Returned from Another World, Earth Turned Out to Be Quite the Fantasy Too. Also, Losing Heroines, Stop Looking This Way. - Chapter 05

Chapter 05: “I had forgotten about my stepsister, but does it really matter?” ②

Mukaijima City in S Prefecture is a place with mountains, rivers, and the sea. 

Fishing and camping are possible throughout the year, attracting many tourists. 

A few kilometers off the coast of Mukaijima City, Natsuki, dressed in his school uniform, was levitating above the water, sitting cross-legged and staring intently at the surface.

“Even so, was that Anzu the same one I knew? It’s been years, so I had forgotten about her.”

Natsuki once had a sister – a stepsister a year younger than him, with no blood relation. 

Her name was Anzu Ayakawa.

Natsuki had been without a father for as long as he could remember, and it never bothered him. He never envied his classmates who had fathers. Despite not having a father, there was always a reliable adult who could take his place. Sometimes, he would discuss things with him that he couldn’t talk about with his mother.

However, his mother, perhaps not pleased with the absence of a father figure, introduced a man she met at Natsuki’s kindergarten a few years back, considering remarriage. 

His name was Seiji Ayakawa, a kindly man slightly older than her mother. He had a daughter named Anzu, a year younger than Natsuki.

Both being single parents, they grew close, supporting each other when a man’s or woman’s touch was needed. 

As the children grew less dependent, their relationship evolved from mutual assistance to friendship, and Seiji eventually developed feelings for Natsuki’s mother.

How her mother felt about Seiji’s confession was unclear, but she accepted his feelings and decided to remarry.

The Yura family became a household of four: the mother, Natsuki, his stepfather, and Anzu.

During the first year, despite the unfamiliarity, there were memories of enjoyable times.

Natsuki and Anzu, both young, quickly became close. 

The relationships between Seiji and Natsuki, and the mother and Anzu, gradually deepened, and by the end of the year, they felt like a real family.

However, this harmonious family relationship started to crumble due to the presence of Yuto Miyahara, Natsuki’s childhood friend.

The trouble began when Anzu met Yuto. 

At that time, Natsuki was already struggling to deal with Yuto, but because their mothers were friends and they were still children, he didn’t think it right to snub him, so they often played together. 

Anzu, who was shy but wanted to play with Natsuki, joined them, though she wasn’t close to Yuto at first.

If it had remained just a matter of becoming friends, it wouldn’t have led to a significant problem. However, Anzu started to develop a liking for Yuto. 

Just a few days before meeting Yuto, Anzu had said, “I want to marry big brother!”—not out of romantic love, but affection. But after meeting Yuto, she changed. She constantly talked about Yuto, Yuto.

Both the mother and stepfather thought it sweet that their daughter had a crush. There were some discomforts, but as they were children, it was overlooked.

Gradually, Anzu began to change more dramatically. She started comparing Natsuki and Yuto, saying she wanted to “replace big brother.” Each time, the stepfather would scold her, saying, “There are things you should and shouldn’t say.” She would

Gradually, Anzu’s attitude towards Natsuki became more aggressive, and she started to see any girl around Yuto as an enemy. 

By this time, Anzu and Natsuki hardly had any meaningful conversations. 

There were instances of sudden verbal abuse and hysterical throwing of objects. 

If they were biological siblings, perhaps such behavior could have been overlooked, or if it were someone other than Natsuki, there might have been attempts at reconciliation. However, Natsuki saw Anzu as another victim of Yuto’s influence and adopted a “don’t poke the bear” attitude, avoiding her as much as possible.

Anzu wasn’t the first to behave this way.

Girls who harbored feelings for Yuto generally ended up acting strangely. 

Natsuki and his friends couldn’t do much about it, and things seemed normal only when Yuto wasn’t involved. It was a situation beyond repair. 

Natsuki couldn’t find a reason to do anything for Anzu, who disliked him, so he left her alone.

When Anzu was about to enter the sixth grade of elementary school, her behavior worsened not only towards Natsuki but also towards his mother. She began to throw tantrums, overturn meals, and create chaos. 

The mother and stepfather discussed and decided it was best for everyone to separate before the children were affected any further, leading to their divorce. 

Afterwards, Anzu seemed to regain some composure, but she was often seen around Yuto.

“I remember when we met in middle school; she looked at me as if I were trash. I can’t understand what’s so captivating about Yuto, and I don’t want to know. But Anzu, being so invested in Yuto, would definitely not be at peace knowing he has a girlfriend.”

Yuto’s younger brother Kazuto had a good relationship with both Natsuki and Anzu. 

Particularly, he was a classmate of Anzu’s and likely still in touch with her. It was probably about Yuto’s girlfriend that he wanted to consult.

“Well, it’s none of my business, really. They can do whatever they want.” 

He tried to recall any feelings of nostalgia for his stepsister but felt nothing, not even a hint of fondness. 

Maybe it was because their time together was short, or perhaps they were just strangers after all.

“Well, whatever. More importantly, magic! It’s so awesome that I can still use it! Even though I’m not at my peak because of my physical form, the future looks like me unleashing cheat-level powers on Earth, just like I did in the other world!”

More than the scant memories of his stepsister, Natsuki was thrilled that he could still use the skills he had acquired in the other world even now that he was back. 

At the same time, this realization affirmed that his days in the other world were indeed not a dream.