Nowhere to Go
I have nowhere to go...
At least it seemed like she hadn’t noticed, which was a relief... but for some reason, irritation bubbled up inside me. Just a little while ago, she’d vanished saying she was off to report somewhere, so what wind blew her back so suddenly? Honestly, I hadn’t even imagined she’d return this quickly—I was totally shocked. More than that, if she was coming back, she should’ve just said so instead of sneaking up and scaring me half to death. That’s not something I could ever picture myself doing...
From the moment we first met—and especially just now—I’d sensed something unsettling about her. Unsettling... yeah, more like the kind of vibe that popular people give off, radiating it everywhere. Someone I couldn’t even hold a conversation with, let alone associate with.
Not that I was great at talking to anyone to begin with. After holing up alone for a whole year without speaking to a soul, I’d forgotten whatever scraps of social skills I had left. No way any real conversation was happening now. Even with a guy, it’d be a struggle—let alone with a big sis? She was clearly plotting to socially execute me.
In my old life, my only chat windows were massive online communities and guild chats... Well, okay, that’s on my personality, so it didn’t hit too hard. Facts are facts.
But the real gut punch? No matter if it was because the world had changed drastically over that long year or because this was some other world I didn’t know about, there were way too many weird things piling up.
From poking around the internet on her phone earlier, I’d pieced together the basics—hard to believe, but yeah. I’d already suspected something when I last ventured out and saw those monster-slaying videos on the news, sparking debates everywhere...
First off, there were these awakeners. People who’d awakened special abilities, basically. Gates—portals connecting to other dimensions—had opened worldwide, spewing out monsters. Some countries nearly got wiped off the map by them, but mana leaking from the gates awakened superpowers in certain folks.
Somehow, they’d managed to recover, and now it was this ongoing tug-of-war with monsters spilling over from the other side. Awakeners got ranked by power level and ability type to handle threats accordingly. But that stuff had nothing to do with me, so I didn’t dig too deep.
Honestly, the whole setup was straight out of the novels and anime I usually binged—no need to read more to get it. I’d half-expected this ever since turning into this.
Apparently, most people had awakened some kind of ability. Sure, mostly minor ones useful for everyday life, but some got seriously powerful ones. Those types trained up to hunt monsters—er, monsters—and hit the front lines. Plenty of uncleared land still, so the war was raging on... Blah blah, didn’t matter to me. I skimmed past it all.
I’d jumped from YouTuber vids on awakeners to anime anyway... Oh right, gotta clear the search and watch history.
I fiddled my fingers discreetly under my robe to wipe it.
“Come to think of it, where’s my phone?”
Eek! I played dumb and shoved it deeper, fingers flying.
Ugh... almost... there...!
“Ah...!”
No sooner had I cleared the videos than she spotted me messing with the phone from inside my robe. She reached into my hood and snatched it away.
At least the watch history was gone... The searches were just stuff like “decent side gigs?”—nothing weird. I’d looked into day-labor loading gigs that pay on the spot, but then realized no one’d hire a kid who looks like me.
Truth was, I’d stepped out to scavenge food without a plan for cash. Total bonehead move on my part. I’d panicked when supplies ran low, thinking I couldn’t put it off anymore, so out I went. Figured something would work out...
Ha... I’m such an idiot. Even in a real fantasy world, what could I do bare-handed just to “get food”? ...
Maybe use magic for loading docks...?
I pictured myself levitating crates with spells while onlookers gawked in awe. Me standing proudly at the center of a glowing magic circle. Classic loser fantasy: getting worshipped for powers.
The daydream stretched on—them flipping out over my effortless magic, some boss I didn’t know rushing out begging for an exclusive contract...
...Yeah, no way. Cue the glares from workers whose jobs I stole. Horror and fear at my magic. The boss smashing my flowerpot head yelling to stop...
Hmm. Guess loading’s off the table, even though I’m confident in it. I’d spent the last year shifting warehouse stock around, inventing spells for it.
I hung my head, crestfallen.
“Seol-i?”
For a sec, I worried she’d ask if I’d deleted anything, but nope—she didn’t seem to care. She checked the phone briefly, then pocketed it.
Sucks not getting it back, but it wasn’t mine anyway. Grateful she even lent it.
As I nursed my regret, she turned from staring into space.
“Seol-i?”
“...?”
Why’s she calling me all of a sudden?
“You said your mom and dad aren’t around, right?”
Bringing up the parents outta nowhere? It was true, so I nodded.
She bowed her head, face complicated, then continued.
“Then... do you know anyone else?”
“Anyone...?”
Nope. I shook my head.
“In that case... wanna go home with me?”
Home... home. I thought of my place, deep in the mountains.
If you asked if I wanted to go back? Hell no. Having tasted modern conveniences, that house stuffed with junk from the past held zero appeal.
If it were a proper fantasy world, maybe I’d call it my nest and return. But I knew now it was a modern one, not that dangerous. Part of me wanted to grab my stuff from there, sell the shack, rent a tiny room, and hole up.
Ideally, no money worries—gaming all day, blowing cash freely. Someone once said life’s endgame is being a rich NEET.
Personally? Hook up internet and a PC to that house, stockpile enough food for life, and never leave. Top-tier net to beat the remote location, obviously.
I did miss modern life, but cutting ties with my old “home” wasn’t easy.
I hesitated forever.
Going back meant resuming that routine, unsolved problems. Saying no didn’t fix anything either. No house except the mountain one, no food either way.
“Um... that’s...”
What should I even say? I couldn’t hide my confusion.
No good future either way. Starvation loomed regardless.
So pick the one that lasts longer. I bowed my head, gloomy.
“I... h-have to... go back... I got... nowhere... to go...”
Returning would buy more time. I hadn’t run out completely—just low. Ration it, and I’d last ages. Worst case, figure something out later. Future me would handle it.
Yeah... that’s fine.
Thud.
“?!”
Suddenly a shadow loomed, my body lifted slightly—then I was wrapped in an embrace.
What the—??
“It’s okay now... Let’s go together with your big sis, alright?”
???? What’s happening??
I stared blankly down at the sister hugging me.
Why’s she doing this...?