Chapter 118

 

“Are you ready?”

 

I asked Dante as I put on my shoes. Dante went into the room for a moment, then came out with his outer clothes and walked toward the entrance.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Then let’s leave now.”

 

On a slightly chilly morning, as if winter was approaching, Dante and I were getting ready to go out. The walk I took in front of my house the other day wasn’t bad, so I was thinking of going a little further today.

 

Even though it was far, it was still within walking distance. It’s still a bit difficult to use transportation… I, who returned after being in another world for a long time, and Dante, who has just learned about the means of transportation here, don’t seem mentally prepared yet.

 

As I was about to take a last look at my clothes before leaving, I suddenly raised my head and looked at Dante. Dante, who was now adjusting the collar of his coat with his now quite skillful hands, felt my gaze and made eye contact.

 

The eyes pointed straight at me were black, not the purple I had seen all along.

 

Dante, who changed his hair and eye color, had a color similar to the people here, perhaps even more so than mine, with light brown hair.

 

I found it fascinating that just because the overall color changed, the atmosphere he gave off also changed. Dante originally had a cold appearance, yet with his black hair and black eyes, he seemed even colder.

 

Even though the mystery that purple brought was gone, he still couldn’t help but look like he was from another world.

 

Still, the warmth on his face every time he looked at me still didn’t change, so I didn’t feel like Dante was really cold.

 

“Why?”

 

“No, it’s just.”

 

Hmm. Even though it feels unfamiliar every time I see it, it’s still not bad. I also looked at Dante’s hair, which had turned black, and then shrugged my shoulders as if it was nothing.

 

“I thought it looked good on you.”

 

I didn’t add whether I was referring to the hair or the clothes, but it didn’t matter since it included both. Dante smiled at me without further asking if he knew that.

 

He’s always smiling.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

As soon as I held out my hand, I immediately felt his hand holding mine tightly, as if entwining it tightly.

 

Thinking that at least my hand wouldn’t get cold, I opened the front door with my other hand.

 

***

 

The weather has been really nice these past few days. In fact, even in fall, there are more times when it’s cold rather than cool, but for some reason, there were days that were cool enough to feel just right.

 

Many people may have thought that it would be a waste to stay at home on a day like this, but when we arrived at our destination, there were quite a lot of people.

 

“Is this a river?”

 

“huh. In other words, it’s called a stream.”

 

A bridge passed over the stretch of river, and there was a well-maintained walking path along the surrounding area. Wildflowers could be seen occasionally among the long grass, and maple trees planted at regular intervals were also noticeable.

 

As the wind passed by, the plants all shook and made a sound like they were breaking apart. An exceptionally blue sky, few clouds, and a landscape so colorful that it can be said to be gorgeous. Feeling like my eyes and ears were full, I looked back at Dante with a smile.

 

“I’m glad it’s fall now.”

 

“Why?”

 

“It’s best to come here in the fall.”

 

I’m lucky to be able to show you this view. At the sound of me adding as if muttering, Dante’s eyes turned somewhere in the distance.

 

While he was looking around, I wanted to add an explanation, so I followed his gaze and pointed forward with my finger.

 

“If you walk straight that way, you’ll come across a stepping stone, right? I liked crossing that road, so I went back and forth around that area on purpose. It all happened when I was young.”

 

“Why did you like that bridge?”

 

“I don’t know either. Was it amazing to see lights coming out from under the bridge at night? I just remember liking it.”

 

We walked slowly along the trail while talking. Most of the time, I brought up things related to this place one by one, and Dante listened to them and asked light questions in between, leading to an inconsequential and trivial conversation.

 

“You must try this when you come here.”

 

After leaving the promenade for a moment, I entered a store and handed a paper bag into Dante’s hand. When Dante opened the bag, the unique sweet scent of freshly baked bread wafted out. There was a sound of slightly oily paper crinkling.

 

Dante must have noticed something was different from the bread he had seen before, but he just looked inside the bag and took no action.

 

“What do you call this?”

 

“Hmm… Twisted donut.”

 

Twisted donut? Dante imitated what I said, even though it was an unfamiliar pronunciation. Feeling like I was somehow spreading the culture of my hometown to foreigners, I gave Dante a loaf of bread.

 

I bought it because I thought Dante, who was unfamiliar with the food here, would enjoy it, and my expectations were actually correct.

 

“Is it delicious?”

 

“Mmhm.”

 

It wasn’t a lie, seeing the bread disappearing in an instant. I’m glad it fits well with his taste.

 

After watching Dante eat the bread, I took a bite of my own. The feeling of small sugar granules rolling around in my mouth wasn’t bad.

 

It’s been a while since we’ve been leisurely walking around outside and buying food together like this.

 

Let’s take a quick look back at our memories. It’s not that long ago, but it’s clear that we haven’t really had time like this recently. Because I could only have this kind of leisure when I was staying in that village with Dante.

 

Just when it was peaceful and we didn’t know what was going to happen to us in the future.

 

And after we got separated for a while and got back together, hmm. In reality, it was one of three things: either my head hurt, I was trapped, or both. Maybe that’s why this time feels even more welcoming.

 

…It would be a lie to say that nothing bothers me at all.

 

“Dante.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

“Can’t you make your presence faint while using magic?”

 

When I suddenly let out a sigh of disgust, Dante, who was folding an empty paper bag into the shape of a noteㅡa habit he had picked up after how long I had been staying hereㅡlooked at me quizzically.

 

This is why people who are accustomed to being stared at from birth just can’t do.

 

“Nothing.”

 

It’s not that Dante doesn’t want to protect his face, and I just have no choice but to get used to the gazes.

 

As I snatched the paper bag from Dante’s hand and threw it in a nearby trash can, I realized that we had already climbed quite high.

 

When I tried to look at the roads we had already passed from a little higher, my feet naturally stopped. I stood at a place with a clear view of the river and looked down without saying a word.

 

Children crossing the river laughing heartily and their parents following behind them. A bicycle passes by and people sit on a nearby bench and chat.

 

A cool breeze, wild flowers blooming on the side of the road, and waves that aren’t that cold.

 

The surroundings aren’t quiet, but not noisy either.

 

In every world, the scenes of peace were similar. I heard laughter every now and then, and I saw loud conversations and friendly people. When I was looking at this kind of scenery, even if I wasn’t part of it, I would feel peaceful just by looking at it.

 

But the peace I feel now is a little different from what I felt before. To be more precise, there was a difference from the serenity I often felt for a long time.

 

It’s a little more now, what should I say…

 

“I didn’t know that until I went outside.”

 

With my eyes still fixed downwards, I muttered as if I was talking to myself. I felt Dante, who seemed to be looking at the same place as me, turn his head towards me.

 

“Honestly, I was a little relieved. Nothing has changed from my memories.”

 

“…”

 

“I lived for 200 years in that dimension. A lot of time has passed here, so I was worried that a lot would have changed even if I came back.”

 

As I leaned against the railing and lightly rested my chin, the cold temperature seeped into me starting from my elbows.

 

“If that happens, my place will really disappear. I didn’t want to be a stranger here or there.”

 

Yes, no matter how long I spent in that world, I was always a stranger. A body that neither ages nor dies always reminds me of that fact.

 

I came from another dimension.

 

As long as everyone leaves me, it will never be possible to belong to that world.

 

The thought that I was a foreign being naturally made me feel distant from the world itself. Although the peaceful scenery made me feel better, loneliness rose up without warning.

 

But it’s different here. Because this is my hometown, where I originally was, and where my place is.

 

Dante said nothing and was looking at me. Pretending not to notice that gaze, I stopped resting my chin and lowered my head deeply to look at my feet on the ground.

 

A new sense of reality struck me. Ah, the feeling of reality that I really came back.

 

“…I think I can admit it now.”

 

I thought I had finally forgotten it after ignoring it for so long, but I guess not. It wasn’t until the repaired railing became lukewarm that a damp voice came out of my mouth.

 

A very small sound that could be buried in the wind.

 

“I missed it here.”

 

I couldn’t confirm what Dante’s expression was at that time.