The broadcast ended successfully.
In truth, I didn’t really understand what had happened during the broadcast, as I was being pulled along by Da-eun the whole ti.
“So, you liked it more because of that?”
Da-eun said she actually preferred it this way.
I tried to read her expression, wondering if it was just more of her usual teasing, but it didn’t seem like it. I didn’t quite understand what exactly she liked, but since Da-eun said it, I accepted it without too much thought.
Just as I’m an expert in battle, Da-eun knows far better when it cos to broadcasting.
“Do you want to do it together next ti?”
“…I’ll think about it.”
I know. Da-eun’s kindness toward isn’t small.
She lets stay at her place without paying rent or even the managent fees. And who else would buy everything from clothes to daily necessities, and even snacks I don’t really need?
‘But if I say this, Da-eun would probably ask what I an.’
She’d probably say that she’s the one who owes for coming to this world to save it.
It makes sense when I think about it that way, but that doesn’t an I stop feeling like I owe her. If there’s sothing that helps Da-eun, I’d gladly do it.
“Yeah, that’s enough for now.”
Even though I hadn’t given a definite answer, Da-eun smiled gently, as if my answer was all she needed.
“Kana.”
“Yeah?”
“How was it? Was it fun?”
Fun, huh.
“I’m not sure.”
If ‘fun’ and ‘interest’ ant the sa thing, I would’ve said yes right away. But since I know they’re different, I tilted my head slightly.
“Still, I think it wasn’t bad.”
Da-eun shouting how cute I was like a parrot and the viewers agreeing with her.
I’ve had attention before, but this was the first ti I’d received this kind of attention, so I felt a bit overwheld by it.
Even so, I didn’t think it was bad because the attention they gave seed friendly.
Of course, this was all thanks to Da-eun.
Unlike when she broadcasts alone, she turned off the donation feature and switched the chat to subscriber-only, so it made sense that the responses were mostly positive.
If I had broadcasted with all the restrictions removed, I might have had a different feeling.
‘But that’s just a what-if.’
What I’ve directly seen and experienced is what matters, so speculating on possibilities doesn’t really change anything.
“…Really?”
I expected Da-eun to say, ‘I’m glad Kana feels the sa way!’ and smile, but to my surprise, Da-eun didn’t seem as happy as I thought.
Looking at her lowered corners of her mouth and her strangely furrowed brows, wouldn’t anyone think the sa as I did?
“Why does your expression look like that? You look like soone who’s not happy about sothing.”
“Aren’t you the one who’s not happy, Da-eun?”
It’s impossible to see your own face due to human anatomy, but I found it quite amusing that Da-eun was asking that, unaware she was making such a serious expression herself.
“…Kana, you’re the sa, you know?”
“?”
It’s true that it’s impossible to see my own face, but humans have tools for that.
When I looked through the cara, the pink-haired girl t my eyes.
Her expression was unreadable, as if she wasn’t thinking about anything at all.
The only guess I could make was that she looked a little tired, based on her drowsy eyes. But since I wasn’t tired, that guess was probably wrong.
“Ah, you don’t know, huh…”
“?”
“Well, that’s understandable. It’s sothing you can only figure out after observing Kana for a long ti. So it’s normal that you don’t know.”
“…What are you saying?”
It hadn’t even been a year yet, so how could she be talking about it as if it’s sothing that requires such a long ti?
“I can tell. At first glance, you look like you’re not thinking about anything, but that’s actually not the case.”
“Are you planning to beco a mind reader? Or maybe a physiognomist?”
“I’m a mind reader. A mind reader, specifically for Kana. So…”
Da-eun put on a stern expression.
Even though it wasn’t scary, it was amusing.
“Co on, confess your thoughts honestly.”
I found it rather absurd that she was saying this so confidently, so I imdiately fired back.
“If you’re a mind reader, aren’t you supposed to know without saying it?”
“W-well, I’m giving you the opportunity to confess!”
“Nice excuse.”
Da-eun already seed sure that I had sothing on my mind.
If she didn’t think so, she wouldn’t be questioning so persistently.
No, if she hadn’t brought it up at all, it wouldn’t have been a problem.
‘A worry.’
Personally, I didn’t think it was a real worry, but since it was clearly bothering , I couldn’t just dismiss it.
“…It’s about my mom and dad.”
In the end, I confessed what had been on my mind since I saw that chat earlier.
Whether it’s a worry or not, I figured if I brought it up, Da-eun would judge it for .
“My mom and dad? Oh, you an my parents?”
“Yeah.”
“So, why are you bringing up my mom and dad?”
“…You probably already guessed it, right?”
“Guess what?”
I hesitated and added.
“…That I lied.”
At that, Da-eun finally understood what I was talking about.
“I see… You feel guilty about saying they were foreigners, huh?”
“….”
“Don’t worry. They’re not the kind of people who live in isolation, so they probably already know. It’s been pretty noisy lately, after all.”
While speaking, Da-eun started patting my head.
I shook it off, but Da-eun’s hand imdiately went back to my head.
“But it’s my fault I lied to them. Even if I get scolded, it’s not like Kana’s to worry about it.”
“You didn’t deny that you lied.”
Though I don’t agree with the saying that bystanders are worse than the perpetrators, in this case, isn’t Da-eun an accomplice?
Because of that, I couldn’t feel at ease.
The image of my mom, who smiled warmly while bringing food, and my dad, who tried not to show concern but still secretly looked out for , kept lingering in my mind.
I had deceived two people who had treated well, and that thought was eating away at .
‘Would they be disappointed?’
No, it wasn’t disappointnt—it was betrayal.
The fact that the poor foreign kid they thought I was turned out to be hiding an even bigger secret.
They would definitely look at differently now.
“….”
Suddenly, it felt like a heavy stone was pressing on my heart.
However.
“I think you’re worrying too much.”
Da-eun said that confidently.
“I might’ve exaggerated a bit, but I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true, right? And Kana’s not a terrible criminal either.”
“…From the Empire’s perspective, I am a criminal.”
“Well, this isn’t the Empire, is it?”
“That’s exactly the problem.”
I’ve taken hundreds of lives with my sword, possibly even thousands.
But the exact number doesn’t matter.
Whether it’s hundreds or thousands, from Earth’s perspective, I’m a mass murderer… nothing more, nothing less.
Though the era and world are different, and I can intellectually understand that, the reality is still different.
So, do I regret it?
‘No.’
I just wanted to point out the gap between the two.
“Ah, I see.”
Da-eun nodded.
“Kana, so you’re afraid of being hated by our mom and dad?”
“You’re completely wrong.”
“You’re wrong. You got it completely right. Seriously, I can’t believe you’re worrying like this when you’re not even a kid anymore.”
“…I’m not a kid. And why is this such a needless worry?”
Even though I said I wasn’t scared, she imdiately decided I was.
She also treated like a kid, and for so reason, I couldn’t help but speak up, a little irritated.
“If worrying about things like this isn’t needless, then what is? My mom and dad aren’t the kind of people who’d think that way.”
“How do you know that better than —”
“Hey? Are you trying to say you know our mom and dad better than ?”
“….”
I was struck silent by Da-eun’s words.
If I tried to argue back, I’d instantly be seen as a fool.
I felt that instinctively and just rolled my eyes in frustration.
“Heh heh… I’m just joking. I’ve been talking a lot about you, so I thought I’d try saying sothing too.”
“When did I ever say that—”
I stopped.
“….”
“I can tell you’re feeling guilty about sothing.”
“…I don’t know.”
When I poked my lips out, Da-eun let out a soft laugh.
And then, for a mont.
“If you really can’t trust what I’m saying, how about doing this?”
Da-eun, who had shut down the computer and was tidying up the surroundings, stood up and reached out to .
“A few days ago, my parents asked to co ho for a al. And of course, I’ll bring Kana along too.”
“A few days ago? That was before everything beca known. The situation’s different now.”
“Then why is the great Kana being so reluctant? Are you scared?”
“…Scared? What do you an?”
“Ah, never mind… I said it without thinking.”
When I widened my eyes at her strange words, Da-eun awkwardly scratched her head.
“Anyway, let’s go and see for ourselves. Whether my parents really hate Kana. It’s better than just worrying about it, right?”
Instead of sitting around, getting anxious, and imagining things, she suggested we should confirm it for ourselves, even if that ans facing the reality of the situation.
With the sa confident expression she used when she spoke those words, Da-eun looked directly at .
I stared into her unwavering eyes and—
“…Alright.”
I nodded as if entranced.
Yeah, whether it ends up being good or bad, it’s better to see for myself.
If they end up telling to leave because they don’t like that I’m living with their precious daughter, then I can just leave at that point, right?
But one thing—
Before I agreed, I opened my mouth to correct sothing.
“I never made them worry. I’ve never been afraid.”
“…Sigh.”
But Da-eun sighed and looked at like she couldn’t do anything about it.
I soon felt her hand roughly tousling my hair, and I quietly blinked.
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