Dun dun…
Well, what can I do?
Here I am, trying to comfort someone who isn’t even at fault! I’m just trying to ease her guilt as much as I can; otherwise, it’ll be super awkward every time we see each other.
And honestly? I already knew what Rena was hiding. I had done some digging beforehand. If she were a character I recognized, I wouldn’t have bothered with an in-depth investigation unless my life was at stake, but Rena? She was a fresh face—a character I had never seen in the original story!
What Rena was keeping secret was her fondness for the character “Digger Dog.”
Silence…
But Rena doesn’t know that I know. She probably can’t even imagine someone would snoop on her when she has a crush on a fictional character.
Even Rena, who doesn’t hide anything in front of everyone else, seems to find it hard to admit her love for a specific character.
Honestly, I wonder if it’s even something worth hiding.
In this world, subculture is still in its infancy. Movies are just starting to emerge and aren’t even recognized as art yet. Back home, filmmaking techniques were an established thing, but here? We’re stuck with “short slapstick videos” at best. Comics and animations? Don’t even get me started.
On the flip side, maybe it’s precisely because their standing is so low that the term “otaku” hasn’t popped up.
So, I don’t see why she should be embarrassed about revealing that fact.
After a good bit of hesitation in front of the door, Rena finally gathered her courage, shot me a glance, and opened the door.
Click…
Following Rena inside, I spotted a room that didn’t look too different from mine.
Well, it is a dorm. No matter how you dress it up, there are limits. Four years isn’t a short time, but at least she has to return after that.
From that perspective, I’d say Rena did her best to decorate her room.
Usually, noble rooms are distinct from studies; not many of them have bookshelves. The place with books in a mansion is the study. You’d naturally read in the study if you had work or wanted to read.
But since they can’t provide individual studies for all nobles in the dorms, the academy rooms each have a decent-sized bookshelf.
On one shelf of Rena’s bookshelf—well, let’s call it a layer—was stuffed full of dolls.
I could see it from the window, but stepping inside and getting a closer look, I was surprised by the variety of doll shapes. Some looked like dogs in traditional outfits, akin to mascots from my world, and others appeared to be gender-bent derivates.
Woof woof!
“Digger Dog!”
I feigned familiarity.
Sure, I actually knew. I was planning to use that character as a reference so I had done my homework.
It was an adorable little dog character, but honestly, I thought the name was quite silly. While naming pets based on their behaviors is common in the West, calling a digging dog “Digger” just raises too many questions.
Not that I would say that in front of a fan of the character.
“Did you know?”
Rena asked, seeming a bit surprised, and I felt guilty again but played it cool.
“Well, it’s not every day you find a popular ‘character’ like this. It’s cute too.”
Gasp!
Did I touch a nerve with Rena or something?
Thinking back, Rena just revealed a hidden hobby she’d been keeping under wraps! And all thanks to my subtle pressuring.
To be fair, there’s really no need for her to feel guilty for that weakness.
But having kept it hidden means it’s something she finds somewhat embarrassing to reveal to others. Even back home, some people looked down on adults who bought figures or games; what about this world? If she was from a military family, I could imagine them saying, “A grown kid with dolls?!”
“Can I touch it for a moment?”
Speaking from my previously otaku knowledge, I reckoned that some of these things could be ridiculously pricey despite how they look. Didn’t teddy bears from famous places run in the millions?
And the reason those teddy bears are expensive? They’re handmade and they’ve gained a premium over time.
So perhaps these ‘Digger Dog’ dolls would be the same.
“Yes, that’s fine.”
Hearing Rena’s nod, I casually picked up a doll. It was a basic version with no clothes on.
As I held it and gave it a gentle poke, it felt pretty soft. But it was heavier than I expected. Must be more stuffing than anticipated.
“When did you start liking this character?”
Since I couldn’t just play with the doll in silence, I asked Rena about the story behind her collecting these figures.
“I got my first one from my father.”
Gulp…
Oh boy…
I had just been casually asking how she got into this hobby, and now it sounded like it had some deep, heavy backstory behind it.
And just as I imagined, Rena’s story was heavier than I thought.
“My father, due to his job, couldn’t come home often. Even when he promised he would, sometimes he wouldn’t manage it. My mother and I would wait up for him late into the night, but we often ended up sleeping before we got to see him.”
Sniff…
“I thought it was okay. It was for the country, after all. But it seemed my father thought differently. One night, he left a doll by my pillow after peeking in to see me asleep. That was—”
Rena’s gaze dropped to the doll in my hand.
I froze; this is way more precious than I initially thought. Holding the doll now felt like a hot potato. If I just tossed it down, it’d seem disrespectful, but keeping it in my hands was making my heart race. It wasn’t just a matter of being costly.
“My father was a bit inept at showing emotions, so… there wasn’t a letter or anything, but I was sure he gave it to me as a gift. Unlike me, who was deeply asleep, my mother had seen him come back late, and she suggested I write a letter to him.”
“Is that so?”
Knowing he was a guy who’d sent his daughter here made me think he wouldn’t be much different from the Emperor. But hearing he left a doll when evacuating his child during a war? Now he seems like a pretty family-oriented guy.
“I wrote to my father. I’m not great at writing, so it was just a short thank you. But it seemed he enjoyed receiving my letters.”
At first, Rena spoke without expression, but as she continued, a blush began to creep onto her cheeks.
Well, exchanging letters with one’s father isn’t exactly an everyday story either. It’s that kind of heartwarming tale that can tickle a sensitive spot in one’s heart.
“After that, my father would often gift me dolls, and I… would hug them while sleeping. And that’s continued until now.”
“…”
“I know it doesn’t really suit my age, but it’s become such a habit that it’s hard to break…”
Gasp!
Oh no.
I thought Rena just liked dolls, and with a light heart, I suggested sharing her embarrassment, but her tale was way heavier than I’d expected.
“Sounds like you have a great father.”
I dug deep into my thoughts to find something supportive to say, but Rena had already turned beet red and averted her gaze.
Drip…
I was sweating bullets. Thank goodness for the coat covering my shoulders! If not, my shirt would be soaked with sweat right now.
“…”
I kept my mouth shut for a long moment before finally saying something.
“I also enjoy sweet things.”
Yeah, I should at least share a somewhat similar story, right? I can’t have Rena looking uncomfortable every time she glances at me.
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