Interlude: Shopping with Ms. Elf

There were a few things that had been bothering me as of late. Most of them had been about Marie, the elf girl who had come to the unknown land of Japan.

The cars driving down the roads, the curious stares, and the food—well, I guess the food was fine, but I heard an unfamiliar environment can lead to stress. I was afraid she’d been getting mentally exhausted, and she’d never want to come back one day.

Since I obviously needed to go to work, I couldn’t always be there to watch after her. It would’ve been nice if she had a friend, but mingling with the neighbors would come later.

“And Marie’s the type to keep things to herself instead of complaining...” I muttered to myself on the toilet.

That was probably the biggest problem. I didn’t know if it was an elf thing or not, but she could be overly serious at times. Even if I asked her if there were anything troubling her, she probably wouldn’t tell me.

That wasn’t the only problem. There was about a half a day’s time difference between Japan and the dream world. Morning over there was night here, so about half a day passed whenever we went to sleep. If I slept at 7 p.m., it would be 7 a.m. over there. That meant we were active for twenty-four hours straight. However, our worlds seemed to be independent of each other, because I felt completely rested upon waking up.

Still, I was worried this lifestyle may have caused her stress. It didn’t affect me one bit, since I’d lived like this for the past twenty years and enjoyed it, but this was a completely new life for her, and all her prior knowledge was denied with each passing day as she learned more about modern civilization.

Because of this, I couldn’t help but grow more and more worried. I wanted to support her in any way I could, of course; there was nothing I wanted more than for her to enjoy her life here. But at the same time, I was made aware of another part of the problem.

“Hm, I guess it all comes down to me wanting her to spend time with me. Maybe that’s the most problematic part of all this.”

I stood up and pushed the lever on the side of the toilet. The water swirled with a flushing noise, and I sighed as I left the restroom.

“It’s not as if I’m interested in playing with dolls or anything. I grew out of such things long ago.” She’d suddenly told me so as we were on the way to go shopping.

This made me pause to think, considering she was saying this as she sat down on the sidewalk while staring at a doll. Usually, that was a line someone would say while passing by with a look of disinterest.

It was a sunny Sunday, with long clouds that seemed like they were stretched by the wind. We were at a well-populated, local shopping district, but it felt like the place had become much quieter compared to before. There were many residential areas in this part of the Koto Ward, and the downtown area had a long history, so the buildings there changed often. A shop with its shutters down turned into a condo, and a convenience store was built there for the new potential customers in the area. Because of this, most of the scenery from my childhood had changed by now.

I stood there reminiscing while Ms. Elf got drawn in by the doll meant to grab peoples’ attention as they passed by. She was blatantly staring at it as she continued complaining, crouched right in front of it with seemingly no intention of moving.

It was a windy day for spring, and she seemed a bit cold in her outfit of a collared shirt, skirt, and high socks. But when I peered in to see what she was looking at, I found a surprisingly cute doll waiting there.

“The face is a bit funny-looking, though. It’s kinda pouting like it’s annoyed, and its eyes are staring off to the side.”

“Hmph. It may have fooled you, but I won’t be fooled so easily. This one did something bad. I’ve been alive for a hundred years, so I can tell just by looking at its eyes.”

I was a bit skeptical about her claim, but nodded anyway.

It was a small shop with miscellaneous goods on display. They were nowhere near as well-stocked as department stores, but there was a reason they were able to stay in business.

People didn’t really notice the shop signs as they walked by. The shops were dark for the most part, and few people bothered to peek in to see what sort of wares were being sold.

So how did they attract customers? One method was to use appetizing smells. Stimulating one’s appetite was an effective way to loosen their purse strings. This had been effective in several cases, and it was usually game over if they were able to stop Marie in her tracks.

In the case of a general merchandise store like this, putting an interesting and eye-catching item at about eye level was the way to go. This let them slightly control the flow of traffic, and it was apparently an effective way to catch wild elves out in the city.

“What are you giving me that look for? I’ll have you know, I’m only touching it to check the material. See? It’s so fluffy and soft, I’m sure it would be warm even on cold days.”

She spoke quickly as she explained, but it sounded to me like she was making excuses.

As she squished the doll’s stomach, it made a loud squealing noise that sounded like, “Papyuuu!” I didn’t notice at first, but it seemed there was some sort of button on its stomach that, when pressed, made it squeal like that.

“Ahh! Wha, whoa, whoaaa!” The girl jerked back and nearly dropped it, but managed to catch it mid-air.

I let out a breath of relief. I clapped in amazement to her swift reaction, but she glared at me with her purple eyes.

“Did you hear that? This little one is complaining about you, too. He’s saying, ‘Kazuhiho the Sleepyhead will be freezing in his sleep all alone on a cold night.’”

Well, I’d been feeling pretty cozy lately thanks to her. And I ended up in the other world once I fell asleep, so the cold didn’t really bother me.

Although these thoughts crossed my mind, the words that actually came out of my mouth were completely different.

“Are you sure? I thought I heard something else.”

I crouched down next to her. It was spring already, but it was a windy day. When I touched her finger holding the doll, it felt a little cold. I turned the doll over to face Marie, then began talking in a high-pitched voice.

“Take me with you to sleep, and you should be able to sleep nice and warm. Won’t you ask Kazuhiho to take me with you?”

The girl’s eyes widened, and her cheeks seemed slightly flushed. She’d already fallen for the trap laid out by the shop owners there. It didn’t take long for the corners of her lips to curl into a smile.

She cleared her throat, then looked at the doll instead of me. “I-I suppose. I doubt anyone would buy you with a face like that, so I don’t mind asking him for you. But you must behave while you stay in our room. Understood?”

I made the doll nod, then moved it out of the way and stared at her. She stuck out her lips a bit and averted her eyes, which almost made me burst out laughing. She didn’t realize it, but the face she was making looked exactly like the one on the doll.

And so, I walked around the shopping district with Marie as she continued playing with the doll. She was still making the same pouty face as the doll, and I was having a hard time keeping it together.

It seemed Marie was fond of characters with a bit of an attitude, which I realized when we were picking out books for her. Surprisingly, it seemed like she didn’t even realize this herself.

“So, do you mind going with me to pick out some clothes?”

“But I don’t need so many different outfits. I like these clothes, and the pajamas feel so nice on my skin. I doubt I’ll be going out too much, so I’ll be okay with a little care.”

I shook my head. Even if she didn’t mind, I couldn’t have a young girl like her living in a single outfit. She did spend most of her time in a robe in the other world, so she was probably used to making due with what she had. But I got a feeling she had some interest in clothing. There were many pretty designs in the spring, and I remembered her looking at the brightly colored fabrics displayed in the store windows.

“Why do you insist on being so frugal, Marie? I really don’t mind.”

She gave me a look as if the answer were obvious.

“Because I realized you aren’t wealthy. I had the wrong impression when I saw how high up your room was, but I can’t ask for too much if your earnings are so low.”

Ah, so that was her reasoning. But if that were the case... My eyes went toward the doll, but she quickly hid it behind her back.

She always did enjoy shopping. It seemed she was troubled by all the temptation around her, no matter how hard she held back. This only made me want to resolve her dilemma.

Yeah, these things were best addressed as early as possible. Otherwise, she could end up with a bad habit of holding in anything and everything.

“I see. Then how about we go learn about shopping today?”

She looked at me questioningly. “Learn... about shopping?”

I nodded. The problem now wasn’t about being too frugal, but the fact that she didn’t understand money. So long as she lived in Japan, it’d be useful for her to know what was necessary and what wasn’t.

We arrived at the department store, which appeared more like a place of learning than a shopping center in our eyes.

First, we headed underground instead of going to a clothing store. It was her first time seeing an escalator, and she took several deep breaths before hopping on. She then stuck to my back and stared at her feet the whole ride.

“It kept moving by itself, just like you said! That was fun!” she told me with a smile as she hopped off.

She held the doll from earlier in her hands, so maybe it was this unexpected guest that was making her so cheerful. It seemed that buying it was the right choice, in a sense.

“There are tons of rides like that in this world. Without them, larger buildings would be too inconvenient to walk around in, and that could drive customers away.”

“I see. I thought this place was too big, but that makes sense. In my world, the shopping district we were in earlier was the typical size.”

By explaining these things, the “weird thing that moves” turned into “a convenient object set there to draw in customers.” She understood new things better when I explained the reasoning behind their use, rather than the structural details of what they actually were.

It was a Sunday, so I decided to spend the day teaching her more about the daily life and common knowledge of this world. Maybe that would help alleviate some of the things that had been troubling me this morning.

I began by explaining things like automatic doors, elevators, and restrooms as I did earlier, then had her try them out for herself. Toilets in particular had automatically flowing water and hand-drying machines, both of which were a good thing for her to learn about. Her eyes were wide open when she returned, and when I asked her, “Were you surprised?” she replied, “Yes!” and jogged over to me. She then spread her hands wide as if something incredible just happened.

“It blew out wind so hard! And it was like... my skin was being squeezed. The sensation between my fingers was tickling me. I thought I was going to scream!”

Oh, so that was the “nyaaa!” sound coming from the girls’ restroom...

I thought to myself that it was a good thing I brought her when no one was around, and I took out a handkerchief to wipe the excess moisture off her hands.

“You use those things to blow water off your hands. A towel or something wouldn’t be hygienic with so many people using it, so we have devices that don’t come in contact with peoples’ hands.”

“Hygienic... I’ve seen so many signs in Japan about washing hands and rinsing your mouth. Why is that?”

That was a bit of a complicated question. It was probably better to take my time answering it the next time we went to the library or something.

We arrived at the underground facility, so I decided to show her the food section. Though, I wasn’t there to buy anything, so we were just looking around.

“Ah! It’s bright down here! Fruits and vegetables... They sell food here?”

“That’s right. Many people shop in these places; they’re crucial to our daily lives. The tastier and rarer food items tend to be higher in price.”

Matsutake mushrooms were an exception, but... well, I supposed that was a personal preference. I hadn’t even properly eaten matsutake before.

It was here that I decided to take my time in teaching her about the money I used every day. I told her my approximate salary and how much of it was used on food. Then I subtracted the ballpark food costs between the two of us from my income.

“There’s another cost of living called ‘heating and lighting expenses.’ Lights, water, and even gas can contribute to this cost.”

It seemed she didn’t realize everything cost so much money.

Thinking about it, once water and sewage systems were in place in the middle ages, they tended to be left alone. Maybe they’d collect taxes and do repairs, but that was about it.

Anyway, I subtracted those costs from my salary, along with my phone bill, car maintenance fees, and taxes.

“They even charge money for water that’s taken from nature? That’s insane. Doesn’t anyone get angry about this?”

“Hmm, I don’t know how things were back in the day, but water in Japan is maintained really well. I’m pretty sure there aren’t too many countries where you can drink clean water from faucets directly.”

“What?! Th-Then what do those people do when they want water?”

“They buy it in stores. It’s more expensive that way, though.”

She blinked.

There were also construction and dam maintenance costs to get water to each household, but I decided to tell her about these things the next time we went to the library. She was far better than me when it came to memorization and calculation, so the quick explanation I gave her as we went up the escalator was enough for her to learn already.

As she played with her doll with both hands, it seemed like she was processing the information I’d just given her. I answered a few questions, then finally said what I’d been wanting to tell her.

“And what’s left over is the money I can spend for the month. Though I do need to save some of it, of course.”

“Hmm, so that’s how it all works. I’m surprised there are so many details to money management... But I feel like I have a grasp of it now.”

I asked her what she meant, and she answered, “People’s lifestyles are managed by their earnings and expenses. That may not sound too nice, but seeing all these facilities as a part of your daily lives here, it seems to be working rather successfully.”

It seemed she was understanding it quite well now. An average salaryman like me couldn’t grasp the entirety of Japanese economics, but I was sure even those in charge of its management only saw the full picture vaguely.

“So, we’ve made it to our destination: the clothing area. Now that you’ve learned about money, let’s take a look at the shops here.”

“Hehe, this is getting fun. You’re good at teaching. I think you would make a splendid teacher.”

Huh, would I?

That seemed to be a compliment, so I thanked her.

The clothing area had many different sections, like luxury and non-luxury, and sections divided by age groups. There were many expensive shops, but Marie made an “X” with her fingers and said things like, “The watches displayed in the watch corner are too expensive.” However, unlike earlier, this was the answer she gave only after we discussed my available funds.

“That’s how you manage money. I think it’s more important to think about what you will and won’t buy, rather than deciding not to buy anything at all.”

For example, if I really loved that watch from earlier, I could buy it by making a budget and saving up for it for a few months. It was obtainable, so long as I decided on what I did or didn’t want.

“I see. So you need to choose only what you need without wasting money,” she said as she waved her doll’s hand.

It was okay; that doll didn’t count as wasting money. It had the important role of entertaining Ms. Elf from here on.

In any case, I was able to teach her about shopping, a necessary piece of knowledge for living in Japan. As Marie began picking out clothes, she seemed like she got to know and accept Japan just a little bit more than before.

We entered a café to take a rest. Before her was the unfamiliar sight of coffee. and next to her were her shopping bags.

I was putting sugar and milk in her cup when she tapped my hand with her finger. I looked up to find the elf, with her ears hidden under a knit hat, smiling at me.

“Thank you for buying me such wonderful clothes. That one piece with the laces should be wearable when the season changes, too. And it was so inexpensive!”

We spent a long time in the clothing area choosing what we needed together. The shop employees came gathering to help us, which took us by surprise. The appearance of a cute girl like Marie was like a special event for them, and they picked out all sorts of clothes that would look good on her without pushing us to buy anything. They even answered her questions about the seasons of Japan and when each piece of clothing could be worn, which I found to be helpful.

“No problem at all. I’m glad we were able to get you some spring clothes. After all, you were saying you didn’t need any other clothes at first.”

“It was only natural when I didn’t understand the situation. I wouldn’t have minded if you were rich... Well, I probably still would have minded.”

She had a point. I wouldn’t have been comfortable asking someone to buy me a bunch of things when I didn’t know their worth. In that sense, I was glad she now saw the whole picture and gained the ability to pick out what we needed.

As I thought about it, a little something peeked out from under the table. Its lips were sticking out, and its eyes were looking off to the side. Then, with a high-pitched voice, it spoke to me.

“Hello, Kazuhiho. Thanks for teaching me so much today.”

“Hehe, you’re welcome. I hope that information was useful.”

“Of course! It was a ton of fun, and Marie loves her new clothes. Plus, she seems to be enjoying life here in Japan. You know, you’re kind of a ditz, but you can be real mature when it comes down to it.”

I wished she’d cut it out, because seeing Marie sticking her lips out while doing her ventriloquism almost made me spit my coffee out in laughter. She was almost too cute to handle already.

As I chuckled to myself, the doll began patting my head. I raised both my hands in surrender, and her lips moved into the shape of a smile. Seeing a smile like hers made me feel like my heart was being cleansed. Happy emotions seemed to gush out of her and flow into me through her eyes. I couldn’t help but stare, despite my age.

To be honest, she had me good. She didn’t realize how powerful her punch was, and I pretended not to be affected, but I was only keeping it together thanks to being twenty-five years old.

I cleared my throat, then poked the fluffy doll with my finger.

“You actually like him a lot, don’t you?”

“Yes, I love him. He’s such a little brat, I can’t take my eyes off him.”

It was such an honest response, we both suddenly burst out in laughter. It had been a while since I felt such genuine joy. All this from simply going out to get clothes with her... The time I spent with her on my days off truly was special.

It was already dark by the time we went outside, and we decided to take the long way home.