Chapter 2 The Bad-mouthed Protagonist Is Now Mainstream
*Crackle, pop!*
Sparks flew and the smell of smoke filled the air. It was hot──way hotter than a summer day. Everything was on fire right in front of me: the concrete, the products on display, the candy bags I wanted, even people.
I could smell the burning.
──Bro...ther...
My throat felt like it was on fire. I was inside a building, surrounded by a sea of red flames. It was hot, it smelled terrible, and it hurt, but somehow, I felt like I was floating, like I was in water.
I swayed and tilted, and then I saw someone's back in front of me.
──Big Bro...ther!
A big figure turned around, revealing a face.
But it wasn't really a face; it was a mask, just the top part. The bottom half must have been torn away. The lips, covered in soot, formed a smile. For some reason, that made me feel really relieved.
──Big Brother!
Feeling safe made me sleepy again.
I struggled to keep my eyes open, staring at the masked man.
Suddenly, debris began to fall around me...
"Wake up, Big Brother!"
Light flooded into the world.
* * *
"Finally, you woke up!"
Behind my heavy eyelids, there was no masked person anywhere.
Instead, there was a girl in an apron holding a sheet-like cloth.
There was no smell of flames. It wasn't hot.
In fact, it was a bit cold, and I shrank back from the wind blowing in through the open window behind me.
"Are you okay, big brother? You're sweating a lot!"
"?"
"You look dazed. I thought your fever went down. Did you have a bad dream?"
"..."
Ah. I felt sick because I was drenched in sweat.
As I stood up reflexively, I felt something strange.
My line of sight was higher. Looking around the room at the chairs and tables, it felt like this.
And then, there was the girl's face, 2 or 3 heads lower than mine.
She had reddish-brown hair in braids, and she looked a bit clumsy but had a homely vibe.
Her freckles were quite charming.
"...What are you staring at?"
"...Ah."
I didn't blush from embarrassment.
Instead, I felt suspicious.
I thought it was rude, and I had to ask something to apologize, but...
"Shut up. Who the hell are you?" (Sorry, who are you?)
"...Huh?"
"Huh?" (Yes?)
Wait, what was that low voice?
Did that come from my mouth?
No, it did come from my mouth.
But, it sounded really rough.
"..."
"..."
I fell silent, and the girl did too. No, maybe not the same.
Her eyebrows were rising quickly.
Her cheeks were turning red. Of course, it wasn't from embarrassment.
Wow. Anyone could see she was angry. Thank you very much.
"...Seriously, hurry up and get down. Dinner is ready."
"Uh, okay."
"Hmph."
If someone said, "Who the hell are you?" right when we met, of course, that would happen.
She threw the sheet at me and stomped out of the wooden-floored room.
Wow, she was really angry. It was my fault, though.
(...She called me big brother.)
Big brother. It can't just be a nickname.
Maybe it's my little sister. I got woken up, and since we live together, that makes sense.
While my thoughts were spinning, I looked around and saw a nice mirror right next to the door.
At the same time, memories started coming back.
About dying. About what happened after I died.
The goddess Norn I met in that space that looked like a universe with roots everywhere. Her apology and my journey.
I remembered and thought back on it.
My body suddenly felt hot.
(Ah, right! That's it! I became a hero!)
That's right. My wish came true.
I forgot if it was reincarnation, teleportation, or possession.
Thinking about it made me so excited that I couldn't help but grin.
(Okay, okay, let's calm down. I should look in the mirror...)
I stood in front of the mirror to cool down.
I stood, looked, and opened my eyes wide.
Words slipped out of my mouth.
"Damn, I look really scary!" (My eyes look bad.)
Oh, and my mouth too.
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