Chapter 89: This is true forgetting.
[thirteen]
Of course, Morofushi Sora'aki hadn't forgotten his brother; he just suddenly remembered Morofushi Hiromitsu from the next world, whom he had knocked unconscious.
Now he's shuttling between two worlds: [Partial Faction Reversal] and [Gender-Swapped].
Because of the gender difference, people in the [Partial Faction Reversal] world can be shrunk and thrown into the [Gender-Swapped] world. However, with the help of the small stone, Morofushi Sora'aki knocked out three people who had somehow gotten together. Since he didn't have enough hands, he brought two of them to the [Gender-Swapped] world first.
Thinking he would return soon, Morofushi Sora'aki didn't think too much about it. But upon closer reflection, he realized that the shrunken Matsuda Jinpei and Hagiwara Kenji were only kept unconscious by the power of the Little Stone; he himself hadn't used any drugs.
In other words... now that he and Little Stone have left the [Partial Faction Reversal] world next door, has Morofushi Hiromitsu from that world already woken up?
"We'll have to catch them again next time," Morofushi Sora'aki thought, stroking his chin.
Hagiwara Kenmi looked over: "What are you thinking about?"
Morofushi Sora'aki: "How do you plan to kidnap someone?"
Hagiwara Kenmi: "...I'm a police officer, you know?"
Morofushi Sora'aki: "I know, that's why I'm not giving it to you this time."
Hagiwara Kenmi: "...So it really was a kidnapping! Send them back! Sora'aki-chan!"
Morofushi Sora'aki: "If you don't hold him tightly, this statement is more likely to be true, otherwise his curly hair will be deformed."
Hagiwara Kenmi: "..."
Hagiwara Kenmi stuck out her tongue: "Eh?"
[fourteen]
Without Morofushi Sora'aki interference, Matsuda Jinko slept soundly, but when she woke up and opened the door, she seemed to be hallucinating.
Looking at the two somewhat familiar little boys sitting on the sofa, and Hagiwara Kenmi's expression as she cupped her face in her hands, and Morofushi Sora'aki sitting on the other side holding a cup of tea and lost in thought, Matsuda Jinko fell silent.
Matsuda Jinko: "...I think I'm still not fully awake."
With that, Matsuda Jinko closed the door, then reopened it two seconds later, and said in an extremely calm tone, "It seems this dream hasn't ended yet."
Shrunken Matsuda Jinpei: "Ah, this person has started to hypnotize herself."
Shrunken Hagiwara Kenji: "I'm in love, Jinpei-chan."
Others: "...?"
Matsuda Jinko closed the door for half a second this time, then stormed out angrily, slamming the door shut. she grabbed Hagiwara Kenmi by the collar and dragged her into the room, yelling, "What's wrong with these two brats?! And why is Sora'aki here again?"
Hagiwara Kenji reluctantly turned his gaze away, then looked at Morofushi Sora'aki, who was drinking water, and smiled, "So your name is Sora'aki. What a nice name! It suits you better than Umetarou."
"I don't know why, but when I hear the name Umetarou, an image of a 190cm tall straight male comic artist automatically pops into my head~"
Morofushi Sora'aki: "Actually, it's just that you investigated this name."
Hagiwara Kenji stuck out his tongue, simply because his current childlike appearance made him look exceptionally cute.
But no matter how cute he is, it can't refute the fact that this guy had the exact same expression as Hagiwara Kenmi last night.
Morofushi Sora'aki: ...Indeed, it's just one person.
Matsuda Jinpei leaned back on the sofa with his arms crossed: "Tsk, do you guys really have to waste your time? Hey, you really are surnamed Morofushi, right? Since you have the ability to shrink adults, are you really just a high school student?"
Morofushi Sora'aki: "I'm a high school student."
Matsuda Jinpei was even more annoyed: "What are you angry about?"
Hagiwara Kenji was somewhat surprised: "Eh? Is Sora'aki-chan angry? Jinpei-chan, how did you figure it out?"
Matsuda Jinpei was too lazy to answer him, not even bothering to tell him not to call him that: "What is your purpose?"
Morofushi Sora'aki: "To save the world."
Matsuda Jinpei: "..."
Hagiwara Kenji: "..."
Matsuda Jinpei: "Looks like you're a high school student, sorry for being rude earlier."
Morofushi Sora'aki: "I'm getting angry."
[fifteen]
Meanwhile, in Matsuda Jinko's room, Matsuda Jinko was choking Hagiwara Kenmi: "Explain!"
Hagiwara Kenmi stretched out one hand with difficulty: "Help...help me—"
Matsuda Jinko finally released her grip, and after Hagiwara Kenmi coughed a few times, she frowned and asked, "What's the deal with those three people?"
Hagiwara Kenmi exhaled: "Our illegitimate child?"
Matsuda Jinko looked at her like she was an idiot: "Don't I know whether I've had children or not?"
Hagiwara Kenmi: "Our illegitimate child from another world."
Matsuda Jinko: "...?"
Hagiwara Kenmi: "Ah, that expression... you believed it!"
Matsuda Jinko: "...Shut up!"
Hagiwara Kenmi gave a simple explanation, explaining that the presence of the unscientific Morofushi Sora'aki made Matsuda Jinko believe it was quite simple.
"No, the idea that they threw us from another world here to save the world doesn't sound right at all, does it? What does saving the world have to do with us?"
Hagiwara Kenmi: "Haha, isn't this hilarious?"
Matsuda Jinko: "You just think it's funny, don't you?"
Matsuda Jinko sighed: "No matter what, let Morofushi Sora'aki send them back."
When she opened the door, she saw a pair of dejected, droopy purple eyes. Hagiwara Kenji said, "I'm sorry, we disturbed you. I'll go back now..."
Matsuda Jinko suddenly felt a pang of guilt: "Where is Morofushi Sora'aki?"
Hagiwara Kenji: "They probably thought we were too much trouble, so they went back first."
The child tugged at his clothes, saying, "Um, please don't worry, we won't cause you any trouble! We'll get home on our own!"
Matsuda Jinko: "...Do you even know where you live?"
Hagiwara Kenji looked at Matsuda Jinko with a pitiful and bewildered expression, without saying a word. Matsuda Jinko's conscience ached even more.
Hagiwara Kenmi felt a strange sense of familiarity with the scene. She met Matsuda Jinpei's gaze, who looked like a grumpy child, and suddenly realized. Hagiwara Kenmi immediately and warily shielded Matsuda Jinko behind her: "Jinko-chan is mine! You have your own Matsuda! You can't take her from me!"
Hagiwara Kenji: "I can trade you Jinpei-chan for her."
Matsuda Jinko and Matsuda Jinpei: "...Hey!!"
Then, the two of them continued in unison, saying to Hagiwara Kenmi, "You're actually still hesitating?!"
"It's so great to see such a lively Jinpei-chan." Hagiwara Kenji exclaimed.
Then he gained Hagiwara Kenmi's approval.
[sixteen]
Leaving the chaotic scene aside, Morofushi Sora'aki returned to the [Partial Faction Reversal] world, intending to knock out Morofushi Hiromitsu, who had turned black in this world. However, after knocking him out again, he discovered that Little Stone was no longer accepting delivery services.
Morofushi Sora'aki: ...Could it be that the [Gender-Swapped] world next door has received too many otherworldly deliveries, so it has started to refuse them?
Seeing that Morofushi Hiromitsu had been knocked unconscious and was ready to shrink, Morofushi Sora'aki thought about it seriously, then picked up the little boy and took the Shinkansen to Nagano.
Although Morofushi Hiromitsu remained unconscious, the flight attendants assumed he was a sleeping younger brother being held by his older brother because the two looked so alike. They even thought to themselves that although they couldn't tell from his appearance, he was surprisingly a good older brother.
After getting off the train in Nagano, Morofushi Sora'aki, who had already inquired about where Morofushi Taka'aki lived, headed towards Morofushi Taka'aki's address without hesitation.
Then he pressed the doorbell.
It's late at night now, but because of a case, Morofushi Taka'aki came home late today and hasn't fallen asleep yet.
Morofushi Taka'aki was puzzled that someone would be looking for him so late. With a wary and cautious mind, he opened the door and saw the little boy lying on his doorstep.
Morofushi Taka'aki: "...?!"
[seventeen]
After doing his good deed, Morofushi Sora'aki clapped his hands, feeling that he had finished dealing with everything, and happily went home to sleep.
Speaking of which, I promised my brother that I would take him with me next time I went to another world. Maybe he could turn my brother into my sister, since that's the most basic requirement for going to another world.
Morofushi Sora'aki slept soundly until dawn. When he got up and went downstairs for breakfast the next day, he heard his mother ask, "Sora'aki, do you know where Hiromitsu went?"
Morofushi Sora'aki: "...Brother?"
Mother Morofushi held her face in her hands with worry: "When I knocked on the door this morning, Hiromitsu wasn't in his room, but his shoes were still in the entryway..."
Morofushi Sora'aki: "..."
—Huh?