Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 77: Starry Night ②
Night.
It had been a long time since I last came to the top of the tower.
The top floor of the watchtower was smaller than my own room.
So, all that could fit were a wooden box and a chair.
The stone floor and walls were aged and stained with grime.
That’s why I’d always wondered what Minéha-san saw in this place.
And to make things worse, the place was open to the elements.
On stormy days, the wind and rain would come in without mercy.
There was even a time when a branch from a fallen tree came crashing in.
Cleaning that up was a nightmare.
“…………”
That shabby tower’s top floor… had somehow been transformed into something quite oriental.
The first thing that caught my eye was a brightly colored carpet completely covering the stone floor.
It was laid out perfectly without a single gap.
Even the stone walls were covered in elegant wallpaper, and veils hung from the ceiling—like a canopy.
There were even decorations between the pillars of the open structure.
In the center of the room was a spread-out sheet—
along with round and long cushions.
A bit further off, there was a lamp.
But it wasn’t for lighting.
There was already a glowing orb on the ceiling that Liv-san had given us.
So—was it for aromatherapy? Essential oils? That surprised me.
Minéha-san, in her larger form, sat cross-legged on the sheet, and patted the spot beside her.
“Sit.”
“Y-Yes.”
I sat down next to her.
She was wearing a simple white shirt and pants—very casual clothing.
It was obviously a man’s shirt—in fact, it was mine.
I lent it to her once when she had nothing to wear after laundry day.
Ever since then, for whatever reason, that had become her go-to casual outfit.
I never asked for it back, but I did wonder what she liked about it so much.
In any case, Minéha-san, in her grown-up form, looked nothing like a ten-year-old.
Her flowing orange hair was smooth and shiny, and there was no trace of childishness in her beautiful features.
She was a head taller than me, and with her mature figure, there was no way she looked ten.
Compared to Pakira-san and Bid-san, she looked much older—and strangely alluring.
Maybe it was the aroma? A faint, citrusy fragrance lingered in the air.
I liked that scent.
Perhaps that gave me the courage to finally apologize.
“Um… I’m sorry. For everything.”
“For what?”
Minéha tilted her head with a puzzled look.
Her honey-colored eyes sparkled with innocent curiosity.
“Because of me… your spear got…”
“It’s fine. Really.”
“But it was to protect me…”
“That’s why it’s fine. I got to protect you.”
She looked straight into my eyes.
“…Minéha-san.”
“And besides, I got the ‘Oriannes’ in return.”
She chuckled softly.
“So let’s leave it at that, okay? No more talk about it.”
“O-Okay.”
I nodded and glanced around the transformed tower to distract myself.
“…This place looks amazing. I couldn’t believe it. It’s completely different.”
“I recreated my home.”
“This is what your home is like?”
So it was oriental. That’s unexpected.
“Yeah. Oh, and, Wof—sorry for using the tower without asking.”
Minéha-san suddenly apologized. I was taken aback and laughed.
“That’s a bit late, don’t you think?”
“I know, right?”
“You were worried about it all this time?”
“…Well, yeah.”
“You could’ve just said so earlier.”
“I mean… that would’ve been embarrassing…”
Her cheeks flushed ever so slightly, and she buried her face in her knees.
So that was the reason.
Well, I knew she was using it without permission, and I let it slide anyway.
“S-So, by the way—are you okay staying in your large form like that?”
“…It used to be hard, but I’ve practiced and gotten used to it. Before, I could only maintain it for a day, but now I can manage about three. I really should be able to hold it longer if I want to be a proper Explorer, though.”
As she spoke, she idly poked at the carpet with her finger.
“You can get used to it?”
“It’s more like your body adjusts. Once you’re used to it, even the energy it takes to revert back decreases. So you can stay bigger longer.”
“Huh. You said it used to be hard—why?”
“The senses. When you grow bigger, your body and senses feel completely different. Some girls can’t take it—they get so disoriented they actually throw up.”
“It’s that extreme?”
Apparently, growing larger could be so jarring that it made some people vomit.
“It really depends on the person. I’m one of the lucky ones.”
“I see…”
“It’s easier being small, but being big is more convenient.”
Well, when she’s in fairy form, she rides on my shoulder or on Dagaa, so yeah, that makes sense.
I smiled wryly and looked up at the open sky through the tower’s rooftop.
It was a clear, star-filled sky. The heavens were overflowing with glittering light.
And the Moon—the Mother of the Night—was wrapped in her usual silver glow.
Her attendants, the satellite “Sisters,” shone with a dreamlike beauty alongside her.
“…………”
“It’s beautiful.”
“Yes.”
Before I knew it, Minéha-san was gazing at the sky, just like me.
“…When I first came to this tower, I regretted it. It was dirty, cramped, and just plain gross.”
“…Why come here then?”
“Fairials like high places. It’s where we usually live.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“And—this is selfish, but… I didn’t want to see your face.”
“What?”
Minéha-san, her face bright red, for some reason glared at me.
I was confused. Had I done something to make her angry?
“…I just realized it. I’m the one who went into a man’s house because I didn’t have a place to stay.”
“…”
This was the first time I’d heard the truth. So she had been bothered by it.
“There were inns and such I could’ve gone to, but… at the time, I was anxious.”
“Anxious?”
“I picked a fight with Axe and the others the moment we met, remember? That was a bad move.”
“Well, yeah.”
“After that, I didn’t know what to do…”
“…”
That was surprising. So, back then, she really was trying to find a way to fix things.
Maybe the reason she approached me was to make amends.
“So at the time, I just acted without thinking. I forced my way into your house. But once I calmed down, I realized I’d done something ridiculous. So, I ran away the moment I found the tower. Then I regretted it. It was disgustingly dirty.”
“Ah, hahaha…”
“But it was already night, and it was my own fault, so I decided to just stay in the tower. Back then… I was frustrated. So miserable and ashamed of my own stupidity… and that’s when I saw this starry sky.”
Minéha-san looked up at the night sky.
It was so beautiful it felt like it could suck you in—shaking something deep inside the heart.
“Starry night…”
I murmured without thinking, and Minéha-san turned toward me. Then, slowly, she opened her mouth to speak.
“Hey, Wof. You know… I finally understand why, when you kept that secret from me today… why I felt so sad and lonely.”
“Minéha-san…”
“Wof… I thought of you as family.”
“…Family, huh?”
I was shaken. But hearing it said out loud—it weirdly made sense, like it fit perfectly.
So that’s what it was. Family, huh? Minéha-san averted her gaze.
“Yeah. Living together, eating meals together… I just naturally started thinking of you like that.”
“…”
“It’s strange, isn’t it? It hasn’t been that long. Just a few months. But I lived with you. Honestly… it’s embarrassing to say this, but I really… really like this life. As much as I like this tower.”
“I like this life too—sharing meals with you and Dagaa. I really enjoy it.”
Even though most of her meal requests were just meat, that kind of thing wasn’t bad either.
Cooking for someone else was fun. Hearing “delicious” made my heart dance.
“I’m glad. It was embarrassing to say, and… I was scared, too.”
Minéha-san spoke, hugging her knees to her chest in a sitting position.
“Scared? Why?”
“Because… saying something like this… you might reject me. Because it’s weird.”
“I won’t reject you. In fact, hearing that made everything click into place for me.”
“Wof…”
“I want to keep living with you, Minéha-san. Is that not okay?”
When I said it clearly, Minéha-san lifted her head and looked at me.
“It’s not like… it’s not okay or anything…”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Yeah…”
Minéha-san gave a small, shy nod like she was trying to hide her embarrassment.
I felt relieved. I was truly happy I could keep living with her.
“…I’m glad.”
I murmured it again without thinking.
“Wof. The stars are beautiful tonight.”
Minéha-san turned her face back up to the sky.
“Yes, they are.”
I smiled.