Another sudden announcement as usual.

It would be nice if they gave us a heads-up with a message or something, but instead God delivers the news through voice. Maybe that's why some people don't read the status screen...

I stow my fishing gear into the shadow storage and walk aimlessly to the end of the dock.

Still, what exactly is a system update...?

"Added 'Camera Shooting Mode Selection' and 'Auto Translation On/Off' features! Please select from the status screen."

Camera shooting mode?

Looking at the status screen, sure enough, there's a new option labeled "Camera Shooting Mode."

Tapping it reveals the choices: 'Manual' and 'Auto.' Currently, the mode is set to Auto.

Maybe turning off auto-translate mode is meant for enjoying the language of another world.

'We’ve added a new item: the "Recording Pause Ticket"! One ticket costs one crystal and is valid for ten minutes. After exchanging your ticket, use it at any time you wish. If you want to use it continuously, just use the required number of tickets, and the time will be added accordingly.'

"Recording Pause Ticket..."

That was exactly what I had wished for.

Back when I was still myself, I might have jumped at the chance and thrown in my remaining points.

But realistically, ten minutes for one crystal is too expensive—far too expensive.

Spending just one point gives you five hours. The usage would be limited.

Besides, what exactly would you do with a little time you couldn’t see? Even if it was highly requested, how exactly did they receive those requests?

Is it really true that whenever a transferee says something, God hears it and grants it on a whim?

'We've also added exchangeable items using crystals, so please check them out as well. Additionally, a one-time surprise gift for all transferees! Please take a look at the "Gift from the Gods" section on your status board!'

(A gift...?)

This was exactly the kind of thing that god would do. I had a bad feeling about it, but I still opened it.

The gift was probably the same for everyone—

'Yes! Confirmed! This time's surprise gift is a 20-minute video call with your family on Earth! It's been one month since your transfer to another world. You've all undoubtedly experienced homesickness and hardships in your unfamiliar lives, countless moments that can't be fully expressed in words. Now, go ahead and share those feelings with your distant family!'

I listened to the announcement, half-dazed.

A video call with family members.

Family—meaning my parents and… Seraika and Karen?

A video call… connecting…?

'Alright then! Call starting now! It’s a surprise, so it’ll connect suddenly—enjoy the moment, including the suddenness!'

With an unhesitatingly cheerful voice, the divine announcement declared, and in its place, the status board’s text vanished, plunging everything into blackout.

Trrrrrrrr, trrrrrrrr—the sound of a ringing phone echoed.

It seemed there would be no time to prepare mentally—suddenly, it connected.

'…C-can’t be real.'

I’m scared.

A call with family—there’s no way I’m mentally ready for this.

My heart pounded rapidly, and a cold sweat began to seep across my back.

If it were Nanami, she would surely have been saddened. She would have been angry at me for being reckless. She would have been happy to hear I survived and managed to get in touch.

But I don’t know how my family is doing.

What about my parents?

Both of them were always indifferent toward me, but now that I’m suspected of killing Nanami and that I left home, it’s likely they hate me—especially my mother.

(No… wait, we’re family. Who am I even connected to…?)

Serika and Karen also moved overseas from Japan.

They probably won’t struggle much with language, so they shouldn’t have much trouble living in any country. But that’s a different matter entirely.

They’ve likely lost contact with their friends, and it’s as if they’ve abandoned everything and fled.

After all, that message arrived on the very tenth day since I came to this world.

Both of them are smart enough to probably figure out that I was sent here by forces beyond my control, and that the real culprit is someone else.

They were both affectionate little sisters, but after entering middle school, their behavior had changed from how it was in elementary school.

When someone is extremely intelligent, they tend to lose the ability to communicate with ordinary people.

Since elementary school, it had been widely known that my sisters were geniuses, so our mother bought books on such topics and made me read them too.

Maybe they were already on that level.

(Though connecting with Serika would be best. Mother would be the worst option.)

Karen would do, but she doesn't really like talking to me, so there's a chance I wouldn't get the information I need in just twenty minutes.

On the other hand, Serika would probably tell me what I need to know.

My father's unpredictable—he rarely speaks at all, yet suddenly starts talking nonstop, and he's hardly ever at home, so the chances of connecting through him are slim.

Maybe I could connect with him alone, but I'll deal with that when the time comes.

The real problem is if I connect with my mother alone.

After a while of ringing, I heard a soft "puff" sound, and the status screen showed a connection to somewhere.

On the screen was my mother's surprised face, with an unfamiliar hotel room in the background.

"Huh? What's this? What's going on? Are you my older brother?"

"……Mom."

My luck wasn't with me.

The one I connected with was my mother.

◇◆◆◆◇

The mother on the screen looked flustered.

To her, it must have been an overwhelming situation—suddenly seeing a screen appear in midair, displaying her son who had vanished into another world.

(……He seems healthy.)

She looked even more exaggerated than the mother I knew.

Flawless golden hair. Thick foundation. Bright red lipstick.

Neither Serika nor Karen could be seen. Nor her father.

"W-what's this? What's going on?"

"A surprise gift from God to talk with your family."

"Huh? That's... that's for Serika and Karen, not me!"

The mother muttered complaints, but there was no avoiding it now that the connection had been made.

　

"You haven't changed at all, Mom."

"You look like you've been through a lot."

My mother sipped her wine, speaking in a voice devoid of emotion.

I felt a strange sense of relief toward her—she showed not the slightest hint of nostalgia, even though we hadn’t seen each other in ages.

She was always someone who lived as if the world revolved around her, never letting anyone else disrupt her rhythm. And she certainly didn’t have the slightest inclination to care for a son who wasn’t even related by blood.

…Still.

Still, after living so long in a world without any familiar faces, the mere sight of my mother made my eyes sting with tears—something I deeply disliked about myself.

But there was only twenty minutes. There was no point in making small talk with her.

Trying not to let her hear the tremor in my voice, I quietly asked,

“Is Serika or Karen here?”

“Huh? No, they’re not here.”

"Missing...?"

My heart thudded.

For a moment, I felt relieved seeing my mother so calm, but it wasn't surprising if something had happened to my family because of my online backlash.

Especially since the two of them were still middle schoolers.

"Sericca and Karen gave me a present—right now, I'm on a around-the-world cruise."

"Around the world... cruise...?"

"Yes. We're circling the globe over 100 days. Isn't that great?"

"No... well... I mean..."

I hadn't expected such a reply at all.

Somewhere deep inside, I must have secretly believed my family would at least worry about me.

I hadn't actually imagined it clearly.

But I had unconsciously been expecting—perhaps at least a little support, even if just watching the TV.

My entire body went limp.

My mother poured wine into her glass by hand and drained it in one gulp again.

Was she drinking faster than usual?

Maybe she was nervous, startled inside, since her missing son had suddenly called on video. As proof, she kept staring straight ahead, not even glancing at me.

Or maybe she just hated me.

"…So, Serika and Karen aren’t together then?"

"That's right. He gave us a 100-day trip together, saying 'No need to hold back as a married couple.' I guess he'd been preparing for it all along. What you really need is a smart daughter, you know? When there was an older brother, she used to hold back out of consideration for him, that girl.

Holding back... was she really?

I knew, even I could tell, that neither of them were the type to be cooped up in such a tiny house like that.

But to me, they were just small, cute little sisters.

As Mother said, I was a useless older brother, but even so, I tried my best to do what I could as one.

If they said they didn't want to appear on TV anymore, I'd try my best to convince our parents... well, mostly I just managed to get Dad to agree, while Mom's attempts always ended in failure.

""Isn't that worth millions or something?"

"Of course it is. Apparently they made a fortune from some cryptocurrency bubble. Karen said something about being an Ocrivito, so it's no problem. I don't get it, though."

I already knew that Serika and Karen were making money online.

I had advised them to save for the future since my parents couldn't be relied on, but maybe they thought that was just unnecessary meddling.

I never thought they'd be going on a world cruise.

　

"……So the two of them are doing okay?"

"They seem to be doing all sorts of things and earning big money. Back when you were around, they never showed any sign of that."

"I see…"

My mother hates me.

It was routine for her to make sarcastic remarks comparing me unfavorably to her two well-behaved daughters.

If Serika and Karen are well, that's something to be glad about. It was one of the things I wanted to know, and just learning that was enough.

...But right now, my chest hurts strangely.

"Mom... I've been struggling, you know, suddenly being brought into this world like this... I'm doing my best. I've even been through near-death experiences."

That's why I ended up saying those words out loud.

Was I hoping to be praised by my mother?

Or just wanted her to say she was glad I was still alive?

"I know, I heard it from Serika-chan. That you've been through something terrible... It must have been really hard..."

For the first time, I saw sympathy in my mother's eyes.

Just that was enough to make me feel like crying.

But then, my tears vanished instantly, swallowed by my mother's next words.

"—I'm truly glad it was you who was chosen."

Smiling with a flushed face, my mother said that.

She said it.

"Just thinking about it being either Serika-chan or Karen-chan makes me shudder. Well, if you managed to survive, that's probably for the best, right?"

"Y-yeah... I guess... maybe... It's good that I survived..."

I couldn't even tell myself what I was saying anymore.

Pouring wine from a bottle into a glass by hand, my mother drank it down as if it were delicious, looking truly happy—there was no doubt she didn't care about me at all.

Did I want her to worry about me?

Did I want kind words from her?

Did I want her to say, "That must have been hard," and feel sorry for me?

I should have had so many questions, but my voice caught, and I couldn't speak properly.