Invaders of the Rokujouma!? Volume 2 Page 2

  By the time Koutarou picked up his chopsticks, Sanae was back to her usual self. Her voice now seemed to suit her appearance—innocent and lively.

  “...Hey, Sanae.”

  Koutarou’s chopsticks stopped just before reaching the wiener.

  “What?”

  “Never mind. It’s nothing.”

  Even she’s been tamed by Kiriha’s cooking...

  Koutarou kept himself from saying what was on his mind.

  “Oh? Then hurry up already!”

  “Okay, okay.”

  But why don’t I want to say it?

  Koutarou was uncertain of why he restrained himself.

  “Your Highness, it’s almost time,” proclaimed Ruth as she returned to the inner room after doing the dishes.

  “Very well. Then let’s go.”

  Hearing that, Theia put down the empty cup she had been playing with and stood up. As she did, the skirt of her dress filled out enough to take up a sizable fraction of the room. Considering how small the apartment was, her dress made for a substantial obstacle.

  “Well then, everyone, we’ll meet again later.”

  “Don’t be late, pleb.”

  “Of course I won’t”

  “That’s good. A vassal’s failure reflects poorly on me. It seems you can at least appreciate that. Very good.”

  Theia and Ruth went back through the glowing wall. They were returning to their spaceship to change. From there, they would make their way to school using their own route.

  “...She just keeps spouting selfish nonsense...”

  “She seems determined to make you her vassal.”

  Koutarou and Sanae, who were drinking tea at the table, stared at the glowing wall and sighed. Kiriha, who was drinking with them, smiled dryly as her shoulders drooped.

  “That is her condition for succeeding the throne. She most likely can’t back down. That said, I can’t either. Well then...”

  After waiting for Koutarou to finish his tea, Kiriha took the empty cups to the sink.

  “Ho!”

  “Hey! Ho!”

  As she did, the two haniwas flipped the tatami closest to the front door. Below it was a tunnel leading to Kiriha’s secret base. At first it had just been a hole in the ground, but before they knew it, it was surrounded with concrete and tiling. That was thanks to the work the two haniwas had done.

  “I will be taking my leave as well. I’ll see you in class, Koutarou, Sanae.”

  Like Theia and Ruth, Kiriha would make her own way to Harukaze High. Neither Kiriha nor Theia wanted to cause any unnecessary commotion.

  “Yeah, See you lat—”

  “Stooooop!”

  As Koutarou was about to see Kiriha off, Sanae’s fist came crashing down on the back of his head.

  “You’re being tricked again! You don’t need to see that woman off!”

  “R-Right.”

  Not good. I’m completely falling for Kiriha’s kindness...

  Koutarou himself grew wary. He was just going along with the flow of what seemed like perfectly normal behavior from Kiriha. He had completely forgotten, but everything she said was a trap to lure him into a false sense of security. If Koutarou let his guard down with her, he might wake up tomorrow to his room being used to invade the surface.

  “Heehee, so you can’t believe that my feelings for Koutarou are serious?”

  “Isn’t that obvious?! Where would anyone find romantic feelings in you?!”

  “Koutarou, do you feel the same...?”

  Kiriha held her hands to her chests and whispered to him in a sweet voice. Her smile vanished as she sadly looked down.

  “Ugh...”

  When faced with her dewy eyes and dulcet voice, Koutarou unconsciously gulped. Even though he knew she was the enemy, Koutarou was a boy in puberty. When she acted like this, he couldn’t help but waver.

  “Koutarou! Get a grip!”

  “Y-Yeah... S-Sorry, Sanae.”

  Not good. Even though I know better, this still happens...

  Koutarou started to panic internally. Kiriha’s attacks grew more skillful by the day. As Kiriha got to know Koutarou, she was adjusting her strategies accordingly.

  “Heehee. Foiled again, huh? I’ll see you later, Koutarou.”

  Kiriha disappeared into the tunnel with a smile. The two haniwas followed, putting the tatami mat back in place as they went.

  “Th-This is bad for my heart...”

  Koutarou could feel his heart throbbing as he stared at the floor where Kiriha had left.

  “That woman is the worst...”

  Sanae puffed up her cheeks and let out an irritated sigh.

  “Sanae, let’s go.”

  “Just wait a second.”

  Koutarou had changed and was ready to leave for school, but Sanae was still struggling to put on her uniform. Her scarf was crooked and the hem of her shirt was caught in her skirt, revealing her underwear. She was also only wearing one sock. She looked like a train wreck even to Koutarou, who was largely indifferent when it came to clothing.

  “Can you try to keep it together?”

  “S-Sorry, heh heh...”

  Sanae let out an embarrassed laugh as she put on her other sock. Meanwhile, Koutarou pulled her shirt out from her skirt and fixed her scarf.

  “Thanks, Koutarou.”

  “That’s fine and all, but why are you wearing a uniform to begin with?”

  “It’s cute, isn’t it?”

  Once she got herself straightened out, Sanae spun around in front of Koutarou. The uniform didn’t quite fit her. It was too large, but that only increased the cuteness factor. Koutarou had to agree with Sanae’s assessment.

  “Yeah, but I’m more interested in why a ghost is changing clothes in the first place. More importantly, where did you get a uniform that a ghost can wear? I’ve been dying to know.”

  “It’s girl stuff. Don’t worry about it. If you keep sweating the tiny details, you’re going to go bald.”

  “Are they really ‘tiny details’ though...?”

  Koutarou found himself staring at Sanae’s uniform. Noticing, she grabbed the hem of her skirt and gave him curtsy.

  “Very tiny. Ghosts in movies change their outfits between scenes all the time. That’s just what ghosts do! Ah, the tragic maiden, Sanae-chan...”

  “Now that you mention it, the mysterious man in the hockey mask changes his weapons between scenes as well... From chainsaw to machete to hatchet... I wonder where he gets those...”

  “Don’t compare me to him! You’re always like this!”

  “Uwah!”

  Sanae grabbed ahold of Koutarou’s neck in a sudden fit of rage. But as the doorbell rang, Sanae loosened her grip on Koutarou and jumped off of him.

  “Hey, Kou... Are you up?”

  “Satomi-kuuun!”

  Following the doorbell, there were voices. They belonged to Koutarou’s friends, Kenji and Shizuka, who had come to pick him up.

  “I’m awake! I’ll be right there!”

  After shouting towards the front door, Koutarou grabbed his school bag sitting nearby.

  “Sanae, you haven’t forgotten anything, have you?”

  “No, I’m all good.”

  Sanae turned off the light and headed for the front door after Koutarou.

  “What about you?”

  “I’m...”

  Koutarou, who was in the middle of putting on his shoes, paused and looked up.

  “Hmm... I do have a feeling I’m forgetting something...”

  “What is it?”

  “I have no idea. Well, if I can’t remember it right away then it probably wasn’t that important.”

  “Then let’s go, Koutarou.”

  “Yeah.”

  Koutarou nodded at Sanae and put the thought out of his mind before finishing putting on his shoes.

  “Make sure you don’t forget to make it so Landlord-san can’t see you, okay?”

  “Aye aye, sir!”

  And so Ko
utarou and the others left Corona House. With them all gone, the room fell silent. The only sounds in room 106 were the tick of the clock and the hum of the fridge. It was quiet enough to hear birdsong and the occasional passing car from outside.

  But as time passed, the outdoor noises gradually grew louder. Morning rush hour was beginning and large crowds started to gather at the nearby stations. Bicycles and cars passed by on their way to work or school. And as the time for school drew closer, even the sound of preschoolers mischievously blowing on whistles reached the apartment. But the chaos of morning only lasted for thirty minutes or so. Then room 106 was quiet again.

  That is, at least until a suspicious noise was heard coming from the wardrobe. Not a moment later, the sliding door flew open.

  “I-I-I’m laaaaate!”

  There appeared to be a girl in the upper half of the wardrobe. The bottom half contained Koutarou’s belongings, but there was a futon inexplicably spread out along the top compartment with a half-crying girl seated on top of it.

  “Wh-Why didn’t anyone wake me up?! ...Wait, they’ve already left!”

  This was Yurika. She was a cosplayer that Koutarou and the others girls knew. When Koutarou thought he might be forgetting something, it was her.

  “Aaaaahh! This will be the tenth day I’m late! The teacher’s definitely going to yell at me! They’re all terrible! They know I’m absent a lot and they just left me here anyways!”

  Yurika hurriedly changed from her pajamas to her uniform while still inside of the wardrobe. The upper half of the wardrobe had several small shelves where Yurika kept her belongings. She also had a change of clothes hanging up. Although it was very narrow inside of the wardrobe, Yurika showed no sign of being affected by it as she skillfully changed her clothes.

  Astoundingly, Yurika was using the upper half of the wardrobe as her own room.

  “All right, I’m done changing! If I don’t hurry, I’ll miss first period!”

  Once in her uniform, Yurika grabbed her bag and jumped out of the wardrobe. There was a loud crunching noise as she landed.

  “...Hm?”

  Hearing the curious sound, Yurika looked down to see a white plastic bag under her foot.

  “I-It couldn’t be...”

  Yurika shuddered at the sight. Despite being in a hurry, the surprised Yurika slowly lifted her foot. If this was the bag she thought it was, this was a disaster far more serious than being late to school.

  “Nooooooooooo!”

  Just as she had feared, what she found below her foot was the bag containing her cups of instant noodles. Landing on the bag had crushed the majority of them.

  “Wh-Why is it right here?! I know I left it over there! How could this happen?!”

  Yurika fell into a complete panic.

  With the recession, the price of instant noodles had soared. Because of that, even during specials, the best price available was still a hefty 98 yen. Yurika had trampled her precious food supply. In total she had destroyed six of the noodle cups. With a single step, two days worth of food went right out the window.

  “W-Would it still be edible if I gather all of it up?”

  It was a devastating blow to Yurika. She was now groveling on the floor, staring longingly at the broken noodles spilled across the tatami mat.

  “No, you can’t do that, Yurika! Eating food off the floor is just...! Besides, that has to be bad for you!”

  For a moment, she had seriously considered gathering the noodles up and eating them, but her pride got in the way. However, given her current financial situation and her attachment to these noodle cups, even her pride was gradually giving in.

  “I need to pick them up anyways! Not eating anything for two days, I... Aaaaahh! B-But what kind of a person would eat food off the floor like this? Aaaaahh! But, but... two days without food! Two whole days!”

  Yurika was torn.

  After picking up the noodle cups, should she throw them away or eat them? It was just a simple choice between two options, but to Yurika it held a much deeper meaning. It was an intense internal struggle. Should she throw away the food she needed to survive, or should she throw away her pride as a human being?

  It was a moral crisis over her humanity.

  “...But if I throw away my pride, I’ll be able to fill my stomach! That’s right, Yurika, you can’t live off of your pride! You have to fill up your stomach first! You have to survive, otherwise you can’t protect your pride!”

  In the end Yurika chose to throw away her pride. She just couldn’t bring herself to throw out her noodle cups. She couldn’t scorn the synthetic taste and the texture of the instant noodles.

  “I should treasure life! I have to treasure my things! That should allow me to fulfill my purpose as a magical girl as well! I need to teach the children to treasure all kinds of things!”

  Yurika quickly put her plan into action and collected the scattered noodles into the plastic bag.

  Today, Yurika wasn’t going make it in time for the second period either. At this rate, she would be held back a grade.

  “Yurika, fight! Yurika, fight!”

  But only one thing mattered to Yurika right now, and that was to hoard every last crumb of food—the most important thing to her after her life. She wasn’t thinking of anything else.

  “This is a magical girl’s duty! An important duty! It’s the only way!”

  She was the self-proclaimed magical girl of love and courage, Rainbow Yurika. Everyone was convinced that she was just a cosplayer, but even if she were a real magical girl, this was surely enough to make any of her fans give up on her.

  When Yurika finally left for school, the room was still once more. This time of day, room 106 was a rather peaceful place to be. From time to time the voices of housewives going out to shop or a passing truck could be heard, but in general Corona House was quiet. And it continued to be so until the afternoon.

  At about 2 PM, groups of young children passed by Corona House on their way home from school. They were playing around and carrying on about what they saw on TV yesterday, how delicious the pudding they had for desert was, and various other things. Their carefree conversations could be heard from the apartment as they walked by.

  As the hour grew later, the age of the kids passing by Corona House gradually rose. The voices of children playing in a nearby park could be heard too. It was around that time that people started returning to room 106.

  “I have returned.”

  The first one to arrive was Ruth. Her voice echoed in the empty room. She appeared by the entrance holding a large shopping bag. Unlike the other four girls, Koutarou trusted Ruth, so he had left the shopping to her. In her bag were the ingredients that Koutarou and the others would need for dinner.

  “Oh? What’s this...?”

  As Ruth was about to put the groceries in the refrigerator, she noticed the plastic bag next to the sink. Peeking into the bag, she saw splintered foam cups and crushed instant noodles.

  “Looks like trash.”

  In addition to the foam and noodles, there was a good amount of dust inside of the bag. Ruth was aware that the noodles were food, but nobody would eat trash like this. Although she felt like it was a waste, she threw the bag into the garbage can. Being as proper as she was, she even made sure to sort the garbage as well.

  “Now then, next is...”

  After throwing out the garbage, she washed her hands and continued putting away the groceries. While she hadn’t been sure how to act on Earth at first, she no longer showed any sign of hesitation. This was in part because she had spent half a month on Earth already, but her disposition also played a big part in it. Although she held the official position of a royal guard, she was extremely well-versed in domestic matters.

  As Ruth finished up, two more people returned to room 106.

  “But just playing card games all the time is getting old. How about we use next month’s sports festival?”

  “As you say, Theia-dono, just playing card games
all the time is getting boring. But wouldn’t the sports festival just be a challenge of stamina?”

  Coming through the front door were Theia and Kiriha, who were amicably discussing the school sports festival being held in May.

  “Well, for example, there’s that obstacle marathon for clubs, right? We’d be able to have a fair fight using that, don’t you think?”

  “I see, that certainly would be...”

  “Welcome back, Your Highness, Kiriha-sama.”

  “Thank you, Ruth.”

  “Thank you.”

  Ruth welcomed them as she closed the refrigerator and stood up, and the two girls casually entered as if it was their own apartment.

  “Your Highness! Your shoes, your shoes!”

  “Oh, right.”

  Theia had already stepped into the apartment still wearing her shoes. But after Ruth’s reminder, she hurried back to take them off.

  “...This country sure has some weird customs.”

  “Oh, don’t say that.”

  “That pleb is my vassal, so he should value my nation’s customs over his own.”

  “It’s only proper to observe a nation’s customs while visiting.”

  Theia was unused to the practice of taking off her shoes when entering a home, and expressed her frustration accordingly. The fact that Koutarou got angry whenever she forgot only made it worse. Being stubborn as she was, if Koutarou hadn’t gotten mad, she might have been more inclined to take them off.

  “That doesn’t matter anymore. Kiriha, I’m thinking of bringing up what we were talking about with Koutarou. What do you think?”

  “I don’t mind. I will support your suggestion, Theia-dono.”

  Kiriha agreed to Theia’s proposal, but that was because it seemed to pan out in her favor. If they competed in the sports festival, Theia’s weaker physique would certainly put her at a disadvantage. Moreover, Theia was unfamiliar with Earth sports. And since Sanae was a ghost, it would essentially be a competition between Kiriha and Koutarou.

  Even so, who knows what she’s thinking beyond that smile? I can’t let my guard down yet...

  Theia had been smiling confidently this whole time. It made Kiriha somewhat uneasy, so she began forming a plan in her head just to be on the safe side.