Four years have slipped by since my unexpected rebirth in this new world. Though the underlying issue remains unresolved, I've grown stronger and can now move around freely. My speech is still limited, but I can use gestures to convey my thoughts.
One day, a memory from a long-forgotten TV show resurfaced. The presenter learned a new language by constantly asking locals, "What's this?"
(Right... just keep asking, 'What's this?' That should work, right?)
The presenter quickly picked up the language using this method.
(Let's give it a try. No harm in trying. No time like now.)
"What's this?" "What is this?" "And this?"
I pointed at everything within reach, pestering my mother for answers.
At first, she was bewildered, but soon she started to laugh, treating it as a game. "Okay, which one is it now?"
(To me, it's a matter of survival, not mere child's play...)
I carefully repeated each word in my head, paying close attention to pronunciations, nuances, accents, and meanings.
When my father returned from work, I dragged him into my game as well. He was confused at first, but soon he smiled genuinely when my mother explained it was a game.
It's no surprise. Until now, I had been the most calm and obedient child, requiring minimal attention.
Outwardly, I may look like a child, but inside, I have the mind of an adult, like a certain famous detective. I've always taken the 'minimalist' approach.
As a baby, I cried only to signal hunger or discomfort. During feeding times, I ate without fuss. When I started walking, I didn't cry when I fell or bumped into things.
Then, suddenly, I started bombarding them with questions. Naturally, my parents were uneasy at first. But they were also delighted, happy that their child was engaging with them.
I'm deeply grateful to them for raising me and try to lessen their burden as much as possible. However, my efforts backfired, and now they're enthusiastically coddling me.
Even during dinner, they wouldn't stop explaining every dish on the table, even when I didn't ask. I'm starting to worry that they might become overly obsessed with my education.
(Oh crap... Will this really be okay?)
A year later, my efforts bore fruit as I finally managed to speak the language of this world. I'm turning six soon. It took a long time to reach this point, and it was all due to a certain matter that I only discovered much later.