I am back – Chapter 218

If there’s something you couldn’t do in childhood, they say you’ll want to do it as an adult.

It’s actually a psychological phenomenon, but to be honest, I’ve never really read up on the details, so I’m not well-informed.

Do I have that aspect in me?

Since there are many things I couldn’t do as a child, maybe I do. However, I haven’t felt the burning desire to do them yet.

It’s not like there was nothing I wanted. I certainly had things I wanted to eat or have.

But I also didn’t think about things like, “When I grow up, I absolutely want to do that.”

Actually, the thing I wanted the most I ended up achieving.

Being with my Older Sister. Not having to worry about money. After achieving these two things, I sometimes wonder if there’s really anything else I need to accomplish.

But, I can’t very well tell my mom, who looks pleased with me, that “I don’t want anything at all.”

We were headed to the department store with my mom.

It seemed like what she said earlier was genuinely her heartfelt intention—to buy me shoes, clothes, and bags.

Since we had some extra money, it looked like she wanted to splurge a bit. The prices in the store she took me into would’ve made me break out in a cold sweat if I had seen them as a child.

Expensive clothes… Now that I think about it, I’ve never really worn expensive clothes. If I had to guess, the noble outfit I wore in Irrelaysia was probably the priciest I’ve ever worn, but comparing such clothes to Earth’s fashion feels unfair.

Tailored suits are expensive on Earth too, but they differ a bit from what we commonly think of as “expensive clothes.” Sure, you can brag about artisan-made clothes, but you’ll be hard-pressed to get anything other than an awkward smile in response.

The type of clothing my mom had in mind was probably of the “brand” variety. And not the simple, everyday stuff either, but the really pricey items.

Even after transitioning to this world, besides the clothes my wife or friends bought for me, I had only worn the outfits the Goddess provided for me. So honestly, I didn’t feel the need to buy my own clothes at all.

“…”

I followed behind my mom silently, who seemed ready to hum a tune.

“Oh, how about this one?”

The place my mom stopped at… Well, to be fair, it was a brand I had never seen before. But looking at its minimalistic, monochrome decor, it oddly gave off an “artistic” vibe.

Of course, the outfit my mom was holding wasn’t that unique runway design—it was a puffy jacket in a slightly bright color. Aside from a logo I couldn’t decipher on the chest, and the fact that it was made from quality material, I honestly couldn’t tell how it differed from other brands’ puffy jackets.

In the past, I would’ve flat out rejected it, but…

“It’s pretty.”

I replied with a smile.

My response was sincere. It wasn’t a burning desire of “I must have this” or “I’ll wear it at any cost,” but still, it was an expensive brand item. I decided to graciously accept it.

“…”

My mom took a step back from where I was standing in the outfit, gazing at me quietly before she nodded.

“Okay, then let’s get this one.”

*

The pattern continued similarly afterward.

We ended up buying an enormous backpack that seemed like it wouldn’t be used much. Well, I thought it could come in handy if we went on a trip someday. Even if I didn’t drag a suitcase along, I could manage a light excursion, couldn’t I?

Maybe it would be needed if I started working somewhere else… Anyway, having a bag means you’ll eventually find a use for it.

We bought shoes too. To be honest, I already had more than enough pairs. The Goddess had provided numerous pairs for me at home, and I could rotate them by day. Since I hadn’t even been back in this world for three years, there really was no need for me to buy shoes.

But my mom seemed eager to get me well-known brand sneakers. They weren’t just plain white shoes either; they looked like limited editions, all painted up colorfully. I had never seen shoes with such mismatched designs before.

Well, if I bought them, I’d probably end up wearing them. So I accepted them gratefully, just as my mom wished.

As a result, by the time we left the department store, I wasn’t wearing or carrying any of my original clothes. I hadn’t tossed anything out; I had neatly put the new shoes in the shopping bag, and all the clothes I was wearing were packed into my bag, which was fortunate since I wasn’t wearing a thick outer coat. Thanks to that, my puffy jacket was a bit warm.

“…What do you think?”

Once we exited the department store, my mom asked me with a hint of worry. Did she think I’d gotten bored shopping?

“It’s nice. The pricey clothes feel different to the touch. They’re lightweight.”

I meant it sincerely. Even though it was a puffy jacket, it felt lighter than what I usually wore. The outfits given to me by the Goddess were definitely not cheap, but this one looked even better.

My mom silently looked me over, from head to toe, then smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, it really suits you.”

Since my mom was silently observing me, I lifted my arms slightly to show off my clothes better.

“Well…”

When we entered the department store, it hadn’t even hit lunchtime yet, but now it was already past 2 PM. The sun was high in the sky. Of course, since it was winter, the shadows were long enough that it didn’t seem like daylight.

“Sorry, mom, I got carried away.”

“It’s fine, I had fun too. Just walking with you makes me happy.”

“Really?”

My mom’s face lit up, and she nodded enthusiastically.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been able to leisurely stroll around with you like this.”

When I said that, my mom nodded quietly.

“Yeah, that’s true. With my son…”

Perhaps due to the many people walking around, my mom trailed off mid-sentence.

Then, she quietly stepped closer to me.

“So, what should we eat? Is there something you want? Anything’s fine.”

“What I want to eat… Ah.”

As I pondered what to eat, something suddenly popped into my mind.

Well, since I was out with my mom like this, it made sense.

The place we were at was far from where we used to go together back in the day, but since it was a franchise, the location didn’t matter much.

“I want to eat something.”

I turned to my mom with a smile, and her expression brightened.

“Really? Then let’s head over there.”

With my mom’s words, my steps lightened.

*

“…”

“…”

But then our atmosphere became incredibly awkward again.

I had come to this spot hoping to relive memories from the time spent with my mom, yet her expression had already hardened from outside the store.

We had come in and even bought food, but my mom remained seated with a somewhat ambiguous expression.

The place wasn’t filthy or anything. It was a tad loud due to the commercial jingle from the store and the chatter of other customers, but it was nothing unbearable. It’s likely it would’ve been just as noisy if we had eaten at the food court inside the department store.

With a hamburger set in front of us, my mom sat in silence for a moment.

“…Why? Don’t you like it?”

Despite her being the one who paid for the food, I was the one asking.

“No, that’s not it…”

In response to my question, my mom answered awkwardly, then looked away and back at me.

With a somewhat nervous expression, she asked, “Didn’t you have another place in mind?”

With that question lingering, I answered, “Huh? Oh, no, that’s not it.”

To be honest, even though we were outside to eat, it felt hard to think of anything grand. If it were nighttime, we could be off somewhere for an extravagant dinner, but… lunch was just lunch, after all. Eating overly fancy food felt a bit burdensome.

That’s why I had wanted to take this opportunity to reminisce about the childhood memories my mom and I shared…

…

Now that I think about it, I realize that the vague memories of a child and the clear memories of an adult clearly differ.

In my memories with my Older Sister, she was still just a kid. Although she went to a different school, ultimately she was also a teenager, too young to be fully responsible for life itself.

But… with my mom and I, there was a distinct difference between the protector and the protected.

As a child, I didn’t have the means to buy what I wanted to eat, so I only remember how tasty the hamburgers my mom got for me were.

But my mom… Surely, she remembers wanting to buy me something better, something tastier, but not being able to.

At that thought, I felt my expression harden in an instant.