Kaoru... No, Kaoru hasn't changed...
Well, for me, decades had passed since then, but for Kaoru, it felt like it was only been five years...
I grew old, became an aunt, then a grandmother, and then my life as a human being came to an end.
Of course, as I aged, I became more like an old lady, more like an old woman, and my thoughts and sensibilities gradually matured...and then they wore down and wither.
But all of this was due to the aging of the body, one's position, the way people around you treat you... and the wear and tear of the soul and spirit.
Machines that had been in use for decades would wear out, get damaged, rust, lose performance, become riddled with breakdowns and malfunctions, and become outdated junk. This was a normal, unavoidable, inevitable thing.
...But what if a genius engineer (god) appeared and transferred the soul and spirit (software) into a brand new body?
What's more, it would be great if it could replenish the energy in a tired, exhausted soul, bringing it to about 120%.
A young and healthy body, an activated soul full of energy, and an invigorated mind.
Furthermore, perhaps as an added bonus from God, I was able to clearly recall all my memories from my student days to my early twenties as if it were yesterday....
"It's like I'm back to when I parted ways with Kaoru..." (Reiko)
Yes, as my memories of what happened after that had faded, I was simply aware that "I have those memories", and my current real time felt like "those days"...
I wonder if this is a thoughtful move from God to make sure there are no discrepancies in how I interact with Kaoru?
So that's how he skillfully engineered my spirit body to become more active...
And what was even more intricate was the way I vividly recalled memories of the person who was with me until the end, as well as my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
...That's pretty thoughtful.
Maybe I could ease my anger a little bit about having gotten Kaoru involved...
But it's a shame that Kyoko wasn't there...
We were KKR only when we were all together. Without one of us, the balance was off.
Kyoko was a normal, modern girl who was in charge of getting into trouble, most of the time while trying to help other kids.
When she was in college, she would confront female students who had been the victims of power harassment, sexual harassment, and stalking. Naturally, she would get into a fight with the men involved.
As the commotion grows, Kyoko attracted the sympathy of those around her as a typical "poor girl who just got caught up in it"... and then Kaoru came on the scene. With her smooth talk, she completely crushed her opponents, so that they would never be able to recover...
If Kaoru appeared from the beginning, people might think she was the bad guy because of the way she looked. So she had to be in a position to help Kyoko.
I then secretly collected evidence using three hidden micro recorders and a tiny camera.
And then I told the office lady in the student affairs department, who I had become friendly with, "This and that. I'm thinking of reporting it to the police... Also, I might talk to my cousin who works at a publishing company..." and somehow the matter was resolved a few days later.
My cousin did indeed work at a publishing company, as a receptionist/guide.
…Yeah, I was not lying. Not at all. Honestly, I did think, "Should I ask for advice?" But even if I did, there would be no point in asking for advice...
Anyway, I was in charge of the background, and Kaoru was an honest and nice girl, but she was easily misunderstood because of the way she looked—But she was scary if she got angry or made her an enemy, so it was not necessarily a misunderstanding—but that's too dark.
The one who neutralized this well and kept us, Kaoru, Kyoko and Reiko (KKR), from appearing as dark heroes — no, dark heroines — was KYOUKO, who appeared to be a straightforward, bright, typically positive character.
There was always one in every class who was a mood maker, friendly, had a strong sense of justice, and was a wonderful girl who seemed to be liked by both boys and girls. ...or so she seemed.
She was hanging out with me and Kaoru, there's no way she's a normal girl...
Anyway, that's all I could say.
"Don't make Kyouko Nishizono angry!"
No, I know that Kaoru and I were told that behind our backs too.
...But that's not the case.
Even if Kaoru and I got angry, it would only be fatal.
…I didn’t know if I could call that "done."
However, if you made Kyoko angry, it was not so simple.
Kyoko had no ill intentions... Probably.
But…….
The world would be in turmoil.
...Well, as long as you didn't anger her there's no problem. It's the same as saying, "If it doesn't hit you, it's no big deal."
However, without Kyoko there were still problems.
When it's just me and Kaoru, we tended to drift further and further towards the dark side...
So now I tried not to interfere too much with what Kaoru did. If she got too over-boosted, it could be a big problem...
Besides, I was still a novice when it came to this world. I would try to assist Kaoru for a while.
Even if I thought that I wished Kyoko would come soon, I shouldn't wish for it.
That would mean that Kyoko would die on Earth...
Well, like me, she was probably lived a full life already and had "gotten it all" in life.
Unlike Kaoru, who had a creation cheat, I, who had a magic cheat, couldn't use my powers in front of other people, except in cases where the other person would not be able to communicate what they had seen to others.
Well, it probably didn't matter if I secretly use water or fire magic for daily life or to create products.
Anyway, for now, I was focusing on establishing my footing with Kaoru and raising my children.
I remembered taking care of my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
I was used to taking care of and entertaining children. Raising a few more was no big deal.
Apparently, Kaoru used to look after orphans, so she must be used to it. In that case, it should be no problem.
"...But why do you live such a careless life..." ()
"Well, even before, the kids did all the cooking, cleaning, and laundry... Also, I deliberately wanted Mine and Aral to learn to live independently..." ()
"Shut up!" ()
This was no good. I had three children to raise, instead of two...
"We’ve managed to establish a foothold, so even if the children go to town by themselves, I think they can be reasonably sure of their safety. They’re no longer 'orphans', they’re employees employed by a business owner. They’re people to be protected by government officials and guards, and if they lay a hand on them, it’ll be considered regular assault and battery or kidnapping for profit, a serious crime." (Kaoru)
"Yeah, and there's some security equipment that Kaoru gave them..." (Reiko)
"Ahaha..." (Kaoru)
As Kaoru said, there were hardly any people in this town who thought that Mine and Aral were just orphans with no one to back them up or protect them. And even if those who didn't know about them or those who had just arrived from elsewhere try to bother them, the people around them would stop them.
To begin with, the two of them were no longer dressed to look like orphans. Anyone could see that they were children from an ordinary family, or just errand boys (low-ranking servants) for a store. They were not "People who don't count in the category of humans" who wouldn't be blamed if some thug tried to get their hands on them.
Now, just the two of them could carry goods into town or run errands.
...That meant that Kaoru and I would have time to do various things together.
"...The second stage has begun, I think?" (Reiko)
"Yeah, the second stage has begun." (Kaoru)
Kaoru replied with a bright smile at my "pretense."
Let me give you a piece of advice here.
"Don't show that expression in front of the children. They'll definitely start crying..." (Reiko)
"Ugh, shut up!!" (Kaoru)
Yep, Kaoru's response when I gave her this advice was always the same.
It hadn't changed at all since a long time ago...