The Man Called Demon Lord in Another World Has Returned! - chapter 2
Chapter 2: Return 2
I appeared on the sidewalk just before the convenience store without any special effects. Perhaps because of this, no one seemed to notice my sudden appearance. Even if someone had noticed, they’d likely doubt their eyes or think they were mistaken, so it wouldn’t matter much anyway.
Since I was here, I might as well browse some manga at the convenience store.
Before reading, I checked the date on the evening newspaper near the entrance. It was indeed the date from seven years ago when I was suddenly summoned.
I made my way to the familiar magazine corner of the convenience store and picked up the manga magazine I was interested in. Strangely, despite the seven-year gap, I could still remember the storylines of the serialized manga as I flipped through the pages.
After finishing my read-through, I carefully returned the magazine to the shelf.
It was time to head home.
As it had been a while since I’d been in Japan, in my hometown, I decided to take a slight detour through the shopping district on my way home. Unsurprisingly, nothing had changed in the shopping district. It was pleasantly bustling with evening shoppers.
As I walked through the shopping district, looking around curiously and reminiscing about how each store used to be, I noticed a group of three young men walking side by side, seemingly oblivious to the inconvenience they were causing other pedestrians. They were glaring at people trying to pass by, which was quite annoying. Though I’m no champion of justice, I decided to give them a little warning out of concern for their future.
“Hey, you guys. You’re blocking the way. Mind moving?”
“Huh? What’s with this kid?”
The smallest of the three men turned and glared at me.
Oh right, I looked like a 15-year-old. No wonder they’d be annoyed at a 15-year-old kid talking back to them. I was in a great mood, having returned to my hometown after seven years. I decided to respond with a merciful heart and address them normally.
“Hello. Move.”
“What did you say? Are you mocking us?”
“I like eating fish, but I wouldn’t lick you guys. That’s disgusting. I’m kindly asking you to stop blocking the way.”
“Listen, kid. If you keep acting smart, you’ll get more than just hurt.”
The man in the middle, wearing a somewhat fancy suit, pushed up his glasses as he threatened me. This must be his signature move. He seemed to signal to the other two with his chin, and they started to move behind me.
The passersby began to distance themselves from us, avoiding the confrontation in the middle of the street.
I still had enough sense to know that violence in public wasn’t ideal, so I swiftly slipped between the men and ran into a side alley at the edge of the shopping district, turning another corner into a dead end. I decided to wait for them there. With no pedestrians around, we wouldn’t have to worry about onlookers.
“Wait up, kid!”
Come on, hurry up. I’m waiting for you.
“It’s a dead end. Where do you think you’re running? Idiot.”
They seemed to think they had cornered me in this alley. Couldn’t they imagine why I, who had run away, was waiting here?
…
“As the saying goes, choose your opponents wisely when picking a fight.”
Oh right, I looked like a kid now. In a way, it was understandable that they underestimated me, resulting in their current state.
After offering some pointless educational advice to the three men drooling and sprawled out at the entrance of the dead-end alley, I left the scene.
“I’m home!”
I called out loudly as I slid open the front door.
“Oh, -chan. Welcome home,” my mother’s voice came from the kitchen.
By the way, I forgot to mention, but my name is… It’s a name I’m proud of.
I held my sandals in my hand and hurried up to my room on the second floor. I quickly stripped off everything I was wearing and changed into my usual clothes from the closet in my room. Of course, this included underwear.
Even my mother, who doesn’t usually pay attention to small details, would find it suspicious if her son had clothes she’d never seen before, including underwear.
That’s why I took these precautions. I put the clothes I took off into my item box. Ah, I had confirmed immediately upon returning that magic and skills still worked in this world without any issues.
As I was checking my room, it soon became time for dinner. My sister, three years younger than me, who had been playing at a neighbor’s house, returned home. The three of us – my mother, sister, and I – gathered around the dinner table. My sister would be starting at the middle school I had attended this spring. Dad would be late due to a drinking party.
I skillfully cut the large hamburger steak covered in a sweet sauce made from ketchup, tonkatsu sauce, and a bit of sugar with my chopsticks and brought it to my mouth.
I brought the pure white rice from my bowl to my mouth.
I sipped the miso soup with tofu.
It was delicious. Strangely, my eyes started to water a bit.
“What’s wrong, -chan?”
“It’s nothing. I think I got something in my eye.”
“Big brother, you seem different somehow. You weren’t like this until yesterday, but today your eyes look odd too.”
My sister was sharp, as always.
“I think my eyesight has deteriorated from studying for exams. My eyes have been feeling tired lately, and it’s harder to see things far away.”
Although I hadn’t measured it, my vision was probably around 10.0. I could see things clearly from quite far away. If my sister was noticing it, it could be a problem. It would be troublesome when I start high school too, so maybe I should wear glasses to hide my intense gaze.
“Oh my, that’s terrible. Should we go to the optician to have them checked? You’re about to become a high school student, so contact lenses might be good too, but for those, you’d need to go to an eye doctor.”
“Glasses are fine. I’ll go to the optician tomorrow.”
“I see. Well, go early then. I think they can make them in a day, but it’s better to have them before the entrance ceremony.”
“Wow, big brother is going to wear glasses? I’d definitely choose contacts.”
“Well, -chan can’t help it now, but -chan, you don’t need them since your eyes are fine. You need to study properly so your eyes don’t get bad.”
“Okay!”
We finished dinner with this kind of conversation.
After that, I took a bath and went to bed, even though it was quite early. I must have been tired. I woke up briefly when Dad came home around midnight, but I quickly fell back asleep.