kscans

Chapter 171 - I'm a Scholar... It's Intellectual Curiosity...

"I'm Takahashi Alice."

"And I'm Suzuki Mio."

"Hmph. Takahashi and Suzuki, is it? I am Morimoto Setsuko. You may call me what you like."

...No reaction. It seemed Takahashi and Suzuki were not Setsuko-chan's type. It isn't that she's into other women, but you know how it is with guys, right? There are times you find another man handsome. Like when you see an actor or an idol and think he's good looking. It was the same thing for Setsuko-chan.

(Well, for the person on the receiving end of that reaction, it's a bit of a mixed bag.)

After all, it means they think you don't have conventionally attractive features. But the goodwill she has, including her ulterior motives, isn't a lie, which makes it complicated. The person being admired might find value in having good looks, but Setsuko-chan doesn't see it that way. You can't just one-sidedly blame someone for a misunderstanding that comes from a difference in values.

"But... your ears really are long. I mean, for an elf."

"Fufu, from my perspective, it is your short ears that are more shocking."

"How should I put it, you look exactly like the elves we imagine. Can you use a bow and things like that?"

Takahashi and Suzuki knew about Setsuko-chan's personality. I told them before, when she acted as our personal hostess. Still, it looked like they were a little moved to meet a real, live elf.

"I am quite skilled with one. However, it is a curious thing. Despite our worlds being so different in culture, biology, and all else, your perception of elves is not so far from the mark."

Her inner scholar seemed intrigued, but unfortunately, I needed her to hold off for today. I had left my regular job early to come and handle this request, after all.

"Oh, I just got a reply."

"?"

"A friend from high school is the president of a real estate agency. He has a pretty good reputation."

I had asked him to look for a property that would meet Setsuko-chan's specifications. He said he had picked out a few places, so I replied that we were on our way.

"We're going to meet him at the station nearest to the first property... but my friend is a normal person."

"Understood. I shall be careful not to speak of underworld matters, but if things look dicey, I will count on your support."

"""Of course."""

We could have teleported, but we decided to take a few trains so she could get to know normal life. She had done a lot of research online, but I guess the firsthand experience was a big deal. Her eyes sparkled as she fired off one question after another, "What is that?" "And this?", making her look quite adorable. She was far older than us in terms of age, but...

'In this world, I am like a newborn babe. There is no need for you to be strangely considerate.'

She had told us that beforehand, so that's how we were treating her.

"Satou! Over here, over here!!"

"Hiura! Sorry to make you come all this way."

"Don't be a stranger. That's what friends are for."

My friend Hiura was waiting for us just outside the ticket gates at Sancha. When was the last time I saw him? May, I think? I was glad to see he was doing well.

"More importantly, you're something else, man. Bringing three beauties along with you."

"It's not like that. But for the company president to give us a tour himself... you got time on your hands?"

"I may be president, but my old man's still going strong. It's tough being the second generation heir, you know."

"You're not the type to care about that stuff. Anyway, let me introduce you. These are my friends Takahashi and Suzuki, and this other person is..."

After some light banter, I introduced the three of them, and we headed straight for the property. The first place was apparently an apartment in a cluttered back alley in the north side of the area.

"It has a toilet, but no bath. That said..."

"There's a public bath nearby, so it's not really a problem."

"Exactly. I think it fits with the desire for 'Japanese culture'."

A distant relative, a half-Japanese girl who lived abroad, was coming to live in Japan. But she had a slightly warped obsession with Japanese culture and said she wanted to live in a four-and-a-half mat room like you see in manga. So, could you introduce me to a property like that? That's what I asked Hiura. Hiura was worried about it, but I managed to convince him by saying Setsuko-chan was fine since she'd even done things like sleep outdoors for her university fieldwork.

"Wonderful! The atmosphere of the building, as well as the charm of the surrounding area, is exactly my ideal!"

"I'm glad you like it. There are vacant rooms on both the first and second floors."

"I will take the one on the second floor."

"You got it. But hey, miss, your Japanese is really good."

"I studied through culture such as anime and manga."

We followed Hiura's lead into the room. The layout was bigger than the four-and-a-half mats she wanted, but it still felt small to us.

"As you can see, if you put in a bed or something, the room will fill up in no time, so you'll have to use a thin futon..."

"Not a problem!!"

...Right. If you want to fulfill your desires, a thin futon on the floor has more atmosphere than a bed.

"Satou, I am thinking of choosing this room."

"It's only the first one we've seen, you know."

"It's a feeling. I felt a sense of destiny with this place. This room was chosen first, and it has splendidly pierced my heart."

What else could you call this but destiny? Hearing Setsuko-chan's words, I glanced at Hiura.

"...Well, it was just the closest one to the office. There's no other reason."

"Then that must be the will of the heavens."

She's unbeatable. Well, she's the one who wants to live here, so there's not much more an outsider like me can say.

"Hiura, let's go with this one."

"Seriously... I mean, if she's happy with it, I guess it's fine."

Still, just as a precaution, Hiura explained some of the potential problems with living here. That said, none of them were what you could call a problem for someone who could use superpowers. Thin walls or mice getting in because of the old building were things we could deal with in any number of ways. Setsuko-chan must have thought so too, because she accepted everything, declaring, "No problem!"

"Alright, let's head to the office and get the paperwork done."

And so it was decided. When we arrived at the office, his father greeted us, and we finished the procedures while reminiscing about old times. She couldn't move in right away since we still had to arrange for electricity and gas. However, because she was an acquaintance of mine, he said he'd get it done super fast, and she could move in three days later. Until then, Setsuko-chan would stay at a business hotel to get used to human society.

"Okay, so where should we start?"

"It has built-in furniture, so maybe just home appliances?"

"With that much space, she can only have the bare minimum of appliances... maybe a fridge and a combination oven and microwave?"

"The washing machine was shared, right?"

Well, as for appliances, she can store them using her powers, so maybe we could buy the type you just plug in when you need them... Ah, no, she's still not used to things, so it's probably safer to hold off on buying a bunch of stuff right away.

"Oh, but before that, doesn't she need clothes?"

"Now that you mention it... Setsuko-chan, what about your clothes?"

"I have only what I am currently wearing."

Then that's the priority. We could get appliances after she moves in, but she'll need clothes starting today.

"In that case, I would like to select undergarments first."

"""Undergarments?"""

"Yes, it seems this world has some very er... creative ones. Culturally, you see? In a cultural sense. I thought it would not be a bad idea to experience such things for myself."

...This woman is all about her lower half, from start to finish.