I am back – Chapter 93

I’ve drunk a lot, but in reality, the alcohol in Irrelaysia couldn’t possibly be the same as the booze here.

Well, beer did exist in Irrelaysia. Making beer from barley and hops doesn’t require cutting-edge technology.

However, the bottling and storage process of that beer couldn’t compare to this world.

While there’s something like a refrigerator that can keep it cool, the technology to seal it tightly to prevent carbonation from escaping is almost nonexistent. All the alcohol in Irrelaysia was homemade and typically stored in wooden barrels. Naturally, as time passed, the carbonation would gradually dissipate, so by the time it was served at a tavern, it would be nearly flat.

It’s not completely without that fizzy feeling, but at least it couldn’t compare to the modern beers enjoyed on Earth.

The sensation of carbonation sweeping from my mouth all the way down my throat was quite pleasant. It felt different from what a carbonated drink feels like.

Come to think of it, this was the first alcohol I had tried since coming to this world.

The flavor of the beer wasn’t that strong. It left a bitter taste typical of beer in my mouth, and while the aroma danced around my nose, it still tasted milder compared to the beer I had in Irrelaysia. Maybe it was because this beer was very cold and had a stronger carbonation.

Still, it was drinkable. Well, I’m not particularly sensitive to the taste of alcohol. I’m the type of person who wouldn’t sense much more than, “Oh, this is quite classy,” even when handed a very good wine.

So, I decided not to stress too much about it.

What was important now was simply the fact that I was sitting across from my sister, sharing a drink together.

When our eyes met, she smiled awkwardly. With the dim lighting typical of bars and the soft music playing, she exuded quite a lovely atmosphere.

“Um…”

My sister, seated across from me, was rolling her eyes here and there, trying to think of something to say.

And I was in the same boat.

She had just let out an “uh” as if something had crossed her mind, but when I asked her about it, it took her a while to say it was nothing. That was pretty concerning.

Was there still something she found awkward to share with me?

Even when I was a young man, I figured there were things she didn’t tell me about everything she went through. People inevitably have extremely personal parts they might not want to share, even with those they’re close to. Whether it’s out of shame or a desire not to make the other person worry.

So, I couldn’t pry too much…

“Um, so.”

While I was lost in thought, she seemed to have collected her thoughts first and turned her gaze at me, pausing before speaking.

Her gaze wasn’t directly aligned with mine; she tilted her head slightly, looking up, which made her look incredibly adorable. It wasn’t just me who thought so—she was genuinely a stunning person by anyone’s standards. Her smile was charming, but her contemplative expression was also attractive.

She opened her mouth cautiously.

“Now that we’re sitting face-to-face, I feel like we don’t know enough about each other.”

“Ah, yes.”

I nodded.

While I knew some things about her, the feeling was not mutual.

No, to be precise, I didn’t know her in detail either now. I hadn’t heard what had happened over the past five years.

I could infer some things based on the conversations we’d had and what I heard.

She probably went through a tough time over the last five years. Maybe aside from volunteering once a month, she just went back and forth between her workplace and home.

That could be a mistaken assumption, though.

No, I really hoped it was a mistaken assumption…

“Um, so.”

She realized she had repeated herself with that statement and laughed shyly.

“So, you said you’re hanging out with friends, right?”

“Yes.”

I nodded.

Yes, it was correct to call them friends. I could say they were colleagues, but… truth be told, the hero party was now inconsequential. The Demon King was dead, and the Demon Army had disbanded. By the time we marched to the Demon King’s castle, many demons had already surrendered.

At least peace could last for a century, as long as humans didn’t start fighting among themselves during that time.

So, they were friends. They could help each other whenever needed without needing to calculate this or that. They could meet without anything significant going on and laugh together comfortably.

“With four people?”

“Yes.”

“Is the house not cramped?”

I had been answering her questions quickly, but I momentarily stumbled at that one.

It wasn’t cramped at all. In fact, even if there was one more person per room, it wouldn’t be a significant issue size-wise. Of course, the living conditions wouldn’t be particularly great.

The living room could comfortably fit all five of us, including me, so you could even say the house itself was large.

In fact, if we were to scrutinize it, the study that Dana used didn’t really fit the concept of a room, but since it seemed she was using it without any inconvenience, that was fine.

“No, it’s not cramped.”

After a brief period of thought, I replied that way.

It was a ridiculously expensive house, one that some people wouldn’t be able to afford even if they worked their whole lives. I worried that saying I lived in such a place might put distance between my sister and me, but it was far better than hiding it and getting found out later.

Moreover, since my sister knew my address, she must have noticed that I had some money.

…Could that make her think I was different from the previous me?

In the old days, I certainly didn’t have that much money, wasn’t living in such a nice house, and definitely wasn’t living with four beautiful women.

“I see…”

My sister answered with a slightly contemplative expression.

I quietly stared at her, my heart racing with anticipation.

*

I see.

So, it wasn’t cramped?

Thinking of Siyun’s address, it seemed not cramped at all. It was probably a spacious apartment where four people could comfortably live together.

However, the lingering doubt remained.

Was there a girl living in the same room?

…Yeah, I thought that this was an incredibly weird thought. I’m a girl, Siyun’s a girl, and the ones living together are probably girls as well.

So, feeling this odd jealousy was strange. If I were jealous of a girl, did that mean I wouldn’t be jealous of a guy?

As a coward, I still couldn’t be sure if what Siyun said was a genuine confession.

In reality, neither of us had confirmed we were officially a couple.

…Even if we were to become a couple, there were still several mountains to climb.

So, even if Siyun said she was living with someone, doubting or feeling jealous wouldn’t have fit my current self. Even if Siyun liked girls rather than guys.

But…

Even so, if she said that and lived in the same room as another girl, wouldn’t that be a no-go? Giving leeway to both would…

…What on earth am I thinking?

To hold back a sigh, I quickly asked Siyun.

“Do you each have your own rooms?”

But in the end, that question slipped out as I sought reassurance for my doubts.

“Yes? Ah, yes.”

Siyun’s eyes widened.

Could she sense my jealousy?

Hmm, no, it didn’t seem like that. More like she was wondering why I was asking such detailed questions. Truly, asking about how many rooms someone’s house had might seem odd to the one being asked.

“No, it’s just… I was curious.”

Even as I awkwardly tried to cover it up, I felt a bit relieved. Certainly, if they had separate rooms, the chances of certain things happening would be minimized.

…Seriously, what am I thinking?

I chuckled to myself at how pathetic I was for bombarding a younger girl with such ridiculous questions.

Still, I felt relieved.

Well, a girl of Siyun’s character wouldn’t cause such trouble anyway. She wasn’t naive enough to not realize anything.

“How did you meet those friends?”

With a slightly lighter heart, I asked her with a smile.

“Ah…”

Siyun hesitated for a moment before shrugging her shoulders and speaking.

“By chance, we met before and went through something together. Like… should I say we taught a really bad guy a lesson?”

“Really?”

But what came out of Siyun’s mouth was a story much more serious than I imagined.

“Yeah…”

Strangely, it was Siyun who seemed more shocked that I was surprised.

No matter what, saying you taught a bad person a lesson isn’t something you’d hear in a “normal” situation.