Returned from Another World, Earth Turned Out to Be Quite the Fantasy Too. Also, Losing Heroines, Stop Looking This Way. - Chapter 04

Chapter 04: “I had forgotten about my stepsister, but does it really matter?” ①

After enjoying a full meal of his mother’s homemade curry and taking a hot bath, Natsuki fell asleep in his warm futon and slept soundly until morning. 

The alarm on his smartphone rang, jolting him back to reality. It was in the pocket of his uniform jacket, which was draped over a chair, so he had to get out of bed to turn it off.

“Ugh… I don’t want to get up…”

He murmured. However, the persistent alarm was annoying. 

Reluctantly, Natsuki got up, took the smartphone from his jacket, and turned off the alarm.

“Hmm?” 

He noticed new message notifications on his phone’s screen. 

Upon checking, he found messages from Yuto and many others. 

Some were from people whose names he couldn’t even recall, likely classmates.

“Did I ever receive this many messages? No, I can’t remember; it’s been too long.”

Sadly, while he had a fair number of friends, he wasn’t in deep enough relationships to receive daily messages from many of them. 

Thanks to his childhood friend Yuto causing various troubles during their elementary school days, his social relationships had once turned sour. Since then, he had made friends but always kept them at a distance.

“…It’s unusual. There’s a message from Kazuto. He’s sent several. What could it be?” 

Kazuto was Yuto’s younger brother.

Natsuki had more interactions with him than with Yuto, his childhood friend, and personally, he had always wanted to consider Kazuto as his childhood friend.

Putting other friends and acquaintances aside, he opened the messages from Kazuto.

[Is it true that my brother got a girlfriend?]

[That’s unbelievable.]

[I hate to say it, but I got a message from Anzu. She’s really upset.]

Natsuki gazed at the messages for a while, then tilted his head in confusion.

“…Who’s Anzu?”

He understood that Kazuto wanted to discuss something about his brother Yuto, but he couldn’t figure out who Anzu was.

He thought it might be someone Kazuto knew, but couldn’t recall anyone by that name. Deciding to reply first, he wrote back.

[Sorry, I didn’t notice your messages. By the way, who’s Anzu?]

“There, that should do it. For now, I need to get ready. Though, instead of going to school, I should find a secluded place to check on my powers.”

Natsuki quickly put on his school slacks and threw a newly arrived hoodie over his shirt, followed by his jacket.

Not bothering to button up each time, he shrugged it off as a hassle. 

As a third-year middle school student, he no longer had to worry about senior students giving him hard stares for being cheeky.

He grabbed his almost empty shoulder bag and slipped his smartphone into his pocket. 

Noticing his earphones on the desk, he remembered how often he listened to music and picked them up. Exiting his room, he went downstairs.

His mother was already in the kitchen preparing breakfast, and the aroma of miso soup filled the air. 

“Good morning.”

“Oh, good morning… It’s rare for you to be ready so early.”

“Ah, yeah. Wait, wasn’t I always ready?”

“You’re always in your tracksuit until the last minute. But you’re a third-year student now. I’m glad to see you’re taking it seriously. Go wash your face and brush your teeth. Breakfast will be ready soon.”

“Okay!”

Facing his reflection in the familiar, nostalgic washbasin, Natsuki had a staring contest with his fourteen-year-old self. 

He chuckled wryly, thinking, “So this is what I looked like,” and picked up his toothbrush. 

He applied a generous amount of toothpaste and began brushing his teeth.

(I love the coolness of the mint!)

The tingling sensation, which he used to dislike, now felt endearing. 

There were tooth-cleaning methods in the other world, but they involved scrubbing with something akin to a toothbrush. 

There were purification spells, so bad breath was never an issue, and there was no need for baths to maintain cleanliness. 

However, he often longed for a shower, especially when he was drenched in blood. Even though purification magic could clean him up, he inevitably craved a thorough rinse with water.

After brushing his teeth and washing his face, Natsuki sat down at the dining table.

“Do you want just a light breakfast?”

“Please, give me a super large serving!”

“…Weren’t you the one who usually didn’t eat much in the morning?”

“Breakfast is the foundation of the day. And rice! I’m grateful to be able to eat a full bowl of white rice!”

“…Did you hit your head or something? Well, it’s good if you eat a lot. Here.”

“Thank you for the meal!”

Natsuki joined his hands in gratitude to his mother and the food before starting to eat.

The miso soup with its rich flavor of white miso and dashi broth infused his mouth. The soup contained wakame seaweed and small pieces of tofu. 

Each bite of the freshly cooked white rice spread sweetness in his mouth. 

The side dishes included a fried egg, crispy bacon, and nori seaweed. The furikake seasoning was available to use as he pleased.

Until now, he had taken such a casual breakfast for granted, never realizing how wonderful it truly was.

“…Are you crying?”

“The food is just so delicious, I couldn’t help it.”

“Do you need to go to the hospital?”

“I’m fine.”

While receiving a puzzled look from his mother, Natsuki quickly finished his meal and drank green tea, which he normally wouldn’t have. 

The slightly hot tea had a fragrant aroma, and its unique bitterness and sweetness were comforting as he sipped it.

“Ah, long live Japan!”

“What’s really going on with this child?”

Feeling full and relaxed after the tea, Natsuki felt an urge to return to bed. However, he knew he had to understand what he was capable of now. 

It was important not to overestimate, but also not to underestimate his abilities. 

He needed to properly gauge his powers. That was crucial.

“Alright. It’s a bit early, but I’ll be going out.”

“What has gotten into you? You always used to say how much of a hassle school was.”

“Boys go through various things. Oh, by the way, I wanted to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“Do you know someone named Anzu?”

At Natsuki’s question, his mother’s face turned slightly stern. 

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I got a message from Kazuto yesterday, mentioning someone named Anzu, but I can’t remember who that is.”

Hearing this, his mother sighed deeply. 

“You really forgot about a girl who was practically your sister?”

“Ah!” 

Natsuki suddenly remembered.

Anzu Ayakawa. 

A second-year middle school student, a year younger than Natsuki, and the girl who used to be his stepsister.