After finishing my shopping and getting my size measured, I wore the new clothes—except for the underwear—and headed home.

Even on the way back, women passing by glanced at me, and I could hear them squealing behind me. I guess I really have turned into a good-looking guy. Of course, I’m very happy about losing weight and becoming handsome. Once I got home, I couldn’t help but grin at my reflection in the mirror—a sight I usually avoided.

However, there’s one problem. How am I supposed to explain to Mom that I suddenly lost so much weight overnight? I can’t exactly tell her I found a door to another world, met a Great Mage, and inherited his powers.

In fact, there’s a good chance she won’t even recognize me. Well, I could always prove it by mentioning memories from the past, but I’ll just tell her that I experienced intense pain last night, and when I woke up, I looked like this. I know the Great Mage had a memory manipulation spell, but I really don’t want to use that on Mom.

“I’m home! Sorry I’m late as usual, and thank you for preparing dinner!”

Mom had come back. I’d already made a simple dinner for her, as I usually do. I braced myself and stepped out of my room.

“Welcome home, Mom. Um, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”

“Wait, what happened to you, Masayoshi?! Why are you so thin? Are you feeling okay? It’s not some kind of illness, is it?”

...Thank goodness. Even though I’ve lost weight, she didn’t doubt for a second that I’m her son. Just that fact alone makes me incredibly happy.

“Well, yesterday I was sleeping when I suddenly felt intense pain all over my body, and when I woke up this morning, I’d lost all that weight. But I feel fine, better than ever, actually.”

“Why didn’t you call me right away?! We’re going to the hospital right now! It might be too late if something serious is wrong!”

“Uh, I’m fine, really. I don’t think I need to go to the hospital.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! This is clearly not normal. My hospital is still open at this hour, so they’ll check you. I wonder if we need to call an ambulance? Hurry up and get in the car!”

“Okay, okay, I got it.”

She’s so worried about me, there’s no way I can refuse to go. Even though I don’t feel anything abnormal, I’ll go along with her.

We went to her hospital, where they took my blood and did X-rays, but everything turned out normal. In fact, the doctor said that where I was previously diagnosed as overweight during my last check-up, I was now in perfect health.

“Phew, I’m so relieved nothing’s wrong. But don’t let your guard down. If you feel even a little bit off, let me know right away, okay?”

Mom said as we talked in the car on the way home. The tests took quite a while, and it was almost midnight.

“Yeah, I got it, Mom. By the way, how did you recognize me so quickly? When I woke up and looked in the mirror, I didn’t even recognize myself for a moment.”

“What are you talking about? You’re my son! I’d recognize you even if you suddenly lost weight. Besides, you’ve got the same face you had when you were slim in preschool. You look just like your father when he was young.”

Thank you, Mom…

So, Dad looked like this when he was younger. All I have left of him are pictures of when he was already an adult.

“But if your health is fine, I think you look much better now. I always wondered why you gained so much weight when you weren’t eating an unusual amount. Do you remember? Back in preschool, you were really popular with the girls.”

“Yeah, kind of. I think I used to get a lot of chocolates on Valentine’s Day.”

“That’s right! You’d always tell me with a big smile about how many chocolates you got. You were even thoughtful enough to make your own White Day gifts to give back. You’ve always been like that.”

“Okay, okay, I get it. You have a good memory.”

“Of course! I’m your mom. It’s only natural. ...Lately, though, you haven’t seemed very happy, so I’ve been worried. I might be able to get some time off soon, so let’s go on a trip and have some good food.”

...I see. Mom noticed I wasn’t doing well because of the bullying. Even though she’s been so busy with work, she’s always been looking out for me.

“Yeah, things were tough for a while, but I’m okay now! Actually, I’ve found something I really want to do, and I’m really excited about it. I might be going away for a bit soon, so I just wanted to let you know in advance.”

I didn’t need to say it, but I was referring to exploring the other world. I might even have to stay there for a while, so it’s better to mention it now.

“Oh, really? That’s good to hear! I was worried since you haven’t been hanging out with your friends lately.”

“Y-yeah, about that…”

Sorry, I don’t have any friends right now. In middle school and early high school, I used to hang out with friends a lot, but once the bullies targeted me, everyone drifted away.

Of course, I don’t blame them. If they stood up for me, they’d likely become the next targets. I did the same thing back when the first kid was being bullied—I stayed away from him.

“If anything’s ever bothering you, just tell me, okay? I’ll always be on your side.”

“...Thanks, Mom. And you can rely on me too, okay? I can handle anything now.”

“Hehe, I’m counting on you. If anything comes up, I’ll talk to you.”

“Leave it to me!”

Thanks to the power I inherited from the Great Mage, I can handle just about anything now. I hope I can help those close to me when they’re in need.

Now, tomorrow is Monday, and I’ll have to go back to school. The bullies will probably try to mess with me, so I need to be ready.