Throughout the train ride I kept making second glances at my big sister; she was quite beautiful for her age and status. Her skin had a soft glow that bounced off her reflection in a mirror despite the scars all over her left arm. It added a bit of a tough-guy look, but not so much that she could've been mistaken for a man, and her hair was medium length, cut down to her shoulders. Big Brother often said Big Sissy was a huge neat freak and demanded perfection to a tee, and if I'm honest, I haven't seen any behavior like that so far, but what do I know? This isn't my body or life; I'm only a tormented soul who haunts or possesses this body. How unfortunate, too, that it just had to be a troublemaking, bratty eight-year-old, I thought as I leaned my head on the window of the train, letting my hair blow through the wind by the open window.
The train "screeched" to a halt at the station, its wheels letting out one final "squeal," which was enough to wake me out of my dazed sleep, given I was never a heavy sleeper. And with how fast time flew, it appeared we didn't spend much time getting to our destination. That was really cool, to be honest. The passengers then began to flock out of the train carrying their bags, maybe for shopping, maybe for selling. I hadn't been to the market in this world much. Back at my old hometown, I was always sent to go shopping at the local supermarkets, but they were always some kind of small store near the community, so I don't think they'd count as anything special. It'd be the first time I got such a big opportunity... I was almost excited but didn't dare speak my thoughts so there would be no more embarrassment since it wasn't just myself going out. Now I have to be on my best behavior, right?
"Alright, little sister, here we are, the big city market where all go to shop for fruits, vegetables, magical artifacts, scrolls, tools, and even mythical beasts, but that side is only for rich folks; poor people like us wouldn't dare step into that kind of territory. It's so expensive that if we sold our entire home, it still wouldn't be enough. Alas, that kind of stuff is for the rich and privileged to enjoy, but one day your brother and I will work the best we can to take you and Mom out of poverty, but for now, you, my dear sister, are stuck with a life that could've been better if it weren't for that bastard father of ours. It's all his fault why we ended up living in a ditch of a forest. I am really grateful to have such a caring mother because she really could have left me and your brother for dead, knowing the danger we posed at the time to our dad, but she didn't give up; she fought for us and, in the end, built a little cottage from what little she had left, and all the while, she was pregnant with you. She's an amazing woman; it's why I always lecture you to always appreciate her. She gives us her all; no matter how bad she has it, she faces it with a smile. Anyways, enough of that; we should get going before the rush hour crowd comes in."
For a moment there was a split second where Big Sissy showed a rare hint of dolefulness, and there was no doubt with how much her voice strained and her words came choked out of her mouth. It was all there, and her body language felt almost icy and distant whenever discussing this topic. That's one thing I always noticed and never once made a comment on. There was no need for me to do it; rather, I always felt it wasn't my right or place to do so. This wasn't my family. I'm only taking over this girl's body until I can find a solution for how to get my old body back, like that's possible after what happened... but there must be another way to resolve this if the girl's soul is still alive within me.
I shook my head, deciding not to think too much about it. Gotta enjoy the moment after all and explore the never-before-seen place, then maybeeee pick up some extravagant but not too pricy stuff, I'd say in the middle of average and high-quality stuff. By that point, I had made up my mind.
Let's go, big sister!! I tugged on her arm impatiently, already excited to explore the huge market. She then gave me a relaxed look that told me to calm down; the place isn't going to run away and abandon you. She took my hand in hers and started walking me through the market's bustling crowd of people to avoid being lost among the crowd of generic people, animals, and beasts. I was fascinated by how people here can connect with creatures living so peacefully, like having one big nation. If people were anything like my world people, it would be like science in a lab. It's a good thing these people aren't money-grubbing, selfish, inhumane monsters, I thought as I looked around.
"Hey, big sis, what did Mom want us to get here? I asked in the most polite tone while tilting my head to look her in the eye."
"She said we only needed a few items for dinner the entire week, so we just need basic vegetable stuff and some new pots, but we can explore the other side of the market if we hurry and make it to the appliance and food store."
wink wink
"Ohh, so does that mean I could see what mythical beasts look like?"
"Wait... little sister, what did you say?"
I didn't understand why she was so shocked. Was I not supposed to know about mythical beasts? Then why did Kariyuku tell me how great they were? I'll take a wild guess it was to piss off big sister after the argument they had a day ago, but I never imagined he'd actually tell me this secret on purpose.
Little sister, who told you about the mythical beasts? Was it your bastard brother of ours again?? He knows damn well you're not supposed to know about them until you're of age with the proper knowledge. He's such a... Dammit, I've got no friendly fire-appropriate words to say in front of you, but whatever your brother told you, forget it for now. Let's focus on getting the items Mom requested before it gets crowded.
I gave a respectful nod to her, and we continued gathering the necessary things Mom requested, but this was a lot of work for an average house turtle like me to handle.