kscans

Chapter 416 - Another Neighbor

Madoka-san had said 'a few cardboard boxes,' but honestly, it was more than the 'few' I had imagined.

Moving from the lobby, we went down to the mansion's underground parking lot to find a genuine medium-sized truck parked there. Overwhelmed by Saegusa-san, who smiled cheerfully and said, "I recently got my medium-sized vehicle license, you know," I took a look inside the cargo bed and was greeted by a mountain of boxes.

Apparently, she plans to get a large vehicle license in the future as well. She said it was because she has many hobbies, but I wonder how many women in the world take up special licenses for fun.

"—So? How did things end up moving this fast?"

And so, after clearing the mountain of cardboard boxes from the vehicle, utilizing the know-how from my past moving part-time jobs, I asked Nia, who was trotting along beside me as I carried the last two stacked boxes, how we'd gotten to this point.

'After I said OK to the invitation yesterday, the Princess stepped out for a bit, remember?'

"Ah, yeah, she disappeared a few times."

'At that time, she apparently already contacted Chitose-san? Then when she came back, she gave me a contact number and told me to give it to the people I needed to talk to about moving.'

"I see."

'So, I explained the situation to my pa— to my dad and Hiyo-chan and gave them the number.'

"The situation... how did you explain it?"

'Something like, I got a scouting offer related to the virtual world, so I'm moving for convenience and other reasons... I think?'

"Well, that sounds plausible enough."

'Then the two of them, who love me so dearly, dropped all their plans and appointments and called the 'contact number'—oh, but of course, I told them I got it from a trustworthy source, you know? I chickened out of dropping the [Sword Queen]'s name, though.'

"Yeah, well."

'But the person who answered the phone ended up being the [Sword Queen] herself.'

"What is she doing?"

I knew she had been disappearing from the party every now and then, but geez...

"How did Ashe even prove her identity over the phone?"

'Ah... well, you see.'

Even if they were told it was a 'trustworthy source' by their daughter or best friend, if the person on the other end of a call from an unknown number claimed to be the world's most famous person... well, it's not hard to imagine they'd have some doubts.

The answer to that question was displayed on the screen of the device Nia showed me.

The app screen of the dominant social media platform known to most modern people. On it, a certain someone's latest post read as follows:

—'I am the real Alicia White.'

"What is she seriously doing?"

'I honestly laughed a little too.'

Fans all over the world must have been worried about the 'Princess's' sudden whim. The numbers next to the icons for replies and such were updating at a speed that looked like it would break the app.

If they were shown that tweet in real-time while on the phone, well, they'd have no choice but to believe her.

'So yeah, the trust issue was solved in one shot, and when the one and only Alicia White-sama herself said she would 'take full responsibility' for me, the safety issue was cleared too.'

"I guess so............ Is it, though?"

While she might have world-class security in one sense, considering the sheer amount of talk and attention directed at her, I think she's also at world-class risk in the opposite sense.

Well, in practice, it's just Ashe and Yotsuya taking responsibility... so maybe it's fine. The one actually signing the contract is me, and that's just a pretext anyway.

Just like with our situation, there are no plans to make it public, so Nia's position in either the real or virtual world probably won't change.

...As for the fact that she's already causing a stir because of her connection to me, well, that's a lost cause.

"So... ah, can you get the door?"

Noticing that we'd reached our destination, I temporarily cut the conversation short. Waiting for Nia, who had scurried past me to open the door, I stepped into a room with the same layout as mine and Ashe's.

In terms of location, she was, of course, our 'next-door neighbor.'

Even though the walls weren't so thin that you could hear everyday sounds or even sense someone's presence, why did they both insist on sticking so close?

"This can go in the dressing room too?"

'Yeah, please.'

Most of the luggage she brought was clothes.

I was half-convinced that of course most of the boxes would be light, and half-questioning whether she would really use all of this. Is this what most women are like?

Incidentally, the walk-in closet in my room is completely empty. Seeing as I haven't even managed to fill up the ridiculously large dresser in my bedroom, that's no surprise.

And so, stacking the last two boxes in a corner of the dressing room—

"Alright, all done."

"Thank you, Haru-san. You've worked hard."

'Thanks!'

Receiving words of gratitude and appreciation from Saegusa-san and Nia, who had been working on various things inside the room, my mission was successfully completed.

It probably wouldn't be appropriate for me, a guy, to help with the unpacking, so there's nothing more I can do to help with the move. If they have trouble with any of the high-end, state-of-the-art appliances in the house, they can call for help then.

That said, whether I'll actually be of any help when I come running is another story. I'm not proud to say it, but I'm confident I've only managed to master about twenty percent of my own room's potential.

"Well then, I'll be taking my leave. You can't unpack with me here, right?"

'Aww.'

"Don't 'aww' me. I'd rather not be reported to the authorities after some mishap."

That kind of gag is only acceptable in rom-com manga and novels, and only for protagonists who are already known to be hopeless in 'that' department.

Considering the potential mental damage from messing up while surrounded by two girls, I'd seriously like to make my retreat for today.

"Well, if you need anything, let me know. I'm physically close, so I can come help right away."

'Cheh. 'Kay.'

"Saegusa-san, I hope to see you again if the opportunity arises."

"Yes. If the opportunity arises, again."

Quickly saying my goodbyes, I made a swift retreat before they could hold me back again. Waving back at the two girls who were waving their hands, I left the dressing room—

"Ah, wait... Nia."

—but before that. I turned my head back from the entrance and called out to her. Nia craned her neck and blinked, waiting for my words.

Her innocent demeanor, like a small animal... or rather, a dog or cat looking up at its owner, made me suppress a small laugh.

"Wanna have dinner together? As a housewarming celebration, of course."

"...! ,!,!"

"Alright, alright, your head's gonna fall off. I'll contact you later, then."

Finishing what I had to say, I finally left the room and headed for the exit.

As a small smile escaped my lips at the memory of Nia's head bobbing up and down like a toy—

—I gave a moment's thought to the quiet expression on Saegusa-san's face as our eyes met in that final instant.

".................."

She stole a glance at her best friend's profile as she stared blankly at the entrance of the dressing room where 'he' had just disappeared... though 'stole a glance' was hardly the right term. Even if she stared right at her, she probably wouldn't even register in her friend's vision right now.

With a wry smile, Hiyori let the tension drain from her body.

How long had it been since she had spoken to a man other than her family offline? The need to maintain her guard and tension had left her more tired than necessary.

Yes, more than necessary.

In short, to the eyes of 'Saegusa Hiyori,' who lived among the various constraints of a creator, 'Haru the Acrobat' had earned the evaluation of being mostly harmless.

Or rather, what was with that picture-perfect, pleasant young man?

By normal standards, his looks were quite good, he was considerate and had a sense of humor. She didn't quite get the self-evaluation her friend had mentioned yet, but she could immediately see why he would be popular.

His tone of voice, his demeanor, and his overall atmosphere were quite different from the 'Haru' she had seen in videos of the virtual world... but for some people, that difference might be a plus.

At the very least, Hiyori didn't dislike that kind of duality. She found it interesting.

—So, her first impression was more than just 'good.'

In that case, next up was,

"Nia-cha, can you manage on your own for a bit? I need to take care of a few things, like some work-related calls."

"...!"

"Yeah, I'll be right back."

'It's okay,' 'sorry to make you help,' 'take your time'—receiving all the lively 'words' conveyed through her expressions, she gave her sweet and precious best friend a pat on the head and left the room.

Out of the dressing room, to the entryway.

Putting on her shoes, out the front door—and to the door next to it.

"Alright............ Time to get to work, me."

And so, Saegusa Hiyori took a deep breath as if to steel herself.

There was no hesitation in the finger that pressed the intercom of 'his' room.

---

That chick is a guardian.