The school year is almost finished, and I passed all the exams. Since I hadn't seen Yuki for a year, I decided to return next week.
As always, I was unwelcome in my old house, so I decided to book a nearby hotel since he and my grandmother moved to another town, farther from the noisy city of Tokyo.
Since today is the start of March, I've already planned my vacation. I'll stay here until the 5th, visit Grandpa the next day and stay with him until the 10th, spend another five days with Yuki in Tokyo, and then travel to other worlds, destination still undecided.
I could have returned home today without any problems, but I have a few unfinished business matters to attend to. Since I am a diligent student, I scored the maximum points in all my exams by both memorizing and understanding the assignments. I also decided to help my roommates at the Kitayama share house. Additionally, I occasionally assisted Marin, as it was the time for final exams.
Tutoring five different people in various subjects was perfect for leveling up my [Teaching] skill, allowing me to progress from level 18 to 41 in just two and a half weeks. I wanted to give Yuki a present, something more meaningful than just a typical gift, so I looked around the shops in the nearby area. There were many masks and other Shinto items available, and while I bought some for others, I was searching for something special for her.
Another important reason for my stay is Marin's birthday. Since the start of the year and even before, my time has been occupied by schoolwork, my novel, the game, and various assignments from Misaki-sensei, as well as time spent inside dungeons farming for experience and Shards. My normal workdays have been filled to the brim.
At least I have relaxed on the weekends, sometimes hanging out with Kyoya and the others or seeking a break in one of the Settings, but I realized that it wasn't enough. Don't misunderstand me; I've formed good bonds with my roommates and the friends they made. Going to karaoke or enjoying our pastimes together has been fantastic. However, the age gap between me and them was something I could feel, even if all of us tried to ignore it.
It doesn't matter how mature or shameless I am; there is always a glance directed at others, silently asking whether bringing up certain topics is acceptable or if it would be better to remain silent. No one is at fault; I'm nine years old, and they are nineteen. They are more than twice my age, and having a relationship where we are on the same level feels strange. The Japanese culture of 'respect your elders and senpai' only complicates this further.
That's why, since Comiket, I've spent more time with Marin and her group of friends. To be specific, they are still a bit older than I am by four years, and most of them are girls, but my age hasn't weighed heavily on our friendship. I even shamelessly teased Marin the first time she introduced me to her friends, as she played into the stereotype of a gyaru having friends who are either gyaru or delinquents.
Since one of them is a more typical girl, I fit into their group seamlessly. I'm not a follower of fashion, but it was fun to discuss with our dear 'delinquent-kun' Takeru about his next piercing to enhance his 'delinquent' look. Unknown to him, I managed to convince the others to change his nickname to 'Thug-kun' if his speech ever changed accordingly.
In summary, I consider Marin a friend, just like Ayano and Noan. Since her birthday is on the 5th of this month, I wanted to be there for the party she was preparing. Her best friend had wanted to throw a surprise party, but since Marin was already organizing one, we decided to stick with it because she was so happy to be in charge. I suggested we have a picnic in the morning or afternoon since her party would be in the evening.
Now, all of us were 'spontaneously' helping her with shopping, and her best friend promised to help arrange decorations for the party. By the way, Marin is an otaku, but no one in her circle of friends shares the same interests, so I prepared a special gift just for her.
"Masachika~, please help! I don't know even half of those words~!"
"Yes, Nanako, I'm coming~."
But until then, I have to ensure my friends pass their exams.
---
"Thank you! I'll see you tomorrow at school!" Marin's birthday party had just finished, and all of our friends had returned home, leaving us alone.
"So, we're alone now! What do you want to do? I have this new manga that I like. Want to check it out?"
"Maybe later; I'll help you clean."
"Oh, yeah, thanks!"
The party went well. Since it was Saturday, we had all day to ourselves. This morning, we surprised Marin with a picnic in the park near one of the temples. Her best friend, Nowa, convinced her to come, and we were all ready with thermal bags filled with food, drinks, and other amenities. Each person prepared something or bought snacks, and I made some amazing sandwiches.
After a fulfilling lunch, we took a walk to relax our stomachs before heading to an arcade where I showed off my skills. I was praised for my talent at Dance Dance Revolution and secured first place in our improvised Air Hockey tournament, earning the title of 'King of the Arcade'.
We enjoyed our time until it was time to go to Marin's house for the party, joking and laughing while playing some cliché games like the King's Game. Luckily, there was no stripping and no alcohol or drugs involved, but there were some amusing challenges thrown in. It was fun recreating famous scenes from films, such as Titanic, even though I raised the difficulty by asking two players to recreate the scene with Rose on the wooden plank—one as a tsundere noble lady and the other as a stereotypical Chinese father. We laughed our heads off when 'Jack' turned out to be a girl and 'Rose' was played by a guy.
We had a great time until it got late enough for everyone else to head home since tomorrow was school. It sucks to be them! In half an hour, we finished cleaning, which made Marin grateful since it would have taken her more than two hours if she were alone. She was surprised that I was so good at housework.
"My housekeeping skills are also at the OP level. Don't underestimate an aspiring isekai protagonist!" I joked. I couldn't wait to see her reaction when she realized it wasn't a lie.
Now we were alone on her sofa, with a bag of chips and a Coke between us while discussing manga.
"That's why Black Lobelia is so cool!" She said.
"Yeah, I've always had a thing for white or silver-haired anime girls. Oh, I almost forgot…"
I got up and moved to the hallway between the living room and the bedrooms to retrieve an item from my inventory.
"Happy birthday! This is my present, but first, close your eyes and don't try to cheat. If you do, I'll know."
"Oh, is it a painting? What is it? I want to know!"
"No cheating."
"*Pout* Hurry! I want to know!"
Once she closed her eyes, I turned the painting so it was facing her.
"You can open them."
"Woooo~, it's a lewd Shizuku-chan artwork!"
My present was a painting of her favorite character, chained down by some bondage ropes while still dressed, wearing a dreamy expression.
"Chika-kun, it's the best artwork I've ever seen! You must have spent a fortune!" she exclaimed, completely enamored. I had predicted her reaction since she was such a huge fan of the character.
"I know, but it was cheaper than you'd think. After all, I made it myself."
"Wait, you know how to create artwork?!"
*Smile™*
"Didn't I tell you? All of Klein Moretti's official fanarts are made by me!"
"You worked for the author of LOTM?!"
*Smile™ N°2*
"No, I am the author of LOTM."
Marin froze before sprinting down the hallway to her room. She returned to me with her eyes shining like stars.
"Please give me an autograph, Mysteries from Beyond-sensei!"
Never change, Marin. Never change...