Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 29: The Whereabouts of Dreams – Part 1
“More importantly, more importantly, isn’t this terrible? Include me in the game too!”
“Actor you can’t hold playing cards, you know.”
“That’s true! Ahaha!”
A deflated laughter echoed in my room.
Indeed, Actor from the theater troupe had round hands, so there’s no way he could hold playing cards properly.
Wait, though. Did I even have this stuffed animal in my room?
“I’m your sister’s stuffed animal! Not yours! Don’t forget that!”
“Huh…? Yeah, sure.”
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I see, it’s Hina’s.
She probably has it. After the new house was built, a room was prepared for Hina, and that place is completely off-limits to me.
However, when we lived in the apartment before, Hina had so many stuffed animals that I can imagine that room being filled with them. So, it wouldn’t be surprising if this one is there too.
The answer from Actor from the theater troupe seemed to anticipate my thoughts, but was I really showing it on my face? Well, I was probably thinking too much. After all, this stuffed animal’s way of speaking is quite strange.
By the way, about Actor from the theatre troupe.
…How does it talk, this thing?
It’s eerie how it moves on its own even though there’s nothing there, so I decided to ask.
“How do you talk, Actor from the theater troupe? Do you have a speaker?”
“Huh? No, no, it’s my mouth. See, when my mouth moves, you can hear my cute voice, right?”
“But it’s not moving at all…”
“Oh? Is that so? My, my, Itsuki-kun, you must have a dirty heart! I only move my mouth for the beautiful pure girls!”
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I turned to Aya-chan and asked.
“How about now? Does it look like it’s moving?”
“Nope, not moving at all.”
“Ehh!?”
Actor from the theater troupe let out an exaggerated sigh and flipped over.
Well, if you think about it seriously, it’s probably some kind of speaker.
It might be embedded inside the stuffed doll. That’s a possibility.
The next thing that piqued my interest was how Actor from the theater troupe continued to move.
“Hey, Actor from the theater troupe. How are you moving?”
“Hmm… That’s a tough question. Let me ask you, Itsuki-kun, how come you can live if you breathe? How do you move your muscles? Can you explain all that?”
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“…Uhh.”
“It’s suspicious, right? Just like you! Suspicious! I’m the same way. Ahaha!”
While making a carefree comment, Actor from the theater troupe continued to turn around with one leg raised.
“I-I mean, it’s pretty weird, right? How is it spinning like that?”
“What are you talking about, Itsuki? Hasn’t the Actor from the theater always been like this?”
“Well…?”
When Nina-chan says things like “The sun rises from the east, you know?” it makes me wonder if maybe I’m the one who’s wrong, and things have always been this way.
“The gyro effect, maybe? It’s similar to bicycles or unicycles. Nipa!”
“Well… I don’t really know about that.”
What’s the gyro effect…? Is there a theory that explains why the stuffed animal spins on one foot without me knowing about it?
“You don’t have to be embarrassed about not knowing! Ignorance is knowledge. I’m fluffiness.”
“What are you even saying?”
“I’m encouraging you! Ahaha!”
The theater actor, spinning around and around, suddenly stopped rotating like an ice skater.
“Sigh… encouraging wore me out. Let’s take a little break. Or maybe a longer one? A super long one?”
“…”
While saying such things, the theater actor sat down on a toy chair placed behind Nina.
Just as I had started to find the continuously moving doll eerie, the sound of the house key opening the door echoed.
“Itsuki, I’m home! Oh? Are Aya-chan and the others here?”
The voice of my mother came from the entrance, followed by heavy footsteps.
“Niicha, welcome back!”
“You’re home!”
“That’s right, we’re back!”
My younger sister, Hina, who had gone shopping with my mother, had returned as well. Following her, my mother peeked her head into the room.
“Itsuki, dear, if you have guests, you should at least offer them some tea.”
“Yeah, I will.”
With my mother’s words in mind, I left the playing cards behind and stood up. It felt eerie to have the talking stuffed animal still in the room. As I headed towards the kitchen, the theater actor, followed me.
“I’ll help you out, Itsuki!”
“Eh, it’s okay…”
“Don’t say that! With a smile, your power increases by 100 times! Smile, smile! Nipaa!”
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While listening to the theater actor’s whimsical remarks, I started boiling water in the kitchen. During this time, I thought about practicing some magic, extending my hand…
“What are you doing?”
“…Huh? Oh.”
What was I about to do?
I froze with my hand extended.
I was definitely trying to do something now.
“Since we have some time until the water boils, let’s chat!”
“Huh? With the theater actor?”
“Yes! We always do, right? So, let’s see… Itsuki-kun’s future dream!”
“…”
Suddenly being asked about my future dream, I found myself at a loss for words.
In truth, I’ve been striving to live my life all this time just to “stay alive.” I’ve been avoiding pain and suffering, doing my best to prevent anything bad from happening.
So, even if I were asked such a question… What would my answer be?
Why did I think I might die?
“Let’s guess then! Are you going to be a baseball player? Hmm, no, that’s a no. How about a soccer player? Hmm, no, that’s also a no!”
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“Why are you talking to yourself all the time?”
“Because Itsuki-kun won’t talk to me! Alright, let’s make a serious guess then. Your dream is to safely live your future!”
“Well, that’s…”
That’s right.
“To live without injuries, without illnesses, in sickness and in health, to live happily and energetically.”
“Yeah…”
“See? See? But don’t worry. I’m sure it’s fine from the bottom of my heart! There’s nothing here that threatens your safety. It’s your world, your world alone. There’s nothing to fear. It’s a world of tranquility, calmness, and unchanging safety.”
“…”
“Let’s change the question this time.”
As the kettle made a bubbling sound, the theater actor turned around. After turning, it asked quietly,
“Is this your ideal world, Itsuki-kun?”