Ch.22Chapter 4. Where People Live (1)

Looking back, I was quite different from other high school girls.

Yes, I already knew I was a high school girl in name only. It’s only natural. I was in my 30s in my previous life, and with those memories intact, I was suddenly dropped into Japan. How could I be anything else?

I wasn’t just unfamiliar with being a high school student—I was completely in the dark about Japanese culture in general.

Well, that’s secondary. This body was meant to be used by a foreigner anyway, so naturally being unfamiliar with Japanese culture made sense.

The most important thing was that I was very disconnected from high school girl culture.

“So… you don’t watch dramas, don’t watch movies, and don’t listen to music?”

“…That’s right.”

I nodded blankly at Yuka’s question as we sat across from each other in the family restaurant.

When I thought about it, I felt a bit wronged.

I mean, others get dropped into fantasy worlds with amazing superpowers, build harems, and live well, but I get dropped in Japan with powers that make me collapse from blood loss if I use them too long, no money, and forget money—not even any appliances at home, plus I’m a physically weak high school girl.

Except for ‘high school girl,’ there’s not a single advantage.

Yuka’s expression became a bit dazed at my answer.

She was probably recalling my room again.

Perhaps she brought me here because, considering what I’d been through, she thought leaving me in that gloomy, damp room would be problematic in many ways.

Seeing that expression made my mood sink further.

Usually, heroines in these supernatural stories are quite different from “normal high school girls,” but Yuka was actually a “normal” high school girl, except for the fact that she slays monsters.

I slowly recalled my faint memories from 20 years ago.

Come to think of it, each volume of that novel was set quite far apart chronologically.

In volume 1, they catch an Amagui and the protagonist and heroine meet face to face.

But in volume 2, the setting was summer vacation. Yuka and Sasaki were already quite close, and Yuka’s personality had become quite tsundere. The potential shown at the end of volume 1 had fully blossomed.

So what happened between volumes 1 and 2?

Volumes 3 and 4, which came out later, were short story collections covering that period.

I’m in that “in-between” period of the “early series.” Between ordinary everyday life and strangely distorted incidents.

If I had to put it in terms, it’s “a story too ambiguous to become a full-length novel.”

“So… what do you usually do at home?”

“…Homework.”

That was my answer.

“And?”

“…I read some books I borrowed from the literature club.”

Ikeda was quite generous about lending books. Well, it’s not like she bought them with her own money. And it’s not like I was going to tear them up and return them that way.

“I… see.”

Silence fell between us for a moment.

Yuka was fidgeting with her hands as if she didn’t know what to say next.

She’s just so kind. It was almost midnight now. Except for family restaurants and convenience stores like this, most shops would be closed.

No, that’s not right. That gyudon place would probably still be open. Though Yuka didn’t seem like she’d want to go there.

…That was fortunate for me too.

I probably wouldn’t be able to go there again. Emotionally speaking.

“Your french fries, ma’am.”

As we sat there not saying anything, a store employee brought over the menu Yuka had ordered.

Yuka gently pushed the dish placed in the middle of the table toward me.

“Eat.”

“…What about you?”

“I’ll eat too.”

After watching Yuka pick up a french fry, I reached out my hand as well.

“Thank you for the food.”

When I said that, Yuka smiled a bit bitterly.

I picked up a french fry. It seemed ketchup wasn’t served separately. Instead, salt was visibly sprinkled on them.

I put one in my mouth.

It was salty, with the unique savory taste of french fries. When I chewed, there was that oily feeling unique to fried food—but it was delicious.

The outside was crispy, and the inside had that fluffy texture unique to potatoes. It was a bit hot, but that made it feel freshly fried, which was nice.

When I quickly picked up another one and brought it to my mouth, Yuka finally smiled as if relieved.

…It’s a bit frustrating, but it seems people around me think food is the best way to cheer me up.

Well, they’re not wrong. I usually can’t afford to buy things like this.

No, wait, I could probably afford McDonald’s now.

…I’ll think about it.

“By the way, that person next door to you.”

“…The one who helped me.”

“Yeah, I’m not trying to criticize or anything.”

Yuka asked with a serious expression.

“Have you never seen anyone else come out of their rooms?”

“…”

I hadn’t.

But honestly, I understand.

Even when I lived in an apartment in Korea and heard the people downstairs fighting and yelling, I never thought about calling the police.

I just… thought it wasn’t a big deal. Personal reasons, I guess.

In reality, they were just yelling and fighting, nothing serious happened.

Considering my profession, I shouldn’t have acted that way, but honestly, right before coming here, I was feeling deeply disillusioned with my entire life, so…

I almost felt the same way here.

“I see.”

Yuka sighed deeply again.

“…”

After thinking for a moment, she spoke.

“You said you work in Akihabara, right?”

“Yes.”

“When do you finish work?”

“Why?”

“I’m asking when you finish.”

Yuka’s expression was a bit resolute as she asked again.

“…Eight o’clock.”

I think I understand what Yuka is thinking.

But by that time, most secondhand stores are closing.

“Good, then.”

Yuka declared.

“That’s plenty of time.”

“Time?”

It seems Yuka isn’t thinking what I thought she was.

What is she thinking?

“Come on, eat before they get cold. French fries get soggy and greasy when they cool down.”

“…”

But Yuka just said that to me, as if hiding her thoughts.

I picked up another french fry and put it in my mouth.

It was delicious.

I know I shouldn’t let my expression soften in this situation, but I couldn’t help it—they were that good.

I should remember this place.

*

Yuka bought a lot of snacks on the way back.

“With these, you won’t have to worry about expiration dates.”

“…Goddess.”

“Eek.”

Yuka was startled by my praise, but she didn’t seem too displeased.

“Don’t worry about underwear, I brought some. Toothbrush and toothpaste too. And your school uniform.”

Well, we do need to go to school tomorrow morning.

“…Thank you.”

At my words, Yuka paused what she was saying.

Then she touched near her nose and turned her head toward the window.

After saying nothing for a while, Yuka exhaled once, then turned back to me.

“So… um, do you have any interests? Things you like?”

Things I like.

I liked games. RPGs and such. Usually when I bought one, I’d take several months to slowly clear it. I didn’t have much time to play, after all.

I also liked reading manga and watching movies.

“…”

But, am I allowed to like such things in this world?

No, it’s not self-hatred or anything like that.

It’s a matter of plausibility.

After seeing my room, Yuka would immediately understand why I only eat bread rolls every day.

Money issues.

If I said I liked dramas when I don’t even have a TV, where would I watch them? And how could I like games when I don’t have any gaming consoles in my room?

I did read books, but I didn’t particularly love them. Especially since the literature club room only had mystery novels and literary fiction, not light novels.

So what’s left—

“Movies.”

“Movies?”

Yuka seemed surprised for a moment but quickly continued.

“What kind of movies?”

“Action movies.”

I said, hugging my knees as I sat.

Without proper cushions to sit on, we were sitting side by side on the futon. We had opened the snacks and spread them out beside the futon.

“When did you watch them?”

“When I was young, with my mom.”

That’s right.

I brought up Kagami again.

She wasn’t exactly what you’d call “very cooperative,” but she was at least “generally cooperative.” She’d probably go along with this much if I asked her to match my story.

And I didn’t feel too guilty using Kagami for lying purposes. She’s kind of like a villain, right? If she’s a villain, it’s okay to treat her like one.

“Mom…”

Yuka murmured blankly.

Is she surprised that I have a mother? Or is it because she doesn’t have one? Whatever the reason, I thought it better to keep quiet rather than pretend to know.

“So, where is your mother?”

Yuka barely managed to gather her thoughts and ask, so after a moment’s consideration, I replied.

“I met her today.”

“Oh… so you don’t see her often?”

“No. She hardly ever comes home.”

Yuka’s face filled with concern.

“Where did you meet her?”

“At the police station.”

“She didn’t come with you?”

“She left right away.”

Yuka looked like she’d stepped on something wrong, but she didn’t seem ready to back down. How brave.

“Did she… leave any message for you?”

“…”

What should I say?

If I say more here, I might just make Yuka feel guilty.

While I was pondering, Yuka gently grabbed my arm and said:

“I’d like you to tell me.”

“…”

I organized my thoughts for a moment and said:

“…She said she doesn’t want to call me her daughter.”

Yuka froze.

“…”

“…Is that all?”

Yuka asked in disbelief.

“No, wait. There must be more she said. Right?”

There is more, but seeing this reaction, I think it’s better not to share it.

Kagami might get stabbed.

“That doesn’t make sense. Your ability isn’t something that just appears overnight. It must be something passed down through your family bloodline.”

Now, how should I answer?

After thinking briefly, I decided to tell her a bit about my current situation.

“My mom follows a religion.”

Yuka’s hand, which had been shaking my shoulder, stopped abruptly.

“I couldn’t… accept that religion. So.”

Well, if you dig deeper, the story is a bit different, but that is the reason I have no money.

Yuka stood there with her mouth open for a moment, then lowered her hand from my shoulder.

“That’s… I see.”

Yuka will probably tell her grandfather about this.

It will help Yuka’s family. If they ever need to eradicate a cult, that is.

They’ll probably eradicate it definitively someday. That’s the kind of story this is.

…When that time comes, what will happen to me?

“…”

“…”

Both Yuka and I fell silent for a while, lost in our own thoughts.

*

If I worked at a maid café wearing a maid outfit and got a stalker, what should I do the next day?

Simple. I went to work at the maid café.

That guy was crazy—it wasn’t the job’s fault, right?

To begin with, this maid café doesn’t involve much conversation with customers. The staff just wear maid outfits, that’s all.

Conversely, whether I worked at a convenience store or served at a family restaurant, that guy would have followed me anyway.

But now he won’t be following me anymore.

So I have no reason to give up my 850 yen per hour part-time job. Right?

Sleeping with Yuka last night calmed me down and helped me organize my thoughts—that stalker didn’t follow me from the maid café, but from the gyudon restaurant.

He saw me there, followed me to the maid café where he pretended to be a customer, then followed me again.

Yesterday was Wednesday. A day I don’t work at the maid café.

His words “Where did you go today?” as he attacked me probably came because I didn’t pass by the gyudon shop at my usual time.

Well, being human, I probably won’t go to that gyudon place for a while, but giving up my income is something I need to think more carefully about.

“Hello!”

“Hi.”

Shii greeted me.

Sasaki’s younger sister.

After knowing each other for a few days, Shii asked me to call her by her name, Shii.

In Korean pronunciation, it’s “sayu” (思惟). The same “sayu” as in “to contemplate.” The Japanese pronunciation “Shii” has the same meaning.

It seems her name was given with the meaning “to become a child who thinks deeply.”

Did her parents name her, or her grandparents? I thought it was a name given by her grandparents. Though it wasn’t explicitly stated in the novel, honestly, considering Shii’s parents, they probably wouldn’t have shared the meaning of her name even if there was one.

Her brother is Sasaki, and she is also Sasaki, so just calling her “Sasaki” would be confusing.

Though I rarely meet both Sasaki siblings at the same time.

“Senior, did something happen?”

“…Huh?”

Shii, already changed into her maid outfit and preparing for work, asked me that after looking at my face.

I touched my face with my hand. It doesn’t seem any different from usual.

“No. Nothing happened.”

That was my answer.

“Oh…”

There’s no need to look at me with such a pitiful expression.

I left Shii behind and went to change my clothes.

*

Work… I was able to do it properly.

Thinking about it, I guess I’m quite resilient.

I went to school properly, did my job properly. I ate lunch properly too.

“Are you… sick or something?”

But people who saw me kept asking me that.

Even the manager said that when he saw me. At least the customers didn’t seem to notice.

“I’m fine.”

“…”

Seeing my response, the manager tilted his head.

I bowed politely to the manager and went down the building stairs with Shii.

Shii was hesitating to talk to me. Is she concerned about our earlier conversation?

Maybe she thought I was angry because I didn’t properly answer her and just went to change my clothes.

In reality, I just didn’t know what to say.

“…Is Sasaki doing well?”

So I spoke first.

“Huh? Oh, yes! He’s doing well!”

“Is it okay to leave your brother alone?”

“It’s fine. He said he has a senior colleague working with him.”

“…I see.”

Well, Sasaki isn’t a child. He might worry about his younger sister, but being alone at home shouldn’t be uncomfortable for him.

“…Aren’t you going home too late, though?”

“Hmm… my brother does seem a bit worried.”

Shii’s expression darkened a little.

By the way, I don’t understand why she keeps walking with me. Does she like me that much?

When I stared at Shii, she tilted her head.

Well, she must have her reasons.

I also used to walk through alleys at night when I was in middle school, going to and from academy. I was a boy then, so it might be a bit different for her.

“…Your brother will worry.”

“Do you think so…”

As we were talking while walking down, my phone rang.

It was Yuka.

I answered immediately.

[Are you done with work?]

“Yes.”

[Okay. Wait in front for a moment.]

I looked around but couldn’t see Yuka.

“Senior?”

Shii looked at me curiously, and I was about to answer when—

I heard a car.

A fairly large SUV came and stopped in front of me.

The passenger window opened, and Yuka stuck her head out.

“Kurosawa, get in. We’ll take you home.”

For a moment, I thought Yuka was driving herself, but then I remembered that in Japan, the driver’s seat is on the opposite side from Korea.

“Who is that?”

“A school friend. Sasaki probably knows her.”

“Huh? Sasaki?”

Yuka turned to look at Shii.

“This is Sasaki’s sister. Shii.”

“Oh, so you’re Sasaki’s sister.”

“Do you know my brother?”

“Brother…?”

Yuka looked a bit puzzled at Shii’s way of speaking.

Yes, it’s unusual.

Even for a daughter who occasionally works as a shrine maiden, it’s an unusual way of speaking.

“Um… do you want a ride too? I have plans with Kurosawa today. I’ll drop you off.”

“Oh, is that okay?”

Shii looked at me, so I shrugged.

“Then, I’ll gratefully accept…”

When I opened the door for her, Shii hesitated a bit but got into the car.

This worked out well. I would have felt extremely uneasy sending Shii off alone.

“Oh? Are you friends with Miss Kurosawa?”

“Yes, I’m her junior.”

“I’m Shii Sasaki.”

“I see, so you’re Miss Sasaki.”

“Ah… are you going to Kurosawa senior’s house?”

Shii asked.

Yuka looked at me through the rearview mirror.

I nodded.

“Yes. We have plans.”

“Oh… I see.”

Shii nodded.

“But, how do you know my brother, senior?”

Shii asked Yuka curiously.

“Senior?”

“Shii goes to Hanakawa Middle School.”

“Ah. That’s the uniform.”

Yuka nodded in understanding and said:

“I sit right behind Sasaki. But we don’t talk much usually.”

“I see…”

But even as she said that, Shii seemed to be thinking quite deeply.

Well, it’ll probably take you a long time to reach the conclusion you’re thinking of.

I thought to myself as I looked at Shii.

*

“Thank you for today.”

“No problem. We were going this way anyway.”

Yuka leaned slightly out the window and said:

“I might give you a ride like this again sometime. I’ll be counting on you then too.”

“I’ll be counting on you as well.”

Shii bowed and then waved her hand at me.

“Then, senior, see you tomorrow.”

“Sure.”

I waved back at Shii through the window.

Shii had said it was fine to just drop her off near the station, but the grandfather took her right to the front of her neighborhood. We couldn’t tell exactly where Shii’s house was from here, but she probably wouldn’t encounter any trouble on her way home.

Just to be safe, we parked the car for a moment and quietly watched Shii’s receding figure.

Despite her small frame, she somehow looked more dignified than me.

“Well then, shall we go to Miss Kurosawa’s house?”

“I searched through our storage room.”

Yuka said with a smile.

“I found an old TV we used to use, and it’s still quite usable. I found a few other things you might be able to use too.”

“I also found the Super Famicom that Yuka used when she was little.”

“…That was Grandfather’s idea.”

Even by 2004 standards, it was a device released quite a long time ago.

“No, it’s fine.”

I told Yuka.

“That’s already more than enough.”

“…I suppose.”

Yuka looked at me with a slight smile.

In truth, just hearing part of that list made my heart race.

Even if I had only received a TV, I would have been grateful enough to bow deeply, but a gaming console too?

And they’re giving it for free—I have no reason to refuse.

“…Thank you.”

“…”

At my small words, Yuka simply smiled slightly at me.