I Love, Love, Really Love You, so I Want To Tell You How Much I Love Being With You - Chapter 3: Akihabara (1)

Chapter 2: Akihabara

 

(TLN: Akihabara is considered the centre of Japan’s otaku culture.)

 

I vividly remember what happened that day. 

 

On that day – I stepped foot in an airport for the very first time.

 

Narita International Airport.

 

The enormous building was covered in pristine white marble tiles. For a moment, I just stood there, trying to take everything in. I stared out the window, where countless planes were taking off and settling down into their respective compartments. 

 

To say the least, I was excited.

 

So this is the gateway that connects us to foreign countries…

 

To someone like me, who’s only ever traveled locally for family reasons or because of school trips, it truly felt like a gateway to another world.

 

I came here to welcome a guest from that very world.

 

That’s right. Unfortunately for me, I wasn’t the one traveling. My task was to welcome someone into Japan.

 

The guest in question was an exchange student from Finland, a Nordic country. Why was I the one to welcome them, you might ask? Well, it was simply because my parents knew the parents of the exchange student.

 

However, I only found out about it this morning.

 

Originally, my mother was supposed to pick them up, but something came up. Through a chain of events, the task ended up being handed over to me.

 

I didn’t want to do it… but then I was given 10,000 yen and told that I could keep the remaining funds as pocket money. 

 

It’s basically a part-time job.

 

There was only one issue – I didn’t know what the student looked like.

 

My mother gave me a small bag, reassuring me that, “This contains all the information you need about them!”.

 

…The only thing in the bag was a small cardboard sign.

 

‘Welcome to Japan! Eija Pikkalainen!’

 

A handwritten note written by my mother.

 

Is this it?

 

All she had given me was a welcome board?

 

She left the house in quite a hurry, so she probably forgot to put in the other items. For example, a photo of the person I’m supposed to be meeting…

 

My mother sometimes, or rather, often makes mistakes.

 

Even though I was told to pick the student up, I was never told where I should take them after.

 

A hotel? A student dormitory? Their house?

 

I glanced down at the messaging app on my smartphone, refreshing it yet again. 

 

She still hasn’t opened my message…

 

Oh well, I guess I’ll just take them home for today.

 

I sighed and looked at the card again.

 

“Eiya Bi-bikka nai-ne?”

 

To someone who’s lived in Japan for their whole life, it was a funny name. It was probably normal to anyone outside of this country… but I imagined a yellow, round person that shot out electricity and simultaneously chanted, “Pika, Pika.”

 

When I thought about it, I couldn’t tell if the foreigner was a guy or a girl just from their name. 

 

It could be a girl?

 

I imagined a beautiful girl with perfect features, like an elf… but that probably wouldn’t be the case in reality.

 

A guy wouldn’t be bad, either…

 

If it ended up being a guy, we might be able to hang out. Having a foreign friend might be kind of cool…

 

As I was organizing my thoughts, a crowd of people began coming out of the terminals. It seemed that the flight I was looking for had arrived.

 

I’m a bit nervous…

 

I held up the welcome board to my chest.

 

Slowly, the flow of people increased. My fingers slowly tensed up as I witnessed something I’ve only ever seen in dramas.

 

Businessmen in suits, couples, and even entire families soon passed by. 

 

A lone high-school student never ended up appearing. Eventually, the flow of people stopped. The calm silence returned, as if the bustling crowd had never been there.

 

Just then.

 

Hmm? Another plane?

 

I looked up at the large electronic display. 

 

A Finnair flight from Helsinki had arrived.

 

“Ah… welcome to Japan.” I silently recited.

 

Time continued to pass, but there were no signs of anyone coming out. 

 

Maybe they hadn’t boarded the plane?

 

Just as I was tilting my head in confusion, the automatic door suddenly opened. A girl appeared.

 

I was left speechless, my mouth hanging wide open as I stared at the person that had just arrived.

 

Is that a human?

 

Noticing my welcome board, they began walking towards me.

 

She looked nothing like the yellow, round beast that I had pictured; she was beautiful.

 

I couldn’t help but let out a small gasp.

 

Long, silver-colored hair streamed cascaded down her back. Soft baby-blue eyes and long eyelashes to match. She had a delicate, small face with soft features and large, expressive eyes, and long, slender legs.

 

Because of her delicate build and light complexion, there was a dainty, ethereal atmosphere around her.

 

In contrast, her chest seemed… quite impressive. Although she was wearing a simple white dress and jacket, she made it seem elegant.

 

Despite her calm demeanor, her presence was overwhelming.

 

She wasn’t the type of girl one pictured when they imagined a ‘Beautiful Scandinavian girl’.

 

No, she’s far beyond that. To put it in extreme terms, she almost didn’t seem like the same species as me. It’s as if an elf from another world had appeared.

 

Wait, is Narita Airport really a place where flights from another world arrive?

 

The girl stood in front of me, staring at me in silence.

 

Time slowly passed, though I don’t remember how long we stayed like that.

 

Slowly, she opened her mouth. A quiet but beautiful voice that reminded me of a tinkling bell, reverberated in my head.

 

When I finally came to my senses, I hurriedly tried to remember what I was planning to say.

 

Nothing came into mind. 

 

As I looked around in panic, I realised that I was still holding the board to my chest.

 

While putting the board away in my tote bag, I suddenly realized I still needed to confirm her identity. I slowly recited the phrase that I had practiced.

 

“‘Are you… Ms. Pikkarainen?’”

 

For a split second, she seemed to furrow her eyebrows.

 

By the time I reacted, her face had already returned to its icy, expressionless state. 

 

Was it just my imagination? 

 

I waited a few seconds, and then—

 

“Yes…”

 

Just that one word made me feel as though I had completed some great task.

 

“Oh, I see. I’m glad. I was worried because you were late.”

 

I gave a smile that seemed to dissolve her suspicions.

 

“Aoi Oraga. My name is Aoi Oraga. Your parents and my parents are acquaintances. Actually, my mother was supposed to come, but she had to go to work at short notice.”

 

I tried to start a conversation, but Eija didn’t respond. I felt something tug at my heart. 

 

This is so awkward…

 

It’s like she has zero interest in me.

 

It doesn’t matter if you’re a wizard or a demon king… at least say something.

 

Even though she’s an elf, it seemed like she was an ice elf.

 

Looking at Eija again, I noticed she was carrying a blue suitcase and a shoulder bag slung over her shoulder. The strap crossed her cleavage, emphasizing her already outstanding breasts—so-called “paisura”—a hateful lure guiding my gaze.

 

I asked Eija, desperately trying to resist the temptation, “Is that all your luggage?” 

 

She nodded, her head bobbing slightly. Maybe she still couldn’t speak Japanese, but she could understand it. 

 

What a relief.

 

“Well, do you know where you’re going? Have you already booked a hotel? Since you’re an exchange student, I assumed you might be staying in a dorm or with another family. Just tell me where you’re headed, and I’ll take you there.”

 

However, Eija didn’t reply, giving a blank expression. After a while, she simply tilted her head.

 

Cute… wait…

 

Oh no, I’m in trouble! She doesn’t seem to understand what I’m saying… should I just… take her home for now?

 

For a moment, I imagined this beautiful girl in my room.

 

No way.

 

She’s stunning, yes, but I’m getting a little sidetracked.

 

“Well then, shall we get on the train anyway? I’ll carry your luggage.”

 

After I made that suggestion, I came to the realization that all she had was a suitcase. Equipped with wheels, all I’d be doing was rolling it around… which wasn’t particularly helpful.

 

Wait, wouldn’t it be uncomfortable for a girl to leave her luggage with a guy she doesn’t know? 

 

Well… I guess I can’t back out now.

 

If she didn’t want my assistance, I’d just step back. I reached out hesitantly, but to my surprise, she handed me her luggage without hesitation. 

 

She quickly averted her gaze, her pale cheeks having turned a shade of pink.

 

“I’m not sure…”

 

“It can’t be helped, then. Which way is the skyliner?”

 

I began walking, muttering to myself.

 

Hmm?

 

When I glanced back, Eyja was still standing in the same spot, as if her feet had taken root in the ground. She was looking slightly upward, her gaze fixed on something.

 

The target of her eyes was-

 

“What’s that?”

 

A ridiculously oversized head stood in the distance.

 

“Gundom…?” (TLN: Reference to ‘Gundam’, an extremely popular animated series.)

 

The popular Gundom cartoon series has been running for decades. I, for one, was really into it back in primary school. I even built plastic models of the characters. Even though it was a cartoon, it also boasts a serious and realistic worldview.

 

I was captivated by its mature and cool atmosphere. Each series has its unique charm, appealing to audiences of all ages. Some installments are lighthearted and easygoing, while others delve into deeper themes.

 

At its core is the Gundom universe. The series explores profound topics while remaining entertaining. In fact, it was this work that first made me aware of human relationships and the horrors of war.

 

Without a doubt, Gundom is one of Japan’s most iconic creations. A must-watch for every Japanese citizen. If I could, I’d even make it mandatory for foreigners to watch it during immigration checkpoints.

 

It would make perfect sense to display it at airport arrival gates. That said, seeing a head taller than a person just lying there was… quite bizarre.

 

Next to it, I noticed a sign that read, Narita Anime Deck.

 

Ah, I see—it’s a shop promoting Japanese otaku culture. 

 

The display was clearly created with a lot of thought and effort.

 

I definitely would have been obsessed with this back in elementary school. I used to like it a lot, but since junior high, I’ve drifted slowly away from it.

 

There are many reasons for this, but at the end of the day, I just didn’t have the passion to be an otaku, to stick to my beliefs. If I really liked something, I wouldn’t care what anyone thought or said.

 

“Uh, Eija…”

 

The words stopped halfway in my throat.

 

Eija looked completely different. Her eyes were wide open, sparkling as she stared at something. Her cheeks were flushed, and her bewitching pink lips were slightly parted. A small, breathy sigh escaped her.

 

“Wow…so it was here…”

 

She whispered.

 

“Eija… are you okay?”

 

“Mmm…” (TLN: きゅん roughly translates to being choked up with emotion, wasn’t sure how I could translate it.)

 

Her face was faintly red, her eyes wide with excitement.

 

What’s happening?

 

And then, a pleasant but unnervingly cold voice rang in my ears.

 

“Do you want to stop by that store?”

 

Her expression remained composed, but her behavior betrayed her true feelings. Her gaze darted around nervously, her hands fidgeted, and she avoided eye contact.

 

It was as though something inside her was actively fighting against her own movements.

 

After a brief pause, Eija turned her back and began slowly walking away. Sadness seemed to cling onto her figure.

 

She says she doesn’t want to go in, but deep down, she does—doesn’t she?

 

As I thought this, Eija suddenly stopped and stole a glance back at the shop. Her expression looked full of regret.

 

It seemed like she was about to leave.

 

She says she doesn’t mind…

 

I don’t care. It’s not my place to meddle, is it?

 

A voice in my head tried to convince me. 

 

It’s easier that way. Safer. Just do what you were told.

 

But.

 

“Hey, do you mind if I stop by?”

 

“You…?”

 

———————————————————————-

 

TLN: I’m not sure how I feel about the character being the biggest simp in existence, but I liked how he acted at the end. Rest of the chapter soon.