Sharing the Burden

The memory of that day was still incredibly vivid in my mind. The house was usually quiet, but that day our shouts filled it completely, and I’m sure not even the neighbors could ignore it.

“No! We’ve already told you, you’ll be going to the same university as your brother!” my mother shouted with her usual authoritarian tone.

“Of course not! I want to study gastronomy! That’s what I like!”

Those kinds of arguments became more frequent as I grew up. At first they thought it was just a phase, something I would forget over time, so they didn’t pay much attention to it. However, as time passed and the date of my entrance exam drew closer, seeing that my plans weren’t changing, they began to worry more—and shout more.

It was always the same. We fought, we got angry, we left the room, and the next day we carried on with our silent treatment. But that time felt different, like a turning point.

“And what’s this nonsense about going to the gym to fight!? What are you, some kind of savage!?”

“Of course not!”

“Understand that your father and I only want what’s best for you! Look at your brother, he graduated as a lawyer with honors and now he has a good life. We only want you to be happy…”

“Like hell I’ll be happy!” I shouted at her attempt to persuade me.

The way I spoke was enough to scare my mother, since normally I never expressed myself like that. It was the first time I had ever felt so angry.

My mother stayed silent after my outburst, which is why my father had to intervene. He was as tall as I am now, but back then he wasn’t, which is why he used to intimidate me just by raising his voice. Yet as I grew taller, that fear slowly faded away.

“Don’t you ever talk to your mother like that again!” my father roared. “Do as we say, or get out of this house!”

My father gave me an ultimatum. Maybe deep down he thought that by cornering me, they’d finally get what they wanted, but that was no longer the case. I had my goals and dreams, and I was more than willing to risk everything to achieve them, even if it meant going against my parents.

“Is that what you want!? Fine!” I shot back. “I’m leaving this place!”

After that, I went to my room and packed whatever I could in a rush. Did I have somewhere to stay? A plan to support myself? Any idea at all of what I would do from that moment on? No, but I couldn’t stand being there any longer.

I felt suffocated—I couldn’t be myself. I was more like an empty shell whose life didn’t belong to him. I felt like a puppet of my parents, but no longer. I wanted to be free, and that’s why I ventured into the unknown despite everything.

And everything went fine until the night when I lost all my hopes. The night before being summoned to another world.

***

“So, I argued with my parents and left home to follow my dreams,” I said. “After that, I stayed with a friend until I could get a place of my own, and when I thought I could finally take the big step… I ruined it.”

“How? What happened?” Liz asked, worried.

Her gaze was full of empathy. She was listening to me as if it were the only thing that mattered at that moment. Seeing her so distressed made me feel a little guilty, but also comforted, knowing I was truly being heard. It made continuing my story less heavy.

“When I finally reached the finals of a fighting tournament, I ended up losing miserably. Even when I got home and cooked myself something to eat, I couldn’t taste it.”

Maybe it was my mood at that time, maybe some injury from the fight I had that night—I didn’t know, but the result was the same. I lost a great opportunity to stand out as an athlete, and needless to say, a cook without a sense of taste doesn’t have much of a future. I could prepare dishes I had made before, based on my experience, but I couldn’t do much more than that.

“I lost the tournament, my sense of taste, and that’s when I decided I’d go back to my parents,” I added, resigned to my situation. “I think following what they want will be the be—”

“No!” Liz shouted, cutting me off. “Never say something like that again!”

“L-Liz?”

Then she held my hands and kept speaking with the same determination, intent on making me listen no matter what.

“Naoya, ever since I met you, I haven’t stopped thinking you’re amazing. Whether in fighting or cooking, no matter what you do, you always end up surprising me.”

“Yes, but—”

“If it weren’t for your fighting skills, we wouldn’t have made it through all those monsters we faced. If it weren’t for your cooking, I wouldn’t have been able to see Lui smiling and enjoying herself so happily… Are you telling me all of that wasn’t worth it?”

As she went on, her eyes grew wetter and wetter. I was astonished to see how someone could show such genuine concern and admiration for me.

“Bad times don’t last forever—I know that all too well because I was able to meet you after so many hardships… So please… follow your dreams, just like I do! Let’s follow them together, I’ll support you too! But please, don’t give up.”

Those were the words I had always wanted to hear. Even though my brother helped me pay tuition and encouraged me, deep down he believed my parents were right. Liz was different. She decided my stance was the right one, that I had to keep trying despite the hardships if I wanted to reach my goals.

Such words moved me like nothing else. My eyes watered just like hers, and I began sobbing like I hadn’t in years. I couldn’t resist the urge to embrace Liz, who was surprised by it, but didn’t pull away.

“Thank you… thank you,” I managed to say between sobs.

“There, there. I’m here.”

Liz simply returned my embrace and comforted me, though she still looked on the verge of tears herself.

We stayed like that for a long time. We didn’t even realize how much time had passed, but we didn’t care. The only thing I wanted was to keep holding her.

Liz… Thank you for everything. Thank you for believing in me and giving me the push I needed.

Thank you.

***

Not long after we calmed down, night came—and with it, the time to set up camp. Since we camped near a forest, gathering firewood wasn’t a problem, though we did have to be careful about monsters. I would take the first watch.

“How do you feel?” Liz asked.

“Better, thank you. I feel much better now that I finally managed to share my story.”

It was something I disliked because I feared what people might say; I was afraid they’d tell me my parents were right and that I should go apologize to them, and I didn’t want my determination to waver. That’s why Liz’s response struck me so deeply—because she shattered that fear and supported me, even at my lowest, strengthening my resolve like never before.

“So, what will you say to your parents?”

“That despite everything, despite having failed for now, I’ll keep trying to rise up, to improve, and to reach my goals.”

“Well said!” Liz exclaimed, stepping closer to me and raising her hand upward, even standing on her tiptoes. “Could you… bend down a little?”

“Eh? Like this?”

Following Liz’s instructions, I leaned down without knowing why, and then she began to pat my head, just like I sometimes did to her.

“So this is what it feels like, huh?”

It was strange being on the receiving end of such a gesture, honestly, but it wasn’t bad. In fact, it was oddly comforting.

We stayed like that for a while before resuming the task of gathering firewood. It didn’t take long since we already had some from before; we finished setting up camp and went to rest.

My determination had returned. When I go back home, I’ll return to university, I’ll return to training, and in time I’ll grow and improve. I won’t let doubt overwhelm me again—I’ll keep moving forward no matter what.