I am back – Chapter 34

I contemplated my sister’s words.

Is it really a bad thing to find solace in helping someone?

No, I didn’t think so. What my sister exhibited was not a sense of superiority over others. It wasn’t simply feeling pity for someone either; she seemed to derive comfort from the act of helping others itself.

Naturally, I didn’t think that was wrong.

The act of helping someone is noble in its own right. Even when I suffer losses that didn’t need to occur by helping, I carry on as if it’s only natural.

I believed people would understand if, during that process, I took emotional comfort in return.

Nobody has the right to evaluate or belittle that.

But…

I did feel a bit flustered at the fact that my answer differed from what I had heard before.

It was different from the words I had taken for granted in my childhood.

The words I had vowed never to forget or fail to practice in that other world—what brought that about?

I wouldn’t know for now.

“The weather’s nice.”

Since the mood seemed to be getting a bit heavy, I looked up at the sky and said it. Summer was leaving. The date had already slipped into September, and it was truly starting to feel like fall.

The sky was high.

The brilliantly blue sky was no different from that other world, nor from here. Even within the Demon King’s territory, that blue sky couldn’t be covered.

“Right? It’s really nice.”

I heard some murmurs around me, but they weren’t loud. It seems because we were outside, their voices didn’t quite reach us.

Pastor and the others seated far away were the same.

A brief chuckle passed through the air.

I wondered what they were talking about.

“Should we go say hello?”

My sister asked.

“Huh? N-no.”

I shook my head.

New people…

Admittedly, I was practically friendless right now. It seemed healthier to fill that vacant spot little by little with new connections.

But, I didn’t want to do that all of a sudden.

Though it was a suddenly vacant spot, it wasn’t one that just anyone could fill. I wanted to take my time, create some space around me, and slowly bring others in. I didn’t want to rush to cover up the emptiness.

And naturally, I hoped the first ones to come back would be those who originally had ties with me.

For instance, my sister, who was right in front of me.

She was just as I remembered, yet there were certainly aspects that had changed. She seemed calmer than before, and perhaps a bit more honest too.

Between my sister and me, there was still a distance of five years.

And that distance of five years was not one that could be crossed in a single leap.

What kind of relationship did my sister have with the bakery? She seemed like a part-time worker, but with her plans to change the menu and buy more equipment, it felt like it wasn’t that simple.

I still hadn’t heard how my sister had fared over the past five years. I was curious about why her words differed from those in our childhood and what had caused those changes. I hadn’t learned a thing.

I was still in the dark about our mom as well. I only just heard about Older Sister Yu-ri, and I hadn’t yet learned how Mr. Park Hyun-seung got so polished.

If I were to confide in someone, they might call it overly selfish. They might think it presumptuous to establish ranks among people and dictate the order of acceptance.

…But.

But still.

I just strangely wanted to do that.

“Really?”

When my sister tilted her head with that response, I felt a little tense. If she were to suggest that we just try talking to people, I wouldn’t be able to refuse. Since I didn’t want to turn down the words of a sister I had just begun to bond with and make the atmosphere awkward between us.

“Then, let’s just stay here.”

“Huh?”

But my sister smiled gently at me and said.

“There’s no need to force yourself to talk to others. It’ll only make things uncomfortable.”

“……”

Ah, that’s right.

No matter how much things had changed, my sister was still my sister.

A person who cares for others almost too naturally.

In reality, she was the one who first spoke to me while I was eating bread at the bakery and extended her hand toward me.

“……”

“……”

Neither of us had anything more to say.

But I didn’t feel uncomfortable in the silence.

My sister, humming a little tune while tapping her fingers softly on the table to keep rhythm, seemed completely at ease. The way she continued to glance up at the beautiful blue sky, while humming that tune, felt surreal.

It wasn’t just because it was beautiful or that I liked what she was doing.

How should I explain it…

Maybe, over the past five years, I thought I would never see this side of my sister again.

I knew the Goddess was watching over me, and I knew I could eventually return to my original world. Yet I thought I might miss seeing my sister like this.

Yeah, I couldn’t be sure if we’d be able to build such a close relationship again when I came back.

Thanks to the Goddess’s guidance, I was able to meet my sister again like this. Though it was still far off, we were slowly getting closer again.

So.

So all the sights before my eyes.

My sister’s hair fluttering in the wind, her face sparkling in the sunlight.

The deep eyes looking up at the sky. Her long eyelashes.

That smile with just the right hint of upward curve.

It all looked so enchanting.

She said she wasn’t a remarkable person—

No, that’s not right.

To my eyes, she was a unique, wondrous person in this world.

That fact hadn’t changed.

It wouldn’t change.

And, perhaps it wouldn’t change in the future either.

I started to hum softly, a little quieter than my sister, cautiously trying to find the tune.

I wasn’t quite sure what song my sister was humming. It was probably just a random tune she thought of. Some parts sounded like a pop song, while others resembled school tunes. A medley of every good bit mixed together from any number of songs.

My sister often hummed when it was just the two of us sitting together. While gazing at the pitch-black night sky. Waiting for our mom to come. Sitting squatting beside me.

Maybe it was to encourage me, shaking in that dark alley, where nothing could be seen. We were too poor to have any machines to listen to music.

But I actually liked her voice more. No matter where in the world I went, it was a sound I couldn’t hear unless I was next to her.

Hearing our voices merge together, my sister’s eyes widened a little, and my own took on a longer shape.

The eyes that had been watching the sky came down and met mine. Seeing me awkwardly trying to match her tune made her look like she was about to burst out laughing, yet she slowed the pace of the song just a bit.

The two of us, my sister and I, let our voices softly resonate.

It was small enough that others likely couldn’t hear.

But I thought that was even better. That was enough.

For a while, we sat across from each other, quietly singing.

*

After the volunteer activity ended, the cleaning was more or less finished.

My strength proved to be a tremendous help even at this time. Now, not just my sister, but nearly everyone at the church was astonished.

“Where on earth does that strength come from?”

One kind lady even asked this, lightly touching my bicep.

“Just do a bit of exercise every day.”

I awkwardly smiled and answered like that.

Well, it wasn’t just about exercise.

Since the body was bestowed by the Goddess, this degree of strength must be possible. It seemed the Goddess tried her best to preserve everything I cultivated back there. Of course, things like magic or divine power might not align with the laws of this world, but…

Was it troublesome even if it were to be used?

“Our pastor’s like that.”

One nice-looking man chuckled and said.

“Our pastor’s prayers are very effective.”

“What do prayers have to do with strength?”

The lady who inquired about my strength looked at him as if dumbfounded.

“Well, you know, there’s that supernatural phenomenon? Something like that.”

“Oh please, strength comes from exercise, and the pastor’s prayers just go to God—how do they relate to some supernatural phenomena?”

“Is that so?”

To those two chatting, I just awkwardly smiled.

Hmm…

If I didn’t have a religion, it wouldn’t matter so much, but now that I have a Goddess I believe in… what can I say to these folks—that ‘the real Goddess is different’?

They’re all working hard to serve and make the world a bit better.