The Struggle of Returning to The Other World - Chapter 6 - I’m hungry for contact with girls

My peaceful days continue for a while.

It is due to that flirt who, without evidence, told me I resemble the former Priestess. (He has no evidence but it’s true…) A few days of being teased, it finally settles down. Since the regulars at this diner don’t know how the original Priestess look like, it wasn’t interesting for them.

Speaking of a little change, I was slowly allowed to work in the kitchen.

During peak time, it gets really crowded so they decided to teach me to cook.

In my former world, I cook at home so the guidance the diner owner gave me was easy to understand. In fact, he was amazed by my culinary skills. In fact, it wasn’t the really the dish that impressed him but rather my cooking techniques. The cooking tips I knew was common sense in my world but it’s treated as professional knowledge for chefs in this world.

For example, when you boil down radish, you can make rice in the meantime. It was those kinds of trivial knowledge. It looks like this sort of things aren’t done in normal home cooking in this world. Of course, the chef who set up this diner know this sort of things and have professional techniques I don’t know about.

It looks like in this world, I’ll be a good bride.
Well, I guess…

With this kind of feeling, I have a good time every day.

But as I become familiar with my current life, I feel a little frustrated.

How do I return to my original world?

It is necessary for me to think about this seriously.

I’m getting comfortable letting my days go by like this but, I’m going home.

Because I am a good student in the third year of my high school.
I spent a year here at the last summoning, but when I returned, it was the exact same date as when I was summoned. It will probably be the same here. If I were to spent a least a year here, I anticipate that I return to the same time and date again when I return.

But!

It is too painful to study for my exams.
I will absolutely forget. Even if it is math formula, the heavy air and strange pressure remain during the exam period. That’s more important. For someone who hasn’t been living in the modern air, it’ll be bad for the body. I won’t be able to take the exam because I would be too uncomfortable in that heavy air pressure.

But I must not fail the exam.
Now that my relatives support me, I’m going to be able to attend college. I have decided that if I want to enter a college, I’m only going to a public college. Attending private universities is out of the question!

That’s why I want to return to my original world.

I don’t know how to get here, but I have no choice but to go back in a way I already know.

In other words, just like last time, I will have to go back to the summoner.
I can only rely on them.

I want to go home without anyone knowing the former Priestess is back, but I would only do that if it’s unavoidable. I would have to shamefully tell them my circumstance and have them use their skills to send me back. Secretly if possible.

Speaking of summoner, Luno was my guardian in my previous summon.
Although he is quite a weirdo, he isn’t a bad person. His ability is certain. But because he is a weirdo, he might return me home without asking me too many questions.

Anyways, in order to see him, I would have to somehow get into the palace.
It is not a situation where I could get in through the front door by paying the guards. I would have to go deep into the Royal Palace to see Luno. There are only a few people who can become a summoner. That man is at the national treasure level.

It’ll be difficult, but I have to do something. Right now, there is no way through the gate.

_____

In the afternoon, as usual, I went into the city to buy materials.

While I was walking down the stone pavement, I was thinking about ways to get into the Royal Palace. I guess I have no choice but to find a collaborator after all. But, it is hard to find a collaborator that would be able to bring me to the summoner. If I can catch such a person, I can go directly to Luno.

Oh, what should I do…

While I was getting irritated by my thoughts, I arrive at my destination.
It is an herbal specialty store with cute decorations. It is a different store compared to the diner where only old man goes.

When I peek into the store, the clerk was waiting on a chair while reading a book.

“Hello.”
“Oh Haruka, welcome.”

The girl who looked up was Midi. She is the same age as me and I have a sense of intimacy with her. I’m always surrounded by bulky men. She heals me whenever I see her. However, her mother is usually the one who works in the storefront so it’s rare to meet her in this way.

“Midi, there’s a somewhat different atmosphere with you today.”
She usually keeps her long hair in pigtails but today it’s a half updo.
“It’s cute, it suits you.”
“Thank you. But I really wanted to do something different. It was difficult and impossible for me to do.”
“Different feeling?”
“You see, after the festival, Aldina did this hairstyle. Didn’t you know Haruka? It’s very popular in the city right now.”

Oh my… I was spending too much time with the old man. I’m not able to keep up with the fashion of the young ladies in this city at all. Ardina’s hairstyle…what was it like?

“Take the top pair of the hair and braid it. Then let the rest flows down.”
Midi explained it and an image came to mind. Hmm, I feel like I would be able to do this hairstyle she described.
“If it’s okay, maybe I can do it.”
“Oh, really?”
Midi’s face brightens up. Midi usually kept a cool expression gave me a cute girly one.

In this world, I would carelessly keep my hair in a ponytail. But I am still a high school girl in my original world so braiding isn’t hard.

I started braiding and letting the ends of the hair flow down like she said. I use the hairpin to secure it well. Yes, finished. It looks pretty good.

“Wow, nice! Thank you, Haruka!”
Midi was admiring her hair in the mirror while thanking me in a happy voice.
“I would like to thank you with herbs… but my parents will get angry…”
“I don’t need you to thank me.”
“I should. I’ll give this to you.”
Midi took out a lovely ornament that imitated cherry blossoms from other hair ornaments she had.
“This color doesn’t suit my red hair but it’s perfect with Haruka’s black hair. Bend down a little and I’ll put it on you.”

“Thank you.”
Flowers bloom on my handy ponytail.

I wonder if I can call her my first friend who’s in my age group in this world.
I am happy. I will cherish this hair ornament every day.

I thought that the topic about Ardina would shake me up again but it looks like I’m fine.

I breathe a sigh of relief while carefully observing my flow of emotions. I’m sure I’ll never see Ardina again.

I’ll never see Noel. The feeling of smoldering in my mind starts to disappear once more.

_______

Translator’s Note:
Haruka finally gets to relax with a friend her own age! As for the hair, this is the picture I think the author was going for.