Chapter 64 – The Forest Is Peaceful, The Smell of The Waves
It had been three days since we arrived at the Dragon Village.
Of course, the feast hadn’t lasted for days on end. From the second day onward, we had gone back to a more ordinary routine. But that didn’t mean we were simply idle guests. We helped out in the fields, went hunting, and did what we could while staying here.
And so, on the third night—
Under a clear sky, I suddenly decided to take a walk down to the beach.
By then, my family was already fast asleep. Except for—
「You always notice these things, don’t you?」
「Bark.」
Chocola, who had sensed my presence, woke up and quietly followed me.
「I’m not going to do anything fun, you know. You sure you want to come?」
「Bark!」
His paws softly crunched against the sand as he barked up at me.
In the darkness, his gray-and-white fur was faintly visible.
「Is it a new moon? The sky’s empty.」
I looked up and saw a sky full of stars.
The ringed moon unique to this world was nowhere to be seen.
And so, the stars twinkled even more brightly.
「Of course, I don’t recognize any of the constellations. But there’s still a Milky Way.」
「Kwuuun.」
「Beautiful, no matter which world you’re in… I remember doing stargazing back in middle school.」
It had been a school event—an overnight camp at a youth nature center by the coast.
But the whole time, I had been restless, my mind elsewhere.
I was worried about Father and Chocola back home.
It should have been a fun event—spending time with classmates, staring up at the night sky, listening to stories about constellations, taking turns peering through a telescope.
And yet, when I look back on it now, the strongest memory that comes to mind isn’t any of that.
It’s the unease, wondering how Father and Chocola were doing.
What were they doing right now?
Was Father eating properly?
Was Chocola feeling stressed from fewer walks?
Even as the teacher told us stories of Greek mythology, my thoughts drifted elsewhere.
「…I was such a peculiar middle schooler.」
Not exactly naive, but not quite mature either—
Too pragmatic, in a way.
Or maybe… I just cared too much about my family.
It had always been that way.
When my friends complained about their parents, I would just smile awkwardly and stay quiet.
Because I had no complaints.
There was nothing to resent about the person who had raised me single-handedly.
Even if I had ever felt lonely, it had never turned into dissatisfaction.
『My allowance is too small.』— Do you really need that much money?
『They keep nagging me to study.』— I want to get a good job and make life easier for Father.
『They interfere in my private life.』— Isn’t that just because they care?
『They act all high and mighty just because they provide for me.』— My father’s never been like that.
Without ever going through much of a rebellious phase, I let those words from my peers pass me by, as if they had nothing to do with me.
「Looking back now… I think I get it. Deep down, I was probably—unconsciously—bothered by it. Being separated from my family.」
「Kuuhn…」
I sat down on the sand and looked up at the sky.
Chocola sat beside me, nuzzling her face against me.
And so, I spoke.
Not to anyone in particular—just voicing my thoughts, as if talking to Chocola.
Was it guilt for causing the boundary fusion phenomenon?
Was it a sense of duty—thinking that if Mother wasn’t there, I had to be the one to support Father?
「…No, that’s not it. It was more like a sense of camaraderie.」
The emptiness, the void left behind by being separated from Mother and Karen.
Father, Chocola, and I—we were all companions in loneliness.
That’s why I didn’t want to act childish.
That’s why I didn’t want to rely on anyone.
That’s why I wanted to be the one offering support.
That’s why I wanted to be seen as an equal.
That’s why I wanted to grow up faster—
「Even after coming back here, I felt the same way. I wanted to show Mother and Karen that I’d grown into someone capable. That even while we were apart, I managed to stand on my own. That… I was able to support Father and you properly.」
But.
A year has passed since I returned to this world.
I had found my footing here. I had gained confidence that I could lead my family forward.
And now that I’d turned twenty, as I reflected on everything—on what it meant to be an adult—
For some reason, the childish part of me started surfacing again.
Suddenly, I’d get the urge to fool around like a kid.
Or I’d expect my family to appreciate the meals I made, without even considering their preferences.
Logically, I should be more self-disciplined now that I’ve turned twenty.
I should carry myself as an adult, hold myself to that standard.
And yet—
「I started thinking… maybe it’s okay.」
Even if I act a little childish. Even if I indulge in a bit of immaturity.
Maybe it’s not such a bad thing… to show that side of myself to my family.
「Thinking about it… even when I was over there, I didn’t have to force myself to grow up. I could’ve let myself rely on them. I didn’t always have to be the one offering support. I misunderstood what it meant to be equals.」
Because we’re family.
Because we’re a parent and child.
I wonder what Father thought.
About me, acting all grown-up, not behaving like a kid, never leaning on him, always being careful.
Did he feel reassured?
Or… did it make him feel lonely?
There’s no way to know now.
And there’s no point in dwelling on regrets.
「Bark! Bark bark!」
「…Huh?」
「Kuuhn…」
「Whoa, what’s up?」
—Just as I was lost in thought.
Chocola suddenly started licking my cheek.
I don’t really mind it, but it always leaves me covered in drool, which is a pain to clean up later.
「What’s with you, acting all clingy out of nowhere… wait.」
I let out a wry chuckle, then suddenly realized something.
「Oh… I see. That’s what you’re doing.」
「Kuuhn…」
He’s not the one being needy. It’s the other way around.
He’s telling me—
「You’re telling me it’s okay to rely on you, aren’t you? That I can… lean on you.」
「Bark!」
I look into Chocola’s eyes.
Clear and unwavering. A quiet light shining in the darkness.
Gentle, dependable—ah.
When I was little, I was always clinging to him, wasn’t I?
We did everything together. I was practically his little brother.
Even after we both grew up, that dynamic never really changed in his mind—
「Maybe you and Father both had me figured out all along.」
「Bark!」
「Even when I was acting mature, trying to seem composed… in the end, it was just a kid’s way of thinking. I was probably being spoiled in my own way, without even realizing it.」
「Bark!!」
Chocola jumps on me, tail wagging.
I let myself fall back with the momentum, lying on the sand as I gaze up at the stars.
A sky full of stars.
Their unfamiliar constellations shimmering, grand and beautiful.
I can count on one hand the times I looked at the stars on Earth with Father.
And in this world, I never got the chance at all.
But I’m sure Father has looked up at these same stars.
He was eighteen when he was transported here—just like me, caught between being an adult and a child, staring up at a sparkling night sky with that same hazy feeling.
「I’ve still got a long way to go before I’m really an adult.」
「Bark.」
「Until then, I’m counting on you, Chocola.」
「Bark!」
As my “brother” enthusiastically licks my face, I reach up and ruffle his fur, scratching at his neck.
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