Chapter 6:
Chapter 6: A Return to Normal and Its Consequences
The Legacy – The heirs of a lost world
After being transported to another world, going through many adventures, facing countless dangers and brushing with death several times, I woke up in my bed as if none of it had happened. Was it a dream? Yet it seemed so real.
At first, I really thought it was all just a dream. But I was wrong. This journey to another world was very real...
Now, back to the present and the agenda. I was sitting on the living room couch, my parents across from me. My mother was glaring at me. My father, on the other hand, had rushed out of work when he heard I was home. His worried face was a stark contrast to my mother's severe coldness. Her usual gentle smile was gone, replaced by a chilling anger.
The atmosphere was stifling. A deathly silence reigned, as my gaze flickered between my mother's intense stare and my father, who was doing everything he could to calm her down.
"So? You have nothing to tell us?" she asked in a deep voice, her eyebrows furrowed.
This may surprise you, but even I really don't know. I'm completely lost in this story too.
"Honestly, Ryu, I'm disappointed in you! I thought you were more mature than that, and now you're having a twenties crisis by running away."
I'm not even 20 and I would never do something as crazy as running away.
I was like a suspect in an interrogation room. What my parents demanded were answers. And I would have liked to give them some... but how can I explain all this? How can I put it? How can I tell them I've been transported to another world? Who would believe such a story?
I wanted to reply, "Even I don't understand anything about it..." But my mother was clearly not in the mood to hear that kind of excuse.
"Do you even know how much we worried?" she continued, her voice shaking with anger.
"We were worried sick! You disappeared in the middle of the night without telling anyone. We didn't hear from you for several days. We thought... we thought something terrible had happened to you!"
In fact, I was as lost as they were when I discovered the time difference between the worlds. I had spent a whole day in the other world. In contrast, several days had passed in my world.
Time shifts between dimensions are a classic feature seen in anime.
While I was fighting to survive, they thought I had run away. They moved heaven and earth and alerted the police without success. And I would reappear overnight as if nothing had happened.
My parents hung on my every word, waiting for an explanation.
"It depends? Do you want me to present you with some types of answers?" I said with an awkward smile, trying to play it down.
The next second, a dull thud echoed through the room. My head throbbed violently. My mother had just punched me hard in the head. A lump immediately formed.
"You don't answer one question with another! It's disrespectful!" she growled.
"Come on... We said we'd give him a chance to explain," my father intervened, placing his hands on my mother's shoulders.
It was really a police interrogation with the old good cop/bad cop duo. My mother played the role of the "bad cop," my father the role of the "good guy." A trick they use very often and which has already proven itself.
"What do you want me to say, huh!?" I cried in shock. "I don't know much about it myself!"
I had inadvertently spoken my thoughts out loud, earning me a second blow from Mom and a double hump for raising my voice.
Officially, the "mother's punch" is more terrible than the big brother's punch.
"What we're trying to tell you," my father continued, calming the tension between me and my mother.
"It's because we're worried about you. You probably have your reasons that made you act like this. You may have been going through some difficult things lately. If you have any problems, we are here to help you. So you can tell us anything. We would love to know what it is."
I lowered my eyes, remaining silent. Their concern was genuine. But how could I tell them the truth without looking like a fool?
How could I explain to them what was happening to me? They would probably think I was making fun of them by telling them stories or that I was under the influence of some substance. Either way, it would make them angrier.
The truth would only make the situation worse.
It was normal. Even I, in their shoes, wouldn't have believed this kind of fantasy about another world.
While I was thinking about it, my parents let me take all the time I needed to think about it, paying attention to my every expression, down to the smallest gestures of my fingers, which were intertwined out of nervousness.
After careful consideration, my hands clenched into fists in my lap. Finally, I took a deep breath, deciding to be as honest with them as possible.
“I was going through a rough patch, there were so many things on my mind and without realizing it, I felt lost. Without realizing it, I ended up wandering around without knowing where to go. I couldn't really explain what I was thinking, but... I'm sorry. Really sorry for all the trouble I've caused you. Sorry."
I bowed, my head almost touching the coffee table. It was my way of offering them my most sincere apologies.
This runaway story is a misunderstanding that I would really like to clear up, but unfortunately that is impossible unless I divulge facts that could make things worse. It was better to keep this version of events rather than a tall tale about another world.
My parents were certainly not convinced by my answer, but they saw that my words and my face showed a certain sincerity. Not only that, though. Despite the fact that it was obvious I had things to hide.
My mother remained silent. I saw a mixture of anger and sadness in her eyes. She knew I was hiding something from her. And I knew she felt hurt that I didn't trust her enough to tell them everything.
"Honey..." my father said, nodding his head.
My mother's expression had calmed a little.
"Very well, since you refuse to tell us the truth, we won't force you. But know one thing..." she finally whispered.
She stood up abruptly. I reflexively protected my head, but instead of a blow, I saw a faint smile appear on her face.
"No matter what you're hiding, no matter what's weighing you down, you can always come and talk to us. We'll always be there for you. Because we are your family and we will do everything to make you feel comfortable."
His words stabbed me in the heart. I wanted to confess everything. I wanted to tell them the truth, that it wasn't a runaway and that the reason wasn't due to any family unrest. I wanted to clear up this misunderstanding.
Sometimes the truth is harder to believe than a lie and other times a lie is better than the truth.
"But! You won't escape the consequences. You're consigned to house cleaning chores for the rest of the holidays. Consider it a gentle punishment. And don't start complaining," she added firmly.
"O-OK! …Sorry again!"
I apologized again. I think it still wasn't enough to make up for hiding things from them.
I was about to leave the living room, but I stopped dead in my tracks and turned around.
"Mom, Dad...!"
I called out to my parents and hugged them, taking them by surprise.
"Sorry... Sorry for all the trouble I caused you," I whispered, tears welling in my eyes.
I realized then that I might never see them again. During my last moments in the other world, I thought I would never have the chance to see them again and hold them in my arms. I really believed that I would never see my family and loved ones again if I died.
My mother sighed, trying to hide her emotion.
"That doesn't mean you'll escape your punishment, Ryu."
"Don't worry too much, you can talk to us about it whenever you want," my father said.
I smiled despite everything. This reunion, even under tension, had a bitter taste... but also terribly precious.
After a few seconds of hugging them, I left the living room, leaving my parents to continue discussing my situation. I was definitely causing them a lot of trouble.
"That's why I always tell you to think before you do something stupid!"
"Aah!" I cried, surprised.
Haru suddenly appeared, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He should have been there already, but I hadn't noticed him, so lost was I in my thoughts.
"You're such an airhead," he said in his usual mocking tone.
A smile escaped me despite myself. Still as annoying, still as stinging... but deep down, it felt good. After everything I had experienced in the other world, hearing his little digs again brought me back to reality.
I recognize the values of things more than when I thought I had lost them.
"I missed you so much, Haru."
"Huh? Where did that come from?" he asked, immediately looking away, embarrassed.
"You should be more careful about your actions because they have consequences that you don't understand. We've been in a lot of trouble because of you, so don't ever do something stupid like that again."
"'We'! You're worrying about me, Haru."
"I- that's not what I meant...! It's the parents... Yes, that's it! I'm talking about Mom and Dad, they're the ones who were worried. Honestly, I don't care. If you had decided to disappear for good," he declared, trying to muddy the waters.
"Ha!"
Haru grimaced, then added under his breath, almost reluctantly.
"Just… don't make the parents sad, idiot."
He disappeared down the corridor like an arrow before I had time to reply.
He wasn't very convinced, just like Mom and Dad. However, I was glad to see that he was worried about me too. It showed he wasn't as insensitive as he wanted people to believe.
I went upstairs and came face to face with Haruna, leaning against the wall. Her crossed arms and serious expression didn't bode well.
She wasn't smiling. On the contrary, she stared straight into my eyes. She was probably going to lecture me like everyone else.
"I know this family isn't always easy to live in, and I'm sorry if it's partly my fault. I'm the eldest in the family, but you're used to filling this role that I neglected. I mean, I'm going to try not to make life too hard for you and be a more caring big sister. So don't think about running away from home like you did. It hurt everyone a lot, even Haru."
Haruna's gaze showed her sadness and made her statement more shocking. I didn't think she cared so much about those around her, because she didn't usually show it. It surprised me.
I imagined I wasn't the only one who regretted not being able to see his family members anymore. We could bicker between brothers and sisters, say all the insults and mean things possible to each other. But in the end, we cared a lot about each other because we are a family.
"I'm sorry, it won't happen again. I promise!" I replied, smiling.
"You'd better keep your promise," she warned immediately, returning to her usual tone.
"Because otherwise next time, I'll throw away your entire manga and novel collection. I'll sell your figurines and your computer. And you can always cry when you come back.” she threatened.
The worst threat you could make to an Otaku.
"Okay! I get it!" I said, raising my hands.
I opened the door to my room when she abruptly added,
"Oh, I almost forgot... I have some news that might interest you."
"Not now, Haruna, please. I'm exhausted."
I closed the door without giving her time to elaborate. Knowing my sister, it must have been about money again. It could wait. Right now, I wasn't in the mood for that.
I collapsed onto my bed and grabbed my phone from the nightstand. The screen lit up. The date appeared.
“March 12th…”
I swallowed. The night I'd been transported to the other world had been March 4th. Which meant eight days had passed here... even though I had only spent one day there. One day in the other world was therefore equivalent to eight in this one.
I sat up abruptly.
Although it was terrible, it could be worse. It was a good thing it hadn't been one day there and a year here. I would have been sick when I got back.
But seriously, if all this is real—the other world, the monsters and all—how did I get into this world? And how did I get back from there? What if it happens again? What am I going to do?
Too many questions were racing through my mind. Just thinking about them made me shiver. I didn't dare imagine what would happen if I were caught in that world again. I had been incredibly lucky to get out alive. I wouldn't be so lucky twice.
I unlocked my phone. Dozens of notifications immediately appeared. The majority were from Joy.
The last one clearly said: “Call me back as soon as you see this message.”
"I'll write to him to reassure him."
I quickly typed a message after more than a week of absence.
[Hey man! Are you okay? I'm fine. Sorry I forgot the promise. I had some complications.]
The message was barely sent when it was read. The reply arrived immediately.
[Meet me at Old Kohī's cafe. Now.]
[Now? Right now?]
[Immediately. You have twenty minutes.]
[Okay, okay! I'm coming!]
I huffed, nervous.
"Joy is really upset... Well, I have to hurry up or he'll have a fit."
The problems were far from over, I still had to take responsibility for the consequences that I hadn't even caused in the first place.
***
I was waiting in front of Old Kohī's cafe, which was called that because the manager was an old man named Kohī. The establishment was near Akihabara Station. It was a nice place that we frequented a lot and we used to meet up with friends.
I'd been standing there for over thirty minutes and Joy still hadn't arrived.
“Ahh… I swear! He’s the one who insists we meet at such and such a time, and he’s the one who’s late again…”
Punctuality had never been his strong point. I would give him five more minutes, then I would leave.
“Oh, when we talk about the wolf…”
Joy was coming. But he didn't just look upset... he was downright furious. Frowning, he glared at me from across the street. Il was crossing the highway as if nothing had happened, even though the light was green for cars. Horns blared, vehicles brushed past him, and he continued on without looking away.
It was reckless and suicidal of him to cross on a green light too. He didn't even look to the sides before passing.
You should never follow his example.
"Hey Joy! Didn't anyone ever tell you to be careful when crossing the street? Do you want to get hit by Truck-kun or something?! I'm warning you, the another worlds isn't like in anime—"
I didn't have time to finish. Joy grabbed me roughly by the collar and lifted me off the ground. My feet literally didn't touch the ground. I knew he was strong, but this was too much.
I gasped, gripping his wrists. He finally put me down, without letting go of my collar.
"I'm going to hit you three times. For three different reasons. So well grit your teeth."
"Huh? Wait, how's that—"
The first punch had gone off. Joy landed a right in my stomach. My breath suddenly stopped.
"That, that's for not keeping our promise. I don't like being screwed over! You didn't even come to graduation. Kuroda finally confessed to Asuka but got rebuffed. He was inconsolable, so we all had to pitch in to cheer him up. You should have been there too."
"But I... I don't understand what you're talking about—"
The second blow went off just like the first, it lodged in my stomach. And it hurt like hell! The pain doubled me over.
"That, That's for making me look like a bad person. I told you to take time for yourself, to forget about family pressure... No disappearing like that! What do I look like now!? Your parents probably think I'm a bad influence on their son. The kind of friend who gives you bad ideas."
"But that's not it! You're mistaken, there's a misunderstanding—"
The third and final blow came, and it hurt more than the previous ones. Luckily, I hadn't swallowed anything, otherwise I would have thrown it all up.
"And that's for worrying everyone! You know everyone's been looking for you everywhere, and Monsieur reappears after all this time like a flower. You'd better have a really good explanation."
It wasn't fair... If only he knew what I'd been through. It wasn't like I was just out for a walk.
"Listen... it's not as simple as you think."
Joy let go of me and hit me a fourth time.
"You said three times!" I shouted, doubled over.
"This one's on the house."
Great... the kind of bonus I could have done without.
Joy finally exhaled, her anger slowly subsiding.
"There. I've let off steam. Now tell me everything."
"I... I don't know what to say."
"Start by apologizing."
He was right. I lowered my head, bowed.
“Sorry… sorry for causing you so much trouble. Sorry for not keeping my promise. And most of all, I’m sorry Kuroda got dumped.”
Joy nodded. "That's a good start."
"I'm sincerely sorry... But I can't tell you anything."
"What!? Why won't you say anything!?"
"It's not that I don't want to... it's that I can't. It's complicated to explain."
“You’re starting again! You say it’s complicated, but you don’t explain anything!”
"You don't understand."
"So explain to me! You know you can tell me anything. If there's one person in the world who won't judge or mock you no matter what you say, it's me!" he proclaimed without hesitation.
"Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. No one in the world could understand me," I replied, looking down.
En In reality, it wasn't a matter of understanding, but of believing. No one could believe my story, not even Joy. My gaze avoided Joy's, not daring to look him in the eyes.
Joy was my best friend and confidant with whom I shared many things, secrets that I didn't reveal to anyone, not even my parents. I hadn't hidden anything from him before, which was all the more difficult for me since I really needed a listening ear in difficult times.
I couldn't confide in anyone this time, not even my best friend. For once, Joy was in the same boat as everyone else. It would be a huge blow to our friendship, which was built on trust. It was a bit corny to say, but it meant a lot to me.
Joy, who had calmed down, began to get angry. I could feel his gaze on me, his fist clenched. I closed my eyes, thinking he was going to hit me a fifth or even sixth time.
It's okay if hitting me can calm him down.
I closed my eyes, ready to take a fifth blow.
"Come with me."
He put his arm around my shoulders and dragged me. He intended to take me somewhere where he could beat me up out of sight... Or so I thought...
"What are we doing here?"
"What, can you tell? We're here to play."
Joy led me into an arcade.
He dragged me to the old arcade where we spent all our time in middle school. The one where we emptied our coins to beat records.
This place was full of good memories, we used to play there very often in high school. We collected coins together and did all the machines in the room.
"I don't have anything on me," I grumbled, searching my empty pockets.
“It's nothing. Today is my round. As you often said, a record is made to be broken. So, let's go smash our old scores.”
Joy seemed different; he was no longer angry and even seemed to have regained his joy as if nothing had happened. I was swept away by his enthusiasm and followed him.
We toured the machines like in the good old days. It had been a long time since I had played on arcade machines. I felt a bit rusty since I only played on consoles or online on my computer.
We had a blast for hours, forgetting all my worries about the other world. I was living a completely ordinary day on Earth.
A sudden rumble was heard.
"What's that sound? It's not coming from the machine."
"Hehehe... Sorry, it's my stomach making that noise."
"You're right, I'm starting to get hungry too. Playing games makes you hungry."
We stopped at a fast food restaurant. We ordered our food and, a few minutes later, we were served. Joy offered to pay the bill. I was uncomfortable letting him pay for everything, but he insisted, saying he'd received his paycheck from work.
"You'll owe me one, try not to forget," he said.
We chatted quietly while we ate. Joy told me about the others and the events I'd missed.
One of our friends, Kuroda Riku, confessed to the girl he'd loved since freshman year, but it ended badly, poor guy. He shed every tear in his body. Joy had told me that Kuroda was going to take over the family business, which was in real estate.
He also talked about Arai Ren, another friend. Arai was a fan of techno music, always wearing headphones and listening to his own compositions. According to what Joy told me, Arai had decided to go to the United States to perfect his craft and become a renowned artist.
"And that's not all, Itsuki wants to join the national baseball team."
Mori Itsuki was the captain of our high school baseball club. He had forced Joy and me to join his team by begging us.
It was impressive to see that they all had their paths mapped out. They knew what to do with their lives.
In comparison, I didn't know what to do, and yet, when I thought I was going to die in the other world, I wondered what I would have done with my life if I had survived… and I still didn't know anything about it.
Time passed without us noticing. After hours of playing and talking to catch up, the sun was about to set.
I stretched my arms and back after sitting in a chair for so long.
"So, are you feeling better? I feel you're more relaxed."
"Uh... Yeah..."
"Good, because you looked really anxious. There was something bothering you, and you didn't even dare look me in the face. This trip did you a world of good, didn't it? You were able to unwind a little."
“Ehh... I...”
“I know you must be torn. I can see something is bothering you, and you can't talk to me about it. You want to talk about it, but you can't. But it doesn't matter, you know, everyone has at least one or two secrets that they keep to themselves. I have skeletons in the closet too. Maybe one day you'll be able to reveal everything to me. Until then, don't put too much pressure on yourself, okay."
It didn't surprise me that he was able to read me like an open book. Joy was always so insightful and understanding. He was also a good listener to others. That's why he made sure I forgot my problems by having an ordinary day. He acted as if none of this had happened, behaving as usual.
"Joy... Thanks for everything!" I said with a smile.
"It's nothing, just between friends." He smiled back.
My time in the other world had made me overly emotional; I was prone to tears because I almost cried.
"To tell you the truth, I also have a secret that I've never told you."
"Oh yeah! Which one?"
"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me."
That was exactly what I was trying to tell him earlier. I guess he figured that out too and was playing a trick on me.
"Keep trying."
"Only if you swear you won't laugh."
"Promise!"
Joy looked to the side and beckoned me closer, as if to whisper top secret information so that no one else could hear what he was about to reveal. He was overdoing it, however, so I played along and listened.
"I'm part of a secret organization that protects the world from the shadows."
"..."
It took me a moment to absorb the information before bursting out laughing.
"Wow! Are you listening to yourself?! This isn't a manga!"
"I told you you wouldn't believe me."
"Because it's completely absurd, hahaha!"
His so-called secret was as absurd as mine, but seeing him pretend to be a shadowy vigilante made me laugh, and I believed that was his goal from the start.
Spending the whole day having fun made me feel like everything was back to normal.
My phone vibrated with a beeping sound.
I had received a message, probably from my parents, warning me to come home.
No. The message was from Haruna. What could she possibly want with me?
[Hello little brother, we have your lovely big sister. If you want to see her again, go to the place we will show you with the amulet. And don't even think about calling the police or anyone else, it won't do any good. You have twenty minutes, so don't delay, or your big sister will die.]
My eyes widened as I read the message. It was attached with a photo of Haruna, who appeared unconscious. This message had been sent from her phone. So she was indeed being held.
Why? I don't understand. Why Haruna? What did they want?
The sender had asked me to come alone and bring him the amulet. How did he know about the amulet?
I have to tell Mom and Dad... No, he said not to tell anyone or he'd hurt Haruna.
I kept the amulet on me, in my pocket right now. I could give them what they wanted to save Haruna without involving anyone else. Honestly, I wasn't sure of anything. However, I had to do something, and quickly; time was running out.
"Ryo, are you okay! Who's the message from?"
I turned around, surprised by Joy. I put the phone away and pretended everything was fine.
"It's nothing. It was Mom and Dad who wanted me home because they were getting late."
"You're right. It's already past 6 p.m.," Joy said, seeming puzzled by me.
He hadn't seen the message so he didn't know what was going on, and that was just as well. I didn'
t want to involve him by risking his and Haruna's lives.
“Come on, I’m going home! See you tomorrow.”
I left Joy there with a puzzled look on my face to go and rescue Haruna on my own. After all, I'd been through worse.
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