Have you ever felt alone in the world... Well, I suppose I'm not the only one who's ever felt this way. However, I guess there aren't too many people like me who have felt alone in two worlds huh?
I was born into a normal family that wasn't particularly wealthy or poor, and grew up in a normal way.
For better or worse, I think my life has been really normal. I don't think I have any special skills, my studies were just above average, and my hobby was cooking... I really don't think there's anything worth special mention.
I was close to my parents and had a good number of friends. Even though I didn't have anything special, I was able to live a substantial life.
But one day, without warning, my life fell apart.
Mom died suddenly in a car accident. Up until that morning, she was smiling at me as usual and telling me to study harder as I headed to school.
Not even in my wildest dreams have I ever thought that that would be the last conversation I would have with Mom. I was so shocked that my mind wasn't able to register what happened right away... but it was Dad who was more grieved and sad than I was.
Mom and Dad had gotten married while being passionately in love with each other, and they were really lovey-dovey even after all these years... I think that's why Dad couldn't accept Mom's death.
As a result, Dad lost his grip on everything, drowned himself in alcohol... and in the end, he suddenly disappeared. Leaving me all alone...
Not even a year had passed since Mom died. In that very short amount of time, all the happiness that I took for granted... disappeared.
Honestly, my thoughts weren't able to keep up with what's happening. How? Why did this happen? I think that's all I was thinking about.
My Mom and Dad... even my grandparents, from both Mom and Dad's side, had already passed away, and I was truly alone in the world.
With my parents gone, I was shuffled around to different relatives' homes. As it was difficult for me to be independent right away, I needed a guardian, but I couldn't find any relatives of mine who were willing to be my guardian.
I was treated as a complete nuisance. I guess that was obvious. Even if I were the one asked to do such a thing, I would certainly not like to take custody of a senior high school girl out of the blue.
Eventually, it was decided that I would be temporarily placed in the care of an institution, and after that, I would be placed in the care of a guardian appointed by the Family Court.
By that time, I didn't have energy left in my heart, and I didn't care about anything anymore. I was alone in the world and no one needed me... that was what I had in mind.
During those days, I was suddenly summoned to another world to play the role of Hero. I was surprised and confused... but I decided to accept the role of Hero.
How should I say this... Even if it was for such a role, I suppose I did feel a little happy that I was needed.
Everyone around me was kind to me, and my troubled heart was healed a lot during the year I spent as the Hero.
When I finished fulfilling my role as the Hero, it was time for me to choose whether to return to the original world or immigrate to this world. At that time, I simply didn't want to go back to my original world. I feel really alone in that world, so I chose to immigrate.
But at the same time, I was scared. I was afraid that after I fulfilled my role as Hero, I would become a nuisance here... I didn't have any special skills after all.
Moreover, deciding that I would immigrate was fine and all... but I didn't have anything I wanted to do. The only reason I decided to immigrate was that I didn't want to go back to that world... I didn't know what to do from now onwards.
The person who kindly approached me when I was like that was Archlesia's current Emperor... Chris-san.
Though I say that, when I was summoned as a Hero, she wasn't the Emperor yet and was a Treasurer... I remember that she kindly talked with me about many things.
Around that time, Chris-san suggested that I travel around until I found something I wanted to do while sightseeing. She told me how she herself had a personal problem, and after traveling around for a few years, she was able to find her answer.
In the end, I decided to follow Chris-san's suggestion and went on a sightseeing trip, and she gave me more than enough money to go on a trip.
She even told me to send her a letter if I ran out of money and she would give me additional funds, so I could have fun without worrying. I really appreciate Chris-san's kindness.
As I traveled around the world, I tried many different things. I stayed in one city for a few months and tried to work something like a part-time job at a restaurant, and I also tried studying magic.
However, I couldn't find anything that I really wanted to do, so I wandered around for years. I just couldn't seem to find a place where "I felt like it was okay for me to be here", and even though there were indeed many people that were kind to me, I still felt like I was a useless person who couldn't find my answer... In spite of everything, even in this world, I felt alone.
In the end, I wondered how long I had been searching for myself, taking advantage of Chris-san's kindness... I think it was around 8 years. It was in the frontier of Hydra Kingdom that I happened upon the event that changed my life.
There, I happened to meet Okura Shigenobu-san... Shige-san, who played the role of Hero in the past and was an immigrant like me.
He was about 60 years older than me, but we had never met each other before, and as we were both from the same country, we had a great conversation.
I was invited to his house and was treated to a meal prepared by Shigeru-san's wife. At that time, I ate pickles made from the vegetables from Shige-san's farm, and they tasted really good... It was then I started to cry.
It wasn't that I was sad. It was just... just when I thought I was all alone in this world... I felt happy that I was able to get a taste of Japan.
It isn't that I was feeling homesick though. I didn't regret moving out of Japan, and I still don't want to go back to my former world... but somehow... how should I say this... I still feel that Japan was my spiritual home.
It was a simple trigger, but it was enough to clear the fog before my eyes... and I decided what I wanted to do.
I didn't know if there were other immigrants besides Shige-san, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were otherworlders who choose to immigrate to this world in the future, just like me.
I'd like to talk with the children from my home world. Just as I felt the taste of my old home by talking with Shige-san, I wanted to make my kouhais who appear in the future feel the taste of home as well.
After a few days under their care, I thanked Shige-san and his wife, and returned to the Archlesia Empire, where I told Chris-san, who had become Emperor, that I had found something I wanted to do.
Chris-san was as happy as I was, and she offered me assistance with her personal assets as I tried to settle down in the Friendship City, Hikari for my purpose. I'll really never be able to repay her, not even with all my life.
Anyhow, with Chris-san's help, I opened a small restaurant in Friendship City, Hikari, making use of my specialty cuisine. It was a rice-only set meal restaurant, which was rare in this world.
I thought that if I set up a store like this in the Friendship City, Hikari, the children who played the role of Hero might find it... and stop by...
[...I suppose that really was the case huh. Normally, the time when those who play the role of Hero come to Friendship City is at the Festival of Heroes... Then, they wouldn't have the time to look around the festival! Heck, I experienced this myself!]
Yes, I miscalculated... I was an idiot. I enthusiastically welcomed the years when the Festival of Heroes was held, but unfortunately, the children playing the role of Hero were unable to visit my store.
No, in the first place, even if they had the time to go sightseeing, it would be difficult for them to find a small store in this vast Friendship City.
I did write the store's sign using kanji to make it easier for them to find but... Mnghh.
[Ugghhh... Shige-san only comes once a year, and I want to talk with the children from my home world. I wanna get excited talking about stuff back in Japan... Also, I want to be a senpai to them. I'd like to say stuff like "today's my treat", and serve them the most expensive meal in my restaurant.]
Well, my shop is just a set meal restaurant, so the most expensive dish is only about 1300 yen...
The world isn't going well. Life's difficult... I wonder if I could ask Chris-san to introduce someone who plays the role of Hero to this restaurant... No, that won't do. I can't do that.
She already helped me a lot when I made this store. I can't bother her any more than this... In the first place, it's also become hard to send a letter to Chris-san, who's now the Emperor, and it's quite expensive to go to Archlesia Empire... Ahh, life's tough.
[I wonder if the otherworlders who have migrated to this world will come here in the Friendship City for sightseeing...]
As I found myself grumbling, I prepared to open the store once again.
Before I knew it, I really didn't feel so alone in this world anymore, and now, I was just looking forward to the time that my otherworlder kouhais would visit... holding onto a wish that they really will visit me.
[Alright! Let's do our best again today!]