# Side Story (4)
After hearing everything the Hero Party had to say, I decided to take responsibility for them, inheriting the karma from my past self.
The responsibility meant living together.
From their perspective, it was the same as before so there was no problem, but for me living with my family, this was a huge deal.
*How am I supposed to explain these guys to my parents...?*
It was bleak.
I hadn't even graduated high school yet, and now I had to tell my parents that I'd be living with other people. The future looked dark. Just imagining myself introducing the Hero Party to them gave me a headache. I decided to stop thinking about it.
*First, let me sort out the situation in front of me...*
The entire Hero Party gathered in the living room. The space looked cramped. And more than anything, the pouring gazes felt burdensome.
These guys didn't seem to have any intention of looking anywhere else while in the same space as me.
I tensed my throat and spoke.
"As you said, I'll take responsibility. You can live here with me."
"Yay!"
"However, this is my house, but it's also where my family lives. So I'd appreciate it if you'd follow what I say first, got it?"
"Yes!"
At my request for agreement, the Hero Party all nodded their heads.
Except for Estia sleeping beside me. Luna would probably tell her later.
At that moment, Hare suddenly raised her hand toward the ceiling and said.
"Um, excuse me, mister..."
"And that 'mister' title is weird too, so I'd like you to change it."
"I-it's a habit... I'll try my best to fix it... But more importantly, mister..."
"Yeah."
"You said you live with your family... so when will your family members arrive...?"
"Family!"
Luna cried out as if struck by lightning at the word family. Just as Saten was also clearing her throat and listening intently, I answered about when my family would return.
"I don't know either."
"...Pardon?"
"They don't come home often. They're both busy and frequently go abroad."
I don't even remember when I last saw them.
About a month ago?
Come to think of it, it seems like they'll be back soon.
At my answer, Luna spoke in a worried tone.
"Then mister, what do you do about meals?"
"Some days I roughly cook for myself, but mostly I get by with instant food."
"Question!"
"Yeah."
"What's instant!?"
Was this the first time she'd heard the word instant?
*Wait, now that I think about it...*
How am I even communicating with these guys? If it's a different world, the language should definitely be different. Should I ask?
"Luna, before I answer about instant food, first—our worlds have different languages, so how are we having a conversation?"
"Oh, that? Saten said she cast some kind of magic on us! But I don't know much about magic!"
"Well, you see, mister—"
Saten began explaining about the magic. At first, I couldn't understand what she was saying at all, but when she summarized and explained it roughly, I could understand.
"So basically, the magic catches the sounds we're trying to convey and automatically translates them?"
"Yes, correct. I cast the magic on a brooch around my neck, Luna has a red ribbon in her hair, Hare has her dagger, and Estia has it on her hand."
"I see."
But why.
"Is Estia the only one on a body part? Are you discriminating?"
"No, it's not discrimination. Estia doesn't carry things around. Even if I cast magic on an object, it's useless."
"Ah, I see."
Somehow that makes sense.
Estia, who fell so deeply asleep in an unfamiliar house that someone could carry her away without her knowing.
Seeing her use my lap as a pillow, I couldn't help but accept it.
Anyway.
"You said you don't know what instant is?"
"Yes!"
"I'll show you right now. Since you came from another world, you should be able to eat it deliciously."
I gently lowered Estia's head from my lap.
Then I immediately went to the kitchen and opened the cabinet above the sink. It was packed full of cup noodles. It was a space that could be considered my dining hall.
"Should I have this today... no, it's their first time eating it, so something too spicy wouldn't be good."
Let's put down the bright red stir-fried noodles.
I simply took out basic ramen with broth from the cabinet.
Then I filled the electric kettle with water and boiled it. Luna seemed to find this fascinating and approached to observe the electric kettle.
"The water is bubbling! Is this magic too!?"
"It's not magic, it's an electronic device. The TV you touched earlier is also an electronic device."
"What's an electronic device!?"
"...A product that uses electricity to make life more convenient."
"How do you use it!?"
"Um... you press a button."
"A button!"
Luna suddenly ran toward the living room. The noise between floors is going to be no joke.
Not knowing that another household lived below, Luna ran to the TV. Then she started pressing the buttons on the TV one by one. I poured water into all five cup noodles and approached.
"What are you doing?"
"T-this electronic device! You boil quickly too!"
"Don't do that, try pressing this."
"What is it!"
"A remote control."
Swipe—
Luna snatched the remote like a thieving cat. Judging by her protruding lips, she seemed to have quite a stubborn personality. The kind of stubbornness that absolutely accomplishes what she wants to do.
Such a Luna pressed the power button on the remote without any trouble and turned on the TV.
"Oh! Light is coming out of the screen!"
"Use the up and down buttons to watch what you want. That's what TVs are for."
"O-oh! It's a picture book that moves by itself! This thing called TV!"
I guess thinking of it that way is more convenient. Luna's eyes sparkled as she focused on the screen inside the TV. Since she was too close, I gently moved her body back. Her appearance was similar to a younger cousin I'd see during holidays.
*Come to think of it, hasn't it been 3 minutes?*
The living room where only Hare was nowhere to be seen. I instinctively walked toward my room. At that moment, rustling sounds began coming from the room.
*Suspicious...*
Wondering what she was doing, I peeked my face through the door. However, Hare was sitting calmly in the chair as if nothing was wrong. I'm pretty sure I locked the door last time, though? I asked the suspicious-looking Hare.
"What are you doing?"
"N-nothing... I-I was just sitting in the chair looking at your family photos, mister..."
"Really?"
"W-well... yes..."
It feels like her voice gets smaller as she goes on. And I should have folded the blanket neatly, but it's a bit disheveled?
"Hmm..."
"..."
Should I let it go for now? If the noodles get too soggy, they won't taste good.
"Come out. Time to eat."
"Y-yes...!"
Patter—
Hare ran to the kitchen quickly like someone who had committed a crime. Yet there was no sound of footsteps at all. It was a walk specialized for preventing noise between floors.
"She said she was a Thief."
Seeing how she picked the lock and entered, I guess she really is a thief. Let me check later if anything's missing. It's not that I suspect Hare, but the word "thief" just bothered me a little.
So I gathered the Hero Party in the living room and distributed the cup noodles. They stared at the cup noodles with fascinated expressions.
"What's this, oppa! I woke up because it smells good!"
"It's cup noodles. Chopsticks will be difficult, so eat with a fork."
"It looks hot! Oppa is planning to boil Estia to death!"
"...Then eat it after 1 minute. The noodles will be soggy but less hot."
"I don't want that!"
What, then why did you say that?
The enigmatic Estia began inhaling the cup noodles with her fork. It must have been quite tasty as her fork didn't rest. The other kids were the same, continuously moving their forks.
*I was worried since it's food from another world...*
But I guess it suits their taste pretty well.
Then should I eat too now—I thought as I looked at my spot, but the cup noodle container didn't exist. No, it was so clean that I wondered if it had never been there in the first place.
"Who did this?"
"I-it wasn't me...!"
Hare is excluded.
"It wasn't me either. I chew thoroughly so it takes me a long time."
Good.
Saten is also excluded.
I saw Estia next, so she's automatically excluded.
The last remaining person is...
"Luna."
"Kuhup— Y-yes!?"
Luna answered awkwardly with noodles in her mouth.
*It's you.*
There were a total of 4 cup noodles on the table. Surely, the one that was finished must be in another location.
So it has to be here automatically. A place where it can be disposed of quickly.
I lowered my body and checked under Luna's chair.
"Found it. It was here?"
"Hehe, it was so delicious I couldn't help myself... I'm sorry..."
"I thought you were at least normal since you're the Hero."
"N-no! I'm normal! W-would you like to eat what's left of mine!?"
"...No, I'll make another one."
"Then one more for me too..."
Thud—
I pressed my forehead at this dizzying situation. I thought at least the Hero would be normal even if simple, but it seems my thinking was wrong.
*Living together isn't normal either.*
Even the housemates aren't normal.
The responsibility the Hero Party spoke of was heavier than I thought.
Late at night when everyone was asleep.
I was sitting on the sofa in the dimly lit living room watching TV as usual.
Since my parents didn't come home late, I was quite free in this regard.
"...Tonight's late-night shows aren't very interesting. Should I watch a movie?"
Even though I have to go to school tomorrow, it doesn't matter since I can just sleep at school. Thinking that, I operated the remote. The app activated and the drama and movie site I pay for monthly appeared.
I pressed the random button as usual and played a movie.
Perhaps sensing my presence, the door to the main bedroom opened and a girl appeared.
She was my first-ever housemate as of yesterday.
"M-mister, you're still up this late...? You'll hurt your body..."
"It's Hare. Want to watch together?"
"W-what is it...?"
Hare sat on the sofa as she answered. She looked like she'd watch whatever I put on. I spoke the title of the movie shown on the screen.
"Decision to Leave? Well, it seems to be a romance movie. The sensibility is a bit different from your world, so I don't know if it'll be interesting."
"People are people wherever you go...! There won't be much difference...!"
"That's true too."
Since we're the same people, there wouldn't be much difference.
I immediately operated the remote and played the movie.
Unlike usual, there was another person next to me, but because the surroundings were dark, I could quickly focus on the movie. When I glanced at Hare with a sidelong look during the middle of the movie, Hare also seemed to be focused on the film.
Like that, we sat still in one place and concentrated on the movie.
Then, when the tension in the movie briefly lowered, Hare asked me.
"Do you usually watch movies like this, mister...?"
"Yeah, I watch dramas too, but I also watch movies often."
"Alone...?"
"Well, yeah. My parents aren't usually here."
"Hmm, I see...?"
Hare answered like that and nodded. Then, after about 5 minutes, she opened her mouth again and said.
"Watching it continuously, I can tell. Mister, you're a bit similar to the protagonist in that movie..."
"I'm not that handsome though."
"M-mister, your face is handsome enough too. N-no, that's not it... I'm not talking about your face... I'm talking about the atmosphere..."
"Atmosphere?"
"Y-yes. You and that protagonist have something in common, mister... Should I say you're empty inside...? You have that kind of atmosphere...!"
"Hmm."
Similar, she says.
However, unlike Hare, I couldn't find any similarities with the protagonist at all. And rather than the movie's content, what stuck in my mind more was Hare's words.
*Empty inside—what does that mean? Do I look like an empty person to others?*
Even thinking about those words until I fell asleep, no answer came. Perhaps that's why.
"I'm screwed."
Current time: 8:52 AM.
Even if I run now, I'll definitely be more than 10 minutes late.
As a result of thinking too deeply, I was late to school for the first time in my life.