Chapter of Elf, Episode 2: Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf

I was still completely frozen by the time I heard the sparrows chirping outside to indicate the weekday morning had come. I finally let out a breath, coming out as a sigh heavy with the troubled thoughts in my mind.

I blankly looked out the window and muttered to myself, “Guess I didn’t get a wink of sleep...”

That wasn’t very surprising, considering there was an elf girl sleeping in my own bed. I’d question the sanity of anyone who could go back to sleep in that situation.

My eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to her. As the room grew brighter, the elf’s presence became harder and harder to ignore. Her hair gleamed like silk, and the beauty of her facial features almost made her look like a full-blown fairy. She was ridiculously pretty, with her pale skin and lips that were as bright as a blooming flower, and I couldn’t help but stare, stare, stare at her.

She was an elf, which was obvious from her long ears, and a user of Spirit Magic and Sorcery. The fact that she was sleeping in my bed was like a dream in itself, ignoring that this was, in reality, just a condo in Tokyo.

But how exactly did she appear before me? And what is that world I thought only existed in my dreams...?

I couldn’t find any answers, and I simply let out another heavy sigh.

Her name was Mariabelle. I’d always called her Marie in my dreams, and it was only recently that we became close enough for her to smile at me. But last night, we were hit with an arkdragon’s breath attack while I held her in my arms, and I woke up with her here next to me, for some reason or other. On top of that, we woke up in my bed (which was very comfortable, if nothing else).

So many questions...

But first, I’d need to make sure she didn’t wake up in a full-blown panic. After all, she was transported from the world I thought was a dream to here in Japan. If I were in her shoes, I might not be so calm with all the questions I’d have. Actually, I probably would’ve been full of excitement from the inexplicable events... but knowing that I had to tell her there was no guarantee she could go home was a hard pill to swallow.

As I struggled with those thoughts, the elf girl’s eyes slowly opened.

Her clear, amethyst eyes...

It was like witnessing a vivid flower blooming in front of me, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if they had some sort of charming effect. They were just that beautiful, and I could feel my heart fluttering despite my age. I simply watched as her bright lips gradually opened and uttered words in Elvish.

“...Kazu...hiho?”

“H-Hey there, Marie. Nice morning, isn’t it?”

Marie’s sleepy eyes regained their luster, and the corners of her eyebrows perked up as she looked up at me. I didn’t blame her; I mean, I looked fifteen in my dreams, but I looked drastically different now as a twenty-five-year-old.

“Huh? Wait, are you... actually Kazuhiho? Not his dad or something...?”

“Yeah, it’s me... I’ll explain later, but first, are you hurt? You got hit by that dragon’s breath earlier...”

She seemed to finally recall last night’s events and threw the blanket off herself in a fluster. I had a bad feeling when I saw her bare shoulder, but I suddenly got a full view of the elf’s skin. I looked away, but it was too late.

“Wh-Whaaaaaat?!”

It might have been the most hysteric scream I’d ever heard. The image burned into my brain was that of clear, white skin, and... Oh, I shouldn’t think about it. My face turned bright red, even though she was just a younger girl.

I heard a sound I assumed was her throwing the blanket back over her head. I was too scared to make sure, but I was pretty sure that was it. My back and neck were sweating profusely, and I could almost feel her staring daggers into me; but then, her voice trembling with rage, she spoke to me.

“Y-Y-You!”

“Sorry! I-I didn’t know, and I didn’t lay a finger on you, really!”

I’d be incredibly happy if she just took my word for it, though I’d also probably have a hard time believing that if I found myself naked in someone’s room. The real question was, how trustworthy of a person was I?

She exhaled loudly from her nose, which I took as her considering my words despite her obvious anger. We weren’t particularly close, but all I could do was hope she understood what type of person I was.

After waiting for a long time, she finally let out a sigh. “Maybe it was thanks to you... but I haven’t been hurt. I trust you’re going to explain what’s going on?”

“Absolutely!”

“Bring me some clothes first! And don’t you dare turn around!”

A pillow hit me right in the face, and I was forced to go buy some women’s clothing. I looked all over my place, but I didn’t have any sort of clothes, equipment, or bags a girl could use.

“Yes. Yes, Sir. I’m very sorry. I’ll be absolutely sure to go in tomorrow.”

I bowed my head deeply and hung up the call on my smartphone. I couldn’t help but sigh, considering I was standing in front of people in suits who seemed to be on their way to work and staring at a clothing shop that was about to open for the day. I didn’t like taking days off when I wasn’t even sick, but I had no choice. It wasn’t like I could just tell my boss I had to deal with an elf who came out of my dreams.

But... what’s done was done, so it was time to find something that fit her, without it being too expensive, of course. I was sure a cute girl like her would look great in nice clothes, but I didn’t have the greatest fashion sense. I didn’t go out often, let alone buy clothes for a girl.

“Hmm... I think I’ll just buy something for now and go get the rest with her.”

So it was decided.

I had no idea what size or type of underwear she’d want, so I’d get her the athletic type with stretch. Thinking so, I went to find some underwear and put it in my basket, along with a pleated skirt and high socks. Then I picked out a white, long sleeved shirt and some sneakers that seemed to go well with them. I wanted to at least get her some nice shoes, so it was a shame I didn’t know her size. Not that sneakers were bad, but I did spend an unnecessarily long time wondering if they’d go well with more formal outfits...

I definitely need to bring her next time...

The reason I was grumbling to myself was because I was beginning to understand that it was somewhat fun shopping for such elegant women’s clothing. They were all bright, spring colors, and the vibe of the outfits changed completely depending on the combinations. It was a completely different experience from buying men’s clothes, which aspired to have just enough “normalcy” so that you wouldn’t stick out. It was always such a shame I only ever saw Marie in robes, but now I’d get to dress her to my preferences...

Ah... I should stop myself there...

The shop staff behind the pillar was coming over to check if I was the one who called out to her. I briefly wondered if me doing business here made it look like I was into cross-dressing, but I let those thoughts slip by. I quickly paid for the stuff, tossed the shopping bags full of compromises into my car, and decided to drive straight home.

I drove a small station wagon-type car that fit about four people. Its only feature was its low cost, but it was enough for just driving around the city.

I tapped the steering wheel with a finger as I waited for the lights to change. I looked over to the bag of things I’d just bought when a question came to mind:

Why was she naked?

Her staff and bag were gone too, and I doubted she had time to hide them somehow.

Then I realized I was in the same situation: I wasn’t able to bring any of my equipment or valuables from there to here, either. The only difference was, I was already wearing my pajamas before falling asleep here.

Yeah, that has to be the reason...

If that place in my dreams actually existed, then here and there would both be independent of each other, and this would be Marie’s first visit to this side, so she was forced to start with a blank slate, clothes and all... Maybe.

Thinking about it, I wondered if I was also naked when I first arrived at her world... No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t dig up those memories from when I was a kid.

Then, I realized I was beginning to accept the bizarre situation I was in. I’d always thought a dream was only imaginary, and this morning’s events had my brain spinning, but it was time to switch my way of thinking. Now that I’d seen it with my own eyes, I had no choice but to accept the reality...

Yes, there was an elf in my room. Nobody would believe it, but I at least had to. Marie was real, and I had taken her hand and brought her into my bed. Because I held her in my arms just as I died, it was highly likely that my ability to “awaken in Japan when I die” affected her too. But what would happen if she died in this world? She might go back to her own world like me, but I definitely didn’t want to find out that way.

The light turned green, and I stopped all the speculation that was going nowhere. I pressed the pedal with my foot, and the car slowly began accelerating.

I opened the door with shopping bags in hand and found Marie standing in front of the windows. She was wrapped in blankets and stood with her back toward me, so I couldn’t readily see her expression.

I lived in a 1DK condo that was only about nineteen square meters and designed for one person to live in. From the entrance, the kitchen was directly to the right, with a table and chair directly in front of it. On the left hand side was my bedroom, which had a low cabinet separating it from the dining area. That was how I was able to see Marie, who was standing at the bedside, immediately after entering.

Her bangs were wavering in the wind that blew in through the slightly open window, and there I was, at a loss for words from the sight of an elf in the scenery of a residential area. The sight was so mythical, it made me question whether I was really still in Japan.

I let out a fervent breath, then finally called out to her, “I’m h—”

“Kazuhiho, where exactly is this?” Her quiet voice asked me.

So she really was standing there just to stare at the view. It was completely different from her own world, so she must’ve been in total shock.

“I understand how you feel. When I went to your world for the first time, I...”

“You must be very wealthy if you can live in such a tall building! This is so amazing, Kazuhiho! I’ve never seen such an advanced city before! Ahh, looking down below makes my knees shake!”

Oh, right. I was in a state of total excitement, like I’d gone to a fun theme park for the first time. I, too, would always get pumped up just like that whenever I went to her world. It’s said that birds of a feather flock together, but maybe we’d hung out so many times because we had similar personalities. She was very curious and inquisitive, just like me, and we both became totally engrossed in things that interested us.

I stood there thinking about all that, when the girl pointed at something outside. She tapped the window glass with her finger, then turned to me with eyes full of curiosity.

“What’s that tower over there? Is that where a highly-renowned archmage lives?”

“Tower? Oh, the Tokyo Sky Tree. I took the day off, so do you want to go check it out together? It’s cherry blossom season right now, so I’m sure you’ll enjoy the scenery.”

I’d never seen her smile so brilliantly. I didn’t expect her to be into the typical tourist stuff. But, to be honest, I was just glad she wasn’t feeling down about this whole situation.

“Then I’d better make good use of my day off and show you around my world. First, put these clothes on and...”

“Ah! Ah! I’m so excited! Let’s have a good time together, Kazuhiho!”

If she jumped at me for a hug like that... And there went the blanket... Her supple, perfectly beautiful butt was in my vision, and Marie immediately covered my eyes with a whap! I really shouldn’t have stared, if that was the only outcome...

In any case, we couldn’t go anywhere until we got her dressed. I guided her away from the bed and laid down the clothes in the shopping bags. She always wore those heavy, stuffy robes in her world, but I’d been told sorcerers changed the color of their robes depending on their rank. I heard navy blue was the highest, so I mostly chose that color for her clothing. A pleated skirt that ended above her knees paired with the high socks made her somewhat give off the impression of a schoolgirl.

And of course, I stood there agape when I saw her step out, fully dressed.

“It’s so light and stretchy and easy to move in! I’ve never seen fabric with such fine knitting before! Are you sure I can wear this? It must have been expensive...”

Even as she happily marched in place on the flooring, she seemed to be concerned about me spending money for her. Her fingers were fidgeting as she looked up at me apologetically. Honestly, though, I was so glad she seemed to enjoy them that I didn’t even care about the cost.

“Now that I see you wearing them, I definitely think they were a good buy. You’ve always been so beautiful, but those clothes really suit you. I’m surprised by just how great you look.”

Marie seemed a bit surprised herself, then made a prim expression as if to say, “Go on...”

When she held the edges her skirt in her hands and struck a cute pose, my face broke into a slight grin. Her shapely lips curved into a smile in response, showing off her pearly white teeth.

“Your age may be different, but I’m relieved to see that you’re definitely Kazuhiho. So, is this the ‘Japan’ place you mentioned before?”

I was also relieved to hear she believed me. The elf was about a full head smaller than me, so I bent down a bit to speak with her.

“That’s right. This is why it was never on your maps, or why I wasn’t able to show you around. But for some reason, it looks like I’m allowed to do that today. So I’d like to take the time to explain things as you get to know my home.”

With that, I jiggled my keys in front of her: my room key and car key. Upon seeing them, the girl’s eyes sparkled even brighter. It was like she was about to step into the world of a storybook.

“We have some really nice spring weather today, so we should go out and eat. What type of food do you like, Marie?”

“Something that isn’t too pungent. Fresh food would be great, but I won’t ask for too much. I’ll leave the choice to you. Also, I’ll need you to explain exactly how I ended up here.”

She seemed incredibly curious about it as she followed me with light footsteps. Then I remembered something important just as I reached for the door...

“Oh, I almost forgot... Elves don’t actually exist in this world. Could you wear this cap so people don’t start freaking out?”

“My, what a wonderful knit. You know, I don’t think your taste in clothing is as bad as you think.”

Huh, maybe she was right. I was more of an indoors type of guy and I was certain I wasn’t good at picking out clothes at all, but I’d take that as a compliment.

I watched her put the cap over her head and conceal her ears, then pushed the front door open. The morning sun felt so gentle and relaxing, but my heart, on the other hand, was beating excitedly. The elation coming from the girl behind me must have been rubbing off on me. There was nothing like the sense of wonder from seeing a new world for the first time.

And so, I was to go on a date with a girl for the first time in my life. Not only that, but this also had to be the first time in the world anyone was on a date with an elf.

Now, there seemed to be several obstacles before we could go eat. It was an issue when we stepped out of the condo and she saw the asphalt sidewalk, too. She was crouched down and rubbing it with her fingertips, presumably trying to understand what it was. Whenever something caught her attention, whether it be a green light or a car in the parking lot, the elf stopped to observe it.

The most troublesome part was probably when she didn’t allow me to drive until I would explain how cars worked. She refused to move until I opened the hood and went over the functions of each part underneath. By the time I guided her to the passenger seat and sat at the steering wheel, thirty minutes had already passed since we left the condo. It seemed strange to me as someone from the modern world, so when I questioned her about it, she looked at me as if I asked her if the sky was blue.

“Well, how could I become a better sorceress if I didn’t try to understand difficult things? Everything has a flow to it. At least personally, I found it to be stimulating and interesting.”

Ah, so that’s why...

I murmured for her to stay still, then put the seat belt on for her. She quickly began tugging at the belt and complained that it didn’t completely lock her in place. She seemed to be quite busy with all the fidgeting and complaining. It’d work in case of a sudden brake, but there were some things in the world you couldn’t prepare for just by understanding them.

I turned on the engine and heard a sharp breath being drawn right next to me. Whenever I drove, safety was my number one priority. So much so that when I took an acquaintance somewhere, he complained that my driving had made him sleepy. But the car hadn’t even moved yet, and there wasn’t much I could do before I began driving. It seemed an elf girl who grew up in a forest couldn’t help but get spooked by the roar of an engine.

Feeling a bit concerned, I turned to her. “Hey, do you want to walk instead? There are other places we could eat. It’s just that I have a place I recommend for this season, but it’s a bit of a drive.”

“No, I’m fine... It is a bit scary, but I want to see how it moves. Kazuhiho, would you mind if I hold your hand?”

I was a bit taken aback by her request. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d held hands with a girl, and I felt like Marie and I always had a certain distance between us as friends. But I was honestly happy to see she relied on me. I luckily drove an automatic, so I replied, “Of course not,” and she held onto my wrist.

She was apparently nervous, because I could feel the sweat and warmth from her skin. She seemed to have calmed down a bit compared to earlier, so I assured her it would be okay and slowly lifted my foot off the brake pedal.

“Let’s get going, then. I think I’ll take us to a Japanese restaurant.”

“Ah! I-It’s moving! Whaa, I can see everything outside! This is so scary!”

She grabbed onto my arm in surprise and fear, despite us moving very slowly. The way her head darted around to look at her surroundings made her look like a little squirrel or something. But things that could be experienced firsthand tended to be easily and quickly learned, yet hard to forget. Similarly, I heard that professional soccer players might lose some of their vitality as they got older, but they were still able to maintain their soccer skills.

As we kept driving for a while longer, the girl’s grip on my arm slowly loosened.

“Wow, the ground is all made of rock. I doubt it was all shaped by carving them, so they must have been laid down on top...”

She muttered to herself as she analyzed her surroundings like she’d done earlier. It seemed she was lessening her sense of fear by understanding things like the functions of the roads, sidewalks, and traffic lights.

In any case, I couldn’t help but think about what a peaceful day it was. The warmth of the sun truly made it feel like spring, and there was a woman walking her dog down the sidewalk. The elf’s purple eyes followed them, and by the time the brown dog disappeared from view, her hand had already released me. Both her hands were pressed against the window, and she murmured as if speaking to herself.

“Japan really is a peaceful place. Not only are there no monsters around, everyone seems to have a stable life, too...”

“It’s a nice, quiet country, for the most part. The Japanese tend to admire cultures from other countries, but since we’re an island country, people from other places tend to envy our culture in turn.”

I thought it might have been a mistake to drive today, but it seemed to be working out. Seeing her calm down over time, I began thinking of how it gave me a good opportunity to describe the things going on around us. She’d gotten much more used to the car by the time we arrived at the restaurant, but she still let out a yelp when an electronic beep sounded upon closing the door.

We arrived at a Japanese-style restaurant, though it was unfortunately a franchise chain. I wanted to take her to a fancy place since it was her first visit, but sadly, I didn’t make that kind of money.

The only reason I owned a condo was because my strange hobby was sleeping, so I prioritized my living conditions above all else. As such, I owned a high quality bed and air conditioning system.

Anyway, we ducked under the shop curtain and slid the door open, and a waitress came to greet us right away. As expected, she wore Japanese attire, and Marie looked around with great interest at everything, including the clean-looking interior.

“Put your shoes in this shoe cupboard. We can put ours next to each other.”

“Oh, okay... But won’t they get stolen? They’re very comfortable, you know. I’m worried about just leaving them here... Oh, that wooden board is the key...? I’m not too sure about this...”

It seemed she liked the sneakers I’d given her. She wasn’t a woman who was easily shaken, but it made me smile seeing her worriedly ask me over and over if our shoes wouldn’t get stolen. I couldn’t bring myself to apologize and tell her they were actually pretty cheap...

Speaking of, well, speaking, I realized I’d been talking to Marie in Elvish this whole time. Worried about the waitress’s reaction, I turned to face her again; sure enough, she was frozen in place without knowing what to do. But it was completely different from what I was expecting. The woman was standing with a dreamy expression, lost in Marie’s wondrous beauty. Not surprising, since she probably thought Marie was a fairy or something. I mean, Marie even had purple eyes.

“Umm, two please. This is my adorable niece visiting from out of the country. I’m hoping you could show her some Japanese hospitality.”

“Y-Yes, of course!”

Her expression brightened as she replied energetically. She was quite pumped up. This really went to show how good beautiful people had it.

The waitress guided us to our table, which was a nice seat right next to the window. We had a view of the cherry blossoms, just as I’d hoped, and Marie seemed to forget to sit down, enamored in the picturesque scenery. This may have been a chain restaurant, but it completely transformed during spring. There was a sense of presence to each cherry blossom tree, as if they hoarded all the sunlight for themselves, and the entire view was filled with a vivid pink. The trees had bloomed nicely again this year.

I took a seat as I, too, admired the scenery. It might have been because it was past lunchtime already, but it was quite the luxury to have this view all to ourselves. I thanked my company for letting me take the day off and took the menu in my hand.

“I’ll order for us, Marie. Let’s see... Tempura, sashimi... Ah, can’t forget the steamed egg custard. And one dish that you recommend, please. Oh, and one fork.”

“Thank you. Please enjoy your stay!”

The waitress smiled brightly at us. Marie was unable to understand her, but bowed in response with widened eyes. Then, Marie finally sat down in the seat opposite mine. She observed the sturdy wooden table and the sunken kotatsu seat, then looked right at me.

“What was that lady saying to me just now?”

“She said, ‘Please enjoy your stay.’ She seemed to be very distracted by your cuteness.”

“There you go, saying those things with that sleepy look on your face... But I’m surprised how no one seems to have their guard up, the workers and townspeople included. It seems like they’re not concerned at all...”

She directed her gaze out the window to the cherry blossoms again. I wondered how those colorful, pink cherry blossoms appeared in an elf’s eyes. Judging by the captivated look she had on, we might not have been so different after all.

“That’s because there are no monsters in this world. I also think it’s so calm here because it’s one of the friendliest island countries in the world. Since you’re here now, you may as well enjoy this world to the fullest, Marie.”

Marie stopped herself short of replying and seemed as if she was debating whether she should accept my gesture of kindness. But it was such a nice day today, and we were in the middle of the most beautiful season of the year... I smiled at her to show her it was okay, and she finally nodded back.

“Then, I will take you up on your kind offer. I do consider you one of the few humans I can trust.”

“But you know, there really aren’t as many bad people out there as you may think. Maybe you’re a little too cautious, Marie.”

She gave me a look that screamed at my perceived naiveté. But when it was coming from a cute girl like her, even being looked down on was somewhat nice. Now, I wasn’t some sort of pervert; it was more like... If I’m getting scolded, I’d rather it be by a cute girl.

Marie seemed to be curious about the kanji on the menu and began asking me questions while staring at the characters.

“Now then, would you mind explaining something for me? Where exactly is this, and why am I in Japan? I don’t understand any of the languages here, and I don’t remember anything after being attacked by the arkdragon. And why is it that you seem to be grown up all of a sudden?”

I figured it was about time for me to fill her in. Though, I didn’t really understand much of what was going on, either. I prefaced by saying that some of it was just conjecture, then began explaining:

“Let’s start with this country: Japan. I’m almost positive you wouldn’t find it on any maps from your world. It’s a small island country, but it has a dramatic history that’s pretty cool when you really get into it.”

She listened to my words with an expression that made it hard to tell if she was interested or not. The problem now was explaining the rest of her questions. I wasn’t confident that I could clearly explain much of what was going on to her satisfaction.

“You know how you dream when you go to sleep? Have you ever dreamt about a place you’ve never visited before?”

“...Yes, but what of it?”

“From my perspective, whenever we hung out together, it all took place inside my dreams. But this time, I woke up with you. I thought it was just a dream all this time, but this morning, I realized both worlds are real.”

Her round eyes met mine. The reason her fingers were still fidgeting with the menu must have been due to her active mind. A person’s brain and fingertips were somehow connected, after all.

“Whenever I die or fall asleep in your world, I always wake up in this one. That might be why you ended up coming here with me this time. I always ventured alone, but that was the first time I died together with someone.”

“You mean... I died?”

Her expression became uncertain, likely because of my use of abstract concepts like dreams and reality. But at this very moment, even I couldn’t be so sure which was which, so it was probably safer to consider both of them as real.

“From what I gather, you’re not actually dead, Marie. I think if you sleep in this world, you’ll be able to go back to your own. We’ll just have to wait and see come night time.”

Marie made a noncommittal response while resting her chin on her hand. Most elves didn’t believe in an afterlife because it was a known fact that elves, unlike humans, dissolved into the Spirit World after death. This was why it’d have been easier for her to understand if I’d explained that our two worlds were both “reality.”

“As for your last question about my age, I think time flows differently between Japan and the dream world. That, or I was only aging while dreaming in that world. Either way, there’s no way for me to tell for sure at this point.”

“Hmm, if what you’ve said so far is true, I think the latter is more likely. I’ve wondered about it before, but it seemed that you aged slower than the other humans. So, Kazuhiho, how old are you right now?”

I told her I was twenty-five, and her eyes widened. Apparently, she thought I looked younger.

“It’s hard to tell how old humans are. At your age, it’s not uncommon to have a full beard and several children. But I do think you look more reliable and attractive this way.”

“Oh, uh, thanks... Anyway, I’m sorry that all I can offer for now is guesses. To be honest, I’m still surprised by all this myself.”

Not only had my dream become reality, but a part of it appeared in my world. There probably wasn’t a single person in the world that could fully explain what was going on. Luckily, it seemed Marie understood this, at least to a degree. I could only hypothesize from the results, but that seemed to be enough to stimulate her intelligent mind.

We decided to organize our thoughts on the matter later and discuss it all again tonight.

As we continued talking, the food finally arrived. I’d just finished telling Marie what I knew, so I’d take this next opportunity to introduce her to some Japanese food like sashimi, tempura, and miso soup.

“Oh, even the bowls are pretty! None of them are chipped at all... Ah, um, thank you.”

“Marie says thank you,” I translated for the waitress. “And she’s happy to see how pretty and clean the bowls are.”

The waitress smiled happily, bowed, then left us to eat. The sashimi, tempura, and other springtime food all looked so colorful and tasty.

Now was it just me, or did people enjoy compliments from foreigners more than those from other Japanese people? I did understand the waitress’s reaction, though, seeing Marie’s face light up as brightly as it did. Her smile was like a blooming flower, and there was a certain charm to her that just warmed your heart.

“Okay, let’s eat. If chopsticks are too hard, feel free to use a fork.”

“Don’t mind if I do. Now let’s see...”

It seemed she’d given up on the chopsticks as soon as she saw me pick them up. She picked a shrimp tempura first, then put some tempura dipping sauce on it as per my advice. Her eyes widened as she bit into it, and her smile grew as she continued chewing.

“Mm, so sweet! There’s a wonderful fragrance that seeps out with every bite! Oh! It’s supposed to go with this brown stuff?”

The takikomi rice was made with in-season ingredients, and she thought that, too, was sweet and delicious. The tempura’s crispy outer texture, the chewy rice, and all the other different-tasting dishes repeatedly got a round-eyed reaction out of her.

“My, there’s so much food, but I could just keep eating and eating! There isn’t much meat, but it’s all so delicious. I’ll have to refrain from trying the fish, though. There’s just no way I could eat it raw.”

“Try it, it’s good, too. In fact, the fish is the main dish of this meal.”

She gave me a look of obvious skepticism. Some people just couldn’t eat fish, so I decided not to press it. Even some Japanese people couldn’t stomach it, including my mother.

It seemed she did have some interest in it, though. She gingerly stabbed a piece of red sashimi with her fork, dipped it in some soy sauce, then placed it into her mouth with a reluctant expression. After couple seconds of chewing, and her face immediately dissolved into a smile.

“Mmf, so sweet! This isn’t what fish tastes like where I come from. How does it taste so good here?”

“Mixing ingredients and cooking them all together can really bring out the taste of each dish, but in this case, I think it’s the flavor of the ingredients themselves. If you can handle fish, we should go have sushi sometime. It’s a type of dish representative of this country’s cuisine, so I’m sure you’ll like it.”

“Ooh, I want to try it! Promise you’ll take me, Kazuhiho!”

I’d never seen Marie smile so cheerfully before. It was rare to see her like that in the other world, but I did admit this made it all the more special.

We ate our steamed egg custard and miso soup, then enjoyed the view of the cherry blossoms outside. Our stomachs were now full, and the pleasant warmth of the spring was beginning to make us sleepy. It felt like time spent in luxury, and Marie seemed to agree.

“We were only eating, but it felt so eventful. Say, are those beautiful flowers always blooming like that?”

“No, only once a year. You can only see them bloom around this time of year. What do you say we change our plans and go enjoy the scenery? The park is really beautiful this time of year with thousands of cherry blossom trees. You know, if you’re interested...”

It seemed I didn’t even need to ask, since Marie’s face was brimming with interest and her hands excitedly clasped mine from across the table. She looked like a child who was eager to go to an amusement park or something.

And so, I led her by the hand and went to the counter to pay for the meal. As the waitress guided us to the front, Marie tugged on the sleeve of my shirt.

“Umm, how do you express gratitude in your language? I want to show my appreciation for such a sumptuous meal.”

“Oh, I think a simple ‘thank you’ should do.”

She repeated the words to herself under her breath a couple times before giving an awkward “tank, yoo,” but the waitress smiled warmly. I also mentally thanked the waitress for showing Marie some Japanese hospitality. Though, she was an elf instead of a foreigner... but I guessed that’d still make her foreign to Japan.

Maybe Japan is quite the impartial place, in that sense...

＋ ＋ ＋ ＋ ＋ ＋ ＋ ＋ ＋ ＋

It was the middle of a weekday, and I’d arrived at the park in Ueno with an elf who was very interested in cherry blossoms. A nearby riverbed might have worked too, but we might as well have gone somewhere we could enjoy a full view of them.

We exited the parking lot and found ourselves surrounded by cherry blossoms, and Marie began tottering around as she stepped out of the passenger’s seat. I closed the passenger door and followed after her.

The rows of cherry blossom trees were as impressive as their reputation, and to see so many of them that could fill your entire vision was rare even for Japanese residents. It seemed they were trying to fill up the clear, blue skies. There were also many children running around joyfully in the warm sunlight.

“Ah, the weather’s perfect. We may have come at the best possible time.”

I called out to Marie as she caught up to me, but she seemed to be a bit out of it. I stood there, wondering why she wasn’t responding as we continued walking. Then, she suddenly grabbed my elbow. I hid my slight surprise and waited for her to begin speaking.

“So these are cherry blossoms? They’re amazing... There are so many spirits I’ve never seen before, it’s making me lightheaded.”

I’d almost forgotten she was a Spirit User. I’d also heard there were spirits for cherry blossoms, and I wondered if she’d been narrowing her eyes because she saw something different than humans would. I followed her gaze to a flower petal drifting in the sunlight filtered through the foliage, and my thoughts turned toward a faintly sweet smell.

“Cherry blossoms are special in Japan, and everyone enjoys this time of year. You just came out of my dreams by chance, but I hope you enjoy our best season to the fullest. And also, welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf.”

I was trying to get a reaction out of her, but she simply stared at me before breaking into a smile. Our steps felt somewhat lighter, and we slowly began walking along the rows of cherry blossom trees. They really were beautiful.

The trunks were black, giving off a good contrast to make the pink pop even more. The festiveness of the decorative lanterns was also exciting to see (or maybe all the excitement was from the person I was walking with). This would’ve been a very different picture if I were alone.

“I’ve never seen such beautiful flowers before. It’s still a bit scary, like I’m dreaming right now.” That was why, she said in a low whisper, she wanted to hold on to me as she was, and I certainly had no reason to refuse her.

It was quite warm for this time of year, and it seemed everything was in full bloom. It was probably thanks to her that we were lucky enough to be here.

“You know, I wouldn’t have been able to see all this if I didn’t take the day off work. It’s hard to say whether Japan is an orderly country or not, but it is a beautiful place.”

She nodded. She didn’t know much about it yet, but she shared my appreciation for its beauty. Somehow, I suspected even I didn’t know much about Japan. Just as I was surprised by this scenery, I’d only really seen it on TV, in magazines, and visualizing my own version of it. Having walked around with her today, I felt like I finally got to truly see it.

She seemed to enjoy it as much as I did, and complimented its beauty over and over again. She let out a cheer upon seeing the eastern building known as the Five-Storied Pagoda, with its intricate wooden design adorned in a backdrop of cherry blossoms. We walked around until evening, and by the time the smell of the food stalls stirred our hunger, she’d fully enjoyed the warmth of spring.

“You must be tired from all the walking. Why don’t we take a seat on that bench?”

We bought a light meal at a food stall and sat on a bench that just opened up, relishing the view of falling cherry blossoms. The gently drifting petals were dreamy in a way, and the mouthfuls of soy sauce-flavored roasted corn were making us sleepy.

Eventually, Marie became much quieter, and I looked over to find her sleeping peacefully. She’d been in high spirits all day and must have been exhausted from all the excitement. Her body tilted to the side, and she leaned onto my shoulder. She was breathing softly, and seemed to be more comfortable than when I’d found her in my room. It honestly made me happy to be able to see her rest, and I couldn’t help but mutter, “Rest well. If every day was like today, I think I’d like going out more often.”

My cowardly side was possibly the reason I didn’t like to go outside. It wasn’t so much the city, but I didn’t like strangers looking at me. It just made me uncomfortable. I had to make a conscious effort to act normal when I was in public. I much preferred the dream world, where I was free of judgmental eyes. But for some reason, all I felt now was a sense of peace.

With her warmth next to me, I absentmindedly gazed at the cherry blossoms in the silence.

The sun had set a good while ago by the time she woke up. I covered her up with my jacket, but she might have felt a chill now that the warm sunlight was gone.

The leaning elf slowly opened her mystical purple eyes, then looked at the night view of the cherry blossoms with fascination.

“Wow...”

This was when the lanterns really shone. They illuminated the walkways with an almost magical air to them, filling the area with a peach-colored light.

I wondered how the falling petals appeared in the elf’s eyes. She was staring in fascination with a glimmer in her eyes and her mouth slightly open. It seemed she couldn’t look away from that fantastic sight as she let out a sigh with her head still resting on my shoulder.

“I could just gaze at it forever... Could my world have been this beautiful if there were no monsters?”

“Who knows? The scenery is different in every country. Besides, if there were no monsters, you might have had conflicts with other people. Even this country was once defeated by a bigger one.”

Conquest was like an addicting drug: Once you had a taste of plundering the riches of other countries, it eventually became the norm. In that sense, Marie’s world was standing on a precarious balance.

As I mulled over these thoughts that were unbefitting of our current locale, she whispered a question into my ear.

“Kazuhiho, what’s going to happen if I can’t go home?”

“I was thinking about that while you were resting. If you can’t go back, maybe you could live with me and visit all sorts of places. This country’s full of food and culture, like hot springs and castles. What would you think about that?”

I said it without putting too much thought into it, but she seemed to take it differently. Her cheeks grew more and more red, and I didn’t notice right away that she’d pulled her hat down further over her face.

“That sounds fun,” she said while still leaning on my shoulder. “I wouldn’t mind that.”

I felt strangely uplifted and looked up to the cherry blossoms while the elf and I shared the warmth of our bodies with each other.

For some reason, the view looked different when I was with her. Maybe I was just imagining it, but it looked so much more peaceful and relaxing.

It had gotten dark, so we went home for the day. Marie removed her hat as soon as we got back to my room and shook her long ears. She had a cheerful, liberated expression as she stretched out her other limbs. Then she started walking around barefoot.

She understood her ears would draw a great deal of attention, so I was thankful she was willing to cooperate on that front. But since she didn’t look remotely Japanese, she’d been drawing attention even with her ears hidden.

“Now we just need to find out if you can go back to your world. But do you want to take a bath first? I’m sure all that walking has had its toll on you, so it should be pretty refreshing.”

“Oh? You even have a bath in your room?”

She followed me into the bathroom with wide, curious eyes. I turned on the switch, and she watched in amazement as the tub began filling with water.

But I, on the other hand, was feeling a bit lonely. If she were able to go back, we probably wouldn’t get to spend time with each other like this again.

“Marie, if you do go back, do you think it’ll be for good?”

“Huh...? Oh, why is there hot water shooting out of there? And, wait, I thought I saw you push that button... Don’t tell me... You finally learned how to cast spells without incantations?”

“No, not exactly. Hot water comes out when you press this button. So wash your hair and body in here, then soak in the tub for as long as you want. But, back to what I was saying, when you go back...”

“Oh my, this is too much luxury! I’m not even a noble, and I can bathe whenever I want? Are you sure this is okay? I hope it doesn’t make me a depraved elf for indulging in such luxuries...”

Oh, she’s not listening...

It seemed I’d underestimated her reaction to the bathtub, and now was a bad time to bring up her leaving. She was staring at the tub with schoolgirl-ish glee; I wouldn’t be able to get through to her like this. That was exactly why I was “Kazuhiho.”

For now, I’d let her pick a scented bath water additive and leave her to wash herself. There weren’t any fan service elements here, of course, but I was free to fantasize about whatever I wanted.

After a short while, I began hearing a cheerful humming coming from the bathroom. It was a strange feeling, since I’d never let anyone else use my bath before. Actually, the fact that anyone was here at all was a rare occurrence.

But I digress.

I couldn’t ask her the important questions, though it was just as important to give her proper hospitality. I already bought her spare pajamas and underwear, so it was time for me to prepare a simple dinner.

An easy and delicious meal that I always recommended was katsudon.

It didn’t get much easier than buying pork, eggs, onions, and seasonings, then mixing them all together. All you really needed to be careful of was to avoid mixing the eggs too much and overcooking them. But even though it was nice and simple, I did have some time to waste while I waited for the rice to cook.

I was just throwing eggs into the frying pan as the bathroom door opened and a steamy-faced Marie stepped out. I glanced at the clock, indicating she’d enjoyed the bath for about thirty minutes. Her skin was so pale, and seeing her cheeks all flushed like a kid’s was an adorable sight. She seemed to take a liking to the texture of the bath towel, and our eyes met just as she was taking a whiff of it.

“I’m done! That bath felt wonderful. See, my skin looks so pretty now!”

“Hmm... but Marie, you’re always pretty. I can’t really tell the difference, to be honest.”

“There you go, saying those things with that same sleepy-looking expression again.”

She hid her face with the towel and gave me a little glare. It must have been hot, because Marie was fanning her cheeks as she approached me.

“Oh, what smells so good? Don’t tell me you’re cooking something, Kazuhiho?”

“Yup. It’s almost done, so take a seat. Since you seem to be okay with soy sauce, I think you’ll like much of the cooking here.”

Marie peered in to see what I was cooking as I spoke, and her face loosened into a smile. Her guard seemed to be down after taking a bath, because she didn’t notice one of her pajama buttons was undone, and I could see her rosy elven clea... Ahem, I-I shouldn’t be looking there...

I managed to bring myself under control, then scooped some rice into a bowl, followed by some cutlet with oozing eggs. Throughout this process, the elf stared with eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

“This is going to be delicious. I can just tell.”

“Why are you muttering like that...?”

It was kind of cute, how she wrinkled her nose with each sniff. I loved that I’d been able to see her girly and childish sides ever since she came to this world. I doubted I’d have ever seen her like this in some ruins or a labyrinth back in hers.

I finished up the dish by garnishing it with whatever greens I had and brought the bowl over to the waiting girl.

“Here you go. Let’s dig in at that table.”

“Okay!”

She always replied with such a cheery smile at times like this. I admired that smile as we moved to our chairs, then picked up chopsticks and a fork. I placed some green tea on the table, and our little dinner began.

“Itadakimasu.”

“E-Eatadakimaws...” She awkwardly repeated the customary pre-meal expression after me, then quickly began throwing food into her mouth.

Katsudon was a simple dish, but that was also part of the reason for its popularity. The cutlet soaked in the oozing eggs and spicy-sweet sauce was gushing with flavor as soon as she bit into it. Its flavor filled the elf’s mouth, and she furrowed her brow in surprise as she struggled a bit. More of the flavor burst out with every bite, and mixing it with rice wickedly enhanced its sweetness with its high calorie count. Marie ate like a growing girl, and she couldn’t help but break out into a happy grin.

“Mmm! So gooooood!”

“I’m glad you like it. Food doesn’t taste quite as good in your world, seeing as there aren’t many seasonings available.”

“It’s so delicious! This is definitely the best thing I’ve eaten all day. Nn, it’s melting in my mouth!”

Ohh, I’d gotten the number one ranking for the day. That was quite the honor. This was the case with most cooking, but nothing beat the combination of good ingredients and freshness. I felt this was especially true in cases like gyoza. The simpler the dish, the more important those two elements became. Though, today’s cutlet was rather cheap, so I couldn’t really talk big myself.

“You’re easy to please, Marie. I can make something like this whenever you want. The reason I tend to bring bento to your world is because even the ingredients are a little iffy there.”

“So that’s why you always carried those in your bag... I get it now. If you’re used to food like this, any other type of dish would taste rather bland. That reminds me, assuming we’ll be testing if I can go back to my world later, we should try to figure out why you’re able to bring food and drinks over.”

I replied to her with a small grunt. Thinking it over, our worlds weren’t completely separate, considering I was able to bring bento over there like she mentioned. She herself was also able to cross over to this side, so there must have been a reason.

“Was there anything you weren’t able to bring over before?”

“Hmm... Well, I couldn’t bring my watch or a flashlight when I tried. Oh, it’s this thing that lights up.”

She seemed to be accustomed to Japanese civilization after walking around town, so a mere flashlight wasn’t enough to surprise her anymore. She mulled over what I told her as she chewed her food. One of her fingers tapped the table, which probably meant the gears were turning in her head.

“Maybe things related to your civilization or technology are a no-go. Bento and juice are probably just simple enough that they can get through.”

“That’s possible, but I couldn’t bring a pen or notebook like these, either. They’re definitely not as high tech, but they still didn’t transfer over.”

Bringing items with me didn’t involve some sort of advanced ritual. I only needed to leave them next to my pillow; I’d tried it many times already. Some of the few things I was able to bring over were...

“Food and drinks. Interesting...”

“You think so? I can’t really bring anything else, so I don’t think those would be too helpful.”

“But think about it: If only food and drinks are permitted, there must be someone managing these things. That probably means there’s a reason you were able to bring me here, and it’s likely there’s some role or meaning given to you, too. Maybe you’ve been granted some sort of mission?”

“Huh...?” My mouth stayed agape as I froze in the middle of taking a bite of my cutlet. “Umm, I don’t understand... Like, a bento mission? But you already ate it all yesterday.”

“And it was very delicious... Ah, no, forget about the bento for now. Have you ever been asked by someone to do something?”

I did get what she was trying to say. I never thought about it, but I’d been enjoying my adventures with rules set by someone, saying I was able to go into a dream world and only bring over food and drinks. But of course, I’d never heard of such a mission. I told Marie as such, and she seemed to accept it right away.

“I’m not surprised. If you did remember being tasked with something like that, I’m sure you’d notice they were no ordinary dreams. Let me change the question, then: Was there an event that enabled you to enter your dreams?”

“I’ve been playing in them since I was young, so I can’t remember. In fact, I actually thought it was normal until today.”

We both tilted our heads, deep in thought. Our investigation quickly ran into a dead end, and all our discussions ended up leading to an “I don’t remember” for an answer. It sounded like some politician’s response, but I couldn’t do anything to change that fact.

“Oh well, let me know if you do remember something. I’m sure this is something important.”

“Got it. I’ll be sure to tell you if I do.”

I told her that, but I wasn’t confident I ever would. I’d never be able to pinpoint such a memory in all my twenty-five years of living.

Moving on, I started putting away the now-empty dishes. I leaned forward on my elbows, and Marie’s purple eyes grew a bit wider as she noticed the change in my demeanor. Perhaps she saw something in my sleepy-looking eyes, because she brought her face closer, imitating me.

“In any case, we need to deal with the problem in front of us first. If we are able to get you back, what are we going to do after? Have you thought about what’s going to happen once we wake up?”

“What do you mean...? You say that as if there’s a big problem to deal with.”

She took a sip of her tea, then slowly moved her lips away from her cup. When she looked back at me, there was a look of realization in her eyes.

“I can’t believe I let myself get carried away and forget something so important!”

“Right. When we awaken in the dream, we’ll be in the same place we were before. Right inside the arkdragon’s den.”

This was the most important point. How exactly would we escape the dragon’s den alive? If we couldn’t figure that out, I could hardly say I’d gotten her home safe.

I put the notebook from earlier onto the table, and our secret meeting began.

Fortunately, we had multiple opportunities to figure it out. As long as we woke up on this side even if we died, we could try different approaches over several attempts, but I was sure the dragon would catch on to our methods and try to capture us eventually.

The notebook was filled with various branching possibilities, and each of them were marked with an “X” at the end of their paths. No matter what option we chose, this was a legendary-class dragon we were dealing with. If we were to survive, fighting wasn’t an option.

“So, I’ll have to decline the idea of taking a dragon egg as a hostage, too. Even if we somehow manage to temporarily escape, it’s not going to let a couple humans who know its sleeping place live.”

“Agreed. If we aren’t careful, we’ll always have to watch our backs, and I probably wouldn’t ever get any sleep. More importantly, I was hoping you could tell me what you’ve read about the arkdragon.”

After having a discussion for nearly an hour, we came to the conclusion that escape would be extremely difficult after all. So, to do that, I had to find out what I could about the enemy.

The girl tapped a finger on the wooden table, then directed her gaze at me.

“About that... I think I’ve read something like this before. For starters, it has a higher intellect than humans. It can generate a never-ending supply of magic simply by breathing. It has destroyed islands and erupted volcanoes in the past, all as a result of countless battles with demons and humans, and...”

I waved my hand to indicate that wasn’t the sort of information I’m looking for. I knew what I was capable of, and facing the dragon head-on with combat prowess wasn’t one of them.

“Do you know anything more like trivia or anecdotes that can tell me more about its character?”

“What? Character? What are you talking about? You expect a dragon to have a personality?”

The elf’s eyebrows scrunched up in confusion at my words. But she kept writing with her pen, perhaps to gather all our thoughts, or simply because she enjoyed the way it felt between her fingers.

“I don’t know what type of information you’re looking for, but I have heard its scales can be sold for an astonishing price.”

She tilted her head as if to ask whether that would do, and I motioned for her to continue. We just needed to start small, and we might end up discovering some key piece of information.

“It also has the ability to generate magic. It’s so powerful that any magical medium who uses it becomes famous and their feats are recorded in many pieces of literature. Anyone who ever manages to obtain one would be extremely wealthy, as well. And... I’ve read it’s taken the shape of a human to enter the city before, but that probably isn’t true. There’s no way a commoner would be able to recognize an arkdragon.”

“Wait, I want to know more about that. If that’s true, there must’ve been a reason the arkdragon stayed there, right?”

It wouldn’t have just gone to a city for no reason. There must have been some object or information or even a fortune that couldn’t be obtained without going there.

But the elf let out a sigh. “Actually, they say it didn’t do anything. I’ve read that it spent a few days there, then just disappeared. It was in Ozloi, the port town, I think.”

“Ozloi, huh... It’s a good thing I’ve traveled around in that world. I’ve actually visited once. I’ll never forget the delicious taste of the barley malt liquor there. The tavern owner was really nice, and they even let me drink despite me being underage.”

I thought back fondly to the memory, but the elf sitting in front of me seemed unhappy. Okay, maybe in a life-or-death situation—or rather, I guess in this case, it was just my insomnia that was the problem—I shouldn’t be fantasizing about alcohol in the middle of an important meeting.

Wait a minute...

There was no discerning feature in that place except its commerce and good liquor. If the arkdragon visited and left without doing anything...

“Could it be that was the reason for the visit...?”

I voiced my question out loud and looked toward the refrigerator next to my kitchen. The elf’s eyebrows were furrowed in an odd shape from watching my actions.

In any case, it was getting late, and I decided to head to bed and give a shot at our first attempt.

Ahh, I completely forgot...

The thought lingered in my head as I just stood there, motionless. There we were, looking at the single bed under the indirect lighting from the downlight.

We were about to sleep together.

I had no intentions of trying any funny business, but as a man, I couldn’t stop such thoughts from popping into my head.

“Wow, it looks so comfortable!”

Meanwhile, Marie was full of innocent excitement as she shook the bed with her butt facing my direction. She moved the blankets aside to get under them, then let out an “Mmmm!” of delight. She turned her purple eyes toward me and said, “Come on, Kazuhiho,” beckoning me toward her.

I’d never thought I’d see a beautiful elf girl holding her hand out toward me like that...

She urged me to hurry again, which made me give in and take her hand. Our fingers twined together, and as I got closer, I smelled a distinct feminine aroma.

Is this okay? It is, right? Don’t let me down, me.

I cursed my pathetic sense of self-control as I got under the blankets. My face must have been beet red. Marie peered at me with a curious expression, but I couldn’t possibly tell her it was from having her cute face next to mine.

“Now, it’s time to start our experiment. Hmm, should I be holding onto you?”

“Yeah, probably. We were holding each other tightly when we were hit with the dragon’s attack.”

I felt my rational brain regaining control when she mentioned the word “experiment.” Yes, this was just an experiment. Nothing more.

“Let’s try to recreate our poses from that time. Come here, Marie.”

Maybe I let myself feel a bit too at ease; it seemed that was the wrong thing to say.

Marie looked at my awaiting arm as if realizing something, and her face gradually turned more and more red. Her expression was nothing short of captivating, and we found ourselves staring into each other’s eyes.

“...Okay.” The elf’s single reply was as cute as a blooming flower.

She slowly inched toward me, then placed her head next to mine. We embraced each other in our arms under the blankets, and as our bodies pressed closer together, I could feel her slender frame and small protrusions on her body.

“So... warm...”

Her voice seemed to indicate that she was already feeling sleepy. Her softly thumping heart sounded like a little bird. The blanket quickly grew warmer as our bodies exchanged heat, and even our breathing seemed to be in sync.

Eventually, my eyelids closed. Me going to sleep much earlier than usual was probably due to her drowsiness had infected me, as well.

We were close enough for our foreheads to be touching as we quietly fell asleep, but I ended up never asking her the most important question of whether she would still continue seeing me. As I thought about that with slight regret, the apartment soon became filled with the sound of our sleep...