Volume 6 Chapter 11 The Whale Shark
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Ahhhhhhh—!!”
A piercing shriek ripped through the air as Shushu-ria came barreling out of the bathroom, her bare bottom flashing for the whole world to see. She skidded to a halt right in front of me, standing firm like a guardian statue in a nio-dachi¹ pose. Apparently, the high-tech washlet² had scared the life out of her, but… uh, Syu-sama? You’re totally exposed here! Cover up, and fast!
”Ah-ha… Well, this is becoming quite the tradition, isn’t it?” Grandpa said with a cheeky little chuckle. “First it was EllEll-chan, then Ms. Claudel…”
”Princess… er, Syu-sama,” Saran-san interjected. “That device is designed to wash you with warm water after you’ve finished your business.”
”What?! Saran-san! If you knew that, you should have told me from the start!!” Shushu-ria yelled.
She was fuming, her face a mask of righteous indignation—right up until the moment she realized her backside was still catching a breeze. With a startled yelp, she scrambled back into the bathroom.
Good grief… I have a bad feeling about what’s ahead.
”Hey, Halt—” Sister Sheena-san leaned in, a devious glint in her eyes. “Don’t you think Syu-chan has a surprisingly mature body? I mean, she’s only eleven, so the future is certainly something to look forward to, right?”
”Sister Sheena-san, please don’t say things like that…” I groaned.
”Oh? Then maybe you’re more the Saran-san type, Halt-kun? Is that it?” she asked.
”It’s not like that at all!” I replied.
She seemed to take a perverse pleasure in my heated denials. It was her favorite way to wind me up.
Today was the welcome party for Shushu-ria and the others. Grandma and Mom had gone all out, whipping up a feast of local Okinawan specialties. Grandpa and Sister Sheena-san were already a few drinks deep and feeling quite merry. By nine o’clock, however, the travel fatigue finally caught up with Shushu-ria. She headed upstairs to the second floor with Saran-san.
The living room grew quiet after they left. Grandma was just starting to grumble about how it was a shame Akari-san couldn’t make it when my father, George, finally walked through the door.
”Hey, sorry, sorry! I’m incredibly late,” George said. “Got bogged down with paperwork at the base… So, where’s the Princess? Er, I mean, Shushu-ria?”
”She was exhausted, poor thing. Already tucked in upstairs,” Tomori replied. “No matter how much she grows physically, she’s still very much an eleven-year-old on the inside.”
”So, Halt,” George said, turning to me. “Think you can manage to get along with Shushu-ria?”
”I… I’m not really sure yet,” I muttered.
”Come on, son. Pull yourself together. You’re the one who has to look out for her. You need to be devoted to her welfare,” George said firmly.
”Now, now, George,” Sister Sheena-san chimed in, stepping in to shield me. “You can’t just dump all that responsibility on Halt-kun out of nowhere. Saran-san and I will be here to help, and I’m sure Tomori and the rest of the family will lend a hand too. Let’s just focus on having a good time together, okay? Right, Halt-kun?”
I felt a wave of relief. “Thanks, Sister Sheena-san.”
”Fair enough,” George conceded. “Halt-kun isn’t exactly her subject or anything. Just do what you can for her, okay?”
”Yeah… but what can I do? I’m only really good at anime and manga stuff,” I said.
”Actually, that’s a perfect starting point!” Sister Sheena-san explained. “You need to build a connection as people first. Besides, anime and manga are a massive part of the culture here. They don’t have anything like that in their world.”
”Huh. I guess that makes sense. I’ll try to find some common ground with her through that, then,” I replied.
”Just be careful, Halt-kun,” Tomori added. “Don’t show her anything too intense. Remember, she’s still just a little girl.”
The following day, after seeing Shushu-ria safely settled, George headed back to the U.S. mainland. Meanwhile, the rest of us piled into the car with Tomori at the wheel, bound for Okinawan sightseeing at Churaumi Aquarium³.
”I don’t like this, Saran-san. It’s scary…” Shushu-ria whispered.
”It’s alright, Syu-sama. Come a little closer. They’re behind the glass; they can’t get out,” Saran-san said.
”No way! If something that big jumps out, I’ll be lunch for sure!”
Shushu-ria and Saran-san were standing in front of the massive whale shark tank. Watching them, Tomori let out a nostalgic sigh. “This really takes me back… she reminds me so much of Ms. Claudel.”
”Are there no fish this size in your world?” I asked.
Sister Sheena-san shook her head. “Hmm, hard to say. To be honest, people don’t really eat much fish over there. They don’t have the technology to transport things on ice like you do here. Most people just… aren’t that interested in what’s under the water.”
”Wow. Really?”
Suddenly, Shushu-ria turned away from the glass. “Hey, Halt-kun. Can you actually go into the ocean?”
”Eh? Oh, yeah. You can swim in it, though the timing isn’t great right now. It’s getting pretty chilly. The public beaches don’t usually open until the end of March,” I explained.
I’d heard that while their world and ours shared similar seasons, their calendar was shifted by about three months. Even though they’d arrived here at the start of their “new year,” it was currently November in Okinawa.
”I see… This is the first time I’ve ever seen the ocean,” Shushu-ria mused. “And all that vast water is filled with giant fish like the one in there? I think… I might want to see it for myself.”
”Wait, Shushu-ria,” I said. “Weren’t you just terrified of the whale shark?”
”Oh, hush! It’s fine! They’re gentle giants, right?” she asked.
”Well, yeah, but…”
”If you want to see them up close, I think there are diving tours where you can wear a wetsuit and swim with them,” Tomori suggested.
”Whoa, Mom! Isn’t that a bit much?” I protested. “I mean, can Shushu-ria even swim?”
”I can!” Shushu-ria puffed out her chest. “I was taught ‘clothed swimming’⁴—you know, in case I ever fell into a pond.”
”That is… definitely not the same thing as snorkeling or diving,” I said.
”Oh, let her have her fun,” Tomori interrupted. “She’s young! It’s good to have goals. She can take it one step at a time.”
”Um, Tomori,” Saran-san asked. “Is that really safe for Syu-sama?”
”Well, nothing is 100% risk-free, but that’s true of anything, isn’t it?” Tomori replied. “She’s come all this way—I think she should experience things she could never do back home.”
”I suppose you’re right,” Saran-san conceded. “What do you think, Syu-sama? Shall we take Tomori up on her offer?”
”I’ll do it!” Shushu-ria shouted immediately.
”Then it’s settled!” Tomori said. “We’ll start by building up your basic skills at a swimming school. And listen up, Halt-kun—you’re going too.”
”Wait, what?! Mom, are you seriously making me exercise?”
”You bet I am! You spend way too much time being a total WEEB⁵. It’s time you got out and moved that body of yours!” Tomori laughed.
Dammit… I had a nagging suspicion that she was just using Shushu-ria as an excuse to drag me to the gym.
”Hahaha! Sounds great to me, Halt-kun!” Sister Sheena-san teased. “That means every week is going to be a ‘swimsuit episode,’ right? Maybe I’ll join in too—”
”And what exactly are you going to do about that tail of yours in a swimsuit?” Tomori retorted, effectively shutting her down.
—
Trivia:
- Shushu-ria is physically developed but mentally only eleven years old.
- The calendar between worlds is shifted by three months (It is November in Okinawa).
- Halt’s father works on a military base.
- Sister Sheena-san has a tail, highlighting her non-human nature.
- Shushu-ria was trained in ‘clothed swimming’ as a princess’s safety measure
—
Character Insight:
Shushu-ria shows a rapid shift from noble fear to adventurous curiosity. Halt’s mother, Tomori, reveals herself to be a clever manipulator of her son’s lifestyle, using the new arrival’s safety and education as a lever to force him out of his sedentary otaku habits.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The Churaumi Aquarium is a real-world famous landmark in Okinawa, known for its massive Kuroshio Sea tank housing whale sharks.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Shushu-ria – Queen Asuka’s daughter, 11 years old, potential successor, Dwarf Engineer
• Syu – A Dwarf Engineer with a large, sturdy physique and boisterous personality.
• Claudel – The elf captain of the royal guard assigned to Princess Asuka. At first, she had a strong dislike for Yuuta, who is human. Now, Yuuta’s saffle.
• Saran – An elf; part of the joint team working on the Gate. A Royal Palace Guard Officer from the Zerlant Royal Family. She has very white skin, is small in stature, and is described as incredibly cute. Despite her appearance, she is a master of all martial arts and exceptionally strong. She is described as ‘stiff’ or serious.
• Sheena – A Lizardman from the Apocalypse Empire, specifically a junior researcher in the teleportation research team of the empire’s army. She is the 47th resident (hence ‘No. 47’) of the secret underground facility in Nevada, where she has been living for several years after accidentally being transported to this world through a failed gate experiment. Yuuta’s saffle too. Grey hair, long hair.
• Halt – A sixteen-year-old high school sophomore living in the suburbs of Washington D.C. He is the grandson of the President of the United States and is recognized as a severe otaku by his peers. He attends a prestigious high school for children of celebrities and elite families.
• George – An U.S. military officer and the son of Michael Anderson, a high-ranking official. He is also the brother of Gregory. Tomori’s husband. Halt’s father and a Major General in the military.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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