“Hey, Joe boy! We’re here! You around?”
“Joe-chan? Haven’t seen you lately. What’s up?”
Whoa! Even amidst the loud knocking coming from the entrance, I could hear that gruff old man’s voice and the gentle old woman’s voice! No mistaking it—it’s the Suemori old couple, Akifumi and Hanako, from a few doors down!
I’ve known the Suemori couple for ages. We’re so close that we’re practically like family. Akifumi-san is a retired adventurer, and a few years back, we even explored dungeons together. We used to meet almost five days a week back then, but since I turned into an elf, I barely go out—except for trips to the supermarket, the hospital, or the occasional dungeon visit.
So naturally, it makes sense they’d be worried after not seeing me, someone they used to see almost daily. They even skipped calling and came straight to my house—so very them, huh? Haha.
…Wait, this is no time to laugh! What do I do? Should I tell them I turned into an elf? Would they even believe me? If Budo-san froze up when I told him, there’s a chance these two might faint from the shock! But ignoring them would feel bad too!
As I was pondering whether to do this or that, Hanako-san’s unmistakable voice came through the door.
“Joe-chan! Guess what? I brought bamboo shoot sashimi today!”
“What?! For real, Hanako-san?!”
The sliding door flung open! My eyes met with Akifumi-san and Hanako-san’s—aah, it’s over. But there’s no helping it! The temptation of bamboo shoot sashimi is unbeatable! Oh no, what do I do now? They might even think I’m a burglar or something!
My brain was in overdrive, spinning at lightning speed. First, I need to prove that I’m Kihara Joji—
“Um, Akifumi-san, Hanako-san…!”
“Oh, Joe-chan, is that you?”
“Wait, huh?”
“Are you really Joe boy?! What’s with that getup?!”
“What? Wait, you two knew it was me?”
““We can tell by your eyes.””
Are these people Newtypes or something?
“Well, well, you’ve turned into an elf, huh?”
“Gahaha! For a second, I thought you were Joe boy’s girlfriend!”
“For just a second? That’s pretty impressive.”
Since standing around talking wasn’t ideal, I invited them inside. Their adaptability was astonishing—compared to Budo-san’s panicked reaction, this was on another level. Is this what they call wisdom from age? Not much surprises them anymore… except, maybe, your next-door neighbor turning into an elf shouldn’t count as a “usual” occurrence!
As we were chatting, Aurora—who had been hiding in a corner, startled by the unfamiliar humans—fluttered onto my shoulder.
“—?”
“Oh my, what an adorable fairy! Are you living with Joe-chan?”
“Yup, this is Aurora. She looks like this, but she loves alcohol.”
“Ho! I thought fairies only drank water. How about it, young lady? I’ve got some snake wine at home—wanna try it?”
“—!”
“Oh, really? You’re interested!”
Why are they bonding so quickly? And they seem to understand each other perfectly. Is it some sort of alcohol-lover’s telepathy? By the way, Akifumi-san, I’d like some snake wine too!
“Still, Joe-chan, you’ve turned into such a beauty! Hey, how about trying on a kimono? I can help you put it on!”
“Ehh? But won’t wearing a kimono make it hard to eat?”
I mean, don’t you have to tie the obi really tightly? That sounds super uncomfortable! Hard pass! But I’d be fine with a jinbei.
“Oh, Joe-chan, your love for food hasn’t changed, has it?”
“Gahaha! Of course not! Just because you’re a woman now doesn’t mean your insides would change!”
“By the way, Joe boy, have you been exploring that usual mountain dungeon?”
“Yeah, I’ve been going.”
“Good to hear! Knowing you, you wouldn’t mess with the summit, would you?”
“Of course not—the boss is terrifying!”
I playfully pretended to shiver, earning a round of laughter. But honestly, the boss is no joke—I need to stay cautious.
“But I wonder how Sui-chan would react if she saw how stunning Joe-chan has become! That girl was so attached to you, wasn’t she?”
“Ahh, she’s probably forgotten about me by now.”
As we exchanged such lighthearted banter, time flew by, and the two eventually headed home. Of course, I made them promise not to tell anyone about me turning into an elf. Though, knowing these two, there’s a small risk they might accidentally spill it… Oh well, I’ll just trust them for now.
