Academy's Black Haired Foreigner - Chapter 116
The surrounding parked cars are dwarfed by its imposing size.
Its tinted windows prevent any glimpse of the interior.
“But Makoto, what’s with that black car? It looks rather ominous.”
“Uh, huh?”
Makoto’s face stiffens at my words.
She scratches her cheek with an awkward smile.
“I-I don’t know. It’s my first time seeing it too! Master, let’s hurry and go eat donkatsu. Makopi’s stomach is grumbling…”
Makoto, with her flushed face, stammers and hurries me along.
It probably isn’t anything important.
But Makopi?
Looks like Eri has corrupted Makoto.
A sigh escapes me.
“Alright, let’s go.”
There’s nothing like eating Japanese donkatsu in Japan.
We move along together.
The place we’ve arrived at, led by Makoto’s unusually assertive hand, is a donkatsu specialty restaurant.
“We’re here, master!”
“But isn’t Ikebukuro known for ramen? Why are we at a donkatsu restaurant?”
I ask, looking at Makoto who refuses to let go of my arm.
Ikebukuro is a street famous for its collection of popular ramen shops.
I thought we’d be having ramen, not donkatsu.
“That, that?”
Makoto’s face turns red.
Her pupils wobble.
“That, that’s because… ramen has garlic in it! I… I mean, I don’t like garlic that much…”
Makoto flails her hand.
[Hmm, indeed, garlic is a divisive ingredient. Of course, I eat anything.]
Black Prince is spouting useless personal information in my head.
I’ve heard that Japanese cuisine doesn’t use a lot of garlic, so it makes sense.
[By the way, I remember hearing from Seira that in Japan, ramen is called ‘chastity-keeping food’ because the garlic smell makes it difficult to kiss after eating. Maybe that’s why she doesn’t want it. Partner?]
‘Shut up with your nonsense.’
Chastity-keeping food, what the hell.
I don’t know where he keeps hearing these ridiculous things.
[Well, if not that. I only know about Japanese culture from Seira and Akira.]
Black Prince surprisingly backs down.
It would be strange for a French prince to know about Japanese culture at a local level.
“Anyway, Makoto, why do you keep referring to yourself as ‘I’ instead of ‘me’ today?”
Makoto usually refers to herself as ‘boku’, befitting her tomboy character.
But today, she’s been consciously referring to herself as ‘watashi’ since we met.
Honestly, it feels awkward and bothers me.
The unnecessarily fancy outfit that doesn’t suit her usual style is one thing.
“That, that?”
A bead of cold sweat trickles down Makoto’s forehead.
She flinches.
“That’s because… I… I mean, I am a girl… It’s strange if I say ‘boku’, right? ‘Boku’ is originally for boys… So…”
“Don’t worry about the unnecessary things. Whether you refer to yourself as ‘boku’ or ‘watashi’, what does it matter? Do as you please.”
I cut off Makoto’s words.
Having inherited Kim Deok-sung’s memories, I can speak Japanese at a native speaker level, but I’m Korean at heart.
I’m not as sensitive to first-person pronouns as the Japanese are.
What’s wrong with a girl using ‘boku’?
“Ha wa wa wa wa…”
Makoto’s face reddens.
She utters a strange interjection.
Makoto bows her head.
She says, pressing her ample chest against my arm.
“Hehe… Thanks, master. But for today, I’d like to be ‘I’ instead of ‘me’.”
Why is she acting so strange today?
Did she eat something wrong?
[That green-haired lady. Her behavior is quite different from usual. Is she receiving real-time dating coaching or something?]
‘What kind of nonsense is that’
I sigh at Black Prince’s outlandish suggestion, which could only come from a romantic comedy manga.
Even in this light novel world, such an unrealistic event won’t happen.
Such a ridiculous development didn’t occur in the original work either.
A development that would only happen in a B-class harem romantic comedy manga.
Is Black Prince’s mind okay?
[Well, even I think that’s a bit far-fetched.]
This time, Black Prince backs down without a fight.
It would be strange for a French prince to know about Japanese culture at a local level.
“Alright, whatever. Do as you wish.”
“Yes! I’ll do as I wish!”
It still sounds awkward no matter how many times I hear it.
Led by Makoto’s hand, we enter the donkatsu specialty restaurant.
“Welcome, customers!”
The restaurant owner and the employees line up to greet us.
We take our seats as guided.
I look around.
The restaurant is suspiciously empty.
“Why is there no one else here? Did you rent out the whole restaurant or something?”
“Uh, huh? No, no! Maybe it’s just a coincidence? Everyone else might be eating ramen! Ikebukuro is famous for ramen!”
Makoto answers my question with an awkward laugh.
‘This is a bit suspicious.’
Did Makoto rent out the whole restaurant?
She might seem timid on the surface, but she’s the head of the Kamiya family, which rules the underworld in Japan.
Naturally, the cost of renting a restaurant would be mere pocket change for her.
[Partner. It’s polite to turn a blind eye to a lady’s secrets. That’s how you become a popular man like me.]
Black Prince says.
I don’t agree with him, but it’s not a loss for me and there’s no need to dig deeper.
It’s a bit too much to pry into this matter.
“Really? Well, I guess so.”
I casually agree with her.
[Good job, partner. That’s the way to do it. You’re starting to act like a gentleman. I’m moved.]
What’s with the gentleman.
Regardless of what Black Prince says, at that moment…
“Here’s your ordered donkatsu set.”
Along with the waiter’s words, a hot Japanese-style donkatsu, rice, and miso soup are placed on the table.
“Let’s eat, master.”
Urged by Makoto, I pick up a piece of donkatsu with chopsticks, dip it in sauce, and put it in my mouth.
The crispy batter and the chewy texture of the pork mingle with the sauce in my mouth.
It’s deliciously greasy.
Japanese donkatsu should indeed be eaten locally.
“How is it?”
Makoto’s eyes sparkle.
“It’s good.”
“I’m glad. You like it, my lord.”
Makoto sweeps down her chest and takes a bite of her donkatsu.
Her eyes widen.
“It’s delicious…!”
Makoto’s eyes sparkle.
It didn’t take long for the donkatsu in front of her and me to disappear.
After finishing the meal, I left the donkatsu shop with Makoto.
“So, where are we going next?”
“I’m going to Sunshine City with my lord! I heard the aquarium there is famous.”
Sunshine City.
It’s the landmark skyscraper of Ikebukuro.
I heard that Sunshine City Aquarium is famous, but I didn’t know I would go there like this.
“Alright, then. Guide me.”
“Yes!”
Makoto naturally nodded and crossed her arms to guide me.
I just follow her without thinking.
But the surrounding scenery gradually changes.
Cars painted with animation characters, people wearing character T-shirts.
Otaku goods selling shops come into view.
My brows furrow.
I had forgotten.
Although it’s not as much as Akihabara, which is known as the holy land of otaku, Ikebukuro also has Animate headquarters and Otome Road, a bustling district with otaku alleys.
“Let’s pass quickly.”
Otaku street in the light novel world.
It’s a contradictory and horrible sight.
I feel sick.
“Ah, okay… my lord.”
Whether she was overwhelmed by the dignity of Otaku Street, Makoto speaks in a shrunken voice.
That’s when we were moving our steps quickly.
“Master!”
Thump.
A beautiful girl in a maid outfit blocks in front of me and Makoto.
What, master?
Eri’s voice comes to mind.
My brow reflexively wrinkles.
She pushes a flyer into me and says,
“I’m Kiraring☆, the number one maid representing the Ikebukuro branch of Maid Cafe ‘Pana Poa’! How about spending time at Pana Poa with cute maids? I’ve practiced ketchup drawings for omurice for my master!”
Kiraring draws a V with her hands as she says.
Ah, I feel sick.
Of course, there was no such crazy development in the original work.
It’s beyond the original now.
[Hmm. Maid café. I’ve heard there’s such a culture in Japan, but it’s my first time seeing it. Partner. How about going in?]
‘What do you mean going in!’
After reincarnating into this damned world, I almost forcibly graduated from the otaku culture in real time.
I’m trembling at the thought of otaku water.
I will never go.
‘It’s enough that Eri is the only person who calls me master.’
I don’t need more than that.
[Oh, partner. Even though you pretend not to, you’re worried about the girl named Eri, aren’t you?]
My head hurts because of Black Prince’s nonsense.
“Ha-wa-wa-wa-wa…”
Makoto, who was next to me, is confused by the maid café clerk she’s seeing for the first time.
I pass by the maid with her cruelly.
“I’m not going.”
“Master. Don’t do that! Just once! Just once! Save Kiraring!”
“I said I’m not going!”
I shake off the maid’s solicitation and barely escape from Otaku Street.
The terrible otaku culture finally completely disappears from my sight.
Plague.
I don’t know if I’ll ever go to Ikebukuro again.
I would have gone to Shinjuku, Shibuya, but I will never go to Ikebukuro again.
Akihabara is more so, I won’t go even if dirt gets in my eye.
Otaku water is enough for me in this damned reality.
“Ugh.”
I feel like the donkatsu I ate earlier is coming up again.
I feel nauseous.
“Lord. Are you okay?”
Makoto pats my back.
“Should I buy you a cola from the convenience store?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. I’ll buy it, so wait a moment!”
After seating me on a street bench, Makoto enters a nearby convenience store.
Jingling.
She comes out of the convenience store with the sound of the doorbell.
“Here, your favorite cola.”
I open the lid of the cola can she handed me.
Squeak.
The pleasant sound of carbonation reaches my ears.
I drink cola.
Gulp, gulp.
The cool and popping carbonation fills my throat.
It’s refreshing.
The stomach that was twisted by the horrible sight earlier feels much lighter.
[Partner. If you keep drinking cola like that, your teeth will rot and you’ll gain weight.]
Black Prince’s nagging rings in my head.
‘Your nagging, are you my mother…’
My mind, which was responding to that point, stops.
Right.
My mom always complained that my teeth would rot and I would gain weight when I drank cola like this.
That’s right.
At that time, I hated hearing that nagging, but now I miss even that nagging.
I can’t be in this crazy world.
I have to go back.
To the original world.
I suddenly feel sentimental.
[Partner?]
‘No, nothing. Yeah. It’s rotting and gaining weight. Cola. That’s right.’
[······.]
Black Prince, who likes to meddle, is unusually silent for some reason.
Crunch.
I crush the cola can and throw it into the trash can.
Then.
Makoto’s face comes right in front of my face.
Ah, surprise.
Makoto, who is so close that I can feel her breath, speaks with a worried voice.
“Lord. Is something wrong? You look pale…”
“No. It’s nothing. Let’s go to Sunshine Aquarium. Let’s go.”
I carefully push away Makoto, who is too close, and get up from my seat.
I lift my head.
I see Sunshine City Building, the tallest building in Ikebukuro.
“Yes.”
Makoto sticks to me again.
Just as we were about to move our steps together.
Thud.
I hear something falling.
It’s a convenience store bag that fell roughly.
“Kim Deok-sung?”
I hear a familiar voice too.
This voice.
I turn my head towards where the voice came from.
There, a silver-eyed, trembling silver-haired beauty.
There was Saionji Aris.
Her face turns red.