Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 52: Manga Talk
Despite having quite a few people gathered, an awkward atmosphere filled the room as Velvet immediately started reading manga. Just as I was about to break the silence and change the mood, Shoji suddenly reacted with excitement to the manga Velvet was holding.
“Huh? No way!? Velvet, you’re reading One Piece!? Wait… what!? Does this world have One Piece too!?”
“You know this manga as well? Sato lent it to me. I thought it was really interesting, but I didn’t know it was famous.”
“Sato, you can create not just food but also manga!? That’s, like, ten times more useful than any of our abilities!”
“Whoa, this is crazy! One Piece exists here!? I used to watch the anime all the time!”
“I’m not really into manga, but even I know One Piece.”
“One Piece… man, I really want to read it. Do you have the latest volume?”
Since One Piece is one of the most famous manga in Japan, everyone was instantly hooked. The atmosphere, which had been a little awkward because Velvet dove straight into her manga, completely turned around thanks to it.
It also made me realize once again—One Piece is truly legendary, even in another world.
“No, I don’t have the latest volume. Right now, I only have volumes 1 through 5.”
“That’s way too old! But rereading it from the beginning sounds fun.”
“Still, stopping at volume 5 is just going to leave me wanting more! I’ll definitely need the next ones!”
“I agree. Sato, do you plan to keep adding more manga?”
“Yes, whenever I can afford it, I’ll keep buying more. Oh, by the way, Velvet also has a shoujo manga.”
“Huh!? A shoujo manga!? What is it!?”
Yui, who wasn’t as excited about One Piece, suddenly lit up at the mention of shoujo manga. I guess romance stories appeal more to her.
“It’s a manga called Kimi ni Todoke. Do you know it, Yui?”
“Of course I do! It’s a classic! I’ve reread it so many times! Though I actually got into it through the live-action movie first… wait, do you have it here!?”
“I’m not sure. You’d have to ask Velvet, but I doubt she brought it with her.”
She seems to treasure her books, so I don’t think she carries them around.
Speaking of Velvet, she was so absorbed in her manga that she wasn’t even listening to our conversation.
“…Velvet, can I ask you something?”
“Huh? Were you talking to me?”
“Yes. Do you have the manga I gave you with you now?”
“No, of course not. I wouldn’t carry it around. It’s safely stored in my room.”
“Looks like you’ll have to wait for another time, Yui.”
“Aww… I was hoping to read it again.”
“Hmm? Yui, was it? Do you like manga too?”
“Not just manga—specifically, shoujo manga! I’ve read the entire series you own, Velvet. Actually, I own all the volumes myself!”
“—Wait a second. You said ‘too,’ but I haven’t read the whole thing yet! If you spoil anything, I won’t forgive you!”
Velvet’s eyes were serious, and Yui immediately nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. But despite Velvet’s intensity, Yui actually looked happy.
“I promise I won’t spoil anything! By the way, what volume are you on now?”
“I’m on volume 7.”
“Volume 7! So you’re at the part with Ryu and Chii-chan!?”
“Yes, yes! The love triangle is just… ugh!”
Velvet and Yui quickly found common ground and got completely wrapped up in their discussion, leaving the manga she had been reading forgotten on the table. I totally get that feeling—you can talk for hours about a series you love.
Meanwhile, watching the two of them talk so excitedly was Mika, looking a little envious. I thought she could just join in, but maybe she wasn’t familiar with the series.
“…Mika, are you not joining in?”
“I don’t really like romance manga, so I’ve never read it! I want to join, but I just can’t keep up! Back in Japan, I ran into this same situation dozens of times and told myself I’d read some eventually, but I could never get into it!”
Her passionate explanation made me laugh. For someone who doesn’t enjoy romance stories, it must be tough to keep up with conversations like these.
From my perspective, if you don’t watch romance movies, dramas, or variety shows, it’s probably hard to join in on these kinds of talks.
“I see. Do you prefer battle manga instead, Mika?”
“Yeah! My older brother had tons of them, so I totally got influenced by him!”
“I like battle and fantasy manga too! That’s why Mika and I always had a lot to talk about.”
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“Oh, really? What about you, Ren?”
“Since I played soccer growing up, I was mostly into sports manga. Of course, I like battle manga too, though.”
“Sports manga are great. I’ve never played any sports, but I still love reading them.”
From what I could tell, everyone had pretty different tastes.
Someday, I’d love to gather a huge variety of manga and hold a manga discussion event.
As our manga talk continued, I noticed Sheila standing a little away from the group. She seemed even more out of the loop than Mika. If we kept talking about manga, she might get bored, so…
It’s time to move on to the Christmas party.
“—Alright, we’ve been talking about manga for a while, but today’s main event is the Christmas party. Now that everyone’s here, let’s get started.”
“Nice! Let’s do it! …Uh, by the way, what do you do at a Christmas party?”
“I’ve prepared food and desserts. I also bought some board games.”
“Oh, board games sound fun. Let’s eat first, then play together!”
“I’m getting excited!”
It felt a little forced, but I successfully shifted the focus back to the party.
Now, it’s time to serve the food I had prepared.
For today’s meal, I made the same fried chicken and pizza from last time, along with shrimp pilaf and a special pork miso soup.
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The miso soup was a bit off-theme, but I really wanted to drink it, so I included it anyway.
For dessert, as planned, I made pudding and vanilla ice cream.
I wanted to serve fried chicken and a Christmas cake, but for now, everyone will have to settle for fried chicken and pudding with ice cream.
The quality is top-notch, so I’m sure they’ll enjoy it… or at least, I hope they will.