Ch.419IF Side Story: Seems I’ve Arrived a Bit Early (116)

Being a middle school student preparing for exams was… honestly a bit annoying.

In my life, I’ve only experienced entrance exams twice: when entering university and when applying for a job. In high school, I studied because it seemed like the natural thing to do, and for my job, well, it was a place I admired.

Looking back, I don’t think I really knew how to study properly until high school. I would sit at my desk and look at books, but that didn’t mean I actually memorized their contents.

Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I’d gone back to my teens and studied harder, but I’m not sure.

I am who I am. Because I lived that way, and because I have those memories, I can be who I am now.

In other words, even if I went back to that time, I probably wouldn’t study any harder. I enjoyed hanging out with friends more.

“…”

But even someone like me who wasn’t particularly fond of studying couldn’t help but follow along when everyone around me was studying so diligently.

Actually, since coming to this world, I’ve studied quite hard. Thanks to that, my grades have been fluctuating within the upper ranks.

Kagami didn’t really care whether my grades dropped or not. I’ve felt this for a long time, but Kagami tends to be lenient with me. Perhaps it’s because we found a loving family from such a young age. It might also be because we only had each other to rely on.

As a result, I was still a bit immature. I still sleep next to my mom. I’m completely spoiled.

The only reason I could live with some semblance of sanity was probably because I had memories of my previous life.

Apart from my efforts to study hard, this body’s brain wasn’t bad either.

I turned my gaze to look at Koko.

Koko was also studying hard. When I threatened that she wouldn’t be able to attend the same school as me if I failed the exam, she started studying this diligently.

Yuka, Shii, and Souta too. Even Nanami who had somehow joined us.

Hmm.

“Does everyone have something they want to do later?”

The thought suddenly occurred to me, so I asked.

Going to high school is fine. It’s not strange to aim for the same high school as your friends. Unless I decide not to go to university and get a job right away, or aim for some athletic scholarship position, it’s usually just a difference in academic atmosphere.

But thoughts about going to university or about jobs afterward are a bit different.

I did end up getting the job I wanted. Even though my thoughts changed after getting it, it was still something I held onto until the end.

It’s not like life ends if you don’t achieve that. I’ve seen many kids who gave up on their dream goals or turned them into hobbies and still lived well.

But living without any dreams at all is a bit sad.

Even if it’s not something you want to do, it would be nice to have at least one thing you like.

Everyone here except Nanami didn’t have a normal family environment.

…Am I being too nosy?

But the kids didn’t seem to mind my sudden question. Rather, they seemed to welcome it, perhaps feeling a bit tired from studying.

“Something I want to do…”

It seems like no one can answer easily.

The person who comes to mind most easily is Nanami. Being smart and sociable, she’ll probably find a job and live well, but apart from that, her goal is probably “marriage with Souta.” That would be her “thing she wants to do.”

I have no idea how infatuated she must have been at such a young age to still think that way after skipping the latter half of elementary school and half of middle school, but having someone you like isn’t a bad thing.

Shii might be similar.

She grew up under an abnormal mother for a long time and has only just found her family. And that includes a picture-perfect older brother.

Having just started doing things as a family, she probably wishes for that time to last as long as possible.

Koko just had a blank expression as if she hadn’t given it much thought, while Yuka, on the contrary, was deep in thought but couldn’t bring herself to answer.

“What about you?”

Yuka asked me.

“The fact that you asked such a question means you have something you want to do, right?”

That’s right. There are many things I want to do.

I’ve just become a teenager again. And not only was I an otaku in my previous life, but those tendencies have remained intact in this life where I was reborn in Japan.

There are many things I want to see. Places I want to visit with friends.

And I want to extend the time doing those things as much as possible. Not just during high school, but also in university, and after that… continuously.

But, just as my question intended, Yuka’s question probably isn’t about that either.

What do I want to do in the distant future? Is there a person I want to become?

“…”

I pondered.

My question was also directed at myself.

What do I want to do?

Save Kagami, save Koko, protect our family. Protect my friends, and finally reach a happy ending.

What should I do with myself after that?

Suddenly, a thought occurred to me.

It was a simple thought. It was one of the jobs I wanted in my previous life, but I drifted away from that dream when I chose another profession.

After losing my family and falling into despair, I stopped enjoying even that hobby, but in this world, I still loved manga and novels.

“I want to become a writer.”

So I impulsively said that.

The children’s gazes turned to me, as if they hadn’t expected such an answer.

“A writer?”

“Yes.”

Isn’t it natural to want to write when you read a lot?

I tried writing a few times when I was young. I was an otaku, after all. I failed to gain confidence, and I had other dreams, so there wasn’t much to regret.

But now it’s different, isn’t it?

I’ve already achieved that dream. It wasn’t all good. I don’t regret it, but I don’t want to do it again either. Since I’ve been given another life, I want to dream a different dream this time.

So, I want to become a writer.

I haven’t decided whether I want to write manga stories, light novels, or something else. In fact, I feel like it might be better not to decide.

But one thing was clear.

The people around me would definitely appear in those writings. In various forms, always different. Taking a little bit from each.

And, perhaps, my memories from my previous life too.

Yuka, who had asked me what I wanted to do, blinked once. Then she smiled.

“I see. You already have a dream.”

“Yes.”

I just decided it now, but it really seems right.

After everything is over, after our adventure ends with a happy ending, I’ll become a writer.

Seeing me smile brightly, the kids were a bit taken aback.

“Kotone. Kotone.”

Koko, who was sitting next to me, called out to me while tugging at my sleeve.

“Happy ending?”

“Huh?”

“The stories you’ll write, will they have happy endings?”

Ah, I see.

Both Kagami and I read storybooks to Koko when she was learning language.

It seems that not all children’s books always end with happy endings. Well, there were a few such fairy tales in my childhood too.

Koko didn’t like those stories very much.

The stories she asked to be read over and over again were all happy stories. The parts she asked to be read were the happy endings.

Yes. Stories eventually end. If that’s the case, there’s nothing wrong with the ending being happy.

For reasons of realism or artistic value, there are plenty of stories with tragic or sad endings.

The world won’t end if there’s one person whose every story has a happy ending.

“Yes. Happy endings.”

I see.

If the people I know appear in the stories I write, it’s better if the endings are happy.

And it’s good to end with “they lived happily ever after.” I’ve been like that since I was young.

“Will you read them to me?”

“Yes, I’ll read them to you.”

I stroked Koko’s head. Koko grinned with a vacant expression.

“I see, a writer.”

Yuka murmured, looking at something distant.

“A dream…”

Yuka, who has lived a life different from ordinary children. Yuka, who might have to continue living such a life.

She probably did her work with a sense of inevitability since childhood, but Yuka is, after all, an ordinary child.

Like other kids, she has things she wants to do.

Perhaps she can have dreams other than being an exorcist.

Somehow, all the children in the room seemed to be looking at something distant, lost in thought.

Knock knock.

At the sudden knocking sound, the children blinked and returned to reality.

“Kotone, do you have a moment?”

“Yes!”

Responding to Kagami’s voice, Kagami peeked into the room holding a plate full of cut fruits.

“I brought some fruit.”

That appearance, truly motherly in many ways, was wonderful.

“Thank you.”

I smiled as I received the fruit.

Seeing me smile brightly, Kagami tilted her head slightly.

“Mom.”

“Yes?”

“I want to become a writer when I grow up.”

Kagami, not understanding why I suddenly brought this up, blinked her eyes, but then smiled brightly.

“That’s great!”

As if she never thought I could say such a thing, she was delighted.

Yes.

Perhaps the first thing I’ll write about will be my mom.

Because she’s the person I’ve observed for so long.

The person I think is the most wonderful in this world.