Chapter 564: Worship
The room door was slowly pushed open, emitting a low creaking sound, as if it were recounting the weight of the years. Kazumi stood at the entrance, her hand gently resting on the doorframe, her fingertips feeling the cool touch of the wooden surface. She paused for a moment, her gaze passing through the half-open door and settling on the familiar furnishings within the room. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, creating patches of dappled light and shadow on the floor. Dust motes danced in the light, casting the entire room in a filter imbued with the scent of time.
It had likely been a long time since Kazumi had entered the room where her parents lived before their passing. Everything here still maintained the appearance from Kazumi’s memories, both familiar and yet strangely distant.
Kazumi actually had a habit of worshipping her parents. Although her parents’ bodies could not be recovered due to an accident, the girl at that time still enshrined her parents’ belongings in the household shrine and would perform worship on the third day of every month.
However, Kazumi’s arrival broke this long-standing habit. Back then, Kazumi had not fully accepted her identity as Kazumi Shimizu. Although she had the memories of the body, she still went to worship parents who did not originally belong to her, feeling a little reluctant. Furthermore, since transmigrating to this world, Kazumi had encountered all sorts of troubles, so the girl had neither the time nor the mood to do such things.
But things were different now. Perhaps it was due to the gradual fusion of her soul and body, perhaps it was the habit that naturally formed from staying for a long time, or perhaps it was a different state of mind now?
However, it had to be said that after feeling the parental love that even an outsider could feel, the current Kazumi had truly begun to recognize this couple and began to identify herself as their daughter, Kazumi Shimizu.
Kazumi slowly raised her head, her gaze slowly sweeping over every corner of the room.
The old wooden desk still stood against the wall, with a brass desk lamp on it. A thin layer of dust covered the lampshade, as if even the dust was reluctant to disturb the tranquility here. The chair by the desk was empty, with nothing behind it. However, a few shallow scratches could still be seen on the wooden armrests, traces left by her parents habitually tapping the armrests with their fingers when they were alive.
The bookshelf in the corner remained neatly arranged with various books. The handwriting on the spines had faded somewhat, but the familiar book titles could still be discerned. These were the parents’ collection of books that Kazumi had flipped through countless times by herself when she was a child.
The girl’s gaze, filled with reminiscence, swept over all of this and finally landed on the household shrine in the depths of the room.
It was an exquisite wooden shrine, carved with ancient patterns, the traces of years clearly visible in the wood grain. In the center of the shrine, the spirit tablets of her parents stood quietly. Their names were inscribed on the black wooden tablets, the handwriting neat and solemn, as if silently telling of their existence.
The offerings in the shrine had long since disappeared, leaving only a few broken incense ashes and a few withered flower petals, as if testifying to how long it had been since this worship was performed. She lowered her head, a complex mix of emotions surging in her heart. “It’s been a long time… Father, Mother.”
Kneeling before the shrine, Kazumi lowered her head. Her open mouth paused a few times before finally letting out the address of “Father, Mother” with a slight sob.
Kazumi bent down, picked up a few withered flower petals left in the corner, and gently placed them back on the shrine. Then, she took out an incense stick from the drawer beside the shrine and lit it. The incense smoke curled upwards, carrying a faint, pure fragrance.
“I saw your video. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me over the years. Perhaps I’ve disappointed you a bit, choosing this path.”
Perhaps it was the release of the knot in her heart after finally calling out that name, but the girl’s words now flowed more smoothly. The last bit of barrier between her and this world dissipated into the air with the smoke of the incense and candles.
“But my life is a bit tense now, though everything is going relatively smoothly. Uncle Fukada has been taking care of me, and I’ve now enrolled in Toukoku High School. My grades are quite good.”
“My development within the organization is also quite clear. The leader is a very strange person, but he’s been quite nice to me. I’ve encountered some minor dangers, but I’ve gotten through them.”
“I also drank the potion you left behind. I’m very sorry, Mother, for making you worry. But I’ve done what Father said, and I’ve worked hard. Thank you truly. Even after being gone for so long, you can still provide me with so much help.”
Kazumi seemed to have opened a floodgate of comfort. Her words were no longer so stiff. Her voice gradually became clearer and more resolute, as if every word was something she had never said to her unseen parents. “Oh, right. I recently got a boyfriend. Yes, he’s a bit clumsy, but he’s very good to me and takes care of me, so you don’t need to worry too much.”
“However, my future development might be a bit uncertain. After all, he’s just an ordinary, powerless individual. Even with his family’s good conditions, he can only be a regular combatant at a hero agency. The gap between us now is quite significant.”
“But these are not problems. I don’t care too much about these gaps, and my current abilities are quite strong. Once I get through this period and have enough power, all of this can be resolved.”
When talking about Satō Shin’ichi, a hint of shyness appeared on Kazumi’s face. She confessed to her parents with a hint of helplessness.
“In a while, I might have a rather troublesome mission. I’ll be away from home for some time. I’ll come to see you again after I’m done. Please don’t worry about me.”
“With the help you’ve given me, this time will definitely go smoothly.”
Nodding, Kazumi stood up and bowed to the shrine in front of her.
“I’ve said many strange things, but you will understand me, won’t you?”
Finally, she glanced deeply at the shrine in front of her, as if bidding farewell silently, or perhaps inscribing this moment in her heart.
Kazumi turned gently and walked towards the door, carrying a sense of farewell, as well as a sense of peace and strength she had never felt before.
The room door was softly closed, and everything returned to its previous state, as if nothing had happened. Only the unburnt incense stick in the censer by the shrine and the residual smoke lingering at the ceiling remained.
