kscans

Chapter 63 - I Know a Magic Word is Needed to Open the Lock

I started a room share with Kaede-chan. In my mind it was cohabitation, but apparently it was a room share.

I was a little sad, but I told myself that these things take time. I spent that week not adventuring, but organizing the rooms and setting up furniture. Of course, Kaede-chan had work, so I was the one doing the labor.

I received the packages I had ordered and set them up. My days consisted of eating dinner together with Kaede-chan when she got home and drinking with her.

Incidentally, I tried to get into Kaede-chan’s room every day, but it was always locked. It was even locked when Kaede-chan was at work. She really doesn't trust me…

And so, I didn’t go adventuring that week. Well, Nanapon apparently had some things to do as well, so the timing was perfect.

Then, on the Sunday that marked exactly one week since I started living with Kaede-chan, we cooked together after she came home from work. This "cooking" involved Kaede-chan moving food from packages to plates, while I cooked the rice.

"Senpai, are you free tomorrow?" Kaede-chan asked while eating her meal across from me.

"Yeah, I don’t have any plans. The apartment is all set up, so I was thinking it’s about time I went adventuring."

I hadn’t scheduled anything with Nanapon yet, so I didn’t know her plans, but I was thinking of going by myself if I had to.

"Could you come to the Guild tomorrow? Either you or Eleanor-san would be fine. Satsuki-san said she wants to give you the auction money. And it seems she has something to discuss."

I can already get the 2.4 billion yen? That was fast.

"Hold on. I’ll ask Nanapon. If I’m going anyway, I might as well go adventuring too."

With that, I picked up Eleanor-san’s phone from the table and started typing.

‘Satsuki-san says she has something to talk about tomorrow, are you coming? You can get your 200 million yen.’

As soon as I sent it, a reply came back.

‘I’m coming! I want my 200 million yen! Oh, are we going adventuring?’

‘I haven’t been recently, so I was thinking of going. Let me know if you have something else to do. I’ll just go by myself.’

‘I’m going!’

She’s so eager. That’s 200 million yen for you.

"It looks like Nanapon is coming too, so I’ll go as Eleanor-san. I’ll go adventuring after we finish talking."

I put down my phone and told Kaede-chan.

"Understood. If you’re going as Eleanor-san, we won’t be able to go to the Guild together."

That was a little sad. There was something nice about the idea of leaving the house together and going to the same workplace.

"There will be times I go as Okita-kun, as myself, so let’s go together then."

"I don’t mind, but by the way, senpai, can you wake up at seven?"

Seven o’clock… Back in my corporate days, I was up then, of course. But what about recently? At least since moving into this house, I’d been waking up at nine or ten.

"I’ll be fine. Easy, easy."

I used to wake up in the worst mood, but it probably wouldn’t be like that now, and if I could go with Kaede-chan, it was no problem.

"Hmm, I wonder if the senpai who completely ignores me and keeps sleeping when I call out to him before I leave every morning can really wake up?"

"Huh? Is that what happens?"

I hadn’t noticed at all. My room, of course, didn’t have a lock, and I had no intention of adding one. Kaede-chan might come visiting with her pillow, after all.

"You’re always sleeping like a log. There was even a time you were Eleanor-san."

"Ah, that was when I was on the phone with Nanapon. I called her to talk about our future plans, she said ‘change,’ and then immediately hung up."

"That girl, honestly…"

Even Kaede-chan seemed exasperated.

"Well, that’s just how she is."

"I suppose so…"

Kaede-chan brought a hand to her chin, lost in thought.

"What’s wrong?"

"…………No, it’s nothing. Will you be coming in the afternoon tomorrow?"

I felt like she’d dodged the question, but it was just Nanapon, so who cared.

"Yeah. I’ll probably go in the afternoon, hear what she has to say, and then go adventuring."

"Okay. Oh, in that case, why don’t we invite Nanaka-chan for a party to celebrate the auction?"

Nanapon, huh… I kind of wanted to have one with just Kaede-chan, but I could always do that another time.

"Let’s do that… Come to think of it, Eleanor-san was already planning to invite Nanapon."

"Then it’s perfect. Let’s order some pizza."

"Alright…"

I picked up my phone and started typing again.

‘I think we’ll be getting the money tomorrow, so want to have a celebration? Kaede-chan suggested it.’

‘I’m coming!’

That reply arrived in three seconds.

‘Alright, let’s grind some levels until Kaede-chan gets off work. Then come over to my place in the evening.’

‘Roger! I’ll be there!’

Her replies were so fast. Well, Nanapon was probably excited about her 200 million yen.

"She says she’s coming."

I put my phone down and looked at Kaede-chan.

"Then let’s do that. Do you think Nanaka-chan drinks?"

"Who knows? I think she said she’s never had alcohol before, so we can just buy her something light."

If that doesn't work, soft drinks are fine. Nanapon will probably turn twenty tomorrow anyway.

"Let’s do that… Then tomorrow is a party! Please go to bed early tonight."

"I’ll try."

We ate our meal, took our baths, and went to bed like always. And like always, I tried going to Kaede-chan’s room, but the door was locked. I found myself wishing for a lockpicking skill or item.

◆◇◆

The next day, I woke up and checked my phone to see it was ten o’clock. At the same time, I saw a message from Kaede-chan.

‘I’m off.’

That was sent with a heart emoji. I immediately replied with ‘Have a good day’ and got out of bed.

As I got out from under the covers, I felt a slight chill. It was already November.

Feeling the cold, I left my room, checked that Kaede-chan’s door was locked just in case, and headed to the living room.

The lock? It was locked.

I poured myself a glass of tea, sat at the table, and ate the rice ball Kaede-chan had made for me.

"As expected of Kaede-chan. It’s delicious, but it’s round."

Apparently, she couldn’t even make a proper rice ball. Well, I couldn’t talk, and she had made it for me on a busy morning, so I ate it without complaint.

"What should I do until noon…"

I was bored. The house was all set up, and I had nothing to do.

"It’s boring without Kaede-chan here…"

I felt like the room was even brighter when the cheerful and cute Kaede-chan was in it.

What would have happened if I had gone to the Shibuya Guild instead of the Ikebukuro Guild? I probably still would have gotten the Alchemy skill, but would I have just been making money by myself? Or would my skill have been found out early on, leading to failure?

"Stop it. That’s all what-ifs."

It was better not to think about such things. I should focus only on holding onto the happiness I have now and never letting it go.

"Alright! Time for a bath!"

To cast aside my unpleasant thoughts, I went into the bath, which was incomparably cleaner than the one in my old house. After I got out, I drank a TS Potion and transformed into Eleanor-san.

I looked at my stark naked self in the dressing room mirror.

"Hmm, as usual, I don’t look anything like Okita-kun."

Well, it would be a problem if I did.

I put on the black robe I had prepared for Eleanor-san, tied up my hair, and left the dressing room to return to the living room. Then, after eating the leftover side dishes from last night that were in the fridge, I drank an Invisibility Potion and left the house.

It was actually my first time leaving the house from here as Eleanor-san, but I headed to a deserted back alley we had decided on beforehand and dispelled the invisibility. I then walked out of the back alley and onto the main, crowded street. Immediately, many people turned to look at me.

I’ll have to think about this part. If I keep doing this, eventually it will get out that Eleanor Ocean lives in Nerima.

I’ll probably have to go back to changing in restrooms, I thought to myself as I hailed a taxi and headed for the Ikebukuro Guild.