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.