This year, my birthday was on a Friday.
Since the bakery I work at only closes once a week, on Wednesdays, I had to work on my birthday.
And the following week was the last week of October. On that week’s day off, I planned to go volunteering with my older sister.
Naturally, the day I could spend with my coworkers ended up being the Wednesday of my birthday week.
Honestly, I was a little worried.
When I was younger, I didn’t explore Seoul much.
I didn’t have the luxury of visiting theme parks or aquariums. My sister and I were usually content with wandering around well-known streets.
Even so, compared to my coworkers, who had only been here for about a month, I was obviously much more familiar with Seoul.
After all, they were people who had never been to this world before suddenly finding themselves in Seoul.
I couldn’t help but wonder if it was really the right choice to leave the destination selection up to them.
Of course, I only thought about it—I didn’t actually take away their chance to choose.
After all, the four of them put their heads together and carefully picked something.
And they did it because they genuinely wanted to celebrate my birthday.
If I were to say, “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” it would completely defeat the purpose of the gift they picked out for me.
So, even if the plan turned out to be a bit strange or the route felt inconvenient, I decided to simply follow their lead without saying much.
“Oh, we’ve already finalized the plan.”
Whether she knew what I was thinking or not, Dana, who had taken on the most important role in organizing this outing, said this confidently.
“We picked something that’ll definitely be fun, so don’t worry!”
Seeing her confidently add a hearty “Ahahaha!” with a bright laugh, I couldn’t help but feel… a little worried.
*
And it turned out that my worries were completely unnecessary.
“An amusement park?”
That morning, after I followed my coworkers out and asked where we were headed, the answer I received was an indoor amusement park, one of the most famous ones in Seoul.
On top of that, it was incredibly close to the house we were staying in, so getting up early wasn’t too difficult.
Dana had even looked into the fact that if we arrived right when the park opened, there would be too many people, and it would take a long time to get in.
Of course. Thinking about it, Dana was far more quick-witted than I could ever hope to be.
She had already taken buses and subways several times, and it seemed like she had a good sense of how long it took to get from one station to another.
Well, while I was out of the house for work, they had been making the most of their time exploring various parts of Seoul and gathering knowledge.
In a way, you could say they had been traveling through Seoul for the past month.
…And honestly, tourists often know an area better than the locals.
The scenery that I had grown used to while commuting back and forth between work and home every day might look far more beautiful to someone seeing it for the first time.
“Do you not like amusement parks?”
When I stood there with my mouth slightly agape, Dana asked me.
Oh, uh… Hmm, I think I probably like them.
It’s not like I had never been to an amusement park in my life. I had gone a few times on school trips, riding on tour buses with my classmates. Not just once, either.
And I had fun every time.
Actually, it wasn’t so much that I enjoyed the amusement park itself, but rather that I loved the feeling of stepping outside the monotony of daily life and spending time with friends.
As for the rides… I wasn’t very good with them.
Most rides were a bit too scary for me to handle.
When some of my friends went up to ride them, I was the type to stay behind with others who felt the same way, waiting for them at the bottom.
But how about now?
“No, I like them.”
As I answered, all four of them smiled softly. Fia, who had been watching me talk with Dana, suddenly grabbed my hand.
“Then, this way!”
The other three matched their steps with ours.
…This sight felt a bit awkward.
For the past five years, I had been with them on battlefields where our lives were constantly at risk.
“The Harvest Festival in the Duchy of Lesuvia is splendid. No matter how dire the war is, they’ll still hold small celebrations around this time of year. No matter how terrible the circumstances, maintaining daily routines is precious.”
On an autumn night, as she gazed at the sky above the battlefield, Kalia had said those words.
“After we defeat the Demon King, I’d like to invite you someday.”
She always appeared strong, but when the brightest, most beautiful moon of the year shone above, it seemed to remind her of home.
“During the Royal Capital’s New Year Thanksgiving Festival, people gather in the plaza in front of the church. Everyone holds small, glowing, blue mana stones. The sea of light was so beautiful. When the war ends, let’s make sure to go see it together.”
…
“In the past, we would’ve used mana stones to create extravagant fireworks with all kinds of mechanisms. But now, most mana stones are reserved for the battlefield because of the war. When the war is over, I’ll make fireworks so spectacular with mana stones that it’ll rival anything you’ve seen in your world.”
“On the World Tree branches in the Holy City of Cyrill, a small amount of fruit grows. Inside the fruit are the seeds of the World Tree. It’s so rare that hardly anyone gets to taste it… but if it’s you, Hero, I’m sure even the elves would gladly offer some. It’s not just delicious—it’s said to be incredibly good for your health, too.”
Throughout the war, they all thought about their homes.
After the war, together.
That promise… even if I hadn’t died, it probably would’ve been difficult to keep.
Once the Demon King was defeated, I would’ve used my wish to return to my world. If that had happened, I would’ve parted ways with my comrades.
…No, maybe that’s not true.
Perhaps I could’ve enjoyed all those things in their world and still returned to mine, just like how they’re here with me now.
When they all made promises to me, I didn’t promise anything in return.
Because I thought I wouldn’t be able to show them the world I lived in.
“…Wow.”
The amusement park was even more dazzling than I remembered.
Well, of course it had been five years since I crossed into their world. Not just the amusement park, but the world itself had changed in many ways.
“It really is spectacular. Everywhere I go in this world, I’m amazed,” Kalia said honestly.
“It truly is. Do you think our kingdom could ever grow to this level someday?”
“Someday, definitely. Once I finish my research, we’ll be able to handle the Demon King even if he revives.”
While everyone was sharing their thoughts, only Arna remained silent.
“Arna?”
Noticing her quietness, Fia turned to her.
“Huh? Oh, I’m sorry.”
Arna, who had her mouth and nose covered with a mask, didn’t show much expression. However, her eyes, visible above the mask, clearly conveyed a sincere apology.
“It’s just that I’ve realized once again that I prefer quieter places over crowded ones.”
Her honesty was refreshing.
“The place they call the Holy City of the Elves—I wanted to visit it at least once.”
When I spoke with a hint of regret, Arna’s eyes widened slightly before narrowing as if she were smiling.
“If that’s what you’re worried about, there’s no need.”
Although her mouth was covered by a mask, I could clearly tell she was smiling.
“I’m sure even the elves would welcome your presence. No, they’re probably eagerly waiting for your visit.”
“…Really?”
“Don’t worry about appearances.”
Arna stepped closer and lightly placed her hand on my shoulder.
“I’ll make sure you receive the gratitude you deserve, no matter what.”
“Uh, ah, okay…”
Her sudden serious tone left me a little flustered. I had only mentioned it casually.
Besides, I wasn’t even sure if I could return to Irellecia. While they might find a way to cross back, as they came at the goddess’s request, I had already been reborn in this world. Who knows what would happen to me?
“Hey, why bring up such heavy stuff on a day like this?”
Fia interrupted, patting both Arna’s and my shoulders with her hands.
“…Right. Today is supposed to be a good day. My apologies.”
“Let’s put aside all the serious talk for now and just enjoy the moment!”
“That doesn’t sound like something a cleric should be saying.”
Even as Arna said that, her voice carried a hint of laughter.
Fia casually slipped her arms around mine and Arna’s, standing between us.
“By the way, is it really okay for a cleric to expose so much skin? Compared to your ceremonial attire, those shorts seem a bit… too short.”
As Fia leaned in, Kalia couldn’t help but comment.
“…Now you say something?”
“It’s not that—she looks cold.”
Dana, standing nearby, chimed in with a jab.
“To wear something beautiful, one must endure a certain amount of discomfort!”
“…Who told you that?”
Well, whatever. Fia was probably putting up with it in her own way.
Letting myself be dragged along by Fia, I laughed.
Not just me everyone in my group was laughing, too.
And in that moment, I knew.
Today would undoubtedly be a day we’d never forget.
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