I’m Back in the Other World?

Chapter 97 – Explanation

 

I woke up with the sound of loud footsteps echoing through the corridor, together with someone’s voice saying, “Please be quiet in the hospital!”

Once the footsteps got closer, the door was opened without any knocking. “Sakura, are you alright!?”

“Okaa-san, otou-san1… And nii-san2 too…” All three of them had just entered my room.

A bit after, a nurse followed. “I understand that you’re worried, but please don’t run in the corridor! The head nurse will get mad at me otherwise!” I think she is angry for the wrong reason, but my family still lowered their heads in apology. “Please be careful and don’t make a fuss, I’ll go call the police.” Aah, she remembered to make the call…

Meanwhile, my family rushed to my side. “Sakura… It’s really you? You’re alright, you’re alright!” Her warm hug felt very nostalgic after this long, but…

“Okaa-san… Too tight…” She cut me midway though.

“How could you just disappear like that…? Where were you these past 2 months?” Her tone was angry, but the hand caressing my head was filled with tenderness.

“Otou-san… My hair will get all messed up…” Is the only reply I could muster.

“You have no idea how worried we were…” He answered.

“That is…” I decided to change topics, as I had no way to reply, “The policemen are coming soon, I will explain everything then.”

“The nurse talked about calling the police a while back, did you get in some trouble?” Okaa-san asked worriedly, I guess they didn’t have time to be informed about the circumstances.

“Could you wait for around 10 minutes? It will be easier once they’re already here.” They didn’t seem relieved, but decided to stop pursuing the matter until the policemen arrived.

While we waited, my family told me how much they worried during my absence. In the day I disappeared, Okaa-san got worried as I didn’t say I was going to be late, so she called Miharu, Tomoko and even a teacher, but nobody knew where I was. They tried searching, and even asked for the police’s help once I didn’t appear in the next day… But still, nobody know where I was, so they started going to the streets to distribute pamphlets saying I was missing and with their contact information.

Of course there was no culprit behind my disappearance, but my family thought I was kidnapped, every time the phone rang they imagined it was a kidnapper. But even after a few weeks, with no signal of me appearing, they realized no criminal wouldn’t have known how to contact them by then.

At that point I was already crying… To think they worried this much. I was truly loved…

They had no time to continue though, as the policemen knocked on the door, so I told them to come in.

The same people from earlier got inside, as well as the doctor that was here before. All three of them greeted my family and introduced themselves, so it was my time to talk.

“Please understand that I’m not being delusional and nothing of this is a dream, all that I will say really happened to me. I will tell the whole story first and you can ask questions later.” I made this preface because I know how absurd it will sound.

After carefully looking at their face, I started talking. “It happened in the beginning of June, a bit after school hours, I tripped and fell downstairs… Only, there was no floor where I fell, I was sucked into a black hole and was thrown in a different world.”

Everyone’s expressions seemed bewildered. “I know what you’re thinking, but I swear it’s the truth. I stayed some time there while trying to find ways to return, but… I will skip the details, but apparently there was no way to come back. I found a way to make a living, and… I’m not sure how, but I came back by chance. I don’t know why it was under the rain or why so far from my parents, but in any case, I spent over 10 months in that world. As for the proof… Do you still have my belongings?” I asked the doctor.

She nodded and then brought the clothes, armor and a pouch from the shelf in the room. “… Only this? Was there anything else?” My sword wasn’t there… Although it would be a problem if it was. The doctor shook her head though, so it seems the weapon stayed over there.

“The world I went to is similar to medieval Europe, but with magic in it. I’ll prove it through these enchanted items. The armor, for example, is very flexible, but as hard as metal; the pouch can carry way more things than one would tell at first glance… And there are some others.” The items would lose their powers once they ran out of mana, but since I’m here, they can draw power from me.

I put my hand in the pouch and started taking objects out, which thoroughly interested everyone… Their face soon turned into a frown though. That’s expected though, so I continued. “This is a substitute for a lighter, this a lantern, and this is a portable Washlette3. As for this, it can create water… Let me show you, please give me a cup.”

The doctor gave me one, so I activated the tool, which slowly generated water that started feeling it. I stopped once the cup was about to overflow. I chose this tool in particular, because while the others were able to give the feeling of magic, only this one could actually defy their common sense.

“This is something that can be used by anyone, and of course, it can generate more water than this. Is my story a bit believable now?” I looked around for each person’s impressions. My parents were surprised, nii-san was glittering, the doctor seemed to be in denial and the policemen looked at each other with a troubled expression.

This didn’t seem to convince them, so I brought up my next argument. “Also, I don’t know when exactly, but a man named Takahashi went missing too, right? He is about 18 years old, and went to the same world I did and probably didn’t return.” The policemen’s face became even more troubled, but it’s understandable, considering everything that I’m saying. “I don’t know how I came back, but chances are, he won’t be able to. He did find a way to make a living over there though… That’s about it, any questions?”

“Yes! Can I use that water thing?” Nii-san asked… That’s the first question? Really?

“Yes, it was made for the general public… But it will become useless if it stays away from me after a while.” There is no mana in this world, so it can’t function without my magic.

“I see… I wish I could have it…” Hey, I wouldn’t give it to you! “Ah! And can you use magic, Sakura!?” This brother of mine…

“I won’t answer unrelated questions, so please stop talking, nii-san.” He’s derailing the talk and ruining my mood, so please don’t get in the way anymore.

“May I?” The older policeman asked, which I nodded in response. “Honestly, nobody will believe this kind of thing even if we just saw it with our own eyes… So Fujino-san, could you come to the station with us to make a direct report?”

I understand his position, nobody would accept it indeed… However, I just smiled and said. “I refuse, I already fulfilled my obligation of explaining the circumstances to the police. Or will you drag me there even if no crime was committed?”

He seemed extremely troubled by my reply. “I see… Then maybe could you let us take the tools? At least the one that makes water…”

I had no intention of budging however. “And what will you do with that? I already said it, but it won’t work away from me, at most it would make a drop or two and then stop. How can you prove anything with a useless magical tool?”

As I said that he lowered his head and started grumbling “But the reports… And the Documents…”

I continued though. “In the first place, nobody would believe this kind of report anyways, so you should make something completely different either memory loss, being spirited away or anything else, those options certainly have more credibility than going to another world.” I’d like them to not get in trouble because of those reports, but I have no intention of giving my items up.

The older policeman mumbled to himself, “Spirited away… Well, it’s better than going to a different world I guess, and I can’t really think of any acceptable reason anyway. Hey, we’re going.” And then got up and dragged the surprised younger co-worker out.

I finally solved this problem, but there are still more things to deal with… “Doctor, could you explain the situation to my parents?” The sun was already setting, so regardless of my family was going to stay over or go back, we needed to solve all the procedures quickly.

She was surprised by my words, but quickly composed herself. “Ah, the introduction is a bit late, but I’m Kato, I’m the one looking after Fujino-san. There are a few things to say about your daughter…”

The change from something absurd to a more realistic thing was so abrupt that I ended up feeling a bit weird, Kato-san reported my condition while I was wondering about it anyway, “Her body is healthy and there isn’t any particular problem with it, she is feeling a bit weak, but that should disappear soon… However, she was hospitalized one week ago and has yet to go through the procedures. In any case, Fujino-san should be able to leave the hospital once she can move properly.”

“I’m sorry for all the trouble, we’ll go through the procedures immediately.” My parents apologized for me staying unregistered all this time, but the doctor said it was fine…. Although it probably wasn’t fine for the hospital at all.

“While your mother goes take care of the paperwork, what will the rest of your family do? You were admitted under special circumstances so you’re in a private room, but now this will be cleared up… I can let you and them stay here for one more day though.” The doctor asked me.

“Yes please, and I’m sorry for everything.” I answered.

“It’s alright… Shall we go then?” After them both left the room, Otou-san went out to buy dinner and forced nii-san to go with him.

Suddenly, a wave of tiredness washed over me, so I laid back on the bed and started thinking… About Alselia, and that I came back to this world somehow…

I wonder what happened to the war, the forbidden spell probably didn’t activate after all I did, but… Well, I can’t do anything about it. Rather than that, I have more immediate problems because of my 2 and a half months absence. School attendance won’t be a problem because of summer vacation, but I missed some tests, so I’ll need to go to supplementary classes… I should also call Miharu and Tomoko once things calm down, though my phone was left in my backpack…

I also need to tell my family that I’ll probably return to Alselia in the future because of my soul’s connection to it… I have a feeling this will happen soon.

It doesn’t feel right to tell my family that I might disappear from this world, but it’s better than to let them worry endlessly over where I am. Besides, because of God’s curse that was disguised as a blessing, I won’t grow old, so staying here for long would end up really weird. In the other world it will be at least be easier to explain because of magic.

I’ll do my best to at least enjoy the time I still have in this world, although I’m not sure on what exactly I can do.

 

After about 30 minutes, everyone was back. We had a meal together, even if it was hospital food, it was my first time eating with them in a long while…

Dinner was relaxing, the talk naturally went about my life in the different world. I didn’t want them to worry too much, so I skipped the more bloody parts. Okaa-san’s eyes shone when I talked about the dumb prince, while my father and brother got worried… Once I told them about the garden, Okaa-san said that she’d love to go to a place like that at least once, but I don’t want to repeat it ever again.

By the time we finished eating, it was near the end of visiting hours, so I told them that I would most likely return to the other world, and it was unlikely that I would ever return.

My parents were surprised, while my brother froze on spot. “Alright… It’s a pity, but at least you have a way of surviving in that world… And remember that, no matter what happens, you’re my one and only daughter, there is no substitute.” Mother hugged me while saying that.

It was soothing to hear that, it gave a feeling similar to when parents say goodbye to their children because of marriage, but once I go, I’ll be forever gone from this life… Still, it’s better to let them know that I’m alive in some world out there, than to forever let them worry.

I thought about only telling them about it tomorrow, but I’m unsure if I’ll have the opportunity, so I decided to not waste the chance I have now.

After all this, I fell asleep without a word.

 

Otou-san is a polite way to say father.Nii-san is a somewhat polite way of saying brother.A washlette is an electric toilet that uses water sprays for cleaning.