I Became a Raid Boss-Chapter 237: A glass of comma (2)

For a clear and faithful translation, here's how the passage would read in English:

For a moment, Kana was taken aback.

But Da-eun quickly wiped the stunned look from her face and replaced it with a mischievous smile.

"Aw, aw. Were you scared, Kana, thinking about being away from me?"

"No."

"Mm-hmm. I get it. I understand how you feel. I’d also like to be with you all day, but... the world doesn’t allow that, huh?"

"I said no."

"But Kana, you need to get used to being alone sometimes. That way, when I have to step away, you won’t feel so uneasy."

"Can’t you hear me?"

Well, yeah.

It would probably feel lonely when she’s not around.

You don’t realize what’s missing until it’s gone, and surely, I’d notice when Da-eun’s constant chatter goes silent.

But, as much as I’d feel lonely, it wasn’t like the "separation anxiety" Da-eun was babbling about.

Absolutely not.

"I know how to be alone."

I’ve been living alone in the mountains for over a year. Now, would I suddenly be afraid to live by myself?

"But I’m worried. What if a stranger knocks on the door while I’m gone? What if you don’t eat properly, or if you get scared and cry when thunder strikes...?"

"You’re not worried, you’re just hoping, aren’t you?"

"...Did you catch on?"

Of course, Da-eun didn’t mean what she said seriously.

She was probably just saying that because she wanted to see me act all spoiled or express some regret about being apart.

But still, it was a little annoying.

And it made sense—what Da-eun just said was something you’d say to a little kid.

So, even though I knew she was teasing me, I had no choice but to argue back.

"If there’s an intruder, I wouldn’t be caught off guard. And I’m not scared of thunder, or even a meteor falling, for that matter."

I knew that nothing could harm me, so there was no reason to be scared.

And as for food...

"I’ll just order delivery."

I wasn’t the same person who couldn’t even handle a phone properly back in the day.

Ordering delivery was nothing.

Da-eun, nodding along, let out a little sound like air escaping from a balloon.

"Ha-ha... You know how to order delivery now. Kana, you’re amazing."

"Hmph. I’ll take that as a compliment."

I had adapted quite well, after all.

Hmm.

Suddenly, Da-eun smiled warmly, then paused, pretending to think about something.

"Now that I think about it, it wouldn’t be so bad to stay at my parents’ house for a while?"

"...Your parents’ house?"

"Yeah. I could come over and ask them to look after you, but that would be too much trouble. If you’re okay with it, I could go stay at my parents' place while I’m gone. How about it?"

"Don’t you need to check with your mom and dad first?"

"If it’s my parents, they’d be thrilled to have you. And here’s a secret..."

She lowered her voice dramatically, as if revealing something big, and whispered.

"...My mom and dad always wanted to have one more daughter. They couldn’t have another due to circumstances, though."

"...Cough, cough!"

I couldn’t have been more shocked by those words.

I really didn’t expect to hear something like that.

Feeling embarrassed, I quickly averted my gaze.

"Is it okay to talk about stuff like that so casually?"

"Why not? It’s not a big deal. They’ve never directly said it, but they’ve always wished for another daughter. So, if you went over and acted cute or just kept them company, they’d love it."

"I’m not good at that."

I wasn’t sure about talking to them, but there was no way I’d be able to act cute.

I had lived my whole life without ever doing something like that, so if I tried, it would just feel awkward.

"I don’t want to ruin the mood."

"Tsk, tsk... Kana, you’re still young, so you don’t get it. The awkwardness is the best part! How cute is it when someone is shy and flustered, trying to act cute?"

"...I’ll respect your preferences, but don’t try to make me do that."

Besides, if I was the one being asked to do it, I definitely wasn’t going to understand.

I shuddered at the thought of imagining myself awkwardly acting cute in front of a mirror.

"So, is it okay?"

"Staying at your mom’s house?"

"Yeah. It’s lonely being on my own. And eating takeout every meal isn’t as healthy as homemade food."

"I said I’d order takeout, not that I’ll have takeout every single meal. Did you forget? I can cook, you know...?"

I had been the one doing all the cooking, taking care of things instead of my dad, who had zero survival skills.

I cooked when we were living in the mountains, and I cooked during our travels in Celia ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) with Da-eun.

Though, we shared the workload on our trips.

I couldn’t make complex dishes, but I was confident that I could whip up a decent meal.

Even though I hadn’t touched any cooking utensils since coming to Earth due to Da-eun’s restrictions, that didn’t mean the skills I built up over the years had disappeared.

So, Da-eun’s worries were unfounded.

In fact, I could go days without eating, and it wouldn’t bother me at all.

"Mm."

That was a reasonable argument.

Or so I thought, until I saw Da-eun’s eyes narrowing, staring at me.

"Are you still uncomfortable with my mom and dad?"

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"...Why are you asking that all of a sudden?"

"Well, it’s probably just my imagination, but when I listen to you, it sounds like you’re desperately looking for reasons to refuse."

"..."

Guess I was obvious.

After all, I had been rejecting her suggestion constantly, so it wasn’t hard for Da-eun to catch on.

"...Just so you know, it’s not the same reason as last time."

I wasn’t worried that my secrets would be exposed, making Da-eun’s mom hate me.

I’d already confirmed that she didn’t look at me with that kind of expression.

So this was more of a fundamental issue.

For example...

"...It’s awkward."

"Huh? What did you say?"

"It’s awkward..."

Da-eun blinked, as if she didn’t understand what I meant, and I hid my face behind the cushion.

Realizing what I was talking about, Da-eun burst into laughter.

"Pff, hahahaha!"

"...Don’t laugh."

Bang!

"Kyaa!"

She laughed so hard while rolling on the couch that she ended up on the floor.

It wasn’t even that funny, but she was making a big deal out of it.

Da-eun stopped laughing only after a while, still red-faced and clearing her throat.

"Ahem, ahem! Yeah. That’s understandable."

"You’re too late to fix it."

"Really? Then can I laugh some more?"

"If you want."

"Hmm. I won’t laugh, though. Kana will get upset."

"...But I’m not the weird one, right?"

I didn’t mind staying at her parents’ house while I was with Da-eun.

But being alone with them, especially staying for more than ten days...

...Just thinking about it made it feel awkward.

"Ah~ I think I get it. It’s like visiting a friend’s house, but your friend leaves for their academy, so you’re left with their parents, right?"

"I don’t know what you mean since I don’t have friends, but yeah, that’s probably the feeling."

"Ah, ah..."

Da-eun’s face turned a shade of sympathy.

But honestly, I didn’t mind at all.

"I don’t think you need to feel awkward, but I understand it would be that way for you, Kana."

"Yeah."

"It’s not easy to just relax and feel at home, even if I tell you to."

"Yeah, yeah."

Finally, Da-eun understood why I was so determined to reject her suggestion.

I nodded vigorously, agreeing with her words.

In contrast to me, Da-eun wore a troubled expression.

"But leaving you alone at home still doesn’t sit right with me..."

"I can handle it."

"Mm. I trust you. I do, but..."

Da-eun looked at me with doubt in her eyes.

"I still can’t shake the feeling that I’m worried."

And then she muttered, lost in thought.

"What should I do...?"

...

On my end, I too, was deep in thought, though not for the same reasons.

'Is it okay to leave Da-eun alone, not knowing when a dimensional beast might strike?'

It had only been a short while since the invasion failed, so things might be quiet for a while, but I knew that was nothing more than a baseless hope.

If a dimensional beast were to appear while Da-eun was alone, with only body enhancement skills at her disposal, she’d definitely get hurt.

And in the worst-case scenario...

...

Well, that wouldn’t feel good at all.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the rising emotions.

"...Ah!"

Just then, Da-eun seemed to have finished thinking and brightened up.

"I’ve got a great idea. Kana, you’re coming with me."

"...What?"

But the conclusion she reached didn’t really make sense to me.

I tilted my head and looked at Da-eun.

"You don’t want to leave me alone, but you don’t want me staying at home, and the only answer left is for you to come with me, right?"

"Is that possible?"

I hadn’t really thought about it, but...

Following Da-eun to where she worked because I was worried seemed...

...too childish.

It would be one thing if I were treated like an overly protective parent, but with my appearance, if I did that, I’d look like a little kid whining not to be separated from Da-eun.

Of course, they might find it cute and let me tag along, but I didn’t want to be seen that way in the first place.

‘If there’s no other way, I guess I’ll have to go along with it then.’

But for now, I had to do my best to avoid it.

When I spoke up, Da-eun shook her head.

"If it was a stranger, it would definitely be rude, but..."

"...But?"

With a confident voice, Da-eun shouted.

"If it’s not a stranger, then it’s fine, right?"

"Eh?"

I blinked, not understanding the logic, but before I could ask her to explain, Da-eun started calling someone.