves such a thing?”

“Is it rude to ask about the ears?”

“No, I’m talking about asking if I’m an elf. Elves tend to take pride in being elves.”

Saying this, Arna poured water into the glass she had set on the table.

Was she thirsty too?

“But you wouldn’t know unless you ask directly.”

“Right.”

Arna nodded and spoke with a distant look in her eyes.

“Most elves spend their entire lives in the forest where they were born. It’s generally only after a very long time that they acknowledge there might be other races out there who have lived less than half of their own lives, discovering astonishing facts or seeing the world from entirely different perspectives.”

Siyun had told me that elves live for a very long time. It meant Arna was much older than us too.

So, even though she looks around my age or younger, she could say such things. She must have experienced them directly.

“I think I know many things from living for a long time, but when it comes down to it, I don’t consider that others might have had different experiences. Instead, I stubbornly conclude we are a superior race. It’s a bad habit.”

“That goes for people too.”

At my remark, Arna merely shrugged.

“I guess you heard that from Siyun?”

“…Yeah.”

It seemed Arna had anticipated that and nodded. Then she took a sip of water from the glass. Strangely, she looked elegant as if she were sipping a cocktail at a bar rather than drinking water in a kitchen. Perhaps it was because I was in front of an actual ‘elf’ that I had a prejudiced view. I hadn’t realized it at all just now.

Arna lifted the water glass to drink. The cool water slid down my throat, quenching my thirst. It seemed I was thirsty because of the alcohol I had drunk. Thankfully, I had no hangover, though.

“Did you know?”

“Well…”

When I asked back, Arna frowned as if the answer was vague.

“I heard some bits of conversation from inside. I also knew the conversation lasted a while. Elves have sharp ears.”

At those words, my face turned red.

“But just because I heard something, I can’t know exactly what conversation took place with two doors in between. Especially because this house is very well soundproofed.”

Still, it was embarrassing to be embarrassed. If today continued to the next… I shivered.

Seeing me tremble, Arna tilted her head, but I had no intention of revealing more.

“…I heard that Siyun was a hero.”

“Right.”

At my words, Arna replied without the slightest hesitation.

“I can swear on my name that he was more heroic than any hero I’ve read about.”

“Is it that much?”

I knew it might not be objective since it was a story I heard directly from Siyun.

Well, Siyun would prefer to speak modestly; he was not the kind of person to inflate his achievements. The Siyun I knew wasn’t like that.

“In the last moment, he was someone who could sacrifice himself over anyone else, without any hesitation.”

“…”

Hearing that, I gaped.

Ah, I see.


Siyun had sacrificed himself even in another world. This was something I hadn’t heard from him. He spoke as if he merely completed a task and came back.

Seeing me dazed, Arna smirked and filled my cup with water.

…Anyone might think it was alcohol.

“If you want, I can tell you about the Siyun I saw. Although it feels a bit too late for that…”

“…I want to hear it.”

I said without hesitation.

“I thought you would.”

Arna replied while giving me a bright smile.