Chapter 7: So, This is a Crossover World!
The nights in Tokyo were far more lively than the days.
The streets and alleys blazed with light, bustling with crowds of people, the various sounds weaving together into a vibrant symphony. The enticing aroma of countless snacks drifted from the night market stalls, while the neon signs of shops flickered endlessly, decorating the entire city in a dreamlike glow.
Ryohei, carrying several shopping bags, emerged from a Uniqlo. He, Yurine, and Jashin-chan then went to a supermarket to pick up some daily necessities. Since he would be living here for the foreseeable future, a change of clothes and toiletries were essential.
After they finished shopping, they started for home.
On the way, Yurine offered a well-intentioned warning.
"Ryohei-kun, you should avoid empty alleyways and stick to crowded places. It's best if you go out with either me or Jashin-chan, especially at night. If you don't have to go out after dark, don't."
"Why? Are you afraid I'll get kidnapped?" Ryohei joked.
"No. I'm afraid you'll get eaten."
"?"
"Hmph-hmph. If you run into a Ghoul, traitor, you'll be eaten until there's nothing left but scraps," Jashin-chan chimed in with a malicious grin, her arms crossed.
"A Ghoul?" Ryohei froze, a look of confusion on his face. A Ghoul? Does she mean the kind I'm thinking of? Did I get the wrong show?
Yurine gave him a surprised look and explained, "Ghouls are monsters that look just like humans, but they can only survive by eating human flesh… Does your world not have them?"
"Not at all!" Ryohei waved his hands dismissively. It finally clicked. This was a crossover world, not just the world of Dropkick on My Devil!. Holy crap! The danger level just shot up exponentially!
Still, Ryohei wasn't particularly panicked.
For now, he had Yurine watching his back. Plus, he got a new skill draw every week. If he was lucky, he might pull a powerful combat-type ability and eliminate the Ghoul threat himself. And if worse came to worst and a Ghoul targeted him, he still had his Glowing Cuisine. Perhaps he could conquer their hearts and stomachs to save his own skin.
As these thoughts raced through his mind, Ryohei let out a sigh.
"Your world is seriously dangerous. Back where I'm from, humans are at the top of the food chain. Our lives are all about technology; we don't have unscientific things like Ghouls or demons."
"So your world must be very peaceful?" Yurine asked.
"Well, how should I put it?" Ryohei said with a thoughtful smile. "Our world is dangerous, too, just in different ways. We don't have demons, but we definitely have our own kinds of monsters."
"Monsters?"
"People with too much greed or ambition can be just as dangerous as any Ghoul. There's always conflict somewhere. I don't think any world is ever perfectly peaceful. You just learn to appreciate the quiet moments you get."
"I see."
It was a little after eight o'clock when they got home.
Yurine went straight into her bedroom. Ryohei put down his shopping bags, hesitating for a moment before Yurine re-emerged carrying a futon. She placed it on the living room floor.
"Ryohei-kun, I'm sorry, but you'll have to sleep on the floor here for now."
"It's okay… I'm just grateful you're letting me stay at all," he said, rushing forward to help. Jashin-chan was the one who summoned him; Yurine had absolutely no obligation to take responsibility for him. He was truly thankful for her kindness.
Yurine didn't take credit, simply nodding. She then handed him a tablet computer and a charger. "If there's anything you want to know, you can look it up online. It seems our worlds are quite different."
"Yeah, this is a huge help!" Ryohei took the tablet happily. He was eager to learn about this world, and the internet was the fastest way to do it.
"Chotto matte! That's my tablet!" Jashin-chan protested from the side, reaching out to snatch it.
Smack!
Yurine slapped her hand away. "What do you mean, yours? I'm the one who bought it. Will you die if you don't play on it for a few days?"
Yurine was well aware that with Ryohei's cooking skills, it wouldn't be long before he could afford his own phone and computer. Once his ID was sorted out, he would probably move out anyway.
"Owww! That hurt!" Jashin-chan recoiled, sucking in a sharp breath. She blew on her reddened hand and pouted. "So that's it, the love is gone, right? A new person comes along and the old one gets tossed aside! You're so fickle, Yurine! To think that you would—OOF!"
"..." Ryohei's mouth twitched as he watched Yurine pin Jashin-chan to the floor and mercilessly grind her into the tatami. He didn't find it noisy or violent, however. Instead, he felt a strange sense of warmth.
I think I might have issues, too, he thought with an internal sigh.
He sat down on a floor cushion and, to the background noise of the one-sided scuffle, began using the tablet to learn about his new world.
Time passed without him realizing.
A little after nine, Yurine emerged from her room holding a set of pajamas. She had good news.
"Ryohei-kun, I just spoke with my relative. I'll take you to get the food truck tomorrow morning."
"Okay, thank you," Ryohei said, looking up from the tablet.
Yurine nodded as if it were nothing. "I'm going to take a shower now," she announced, before heading to the bathroom with her sleepwear.
Suddenly, a strange feeling stirred in Ryohei's chest.
Come to think of it, he was now living with a Japanese girl. An honest-to-goodness anime girl, at that.
His heart suddenly started beating a little faster.
Meanwhile, in the washroom, as Yurine was taking off her clothes just outside the shower, she was nowhere near as calm as she appeared on the surface.
It had just dawned on her: she was living with a man! And right now, she was undressing in the washroom…
A peculiar new emotion began to spread through her heart.
As for Jashin-chan, she was in the bedroom, plotting. She was trying to decide if she should try to conquer Ryohei with force tomorrow. But the traitor would probably snitch on her afterward. He was definitely the type to do something so shameless.
Jashin-chan was torn. If he told on her, she'd be in for a world of pain.
Thinking about Yurine's methods, she couldn't help but shiver.
"Tch!"
"Damn that traitor!"