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Chapter 2: Japan's Summer Heat
The place I arrived at using my Interworld Travel ability was a mountain village deep in Gifu Prefecture.
As far as the eye could see, rice paddies stretched across the landscape, surrounded by several mountains.
The only form of public transportation was a bus that came from a neighboring town a few times a day. Other than that, the occasional small farm truck passed by. In some ways, Asphial—the fantasy world resembling medieval Europe—felt more developed.
There was a small unattended produce stand by the roadside and vending machines that seemed absurdly well-stocked for such a tiny village. It had all the stereotypical features of rural Japan.
There was also a little shop that sold weekly magazines that were two weeks out of date, and an unusually well-equipped gateball field. And about ten kilometers from where I had placed my Moon Gate, there was a single convenience store.
W̊ е b n̈ ôv е l̆ E ń ũm ǎ
It was such a perfect countryside setting that it looked like it could have come straight out of an old summer-vacation video game.
Even so, looking back now, I was glad I hadn't ended up in a big city full of people and crowds.
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The reason was my appearance.
I was currently dressed in the sort of clothing an ordinary citizen of Asphial would wear. In other words, I was walking around modern Japan dressed in rough linen-like clothes that looked completely out of place, while also being a remarkably tall and well-built foreigner.
Depending on who saw me, I might have looked suspicious enough to get reported to the authorities.
Fortunately, the villagers welcomed me warmly. They gave me hand-me-down clothes they no longer needed, and thanks to them, I now looked more like an ordinary foreigner dressed modestly.
W е bňо́ v̂ e l̀ Ӗ n̊ ū m а̇
That said, I was technically an illegal resident with no identification whatsoever—not even a family registry or driver's license. If the police ever stopped me for questioning, running away would probably be my only option.
"Allen-kun, you're such a hard worker."
"It's really no trouble."
As I pulled weeds in a garden under the blazing sun, an elderly woman named Taeko, whom I had met through Grandpa Genji, watched me from the veranda while sipping tea.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Grandpa Genji—the very first Earthling I had met—was fairly influential in the village. He came from a family of local landowners and owned several of the mountains surrounding this hidden village called Akane Village.
Through his introductions, I found various odd jobs.
E n̊úmа
Farm work.
Shopping errands.
Keeping elderly people company.
Weeding.
The pay wasn't much, but people often rewarded me with snacks, clothes, and other useful things.
"Allen-boy, would you like some vegetables? We've just harvested some eggplants..."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Really? I'd love some. Thank you."
It was currently summer on Earth.
Unlike Asphial, Japan's summers were extremely hot and humid, the sort of heat that clung to your skin. After becoming accustomed to life in another world, I found Japan's summer temperatures downright dangerous.
Apparently, this year was actually considered relatively cool.
That was frightening enough on its own.
On top of that, Akane Village sat at a high elevation with a lower average temperature. While it wasn't exactly a summer resort, locals still considered it a relatively comfortable place to live.
Е̂ nǔm̂ а. і̊d
"My granddaughter lives in Tokyo," Taeko said. "When I called her recently, all she did was complain about how hot it was."
Although it was still morning, I'd worked long enough under the sun to be drenched in sweat. Taeko kindly let me use her bath.
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After washing off and cooling my overheated body, I sat down while she carried over a plate of chilled somen noodles and continued talking about her granddaughter.
"Tokyo, huh? It must be incredibly hot there this time of year."
As I slurped the thin white noodles soaked in refreshing dipping sauce, the sound of a wind chime gently rang from the veranda, creating a distinctly summer atmosphere.
"She used to complain about the heat even when she lived here," Taeko said. "So I can't imagine how hard summers in the city must be for her. She says it's gotten so hot that she's planning to come home this summer."
W е̇_b nǒ.vē ĺ Е̌ n̄ ŭm a
According to Taeko, her granddaughter, Yuka, had graduated from a nearby high school before enrolling in a university in Tokyo.
Yuka had apparently always dreamed of living in the city. At first she thoroughly enjoyed Tokyo and all the opportunities it offered. But things changed after the rainy season ended. By the time July arrived and true summer began, she spent every phone call complaining about the heat.
"That's wonderful. It sounds like you'll get to see your granddaughter again after quite a while."
"Yes. Yuka has always been good at cooking, and unlike her grandfather and me, she's smart and capable. But she still hasn't found herself a boyfriend. All she does is focus on her hobbies..."
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"Well... that's something."
I'd never entered it myself, but there was a room in Taeko's house that seemed to belong to Yuka.
Ẅě bn оv̄е̃ l̀ Е n ům̄ а̊
Despite the old wooden house, the room contained several items that suggested she was something of an otaku. There was even a sticker of a handsome, stylized anime boy attached to the door.
"Since she'll be coming home anyway, why don't you try dating Yuka?" Taeko suggested. "She spends too much time on her hobbies, but she was very popular at school."
"That would just make things difficult for Yuka."
"Really? I think she'd be happy. You look a lot like one of her idol characters."
"..."
Idol character.
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Hearing those words, I suddenly felt a little uneasy about meeting Taeko's granddaughter, Yuka.
