Chương 69: Chapter 19 The Little Sister and the Eve of the Akihabara Gate(Part 1)

"Well, they are not invaders, so I suppose we should believe in their so-called goodwill."

"They are still an incredibly troublesome existence." Our exchange of opinions came to an end, and we left the room. Staying too long would only put more strain on his body. As for the Overflow phenomenon, we had finally found a direction. A considerable weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Now, all that remained was to continue testing. Eventually, we would reach the correct answer. The immediate problem was the Akihabara Gate, but even that should be manageable to some extent.

I felt so relieved that I almost wanted to skip down the hallway and dance. If someone asked me for an autograph right now, I might even sign it and add a kiss mark.... Not that I would actually do that.

"Are you finished?" Mochida, who had been waiting outside, spoke to me.

"Yes. It was a very meaningful discussion. We have made some progress regarding the issues we were facing, so... wait." As I answered, I suddenly remembered. There was still one major problem left. This was not something I could simply brush off with a playful "oops." But could something like this really be solved in one or two days? No, wait. If we used an intercom or something...

"What's wrong?"

"I'm a person from the countryside..."

"Yes, I heard you are from the hot spring prefecture. That sounds wonderful. Hot springs are great." You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"That's exactly the problem."

"The problem? What is there to worry about? Once this is over, you should enjoy Tokyo. Maybe even visit the mouse kingdom. I could go with you if you want."

"I don't know the area. I don't know the names of places. I don't know the buildings. I know nothing." For example, if someone told me there were monsters appearing at a community center, I wouldn't even know where that community center was. Actually, now that I think about it... do community centers even exist everywhere?

"Urgent...! This is urgent! What should I do?" What should I do? Chiyoda wasn't here. It wouldn't exactly be a problem if she was, but she would probably complain endlessly. Still, I had to do this. All I could do was pray that I wouldn't be noticed. Even celebrities walked around Tokyo normally. It should be fine... probably.

"Mochida P. That is what you called yourself, correct?"

"Yes?"

"Immediately prepare jeans, a hoodie, and a newsboy cap. The colors and designs are up to you, but make sure the hat is large enough to hide my hair."

"Understood! Leave it to me! I'll go prepare them, so please wait in Tachibana's hospital room." With those words, she hurried away. Somehow... Coming back after just leaving felt embarrassing. Especially because we had just parted ways in what felt like a cool and dramatic manner. It hit me harder than expected. Sigh... Standing here wouldn't accomplish anything. I should go back inside.

"Ah, Chloe?"

"Please don't worry about it. There are... unavoidable circumstances." The atmosphere between us became slightly awkward, but I contacted Chiyoda about what had happened earlier and began preparing for the investigation. After that, all we could do was wait for the Gate's announcement. Until the scheduled time, I would explore Akihabara and meet the members who had been selected. While chatting with Tachibana and puffing away on my kiseru pipe, Mochida returned carrying a bag.

Unfortunately, Tachibana had apparently still not reached the Intermediate stage. He had not obtained his second class either. However, he himself felt that he was close. Perhaps entering the Gate would become the trigger that allowed him to advance. Unfortunately, while he was still recovering, he probably wouldn't make it in time for this incident.

"I bought the requested items. Call me after you change. I also bought a hat, but dyeing your hair should be fine, right?"

"A disguise, huh..." My hair was impossible. I had considered it before, but I had already determined that it wouldn't work.

"My hair won't work. The color probably won't blend properly. Cover it with everything else." I changed in the shower room attached to the hospital room. I stored my removed clothes inside my ring and put on the new outfit. The hoodie seemed to be designed after an orca. It was oversized, black and white, and reached down to my thighs. The hood had a cute, simplified face drawn on it. It was thin, but my underwear shouldn't show through. The pants were slim black jeans.

From the front, the whole silhouette probably looked like a fish. The shoes were thick-soled half boots with a punk style. And the newsboy cap had tiny cat ears attached to it. I stuffed my hair inside the cap after carefully gathering it up. With this, I probably wouldn't be recognized as First. Just in case, I also hung my dog tags around my neck. Who knew what might happen?

"How does this look? It doesn't seem strange, does it?" I came out of the shower room while adjusting the long hem of the hoodie. The sleeves only exposed my fingertips, which was slightly annoying. I liked oversized clothing, but with sleeves like these, holding chopsticks would be difficult. And if I ate something, I would probably get sauce all over them.

"Chloe, why don't you try calling me 'big brother'?"

"Chloe, please call me 'big sister' when we are out in public." Maybe both of us were tired. Tachibana was grinning, but honestly, I think his brain cells had suffered some serious damage. He had been unconscious for a long time, after all. Still... My wallet was a problem. I hadn't been able to go to an ATM. I had my usual card, but in Tokyo, I couldn't help worrying about things like information theft. So...

"Big brother, I don't have any money. Give me some!" I held out my hand and said it with a smile. My face immediately became hot. Why did I do that? Seriously. An old man asking someone for money... That was questionable behavior as a human being. No. My appearance was that of a young girl! From an outsider's perspective, it probably wasn't strange.... Probably.