Although our current residence is on the same ward as Suiko, it is still a considerable distance away.
(A/N: Suiko is an abbreviation of Suimei University of Arts.)
Thus, I opted for the best option.
"Hang tight."
"Um…"
I started the motorcycle's engine. It is considered as a "big bike" due to its 1,000cc, but I did well enough to disguise it as 300cc. That way, a student's licence would suffice in using this motorcycle.
Shiina wore the black helmet I gave her. Then, she held me from behind. Her short skirt was turned into the below-knee level. She held on my waist as she sat sideways.
Tokyo has the tradition of wearing short skirts, but they could be adjusted at times such as now.
Vroom-!
Our brief journey began. I manoeuvred through the traffic and narrow pathways easily.
"When did you learn this?"
Her voice became weaker due to the resisting wind. Still, I was able to hear her.
"Driving a motorcycle on a mountain track isn't a good idea…"
"Oh."
It elicited a laugh from her.
"The penguins." She spoke. "What are you trying to say several days ago?"
"Oh, that one."
I was about to give a big revelation to her regarding penguins but chose to postpone it until now.
"They might seem cute and all but… their mouth is more devious than a piranha's. It's full of sharp teeth."
"..."
For a moment, Shiina fell silent.
"Are you thinking of an eldritch penguin?" I asked her.
"...Um. As expected of Nobu."
Really…
"I'm looking forward to it."
*****
Being an exchange student wasn't naturally that easy. The paperwork that has to be done—both online and direct meeting—are quite many.
Fortunately, Shiina's parents already settled them. The online part was dealt with by them back in Britain. As for the direct meeting, her father had a cousin at the university.
Once the duo arrived on Suiko, they headed to the faculty room. Shiina was surprised at how Nobu acted familiar to the school. They didn't get lost nor asked for directions.
"I see. These are her identification papers… She only has to sign? I understand."
Nobu looked at Shiina who nodded at him. While she was signing the papers, Shiina's cousin examined him.
She has reddish-brown hair and eyes. For some unknown reason, she wore a slightly revealing outfit in the university. Nevertheless, it fitted into the school's guidelines. She was a subject of many student's crushes, though.
"You are Shiina's friend?" She asked.
"Yes. Shiina-jii entrusted her to me."
"How old are you?"
"Sixteen."
"Oh."
Inwardly, Chihiro was surprised by his response.
'Young but mature… A top-tier boyfriend…'
Chihiro was one of the 'bachelors' who never got married, and in turn, is desperately seeking a partner. It caused her to instinctively evaluate the men who came across her.
Standing at 189 centimeters, Nobu towered over most people in Japan. His charming eyes and well-mannered countenance made him attractive. His fashion sense also came a long way from his previous self.
Not once did he look at Chihiro's revealing outfit which stemmed from his habit to respect everyone.
"Which school are you studying at?"
Her curiosity grew towards this young man.
"I'm not attending school as of the moment." He replied. "I graduated college a few years ago through a special course."
"I… see."
Nobu chose not to mention his doctorate certificate. True, he felt no need to attend school three years ago… as a teacher, that is.
(A/N: It was stated in chapters 11-12 that he wanted to attend school once.)
That was the only way to enjoy his 'school life'.
Ever since he became the youngest to attain a doctorate degree, he had long left the public scene. Except for his 'Shichi' times, he didn't show up much in public.
"Done."
"Alright. Sengoku-san, we'll be going."
"Ah. Okay."
Like a reliable brother, Shiina followed behind Nobu. The stupefied Chihiro wondered how prodigious one must be to graduate college at sixteen years old.
In the hallway, they passed by many highschool students. They went silent upon seeing the two 'idols'.
Shiina has a doll-like appearance that made her an eye-magnet. Nobu is even stronger in this regard. His height and captivating golden eyes caught the attention of many.
Despite not knowing them, it is the nature of human beings to be attracted to 'eye candies'.
"I still remember your words from years ago."
"..?"
Nobu smiled at her confused expression.
"You said you'd make friends once you came to Japan."
"Ah."
Shiina froze upon hearing those words.
That challenge, for several years, posed a huge problem to her. It is evident when her only friend was Nobu. It took someone well-versed on an introvert's natural phase for her to have a friend.
Naturally, Nobu held her cold hand.
"I believe you can do it."
"..."
In this manner, they arrived in front of her classroom. Due to being this early, there's not many students inside the classroom.
"Good luck."
"...Mn."
Shiina's bright smile reached him once again.
*****
After sending Shiina to her school, I headed to another place. As I strolled the streets, I contemplated my current internal state.
'This… It's complex…'
Shiina was my girlfriend on the third and fourth iteration. I brought it upon myself to make her smile—unlike the tragedies that occurred at those iterations. Whenever I died, I am certain the living took that hit the most.
When she was the one who passed away, I felt how it was to be on their side. That was the time when life lost all its meaning.
Escaping from those dangers wasn't enough. Having the power to directly confront them is the only solution. That was akin to escaping from a huge tsunami; no matter how far you run, you would still be reached by it.
Then again, I already have two girlfriends. I am confused on how to proceed.
Speaking of it…
'Our connection should be back later.'
The moment I returned to our world, I lost the communication link with my goddesses. After analysing, it was 'adjusting' to my current position. I reckon we would be able to directly talk with each other once this 'update' is done.
Soon, I arrived at the front gate of a dormitory. The wooden plaque has the characters 'Sakurasou' engraved into it.
I looked for the doorbell hidden underneath their mailbox and rang on it several times but to no avail. Nobody came to open the door.
Just then, I saw the dormitory's door open.
"Yes~?"
A girl with slightly messy hair came out.
"I'm here for Ryuu."
"Ryuu? Oh, you mean Ryuu-kun?"
"That's right."
"Who might you—?"
The girl stopped talking as her gaze paused on me. I met her gaze before she exclaimed:
"Ah! Are you Nobu-san? Ryuu-kun's older brother?!" She then added, "You're the one who went on a trip around the entire world!"
"...Yes."
As far as I could remember, the girl, Kamiigusa-san, was just like this.
After she let me in, I removed my shoes before entering.
"What does it feel to travel the entire world?"
"It's good. I came to see many good things, though food is one of the aspects I will never forget."
"I see… Anyways, Ryuu-kun often mentioned you!"
I couldn't help but smile upon hearing that.
"What did he tell..?"
"That you are a greater genius than him. Oh, and handsome, too!" She said. "He wasn't lying about it."
I recalled his tendency to have an inferiority complex in the past. I brought him under pressure after becoming the youngest person to receive a doctorate's degree. Add to that fact the things that happened to him…
It is partly my fault on how it ended up like this.
"He doesn't usually come out of his room…"
Kamiigusa-san told me more stories about Ryuu. These are his moments that I missed out purely because of my adventure in another world. This is one of the prices I have to pay to gain that kind of power.
A while later, I arrived in front of his room.
Knock.
Knock.
"Who is it?"
A sleepy voice came from within the room. When the door was opened, it revealed someone who only wore an oversized t-shirt. His bed hair is evident with how messy it seemed.
"—Ah."
Ryuu suddenly froze in place as he locked eyes with me.
"Hey. It's been quite some time."
"Aniki—?"
It didn't take long for him to regain his composure. Just like tou-san and kaa-san, he swiftly went on an embrace. It only lasted briefly before he separated.
"You grew up."
"You too."
As siblings, we are all too familiar with the awkward phrases we are spouting.
"Well, you really became a shut-in, huh? It's like a room straight out of a manga."
"Ah?!"
"I can still recall the days when you wanted to be the popular kid. In fact, I still have it—"
"Nope, nope, nope. Not the recordings."
His countenance swiftly went into a fluster.
"Yes, yes… I might've kept several backups, but I won't use it against you."
"...Hearing that from you makes it dubious." He replied with a deadpan.
I went inside his room. It was filled with trash like bags of chips, bottles, and messy laundry.
"You really became a Hikikomori."
"Ugh..!"
"Don't worry. I'll help you clean this later." I replied. "And it seems like you're having a cup men for breakfast..?"
"That's because… I don't know how to cook. It's also embarrassing to rely on my dorm mates' cooking, you know…"
Hearing his problems, I fell silent.
Undoubtedly, my presence has a factor on it. If I was here, I might've been able to help him resolve these things earlier.
"I'm sorry. I… I prioritised that world trip more than you… my brother."
"Aniki… There's no need to worry about it. Didn't you do it to write several breakthroughs?"
In the contingencies we've set up in the past, my disappearance would be attributed to researching several fields and making successive breakthroughs at once. That was what Ryuu and the other people close to me knew on why I chose to have a world trip.
Only, those breakthroughs are already present on Miku's database. It only needs to be uploaded before it makes a revolution on the current world's progress.
"...I've heard from tou-san about your biggest problem."
"..."
"At least, let me help you on that one."
"Okay."
I shifted to another topic to remove the heavy atmosphere.
"About the training… How much did you continue?" I asked.
"I haven't been able to do much within the past two months, but the weights are still here. I haven't visited our training ground lately, either."
When Ryuu told me he wanted to become the 'popular kid', I decided to help him with a set of exercises. I left a training regime up until he reached eighteen years old. That was how he was able to follow them and maintain a healthy body.
Still…
Ryuu leans more on the adorable side—that is, the cute appearance that women prefer.
The image of him wearing a maid outfit flashed in my mind. I couldn't believe how much I laughed when I saw him like that.
"Don't worry about this… Your aniki will help you remove your hikikomori status. Maybe you will have a girlfriend, too."
"As if you already have a girlfriend."
"..."
I merely looked at him in silence.
"Wait, what?!"
I kept staring at him. With trembling fingers, he pointed at me.
"You… You have a girlfriend?!"
"It is what it is."
"Huh?!?!"
Ryuu couldn't believe that I had a girlfriend during this supposed three-year trip.
"Really… Come to think of it, you were already a school idol in the past. It wouldn't seem strange for you to have one."
Only if he knew it was more than one…
"Then, I'll make a prediction."
I thought of the girl who would capture his heart. Their series of coincidental meetings made me think they were the protagonists of a romance manga.
"Within six months, you'll have a girlfriend."
"Right, right."
Ryuu merely shrugged my words off jokingly.
"Now that you're here… what's the command line if you…"
From then, it turned into fixing Ryuu's technical issues on his current program. Since he had a difficult time with it, that only meant that nobody on the Internet was able to resolve it, considering the fact that programmers have the Stack Exchange for things like this.
(A/N: Stack Exchange is the website where most programmers visit to copy command lines or to solve a certain problem.)
"Here's your breakfast."
"Ah… thanks."
While we were working on it, I passed the boxed breakfast I made earlier. I took the reins while Ryuu focused on eating.
"Oh?! This is good! When did you learn how to cook, aniki?"
"When we caught a snake. It tasted good, actually."
"Does it taste the same as a chicken?"
"Nope. Only their textures are similar. It's more similar to an eel."
"You lived an adventurer's life…"
Coincidentally, he is right on that one.
"Yeah. I did become an adventurer."
A level ten adventurer in another world, though.
With this, we continued our casual talks as we caught up to three and a half years of separation.
******
A/N: Next chapter would feature Bocchi. I am very hyped for this one.