Chapter 183 - Teen Girl Collection
I pointed, guiding Rio's gaze toward the direction of the boys.
"...Baseball?"
Yeah.Kids around the upper elementary grades were playing rock-paper-scissors with bats in hand.Apparently, they intended to start a game of sandlot baseball first thing in the morning.Energetic bunch.
"Nostalgic. I used to play baseball a lot when I was a brat too. Had a pretty decent batting average."
When boys gather outside, it's ball games, I nodded slightly to myself.
"You don't usually see kids playing with balls though."
"Is it a spring break only scene?"
"No, that's not it. Lately, machines have been acting up, right? Smartphones and game consoles don't display numbers properly anymore, so they have no choice but to play outside."
"Ah..."
"They've stopped gaming at night too, so their life rhythm's probably shifted to morning type. They're bored, so a lot of kids are like, 'might as well exercise,' these days."
"Maybe it's healthier without high-tech gadgets."
Their usual toys were ruined, so they reluctantly came outside. That interpretation certainly makes more sense.Those kids all have pale skin too. They're practically radiating an "I'm not used to playing outside" vibe.Somehow, their expressions even look dissatisfied.
"Maybe their parents told them, 'If you're going to do something, go play outside'?"
"Kinda sad."
So that's how modern kids are, I thought with a wry smile, observing the boys' interactions.Looking closely, it wasn't just baseball bats; there was a kid holding a soccer ball mixed in.
"I see. They're deciding whether to play baseball or soccer with rock-paper-scissors."
First is rock. Rock-paper-scissors, shoot. With the chant, the kids swung their hands down over and over, rejoicing and lamenting each victory and defeat.The one who won in the end was the boy with the bat.
Alright, my win! I heard a boy soprano voice shout.If that's the case, baseball should be starting now....Or so I thought, but something was off.
A fight? No. Several boys raised their hands, protesting, "I don't know the rules of baseball!"
"You're kidding. Is there really a guy who doesn't know?"
"Isn't that normal these days? Leo doesn't seem to know much either."
"You're lying, right?"
I moved my face on her lap and looked up at Rio.With her bangs hanging down, the modern high school girl looked down at me curiously.
"Because soccer is more popular. Sandlot baseball is such a Showa-era game."
"...Certainly, there were signs of people moving away from baseball by the year 2000... but it's come this far, huh."
I had spent a year investigating the common sense of modern Japan, but it seems my research on influential sports among young people was insufficient.No, well, I did think baseball broadcasts had strangely decreased.
"Even though there are more Japanese Major Leaguers than before, doesn't it become a dream for boys? When I was a kid, the profession boys wanted most when they grew up was baseball player."
"Once they reach Major Leaguer status, they're definitely treated as stars. But for playing themselves, I think more boys prefer soccer over baseball."
"Why did it turn out that way?"
"Hmm. Don't ask me."
Rio stroked my forehead, scratching her cheek as if troubled.
"A lot of things happened, you know. Like the World Cup and stuff."
"...A lot of things, huh."
The soccer boom that happened in Japan while I was absent.I don't know about it. I don't share those memories with everyone else.At times like this, I truly feel that my life has been damaged.
I was treated as a foreign object in the other world, but even after returning to Japan, I'm still a foreign object after all.
"...Can I ask why you look so sad? Are you a huge baseball fan or something?"
"That's not it."
I simply realized that my homeland had changed while I wasn't looking, and it made me feel lonely.I narrowed my eyes, gazing at the soccer ball kicked high into the sky.
I certainly returned to Japan, but somehow, this feels like I've wandered into a parallel world very similar to Japan.
"...I'll sleep a little."
"That might be a good idea. You're probably thinking dark thoughts again anyway."
"...You've gradually gotten used to handling me, haven't you."
With a cool expression, Rio replied, "Well, yeah."When she puts on a composed face like this, she has a somewhat unworldly atmosphere.Unworldly, or perhaps, un-Japanese.
Since she's the spitting image of Elsa, a person from another world, her features are quite defined for an East Asian.She's not quite... half, but she has distinct facial features like a celebrity from Kyushu.
Conversely, that means Elsa, despite being Western, had a slightly Asian taste. I didn't see any other East Asians in the other world besides myself, but apparently there were summoned heroes in the past too; did those people leave behind Asian-derived blood?Angelica also has a very slight mixed-blood vibe, so it's possible, I was thinking drowsily, when I started to doze off.
"I'm sleeping. Wake me up when it's time. ...Hm, come to think of it, you stayed up late too, aren't you sleepy?"
"I'm super sleepy. But the physical pain from lack of sleep actually feels kind of good, and it makes me more alert, you know? Plus, feeling Nakamoto-san's weight on my lap in this state is like undergoing a certain kind of torture, so it's no time to be sleeping."
"Goodnight."
Don't suddenly start talking fast. And on an abnormal topic.That's otaku talk, isn't it... I retorted inwardly, then surrendered myself to drowsiness.
"Hey. Wake up. Wake up, I said."
"...Nngh."
Time already? I lifted my face.My eyes met Rio's, her cheeks flushed, slightly excited.
"Look. That kid is amazing."
"That kid?"
Where Rio pointed, there was a small figure surrounded by the boys. A soccer ball at their feet.Apparently, a match was in full swing, but even so, the number of defenders was excessive.It looked like one versus eight.
"What's that? Are they being bullied?"
"The opposite. That surrounded kid is the one bullying the other eight."
"...What do you mean?"
"You'll understand if you watch."
I strained my eyes.The person whose path was blocked by the wall of boys had long black hair tied back. A ponytail. A gray long-sleeved shirt on top. Tweed shorts on the bottom, legs wrapped in black tights.
It's a girl.
Her height was just slightly taller than the surrounding kids. Probably about the same as Angelica.
"That kid is insane. A hat trick is nothing for her."
At the same moment Rio spoke, the ponytailed girl kicked the ball high into the air.She leaped high just like that—and scored a goal with a header.
"Nice moves."
I'm not that knowledgeable about soccer, but from my combat experience in the other world, I can somehow sense people who move well.That kid can do it.She's probably the type blessed with athletic nerves.
"She wasn't here before I slept, right?"
"Yeah. She suddenly joined in and is showing the boys the difference in class."
"...A genius soccer girl?"
"Ah, she looked this way."
The fantasista girl, who turned around swiftly, had features even more defined than Rio's. Her eye color was gray, clearly not Japanese.A foreigner... or maybe half?
"She's coming closer. An acquaintance? Don't tell me, Nakamoto-san, you hooked another teenage girl, did you?"
"I have no idea. I'm meeting her for the first time too."
...No.Thinking about it carefully, I do have an idea.A person with foreign-looking features, seemingly high physical ability, and business with me.
An assassin from another world?
I reflexively sat up and stepped forward, shielding Rio.
"Dispel."
As expected, I've gained experience, so I decided to make the first move.Dispel won't injure the opponent, and if they're setting something up, it can neutralize it.The result was...
"?"
The ponytailed girl tilted her head curiously and took the Dispel head-on.Nothing happened.
"What was that just now?"
The girl looked me in the eye and asked.No accent in her pronunciation. ...Is it the power of the Language Comprehension skill? I could confirm it if my Status Appraisal was still functional.
"Who are you? Depending on your answer..."
"You're Nakamoto-san, right? Good morning. I'm Chloe. Chloe Naito."
Nice to meet you, she said, bowing her head.Reflexively bowing back is probably a Japanese instinct.
"...Naito? So one of your parents is Japanese?"
"My father is Japanese."
The thought crossed my mind—maybe she's a co-star girl? But there shouldn't have been a girl like this.Half, and quite cute on top of that, with a good figure. If I had met a girl like this, I would have immediately saved her in my brain's beautiful girl image folder, so there's no way I'd forget.It's a habit Angelica might get mad at me for, but it's a man's instinct, so please forgive me.
"Didn't you hear? I'm going to be on your show starting today."
"Seriously. ...Wait, why add a member now?"
"Well, apparently they're making a corner where foreigners praise Japan, so I'm going to be a shill set up as 'Passerby A.' And the script is 'Beautiful Girl Discovered! Nakamoto-san Scouts Her on the Spot!'... haven't you gotten the notice yet?"
It's exactly the kind of thing Producer Kurosawa would come up with, and if she knows this much about Japan's mundane culture, she doesn't seem like someone from another world.
"I haven't heard about it yet."
"Is that so. ...It seems like they're adding other foreign girls besides me."
"What."
An American, a Brit, an Australian... and a Japanese-American half... Marie's voice, counting on her fingers, sounded younger than she looked.Could she be quite young?
"By the way, how old are you?"
"Fifteen."
...Not a high school girl?Even though the show's name is JK Evolution Theory, they're putting in a JC?As I was bewildered, Chloe laughed, "Because the school year goes up in April."
"Well then, pleased to meet you. Nakamoto-san."
"Ah, yeah. ...Your polite speech is a bit off."
"I'm aware. I'm not that good at Japanese. ...No. I'm not that good at it, I mean."
Correcting herself to polite speech, Chloe held out her hand.Does she want a handshake?
"...Do you feel more comfortable with a Western-style greeting? You weren't raised in Japan?"
"Yeah."
Chloe gripped my hand firmly and nodded....She wasn't raised in another world, was she?I peered into her gray eyes, but couldn't read her inner thoughts at all. They were too sparkly; I couldn't tell what she was thinking.
...This look in her eyes... it's like the kind you often see when suddenly asked for an autograph on a street corner...
"Could it be."
"What?"
"Are you a fan of mine?"
"Yeah!"
She nodded energetically.I see.She's a fan of mine.Instantly feeling flattered is probably a celebrity thing.
This can't be helped, right?Even if the other person is an old man, it's a happy thing.Much less when it's a half-beautiful girl with defined features yet a sense of childishness, a sports girl with a well-proportioned figure around an estimated B-cup—it's exceptionally pleasing.
...
I'm gradually becoming like Gondo.That's the moment I realized a miserable fact.
But, I feel like it can't be helped.My work environment lately is insane. After all, my co-stars are terrible.
Juri Tanaka (17) An idol who publicly states her preferred type of man is me. Attempts pillow business with me.Akane Suzuki (18) A lower-ranking member of an idol group. Attempts pillow business with me.Marin Nakano (16) A young actress who started as a child actor. Attempts pillow business with me.Yuko Kimura (17) A second-generation talent. Has a large chest. Attempts pillow business with me.Sakura Kobayakawa (16) An aspiring idol voice actress. Attempts pillow business with me in the dressing room.Minami Hosaka (18) A reader model. Touches my muscles in the dressing room. Attempts pillow business with me.Miho Kato (18) A freelancer. Attempts pillow business with me due to financial hardship.Nodoka Sato (16) An idol. Attempts pillow business with me for no particular reason.
This many, just counting the girls who've attempted pillow business.To be honest, I still haven't matched all their faces to their names, and this is terrible.It feels like being a teacher at a girls' school where students confess to you three times a day.
This will absolutely warp your sexual preferences. It's no wonder my strike zone is being adjusted downward day by day.
"...Pillow business with a JC would be bad... stop it, okay? Don't do it, okay? Absolutely don't do it, okay?"
"?"
With a face that said she didn't understand the meaning of the words, Chloe blinked.
"Shouldn't we head to the station soon?"
Saying that,from behind, Rio pulled my sleeve with a sulky voice.
"Let's go? We'll be late."
"R-right."
I moved my feet, forcing a friendly smile at Chloe, who waved us off.
"...Stretching your neck out for another girl in front of your fiancée, you're the worst!"
"I wasn't stretching my neck out!? Would I do something like that with a middle schooler!?"
"That girl's bra cups were totally showing through."
"Might have been an eyesore for elementary school boys."
"So you were looking closely."
"..."
"So you were looking closely."
"...If it was showing through that clearly, well, you know?"
"You really like them, huh—teenage girls. I wonder where the 'likes women around thirty' part is."
"It's a misunderstanding! This is like how a cat tracks moving objects with its eyes, sexual desire isn't that involved... it's an autofocus function built into the male body, so to speak..."
While I was making lame excuses, time passed.As I soothed Rio, I simultaneously chanted in my head, "Chloe is white."Even though her name means black, calling her white has a strange ring to it, but she's not the one messing with the digital devices.
Then who is?
Anyway, I'll need to investigate by hitting every person who approaches me with Dispel, one after another.