Chapter 79: Meeting in Shinjuku

I left the house and headed for Yamato-san’s villa, which was supposedly located somewhere in Shinjuku.

After thirty minutes of rhythmic swaying on the train, I stepped out of Shinjuku Station. I had been in contact with Ayane and the others, who were already supposed to be there, and it didn't take long to spot them. There was Ayane in a one-piece dress, and Shiki, who was wearing a T-shirt with the word "Cartilage" emblazoned across it in bold letters.

"Good morning, Reima," Ayane said.

"Yeah, morning... Shiki, seriously, what is up with that shirt?"

"This yakitori shirt is my identity," Shiki replied, puffing out his chest. "I only wear it when I’m getting pumped up."

"...If you’re fine with it, then I guess it’s fine."

I don't know what influenced him to be like this, but if he’s happy, I suppose it doesn’t matter.

For now, we were just waiting on Laura. I was honestly a little worried about whether a night owl like her could actually make it here by 9:00 AM.

"…Morning, Reima."

"Hey, Laura. You doing okay?"

She was as pale as ever, though her outfit was unusual—at least compared to her typical black gothic-lolita style. Since she had basically lived in her knight’s armor in the other world, seeing her in casual clothes was a rare occurrence. The last time I’d seen her out of uniform, she’d been forced into a kimono because of that one incident.

"You already know I’m not a morning person," she grumbled.

"Fair enough. So, isn't someone coming to pick us up?"

"Yeah. Yamato-san said he was sending someone, but..."

As we stood there trying to remember the details, I scanned the crowd and spotted Saaya-san. She was looking around with teary eyes, clearly overwhelmed. In the middle of the early morning Shinjuku rush, her complete lack of a sense of direction had left her hanging her head in defeat. She looked like she was at her limit.

"Saaya-san? You okay?" I asked, approaching her.

"Ahaha... why is it that I can only ever show you my pathetic side?" she lamented, her head drooping even further in self-deprecation.

"Um, why were you the one coming to get us?"

"I wanted to be the one to do it. I was the one who suggested this wrap-up party, after all."

"But you’re directionally challenged, aren't you?"

"Muu... I thought I’d be fine just getting to the station! But the crowd was so big, and I just... I got swept away."

"…Good work."

I felt a strange sense of... was it admiration? A different flavor of direction-blindness than my own. I led her back to the group, only to find a woman in a maid uniform standing there who hadn't been there before.

She wore a Western-style black maid outfit and radiated the aura of a total professional. Her every movement was precise. She felt like a "top-tier" individual. I’d seen plenty of maids in the other world, but even among them, she felt exceptionally strong.

"…Kuroha? Why are you here?" Saaya asked.

"I figured you would get lost, so I followed you. Since you've successfully made contact with the targets, I have simply decided to join the group."

"Wait, why didn't you say something earlier?"

"Because watching my 'perfect' lady in such a weakened state was entertaining."

"…You’re a sadistic maid."

"And you’re a directionally challenged lady."

"Ugh! You... you spicy-food-obsessed freak with no taste buds!"

"Sweet-toothed idiot fairytale idol."

It devolved into a petty shouting match. Saaya-san was clearly outmatched in the insult department. She shot me a look, pleading for help, but I had no idea what to even say. I just mentally raised a white flag.

"Hmph. Weak," the maid scoffed.

"Is this person really a maid?" I whispered.

"Unfortunately, she’s my childhood friend," Saaya sighed. "She’s got a sharp tongue."

"I gathered as much..."

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Kuroha-san already seemed to be getting along with the others. A maid, huh? How nostalgic. As I was looking her way, she noticed and spoke up.

"Oh? Is something the matter, Kariya-sama?"

"No... nothing."

"I see. I felt a passionate gaze and wondered if something was wrong."

"Reima, do you have a thing for maids?" Ayane asked.

"That’s a massive misunderstanding, Ayane... And Laura, stop looking at me like that."

I scrambled to clear my name before I was branded with some baseless reputation. Since a group of people in "interesting" outfits loitering in front of the station was starting to draw stares, we piled into a car driven by Kuroha-san and headed toward a residential area near the outer moat of the former Edo Castle.

It was an upscale neighborhood on a hill, the kind of place I’d usually never set foot in. There are a lot of slopes here, I thought, my mind wandering as we pulled up to a traditional Japanese mansion. It looked like something straight out of a period drama. It reminded me of Tsubaki-san’s—Kagura’s—family home. I started to feel a bit anxious about whether I actually belonged here.

"Let’s head in, everyone. Grandpa is waiting," Saaya-san said, walking in like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"It’s a bit late to ask, but... is Saaya-san actually a super-rich heiress?"

"I mean... she is the granddaughter of Yamato-san, the first Hero of Japan," Shiki replied.

"Personally, this place feels like Tsubaki’s house, so it’s easy for me to relax," Laura added. "My parents own several buildings like this."

"You too, Laura?"

"You didn't know?" Ayane chimed in. "Laura comes from a Romanian aristocratic family. She’s a total lady."

Is there anyone normal in my social circle?

I gave up on trying to make sense of it and followed them into Yamato-san’s villa.