Shinde Hajimaru Chapter 2

A maiden's family

“Sorry, I made you worried. I'm fine now, thank you. Letting my 4 years old daughter worrying for me... I'm really a failure of a mother... Anyway, for a child who only sleep since birth, how are you talking so well?”

That question strongly hit a nerve in my mind.

Yeah...that's right...

“Somehow I just understand. For the reason why... I'm sorry...”

“Is that so...”

Mother seemed to be thinking hard.

She couldn't accept that answer, maybe...

“Well, isn't that fine... it is not a bad thing anyway... No, actually, being able to talk is better than not able to, right? Let's think in a positive way!”

“...”

I started to feel regretful that I spoke normally...

Without being taught, not even ever listened any word, I who has been sleeping since birth can speak normally...

A normal person would feel disgusted, right? What should I do in that case...

In my previous life, both of my parents died when I was young, so I had grown up without receiving much affection from parents.

I was able to do housework since very early. While I was living with my little sister in our old house with little memories of our parents remained, on the paper, we were adopted by ours relatives. They cared about us as their real children.

Even though, that was different from the affection of real parents. Something was lacked decisively.

That's why, being given this second chance, I want to be raised up in parents' love. I was reincarnated anyway, this selfishness is not too much, I hope.

But, it seemed like I was worrying needlessly. My mother in this world is has an extremely lenient personality, or maybe she is just being too positive... She accepted the circumstance too fast...

“Yeah! If there is cuteness then everything is fine!”

Did she just read my mind?...

“You are really easy to understand, you know? Everything is appearing on your face.”

I thought so too... But still! That really made me startled! If possible please don't read my mind like that...

“Yeah, I understood.”

!?!?!? … Seems like it's my lost already...

Nevertheless, I'm happy she didn't hate me... If I'm hated right on the first meet, my heart would be broken...

“Hey! I heard that Alice waked up!! For real??.... Anyway... what's this?! Where is the wall and door! Everything disappeared?!”

A man entered the (temporary) room. Is he my father in this life?

The culprit next to me - mother - just went “Teehee ~ ☆ ” at that.

That reminds me... my mother looks pretty young though... just exactly how old is she?

The me who is used to the gentle Japanese, never once felt killing intent... Why am I realizing the aura from mother as thirstiness for blood?? … Let's not think about this anymore... for the sake of my own life... Anyway, as I thought, mother understands what I think inside my head, doesn't she?

“I do understand, you know?”

Yeah, there is no way she ca... Eh? What just... no, let's not touch this topic anymore, there is already killing intent flowing out...

“Hah... I understand that you are happy because Alice woke up, but still, super rank magic is too much... You even used second stage combined magic... If things went wrong, a whole district would have been blown up, you know?”

What I am hearing somehow feel tickling in my damaged heart because of second grade syndrome... Before that, a whole district... I don't know how big is that, but am I not in a dangerous situation?... Just after being reborn, no, just after coming back to my sense for exactly... I don't want to die this quickly, you know...

“I didn't use maximum output, so there should not be any problem. From the start, if I were to cast it seriously, not one but three districts will disappear, you know?”

Yes, my life is like a candle in front of the wind, now I understood.

Three districts? If I'm to use my previous life's knowledge as the standard, then wouldn't I be incinerated without leaving any ash?...

“Alice, don't worry...”

“Please don't read my mind like it's the most natural thing in the world... And why is that, mother? If three districts would disappear, then wouldn't I be mixed in?”

“It's fine, because... there is a barrier 3 metres around you that is a few times stronger than the barrier protecting this town!”

“Is that the reason??”

Wouldn't that lead to misunderstanding?... It can be literally interpreted as you don't care for anything other than me... Mother! Don't twist your words like that!

Ah... so that's the reason... I has been wondering for a while...

You see, father is still not coming to my side, but staying separated from my bed about 3 metres...

Poor father! I mean, look at him, he is giving out expression like that of an abandoned chihuahua!

I tried to tell mother with my eyes. As expected from mother who can read my mind, she seems to understood my idea. With a smile full of kindness, she said:

“That's right...”

Oh! Somehow I can feel a little pity for father in her voice, but mother can understand me after all! Mothers in this world are incredible... I honestly starting to respect my mother.

“A barrier stronger than that of this town... no, stronger than the barrier around the capital of magic nations... I see! I will erect the strongest barrier in the world!”

““That's not it!!””

I reflexively retorted …

But, you must have read my mind, isn't that right?! Why is that you didn't read it this time?! Even father also had to make a retort... And why are you tilting your head like that, mother?! You are reading me again, aren't you?! What's with this regretful sensation within me... Please give me back my seriousness!

...Hah...hah... I was too excited...

“Isn't that enough? Can you dispel your barrier for me...? I'm a swordsman without strong magic, so I would have to break a barrier of this strength...”

Ah... father, suddenly you looks much older than before... you had suffered a lot...

What is with the relationship of these two?... Bullying?... But somehow it's a little different...

“I... I know... It's alright, dear. I'm not forgetting you at all, yeah, I'm taking you into account properly!”

“Don't avert your eyes like that... Even I get hurts if you treat me this way...”

Finally she dispelled the barrier... It has been a long and pointless fight...

Why am I feeling this tired... I can't even raise my body up... Being sleeping for too long must have weakened my body. I can't move myself other from my neck up.

… At least I could communicate perfectly... so my physical condition is not that bad, isn't it?

My organs seems to be developing perfectly, but it wasn't the case for my muscles.

Is that possible?

Yeah, it's kinda possible. There is no way my muscles develop without moving. Not that I know much about that though...

“...Alice … Good job coming back to us...”

Ah, I forgot about you, sorry.

“Fa..ther...”

With eyes clouded, father embraced me, and raised my body up... Somehow putting it that way, it sounds like a crime...

Well... now, I'm flooded with emotions...

I can't describe it well... It feels dear... like something buried deep down inside me that I forgot is breaking...

Before I noticed, tears was running down on my face. Looking at that, both father and mother hug me while crying.

So this is... that must be it...

No matter how much playful you can act, with your own child felt into a coma right after birth, and continued for 4 years...

These people, to me, who still couldn't accept them as new parent immediately, there is no way I can fully understand their feeling...

They must have worried for me …

I'm sorry... father... mother...

But, rather than saying sorry, I think these words would be more appropriate, so …

“Thank you, father, mother.”

““We too, thank you, for coming back to us.””

I said that honestly.

From that moment, we continued crying for a while.

These tears are either from sadness of pain, I think they are from the joy of a fulfilled wish.

“Mother, there was a girl about 3 years older than me with you before you (demolished and) entered my room... who is that?”

Even if my outside appearance is a 4 years old girl, inside I'm still a 17 (+ 4?) years old boy, crying out loud was really embarrassing.

That was why, to hide the embarrassment of having my face dyed in red, I asked that to mother.

“That must be Alicia. As you said, she is 3 years older than you.”

Mother really is able to control her emotion well. She definitely cried a lot up till just a moment ago, but unlike me, all traces of that disappeared.

That made me a little sad though, she was crying for my sake after all...

But that's fine.

“So I have a big sister... Other than her do we have anyone else?”

Before I fainted, in my head, I saw a baby with blue eyes. Her dear figure came to my mind.

That must have been my twin sister... If possible, I really want to see her... I can't explain this well, still, I'm a little curious.

“You also have a 5 years older brother, and your twin little sister.”

“Ah... that's right. I was too moved that I forgot... Earlier Alicia said she wanted us to move Alice to the living room with her. I will also call Gale and Elise. This room can not be used any longer anyway... Serena, it seems like your daughter already guessed that you would destroy the room...”

“... Teehee ☆ ”

Mother... you are so...

What have other family member other than me been doing when I was sleeping? I seriously wondered.

“Alice, you can't stand up after all... Are you alright? If you are not tired then papa will take you to living room...”

“I'm counting on you. I'm a little tired... but it's alright! I also want to see everyone.”

Did he just called himself “papa”?... Somehow from this person, deplorable vibe is giving out...

Is it fine like this...? I started to be afraid of seeing other family members...

“Alright, I will carry you there.”

“Thank you, father.”

And thus, we exited the (once) room, moving to the living room.

I realized immediately, but does it normally take 10 seconds to exit a normal room? Maybe this house is a little bit of the bigger side...

But, looking at the decorations laying around, it can't be helped but giving out the feeling of a rich household. Are we living in such a great house...? With such furniture, I think my family maybe pretty wealthy.

But, that's not something I should think about now.

The living room was pretty normal, with a large table in the middle. The number of chairs must be the number of family members. There were 5 around the table.

There wasn't any modern things such as stove or heater. From the fireplace I can guess the technology level of this world. But this fireplace... even when it was burning, I couldn't see any firewood or other kinds of fuel... How does it work?...

There were 3 people sitting. From them, one boy raised his voice.

“For introduction... that sounds weird within a family, but it can't be helped because this is the first time we talk. I'm Gale, your 5 years older brother. Nice to meet you, Alice.”

He had firm standing figure. While innocent expression still can be perceived, you can catch a glimpse of a mature man from him.

Grey hair grew to his shoulder, which is close to silver color. He has black mixed with gray pupils, like those of a Japanese. Unexpectedly his eyes fits with the hair color so well, I think he has quite a good look. I can imagine he would become pretty handsome in the future. So this is my 5 years separated older brother, Gale... I can't believe he is only 9 years old. He has good height too. If only I can be this manly in my past life... Ugh...good looking guys should die after all!

“I'm Alicia, your 3 years older sister. Nevertheless... while your sleeping figure was cute, you're even cuter when you're awake... Can I touch you? Alice! Please let me touch you!”

The next to introduce herself was my 3 years older sister, Alicia. Her hair and the hair of the girl next to her, probably my twin younger sister as mother said, are silver color and stretch out beautifully behind their backs. Her eyes give off the feeling of pureness. She has beautiful obsidian color pupils just like mother.

Somehow when looked at me, she looks wildly like wanting to attack me... Oh, she was hit by a fist from Gale, that must be hurt...

Somehow the image of my little sister from my past life came up. Why is that, I wonder...

And, lastly.

“I'm your twin little sister, Elise! Please take care of me from now!”

… Ah... how nostalgic...really...

And then I realized the reason for the dear emotion inside me.

That girl, she looks just like my little sister Airi in my previous life. So weird... while their appearances are completely different...

Airi, is she living well now? She was always sticking close to me, so without me around, I'm really worrying for her...

Please don't be lingering to my death. I pray her would have a happy life, live to when she get old...

That is one of the little wishes I made about my past world...

I had became a little sentimental, hadn't I?...

It wasn't like I could go back to my past life anyway! Indeed I was worrying for Airi, but there were always other chances for that! Now I had to think about my current family!

Elise, as I said earlier, had silver hair with length to her waist. It was tied to two twin tails. That made her looked like walking out from a picture of an energetic girl. Her eyes had beautiful emerald color.

(….O...cha....) (TL: Onii-chan, I guess.)

Hm? What was that just now?

Maybe it was just my imagination... But that aside.

“Nya...Nice to meet you! I'm Alice! for... For 4 years I had been sleeping... for all the troubles I have caused... I'm sorry! E...even so... please take care of me from now!”

Biting my tongue, without noticed I used polite tone. That was the first exchange to my brother and sisters since birth.

Self-introduction to family members feel weird... But it can't be helped, I has a whole 4 years in coma, and thus caused lots of troubles. At least I had to say that much as an apology.

That made me really nervous though... I wasn't like that with mother and father though. Mother's unexpected explosion swept away my nervousness. When father came, mother also broke all of my seriousness, maybe that softened the mood.

“““.......”””

E...eh? Why isn't anyone saying anything?...

D...did I say something weird?! Aw... awawawa~~ ha...have to say something!

“E...erm! About my apology before about me causing troubles before!...”

“““So...so cute...”””

“Eh?”

Wh...what?...

“““What's with this cuteness!! I want to take her home!!!”””

When I thought I was in panic, suddenly I felt so calm.

From the beginning we live in the same house, don't we? Wanting to take your sister home...

What's with this deplorable vibe from these three... Alicia onee-chan already had it from the start though...

They stopped after being hit by father. That must be pretty painful after all...

“A...anyway! Please take care of me!”

“Alice, they are your brother and sisters, your family. You don't have to be that polite.”

“Hmm...I know...somehow I just said that unknowingly... Everyone, I'm sorry! From now, as family members, let's have fun together!”

“““““Yeah!”””””

With that, our family first (?) meeting ended. Everyone must have visited me a lot while I was sleeping. This is the first time I was awake, so this is no different than the real first time for me.

“Onii-chan, onee-chan, mother, father, and, Elise...”

Anyway... firstly... also for the sake of becoming <a real family member>, I had to confirm this one thing, it would be exaggerated if I say this is the thing that troubled me the most.

“Does anyone have a mirror?...”

“““““...Hah?”””””

...Without checking my appearance, it felt like I'm still not living in this world completely ...