kscans

Chapter 84 - An Invitation from Professor Arisugawa

It was a holiday, the sky covered by a thin layer of white clouds for the first time in a while. The day after I’d taken my promotion exam.

Today was the day Professor Arisugawa and Erina-san were coming to my house.

I checked my room one last time.

Floor, swept. Bed, made. Desk, stocked with snacks and juice for two from the convenience store. Bookshelf, camouflage complete. Under the bed, nothing. Closet, secret space in the back sealed tight.

Just in case my house was searched, I’d even used alchemy to hide my secret documents (R-18) and top-secret files (R-18).

I’d brushed my teeth. I was wearing clean clothes. I’d checked my hair. No sleep in my eyes.

Bring it on...!

I was fully prepared to intercept them. I would give them a grand welcome!

Ding-dong.

"Hiee!"

The electronic chime made my shoulders jump.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my pounding heart.

Then, I hurried to the entrance. My parents were already at the door, about to open it.

"Yes! Welcome!"

My mom answered in a voice several pitches higher than usual. Seeing the person on the other side, the three of us gasped in unison for a moment.

Her hair was a pale platinum blonde. It was cut in a bob in the back, with an asymmetrical Hime cut in the front.

Her sharp eyes were a deep blue, reminiscent of the ocean. Combined with her slender, straight nose, she gave off an icy impression. The long, pointed ears peeking through her hair only reinforced the feeling that she was a resident of a fantasy world.

This must be what the most beautiful ice sculpture in the world looks like. That was the thought that came to mind. She was a work of art.

But a soft smile graced her thin, cherry-blossom-pink lips, proving that she was, in fact, a living, breathing human.

She was dressed in a white shirt, a gray suit, a knee-length tight skirt, and dark brown tights. A thin navy ribbon tie was fastened at her neck. The woman gave a small bow.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Arisugawa Eva, Rinzaki Erina's grandmother. My grandchildren are always in your care."

"Ah, n-no! Not at all! We're the ones who are indebted to Erina-san and the others...!"

As she—Professor Arisugawa—bowed with elegant grace, my parents hurriedly bowed back.

Following their lead, I glanced at Erina-san, who was standing behind the professor.

She was beaming, giving me a small wave. Today, she was wearing a dark blue kimono with navy hakama.

Seeing them like this, they looked less like a grandmother and granddaughter and more like sisters with a slight age gap. Elves, I guess. The professor had a calm demeanor, but based on looks alone, she could easily pass for a university student.

...Come to think of it, does Erina-san have elven blood, too?

"P-Please, come in! I'm afraid we don't have much to offer."

"Not at all. I thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule. This is just a little something."

"Oh, my! Thank you so much!"

Overwhelmed by the stunningly beautiful professor, my parents were bowing repeatedly, sweat dripping down their faces.

Heh... Just as I'd expect from my manufacturers. Completely flustered by Professor Arisugawa's aura!

Of course, I was just a few steps behind them, bowing in sync with every dip of their heads. And yes, I was also sweating bullets.

You can't fight your bloodline.

After all that, we ushered the professor and her granddaughter into the living room.

"Ah, that's right. The discussion from here on won't be particularly interesting, so perhaps it would be best for the children to wait in another room," the professor suggested with a gentle smile.

My parents exchanged a glance, then looked back and forth between Erina-san and me.

They both leaned in and whispered.

"K-Kyouta, you be on your best behavior!"

"I know you don't have the guts for it, but don't you dare try anything funny!"

"Right."

I nodded, whispering back. Still, Mom, could you please not casually insult your son like that? Not that I'm denying it.

Fighting the urge to stutter, I turned to Erina-san.

"Um... well, this way..."

"Of course. I'll be in your care, Kyouta-kun."

That surprised me. It really did.

I couldn't help but do a double take, but she was just standing there, smiling serenely.

"Well then, Grandmother. I shall wait with Kyouta-kun in the other room."

"Very well. See that you are not rude."

"Yes. I understand."

Who is this proper young lady?

This life-form that looked like Erina-san bowed demurely to my parents and the professor, then glided over to me.

Feeling cold sweat trickle down my cheek and back, I guided her to my room with my guard raised to the maximum.

"Uh... please."

"Pardon the intrusion."

With a small bow, the person who was supposedly Erina-san passed through the door I held open.

And then she...

"Now then."

...began to peer under my bed with incredible nonchalance. She even got on her knees and took a penlight out of her pocket.

Right. Thank goodness, it's the usual Erina-san.

"What is the meaning of this, Kyouta-kun? Why are there no erotic woodblock prints under your bed?"

"What's the meaning of you talking like that...?"

I sighed, closing the door behind me.

Suddenly, Erina-san's smile shifted from that of a composed young lady to the one I was used to—the boisterous, self-proclaimed ninja.

"Hmph! I can be proper when I need to be!"

As she puffed out her chest with a smug look, the tension left my shoulders.

"Grandma told me I had to be proper since we were greeting my companion's parents. So I was proper! Praise me!"

"I'll praise you if you can keep it up all the time, you little..."

"? I can, you know? Should I?"

"...Actually, please just be your usual self."

"Yay!"

An always-in-ladylike-mode Erina-san would be more than just unsettling. The thought of it was so creepy it gave me goosebumps.

More importantly, I wouldn't be able to handle it. If a beautiful girl with such refined manners were that close to me all the time, my heart, sturdy as it was thanks to the `Sage's Nucleus`, would probably explode.

Even the Philosopher's Stone has its limits, you know.

"Anyway, Kyo-chan! Grandma is going to be talking with your mom and dad for about twenty to thirty minutes. Part of it is to greet them, and part is to convince them to stop going to that 'Awakening Support Center.'"

"Huh."

"What should we do to kill time?!"

Her eyes sparkling, Erina-san pulled a chessboard and a deck of cards from her `Item Box`.

What's with this two-pronged assault of fun-having?

"I brought chess, cards, shogi, go, menko, and even beigoma!"

"What's with that strangely retro lineup?"

"We're finally hanging out at a friend's house! I wanted to do something other than our usual online games!"

"I see."

I get what she means. Back in middle school, whenever my friends and I got together, we'd just chat while playing on our own phones.

As we were talking, the smartphone in my pocket vibrated softly.

I checked the screen. It was a message from Aira-san: 'If you and Erina-kun are alone, let me join in.'

"Hang on a sec."

"I shall hang!"

I took an earring out of my drawer and flicked it with my fingertip.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Aira-san."

"Hello, Paisen! See you again so soon!"

'Ahem. Grandma isn't there, is she? Nope. Good.'

At some point, Erina-san had also put on an earring and was now holding a hand mirror instead of the cards.

On the other side of the mirror, Aira-san, dressed in a tracksuit, was resting her slender chin on her clasped hands, her elbows on her desk.

'From the looks of it, you were about to play with something Erina-kun brought over, right?'

"Yup! Oh, but what about you, Paisen..."

'It's fine. If you're playing something that requires brainpower, I'll just support Kyouta-kun.'

"Huh, are you sure?"

That would make it two against one...

"I don't mind one bit! Chess? Shogi? Go? Beigoma?"

"Beigoma doesn't really require brainpower, does it?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, you're so naive, Kyo-chan."

"The only thing naive here is your tongue. You can't even say it right."

Erina-san was wagging her finger back and forth, trying to imitate a movie character, but the sound she was making was more like a blown kiss.

Stop that. You're making my heart race.

"Beigoma... is deep..."

"Yeah... sorry, but I don't really know beigoma or go, so let's do chess."

"Okay!"

'Oh, that's surprising. Kyouta-kun chose chess. Don't tell me you're one of those guys who went down a rabbit hole of chess rules and openings in middle school because of some anime, are you?'

"Leave me alone...!"

How does this woman know my entire dark past from A to Z...!

I think it's a phase every young Japanese person goes through at least once. Admiring the protagonist who moves chess pieces while formulating a grand strategy...

"Alright, let's get started! Oh, who goes first?"

"Oh, then I'll go first."

"Okay!"

...She conceded the first move so easily. Doesn't she know?

Chess is famous for being overwhelmingly advantageous for the player who goes first.

But she set up her pieces without hesitation, so I doubt she's clueless. This must be her way of showing she's got this in the bag.

In that case, I'll gladly take advantage of that confidence...!

It's just a game, but it's still a game. It's your own fault for being overconfident!

This battle... is our victory!!

Thirty minutes later.

"Yeah! Victory!"

"N-No way...!?"

Why? Why can't I win?! We played three games, and I lost every single one. And they weren't just losses; they were absolute demolitions.

'No need to be so frustrated, Kyouta-kun. Erina-kun is absurdly strong at these kinds of games.'

"How 'bout that!"

'Well, you being bad at it is also a factor. You've completely forgotten all the openings, haven't you?'

"Guh..."

I only learned how to play online. And then the `Day of Awakening` happened, and high school entrance exams came up... everything but the basic rules just slipped out of my head.

With Aira-san's advice, I managed to put up a fight, but I have a feeling that if I were on my own, it wouldn't have even qualified as a match.

"We still have some time left. What's next? Go? Cards?"

"No, let me rest my brain for a bit."

I took one of the bottles of juice and the snacks that I'd moved to a tray during the game.

Tilting back my bottle, the sweetness of orange juice filled my mouth. For a mind on the verge of overheating, this was just right.

"By the way, your grandma looks incredibly young for an elf, Erina-san."

"Right? Apparently, Grandma sometimes gets mistaken for an upperclassman by the new students."

'And sometimes she gets mistaken for my older sister.'

"Ah, I can see that."

Yeah, if Aira-san were standing next to her, they'd definitely be mistaken for sisters. They both have elf ears, after all.

'Although, unlike me, Grandma is rather flat-chested!'

"Please don't say things that are difficult to react to."

'By the way, Grandma is 71 years old.'

"That makes it even more difficult."

I mean, looking like that at over 70 has to be some kind of fraud. She doesn't look a day over twenty.

"I wonder what the deal is with elf lifespans."

I'd heard rumors online that some people had become younger relative to their new race.

"Beats me. Grandma said she doesn't know either."

'If they live for five hundred or a thousand years like in the stories, their pensions are going to be a huge problem!'

"Come to think of it, I think I saw something about that on the news during a Diet broadcast the other day."

I only caught a glimpse before changing the channel, so I don't know the details.

Apparently, it's not just elves; dwarves might have extended lifespans too. It's just harder to tell with male dwarves since they're all bearded.

I can see it now: 'Pension benefits for elves and dwarves will begin after age 400!'

"By the way, Erina-san, do you have any elven blood in you?"

"Hm? Why?"

"Well, your grandmother's an elf. And since you're an Awakened Person too, I thought maybe it had an effect."

I'd once read an article online about the grandchildren of an old man who became an elf.

Among his grandchildren, the ones who became Awakened Persons turned into youthful, attractive people. The non-Awakened ones stayed the same.

Becoming more youthful probably means their lifespans were affected to some degree.

If that's the case, I figured Erina-san would probably live a long time, too.

"An effect, huh? I dunno. I mean, I'm not really Grandma's granddaughter by blood."

"...Eh?"

"My dad is technically Grandma's nephew. So we're related, but my blood is more diluted than Paisen's."

"...Oh, I see. Sorry for asking a weird question."

"It's fine."

...How do I put this?

Could it be that there's more family drama than just Aira-san's mother? This family's history...

They say every person has a story, but the Arisugawa family seems to have a few too many.

And the scary part is...

'...'

...Aira-san's silence is seriously not funny...!

As a flood of cold sweat broke out on my skin, Erina-san glanced toward the door. Immediately after, there was a knock.

'Kyouta. Erina-chan. Professor Arisugawa is about to leave.'

"Oh, we're coming! Thanks for the snacks, Kyo-chan! Let's play again!"

"Y-Yeah."

"I'll teach you the profound art of beigoma next time!"

"Got it."

"The goal is to be able to blow up buildings with a spinning top!"

"That's not happening."

"!?"

Why do hobby anime always have the fate of the world riding on children's toys...?

I made a brief escape from reality before heading to the entrance with Erina-san.

"Thank you so much for today. It was a pleasure to hear such an informative perspective."

"Not at all. I am simply glad if I was able to repay even a small part of the kindness you've shown my grandchildren."

Professor Arisugawa gracefully deflected my parents' repeated bows with a serene smile.

Her blue eyes suddenly turned to me.

"Kyouta-kun, may I call you that?"

"Ah, yes!"

I hurriedly straightened my posture as the professor took a few steps closer.

A faint scent of soap wafted from her. Her beautiful face, which looked no older than her early twenties, peered into mine.

"...Hmm."

"Uh, um..."

"Kyouta-kun."

"Yes?"

"Are you proficient in English? And what about table manners?"

"Uh, no... not really."

For some reason, the professor nodded deeply at my answer, looking satisfied.

"I see. As it happens, I am planning on retraining my grandchildren in the near future. If you'd like, why don't you join them? I am a teacher, you know. I am quite good at instructing others."

"Huh?"

The sudden offer left me confused.

Why would she suggest something like that?

"Oh, that's a wonderful idea! Kyouta, you should take her up on it!"

"Well, I wouldn't want to impose."

"Not at all. I am used to teaching multiple people. Besides, your son is already out in the world as an adventurer. There is no harm in him acquiring such cultural refinements."

Her smile was soft, but her declaration was forceful, and my dad recoiled slightly.

And your face is red, Dad. Well, the professor is a beauty whose age is a complete lie, so I get it.

"W-Well, if the professor insists..."

He folded so easily. I wonder if he's noticed the scary look in Mom's eyes next to him.

"However, the individual's will is what matters most. Kyouta-kun, I know you are busy with your studies and your work as an adventurer, but would you entrust me with a small amount of your time?"

"Uh, ah, well..."

At a loss for a reply, my gaze darted around frantically.

And met Erina-san's, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

...How is it that she's so good at chess, yet so easy to read?

"Y-Yes, please."

"Excellent. Leave it to me. I will make you into a fine gentleman who would not be out of place in any social circle."

Even her roguish smile looked like something out of a painting.

As I looked at the professor, I desperately chanted her real age in my head.

I'm sure she really does see me as just a child. I think. But because of that, she gets a little too close.

That was a close call. If I hadn't built up a resistance thanks to Erina-san, I'm confident I would have fallen for her instantly.

As it is, I'm only at the stage where 'if she confessed to me, I'd probably hesitate for a few seconds before saying yes.' Is that already falling for her? Not completely. If it were, I wouldn't even hesitate for a few seconds, so I'm safe.

"Well then, we shall take our leave."

And with that, the professor and Erina-san left.

After the front door closed, I heard from my parents that they would be aiming to Awaken at a different facility, not the government's 'Awakening Support Center.'

Once a week, they'll be helping with an experiment at the lab of a professor acquainted with Professor Arisugawa.

Hearing the word 'experiment' made me anxious, but the activities apparently consist of 'zazen meditation,' 'waterfall training,' and 'hiking.' It's basically a club activity.

Apparently, that university professor is researching the process of Awakening. They'll be cooperating with one of his experiments.

That makes me a little uneasy too, but it's a referral from Aira-san's grandmother, so I'm sure it'll be fine.

...But if they do get caught up in some trouble, I'll report it to the police, and if worst comes to worst, I'll go in myself.

In any case, the plan to attend the 'Awakening Support Center' was off the table. I had Professor Arisugawa to thank for that.

On the other hand, now I had family drama and an invitation to etiquette lessons to deal with.

I let out a small sigh as I watched my dad being escorted into the living room.

'Kyouta-kun.'

"Whoa!"

Aira-san's voice came from my ear, and I remembered I was still wearing the earring.

'Does this mean... I have to take Grandma's etiquette lessons, too...?'

"Well, she did say 'my grandchildren.' So probably, yeah?"

Her voice was trembling strangely, I noted with a tilt of my head.

'I see. I understand. I'm going on a journey. Don't look for me. Hey, teleporting me home is cheating, Grandma?! N-No, this is—'

The earring went silent as the mana connection was severed. I took it off and stared at it.

...Did I just make a huge mistake?