The Corrupted Daily Life of an Alchemist Who Returned on His Own - Episode 2: I Feel So Sick I Could Die

Episode 2: I Feel So Sick I Could Die

“At that time, I think… only my room was properly there.”

After Minami left.

My room was about 6 and a half tatami mats? Well, I was looking around the room.

“Ah, textbooks.”

Nothing had changed.

The floor creaking like it’s about to collapse, the thin and tattered walls.

The buzzing of cicadas shaking my ears.

Mixed in with that, the wind chime clinks a dissonant note.

A weird rough sensation makes my brow twitch and I involuntarily look up.

As I gaze at the glass ball swaying by the window, the damp, unique smell of summer brushes past my nose.

And that light pierced through the glass ball. It was shining the most in the room.

“That’s right, I remember now.”

In the back of the room. What’s there is one desk.

The scattered eraser shavings danced like gold dust. And the open textbook gave off a faint reflection.

ーーMinato Shō, you’re going to grow up to be a fine man!

ーーThat’s right! Because you’re Mom and Dad’s son!

“………”

I trace the edge of the desk.

Slightly, but the wood grain’s splinters poke the pads of my fingers.

If it were the other side, this place would be a sea of bl00d by now.

Even so—my cheeks loosen.

What loosened wasn’t from anger, but nostalgia.

I pick up and drop eraser shavings. I roll a mechanical pencil from who knows when.

“How many years ago was that. And also, ‘Definitely pass’… huh.”

I didn’t understand back then. But now I do.

This is a desk the two of them gathered together with their lives on the line, a secondhand item.

…You could say it’s their limit.

A lot happened.

Stopping the rolling mechanical pencil, my gaze naturally turns to the window.

The sliding door is open with the screen door in place.

I mean, seriously, decide whether it’s creaking or cicadas buzzing. Hearing both at once is annoying.

The thin curtain sways and catches the tiniest breeze. My face feels good, but I’m all sticky.

“Anyway, I gotta change clothes quickly.”

My body… doesn’t seem to be like the one from over there.

Feels like my old self.

“Ugh, it’s all sticky, this is bad.”

Okay, time to change quickly.

“……n?”

No matter how long I wait, the clothes never come.

“Ah—”

That’s right…

“…Hahaha…”

Realizing it, I cover my forehead with my hand, speechless.

Right? I can’t help but laugh.

I forgot. Why did I think I’d be given clothes to change into?

This is ‘Earth’. Not over there.

“I see. I’ve got no money, and no status either.”

I look around nearby and blindly grab something that looks like clothing.

“Ugh…”

Even just pinching it with my fingertips, the stench punches my nose. Like a Goblin.

What is this—not normal at all.

I mean it’s summer, so just wash it.

“Ugh!”

*BLEEEEUUUGH!!*

Unable to bear it, I vomit on the veranda.

“*Hah, hah, hah…*”

The worst. Truly the worst.

Too much!

“*Huft, huft, huft*.”

Old me… how did you live?

＊

“Huh? Onii-chan, you’re late.”

“Ah, ahh…”

When I leave the room, there’s nothing.

The only thing is an old-fashioned TV.

I feel like it’s been ages since I even heard the word ‘TV’.

“Huh? Onii-chan, what’s wrong?”

“Hm? Nah…”

Yeah. Judging from Minami’s youth, it’s clear that this isn’t the same timeline as when I leapt.

There’s gotta be a calendar… nope, nothing.

“Minami, what day is it today?”

“Eh…? Did you hit your head or something, Onii-chan? It’s August 2nd, duh.”

“What year?”

When I ask that, Minami gives me a suspicious look and glares.

“Onii-chan… are you really okay?”

“Ah, yeah. I just had a bad dream, that’s all.”

“You were totally naked though? You probably had a *good* dream, didn’t you?”

Precocious, aren’t you. Girls really mature fast.

“It’s just ‘cause it’s hot. So, what year is it?”

“Hmph. Oh well. It’s 2012.”

“Oh… seriously?”

Ten years ago, huh.

This is… and in August.

── “I can make it.”

“Hey, what’s wrong? You’ve been acting weird all day, Onii-chan?”

Seeing me smirking, Minami says that. And I place my hand on her head.

“Wait! You read a shoujo manga, didn’t you!? That kind of stuff doesn’t work on girls!!”

“Heh.”

ーーO-Onii-chan. S-s-sorry. I-if it’s okay, I-I kinda really want a gaming PC…

“Leave it to your Onii-chan.”

“Guh—”

I push her head down and sit at the dining table.

“Minami, breakfast?”

“Hmm? There’s none?”

…Huh?

“What do you mean?”

“What do you mean, what. You know we don’t have that kind of money, right?”

I do remember we had no money, but—hmm, I see. That bad, huh.

“I see. Then there’s no point sitting here.”

“Onii-chan, seriously, what’s gotten into you?”

“Ah, sorry, sorry. Where’s the bath?”

“It’s like you’re someone else, Onii-chan.”

Feeling a jolt, I follow behind an exasperated Minami.

“Here.”

“Whoa, wait… this smells terrible.”

Even the hand towel is emitting an insane smell.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“You didn’t care at all until yesterday… Really, you’re acting so strange today, Onii-chan.”

Yeah. Sorry.

It’s been a few hundred years after all. I really am almost a different person now.

“Don’t tell me… you can’t take a bath?”

“Once a month, if lucky.”

Yeah, this household’s screwed.

How poor *are* we?

“You just barely had one the other day. And now you want another one so soon… weird.”

“People say that to me a lot.”

“Well… me too.”

It’s not really something I should be apologizing for, but sorry, Minami.

This time, your Onii-chan will make sure you can live a normal life.

I mean, if it’s me, it’ll be easy.

＊

—*Shhhhaaaaaa*

“Ugh…!”

*GUUUUUWOOEEEEEGHH!!*

“This is bad… this is seriously bad.”

What is this. It’s not a human living space.

The walls, simply put, are like the Demon Lord’s castle. And the floor—standing on it feels so gross. Clearly hasn’t been cleaned.

Back then, I bathed daily with Elixirs, so… I ended up drinking a little just now without thinking.

“Seriously what the hell ※↑’ *WOAAARRRGHHH!!!*”