The car parked nearby stands out with its intimidating size, unlike any other vehicles around.
The tint on the windows is so dark that you can’t see inside.
“Hey, Makoto. What’s that black car? It looks kind of ominous.”
“Uh, um?”
Makoto’s face stiffens at my words.
She awkwardly scratches her cheek, forcing a smile.
“I-I don’t know. It’s the first time I’ve seen it too! My lord, let’s hurry and go eat some tonkatsu. Makopi is, is hungry…”
With her face turned bright red, she stutters and quickens her pace.
Well, it’s probably not that important.
But “Makopi,” huh?
Looks like Eri is corrupting Makoto.
I can’t help but sigh.
“Alright. Let’s go.”
You gotta eat Japanese tonkatsu in Japan.
I walk alongside Makoto.
The “me” that’s not really “me”
Today, for some reason, I’m being led by the unusually proactive hand of Makoto to the front of a tonkatsu specialty shop.
“We’ve arrived, my lord!”
“But isn’t Ikebukuro all about ramen? Why a tonkatsu place?”
I say, while looking at Makoto, who seems glued to my arm.
Ikebukuro is famous for having many renowned ramen shops.
I figured we’d be having ramen, but it’s tonkatsu instead.
“Th-that?”
Makoto’s face turns beet red.
Her eyes are darting around.
“Th-that’s because ramen has garlic in it! I, um, I don’t like garlic very much…”
Makoto waves her hands around.
[Hmm, garlic really is a hit or miss ingredient. Of course, I eat anything, but still.]
The Black Prince in my head lists irrelevant information about himself.
I mean, I’ve heard that garlic isn’t commonly used in Japanese cuisine, so that makes sense.
[Speaking of which, I remember Seira telling me that ramen has a nickname as ‘the food that protects purity’ because the garlic smell makes kissing afterward difficult. Could that be what this is about? Partner?]
‘Stop spouting nonsense.’
“Protecting purity”? What nonsense is that?
I have no idea where all those ridiculous sayings come from.
[Or maybe, who knows. My knowledge of Japanese culture is only what I’ve heard from Seira and Akira.]
The Black Prince unexpectedly lowers his tail.
Well, it would be strange for a French aristocrat to know about Japanese culture as well as the locals do.
“By the way, Makoto, why do you keep saying ‘watashi’ today instead of ‘boku’?”
Makoto’s first-person pronoun is typically “boku,” fitting for a tomboyish girl character.
But today, since we met, she’s been consciously using “watashi.”
But today, since the moment she met me, she has been consciously using the first-person “watashi (私).”
Honestly, it’s awkward and bothering me.
It’s also strange how she’s dressed up unnecessarily pretty, which doesn’t match her usual look.
“Th-that?”
A bead of cold sweat runs down Makoto’s forehead.
She flinches.
“Um… that’s… I, I (私) am a girl… so… if I say I (僕), it would be weird, right? I (僕) is a term only for guys… so…”
“Why worry about unnecessary stuff? Who cares what first-person you use? Do what feels comfortable.”
I cut off Makoto’s train of thought.
Thanks to inheriting Kim Deok-Sung’s memories, I can speak Japanese like a native, but I’m still Korean at the end of the day.
I’m not as sensitive to first-person terms like “boku” or “watashi” as the Japanese are.
What’s the big deal about a girl using “boku”?
“Ha-wa-wa-wa-wa…”
Makoto’s face turns red.
She lets out some strange onomatopoeia.
Makoto lowers her head.
As she presses her large chest against my arm, she says, “Hehe… thank you, my lord. Just for today, I want to use ‘I (私)’ instead of ‘I (僕).”
What’s gotten into her today?
Did she eat something weird?
[That green-haired lady. Her behavior is way off from usual. Is she getting real-time dating coaching right now?]
I sigh at the Black Prince’s nonsensical comment that sounds like something out of a romantic comedy manga.
Even in this light novel world, there’s no way something so unrealistic could happen.
Not even the original had any ridiculous plot like real-time dating coaches.
To be reciting plots that belong in a B-grade harem love comedy manga is absurd.
Is the Black Prince’s head okay?
[Well, even I think that sounds a bit ridiculous.]
Again, the Black Prince obediently backs down.
While listening to his voice, I say, “Sure, do whatever.”
“Okay! I’ll do it my way (私)!”
No matter how I hear it, it sounds awkward.
Led by Makoto’s hand, I walk into a tonkatsu specialty restaurant.
“Welcome! Customer!”
The employees and the restaurant owner line up to greet us.
We are guided to a seat.
I look around.
The restaurant’s interior is suspiciously empty.
“Why is no one here? Did we rent out the whole place?”
“Uh, no! I, um… maybe it’s just a coincidence? Everyone might have gone to eat ramen! Ikebukuro is famous for ramen, after all!”
Makoto awkwardly laughs as she responds to my question.
‘This is a bit suspicious.’
Is it possible that Makoto rented out this entire place?
Even though she seems timid usually, she is the head of the Kamiya clan, which dominates the Japanese underworld.
It’s definitely pocket change for her to rent out a place like this.
[Partner. It’s polite not to pry into a lady’s secrets. That’s how you become a popular guy like me, you know?]
The Black Prince chimes in.
I don’t agree with him, but it’s not something that would harm me, so there’s no need to dig any deeper.
It feels a bit rude to insist on probing into something like this.
“Oh? Is that so?”
I half-heartedly play along with her words.
[Good job, partner. That’s how you do it. You’re starting to act a bit more like a gentleman. I’m touched.]
It’s starting to get ridiculous. I’m moved.]
What a gentleman.
Back then, when Raul Napoleon Bonaparte said something.
“Your ordered pork cutlet set is here.”
With the employee’s words, a warm Japanese-style pork cutlet, rice, and soybean paste soup are placed on the table.
“Let’s eat, my lord.”
Prompted by Makoto, I pick up a piece of the pork cutlet with chopsticks, dip it in the sauce, and put it in my mouth.
The crispy batter and chewy pork texture blend together with the sauce in my mouth.
It’s deliciously greasy.
As expected, Japanese pork cutlet must be eaten locally.
“How is it?”
Makoto’s eyes sparkle.
“It’s good.”
“Thank goodness. I’m glad you like it, my lord.”
Makoto sighs in relief and takes a bite of the pork cutlet herself.
Her eyes widen.
“It’s so good…!”
Makoto’s eyes shine again.
It didn’t take long for all the pork cutlet in front of her and me to disappear.
After finishing the meal, I left the pork cutlet shop with Makoto.
“So, where are we going next?”
“I’m going to Sunshine City with you! I heard that the aquarium there is famous.”
Sunshine City.
It’s a skyscraper and landmark in Ikebukuro.
I had heard that the Sunshine City Aquarium was famous, but I never expected I’d actually go there.
“Okay, then. Lead the way.”
“Yeah!”
Makoto casually crosses her arms and guides me.
I walk thoughtlessly along with her.
But I begin to notice the scenery around me changing.
Cars painted with anime characters, people wearing character T-shirts.
Stores selling otaku goods come into view.
My brows furrow.
I had forgotten.
Though not as much as Akihabara, known as the holy land of otaku, Ikebukuro also has Animate’s main store and Otome Road, a street for female otaku, as a bustling area with its own otaku alleys.
“Let’s hurry past.”
An otaku street in a light novel world.
It’s a contradictory and horrific sight.
I feel nauseous.
“Oh, got it… my lord.”
Maybe overwhelmed by the majesty of the otaku street, Makoto speaks in a timid voice.
Just then, while we were quickly moving our feet.
“Master!”
Thud.
A beautiful girl in a maid outfit blocks our path.
What did she say? Master?
I can feel Eri’s voice echoing in my mind.
My forehead wrinkles reflexively.
She thrusts a flyer at me, saying:
“I’m Kiring☆, the top maid representing the ‘Pana Poa’ Ikebukuro branch! If you’re interested, how about spending some time at Pana Poa with our cute maids? I even practiced drawing ketchup art on omelets for you, Master!”
With a “Kira!” sound, Kiring makes a V sign with her hand.
Ah, I feel sick.
Of course, this kind of crazy development didn’t exist in the original work.
At this point, it’s already beyond the original.
[Hmm. A maid cafe, huh. I’ve heard Japan has this culture, but it’s my first time seeing it in person. Partner. How about we check it out?]
‘What do you mean check it out!’
Ever since being reborn into this damn crazy world, experiencing otaku culture in real time, I’ve almost been forced to graduate from being a nerd.
Thinking of nerdy stuff makes me shudder now.
I’m absolutely not going.
‘The only one who can call me Master is Eri.’
I don’t need anyone else.
[Oh, partner. Even if you pretend not to care, you’re still thinking about that girl named Eri, huh?]
“Are you worried about me?”
My head was pounding from the Black Prince’s nonsense.
“Wow wow wow…”
Makoto, who was next to me, was bewildered by the sight of a maid café employee for the first time.
I coldly walked past the maid with her in tow.
“I’m not going.”
“Master! Please! Just once! Save Kiraring!”
“I’m not going, I said!”
Dodging the maid’s solicitation, we finally escaped the otaku street.
That horrific degenerate culture finally disappeared from my view.
Damn it.
I’ll never go to Ikebukuro again.
If I go to a downtown area, it will be Shinjuku or Shibuya, but Ikebukuro? Never again.
Akihabara? Not even if dirt gets in my eyes.
This wretched reality is enough of a degenerate show for me.
“Ugh.”
I felt like the tonkatsu I had earlier was about to come back up.
I gagged.
“Are you okay, my lord?”
Makoto patted my back.
“Want me to get you a cola from that convenience store?”
“Sure.”
“Got it! I’ll go buy it, so just wait a bit!”
Makoto sat me down on a street bench and dashed into a nearby convenience store.
Ding-a-ling.
She came out of the convenience store.
“Here you go! Your favorite cola, my lord.”
I took the cola can she handed me and popped the top.
Fizz.
The pleasant sound of carbonation greeted my ears.
I drank the cola.
Gulp, gulp.
The cold, fizzy sensation filled my throat.
Refreshing.
The nausea from the horrific scene earlier was starting to clear up.
[Partner, if you keep drinking cola like that, your teeth will rot.]
The Black Prince’s nagging echoed in my head.
‘Nagging? You’re practically my mom…’
My thoughts drifted off before I could finish my reply.
Yeah.
My mom used to say that whenever I drank cola, my teeth would rot and I’d gain weight.
That’s how it was.
Back then, I hated hearing that nag, but now I even miss it.
I surely can’t exist in this crazy world.
I need to go back.
To the real world.
Suddenly, I felt sentimental.
[Partner?]
‘No, it’s nothing. Yeah, I’m going to rot and gain weight. Cola. You’re right about that.’
[……]
The Black Prince, who loves to meddle, was surprisingly silent.
I crumpled the cola can and threw it in the trash.
At that moment.
Makoto’s face came right in front of mine.
Oh, you scared me.
Makoto, so close I could feel her breath, spoke in a worried voice.
“Master, is something wrong? You don’t look well…”
“It’s nothing. You wanted to go to Sunshine Aquarium, right? Let’s go.”
Carefully pushing back the overly close Makoto, I stood up.
I lifted my head.
The tallest building in Ikebukuro, Sunshine City, was in sight.
“Yeah.”
Makoto clung to me again.
Just as we were about to move, I heard a thud.
Something had fallen.
Looking closely, it was a convenience store bag.
“Kim Deok-Sung?”
A familiar voice called out.
I turned my head toward the voice.
There stood a silver-haired girl with shimmering silver eyes, her cheeks brightened: Saionji Aris.
