Today is a long-awaited holiday.
Normally, I’d be indulging in a bit more sleep at this hour, but I’m out and about early today.
So, where am I?
“Ummm!! It’s been a while since I’ve been to Akihabara!!”
Amili-chan, Shiik-chan, and Miik-chan asked me to go to Akihabara to buy figures and DVDs.
I could probably buy these things through online shopping, but this time I’m looking for items that have already been discontinued.
Unfortunately, Amili-chan, Shiik-chan, and Miik-chan can’t leave the company, so I’m alone.
How I ended up here goes back to yesterday.
“As a thank you?”
“Yeah, you’ve been helping me with my training a lot lately, and you two have been doing so much around the house. You can ask for anything!!”
After testing out new equipment with Amili-chan and the others, I suggested it while relaxing in the living room, feeling grateful for everything they do.
Amili-chan secured a spot on my lap, which somehow turned into a competition, and with the twins Shiik-chan and Miik-chan leaning on me on either side, we were watching TV when a celebrity on screen said, “It’s important to express your gratitude.” That made me want to reciprocate somehow.
“Unnecessary. I’m satisfied just having Tadashi with me.”
“That’s right. It makes us happy just to eat our cooking and say it’s delicious, doesn’t it? Right, Shiik?”
“Yes, Miik. When Tadashi is around while we’re cleaning, he always says thank you for making things so tidy. That’s enough for us.”
However, do these three have no desire for material possessions? They say they don’t need anything.
What’s more.
“Alternative suggestion: If you’re going to be concerned, I want a child with Tadashi. Tadashi tends to be unenthusiastic about pregnancy, worrying about my physique. I demand that this be improved.”
“That’s a good suggestion. I think that would be good too. Seeing the children from Jiro Tanaka’s place made me want one. Right, Miik?”
“Yes, Shiik. Those small, adorably smiling twins, they were so cute, just like us.”
The offer of a thank you somehow led to an intensified night.
It’s not that I didn’t want it, but I still felt like something was missing, so I asked if there was anything else.
“…Agreed. If that’s the case, this is what I want.”
First, with a reluctant air, Amili-chan showed me an image on her tablet.
“A limited-edition Super Alloy robot. It’s no longer in production and not available online. I found a past listing, but the condition was poor, and it was still bid on. If possible, I’d like it.”
It’s a fully limited production item that I recognize.
It’s something that commands a premium price.
After Amili-chan requested such a thing, Shiik-chan and Miik-chan also said they wanted something.
“Eh? This is…”
“Yes, it’s a limited edition DVD. It has autographs from the voice actors my sister and I like. I checked, and it seems to be in stock at this store.”
“Yes, given the price, I don’t think it will sell quickly, but I worry about it disappearing…”
What was shown to me was a video of the item lineup at a store in Akihabara, which a certain video streamer frequently patronizes.
It was recently uploaded.
I’m sure it’s still in Akihabara.
Amili-chan’s item is unlikely to be in stock given that it’s not available online.
However, I have my own connections.
So today, for the first time in a while, I’m heading to Akihabara alone.
“Fufufu~n”
Humming a tune, I transferred trains. It’s been a while since I’ve been to the Electric Town.
As I felt nostalgic at the ever-present crowd, I quietly entered a certain store.
“Oh! Found it. This is it.”
It was the store from the video Shiik-chan and Miik-chan first showed me.
Although there were quite a few customers inside, the showcase clearly displayed the items as seen in the video.
“One, ten, hundred, thousand… wow, it really is seven figures.”
The DVD is a complete set box, with the seal of the voice actor who plays the main character in the anime.
Furthermore, next to it is a photograph of the voice actor holding the DVD box, to prove that it was signed by the voice actor.
If this were a fake, it would be outright fraud.
The condition is good, and it looks clean.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes?”
To my past self, I definitely couldn’t afford this.
Unlike my corporate slave days when my savings never increased due to frivolous spending, my financial power now is such that my former self would only dream of it.
When I called over a nearby store clerk, a clerk around my age came over.
“Excuse me, I wanted to ask if this autograph is real?”
“Yes! It’s real!! I was even present when the filming of this DVD signing took place! Wow, but the manager is quite pushy! He set this price, saying true fans will buy it even at this cost.”
Just to be sure, I confirmed whether it was genuine, and they told me it wasn’t fake.
There was no appraisal certificate, and they didn’t seem to be lying.
With that, I said to the clerk, who was laughing sheepishly, thinking no customer would buy it, “Then, I’ll take this.”
“Eh?”
When I casually declared my intention to buy, the store fell silent.
The clerk in front of me also froze with wide eyes.
“What did you say?”
“I said, I’ll take this.”
Did they not hear me?
I think my voice carries quite well.
When asked again, I repeated that I would buy this DVD. The clerk said to wait a moment and spoke to a large, middle-aged man working behind the counter.
I believe that’s the person who appeared in the video.
“Customer, my subordinate mentioned you want to buy this DVD. If I may ask, you’re not just browsing, are you?”
“Well, I suppose that’s natural.”
Given the circumstances, I can understand the manager’s suspicion and can’t blame him for saying that.
“It’s alright. I’ll pay in cash.”
So, I took out the wad of bills I had withdrawn from the bank for today.
The bundles of cash in the envelope were divided into one million yen portions, each secured with a bank-stamped band. There were exactly three bundles, matching the price displayed for this DVD.
“!”
With a casual gesture, the manager, startled by the revealed wad of cash, looked around.
But it was already too late.
As I revealed my cash, the surrounding customers started to murmur.
“V-very well. In that case, please come this way while we prepare the item.”
“Understood.”
I expected to draw attention, so I didn’t mind much and followed the manager’s lead to a partitioned counter separate from the main one, used for purchases.
“Are you sure about this item?”
“It’s alright.”
“Are you absolutely sure? Fortunately, this item is genuine, but if you were to return it or have it re-evaluated, we wouldn’t be able to offer the same price.”
“No problem.”
As a considerable sum of money was involved, the manager was visibly nervous as he counted the bills.
To think that so much money was changing hands, has there ever been a time I was this unfazed?
My composure was so absolute that the manager and staff seemed to lose their nerve, quickly putting the money away in the safe.
I received a receipt and a certificate of purchase.
“Thank you very much!! We hope to see you again!!”
Finally, I left the store, seeing off by the manager and the staff.
Well, that store had quite a good selection, so I’m thinking of coming back again.
“…I’m being followed.”
About three men were following me from behind.
“Hmm, was it because I showed my money inside the store?”
Glancing back, I could tell they didn’t look like they were just out to enjoy Akihabara.
They looked more like people who prey on those carrying large sums of money to shop in Akihabara.
“Japan is a safe country, but there are always those kinds of people.”
I doubt they’ll attack me in such a crowded place, but if they track me all the way home, it’ll be a hassle.
“Well, it’s fine.”
But, you don’t need to worry too much.
I’m sure I can shake them off without any problems at the next place.
Still being followed, I proceeded through Akihabara and arrived at a slightly older building.
Climbing a small staircase, I found a hobby shop with an equally old door.
“Yo! Manager! I’m here to shop for the first time in a while!!”
“Huh? Isn’t that Kaido? Long time no see.”
Sitting there was a senior from my delinquent days, whom I knew even before I knew my senpai, organizing the store’s inventory.
Over time, our contact has decreased, but we occasionally kept in touch as fellow motorcycle enthusiasts.
“You haven’t shown your face for a while, so I thought you’d gone back to a black company.”
“Nah, it’s difficult to find a better workplace than my current one. I’m not quitting.”
After going through various twists and turns, the delinquent senior, who now runs this hobby shop, brought out a chair from behind the counter and told me to sit down, so I did.
“So, you’re showing your face after a long time. Does that mean you have something you want me to find?”
“Yeah! Manager Tajima, actually, this is…”
The delinquent senior manager is quick to get to the point. I show him the same image that Amili-chan showed me.
“Oh! You have quite good taste. This is a fully custom-ordered item, handcrafted by artisans with meticulous attention to detail. It’s quite famous among enthusiasts.”
Tajima, beginning to speak with delight upon seeing it, told me to wait and returned a few minutes later with a large box.
“Here, this is what you wanted, right?”
It was exactly what I was looking for.
“As expected from you, Manager Tajima! I thought you’d have it if I came here!!”
“Hah! Of course! In this area, nobody can match my selection of goods!!”
Despite his delinquent appearance, this guy was always incredibly knowledgeable about anime, manga, and figures.
I remember him showing me all sorts of things in my student days, like what manga was interesting or what anime was hot.
I believe my love for robots can be traced back to him.
“So, hey.”
But, after all, he was a former delinquent.
“Yeah.”
Tajima took out a calculator from his pocket and started punching in numbers.
“This is a custom-ordered item and almost never appears on the market. Even if it does, it commands a considerable premium. Furthermore, this is a perfect item. No box distortion, no dirt. The contents are unopened. With all these factors, of course, the value skyrockets.”
The rarity, the condition, and even the preservation method…
With all the added factors, the price calculated on the calculator was:
“Roughly estimated, around 1.5 million yen.”
Even to a relative, he’s not afraid to gouge if he thinks he can make money.
I suspect it’s actually about half that price.
“Well, for old times’ sake, I’ll give you a little discount.”
“Ah, no, it’s fine. I’ll buy it at that price.”
I decided to pay the asking price immediately, as I figured he’d ask for some troublesome favors in exchange for a discount.
“Eh?”
“Yes, 1.5 million yen. Please count it.”
Tajima looked bewildered by my response.
Ah, if it were the old me, I would absolutely haggle to the fullest if I were to buy it, but with my current self, this amount isn’t regrettable for Amili-chan’s sake.
“O-oh. You’ve certainly changed since joining your current company.”
“Well, I’ve experienced a lot.”
Tajima, surprised, counted the bills. Once he confirmed the 1.5 million yen was correct, he carefully packaged it.
“Here you go. Keep showing up, okay?”
“Thanks. I’ll be back when I need you to procure something rare.”
“Alright.”
Satisfied that I had seen Tajima’s surprised face, a sight unseen in my delinquent days, I was about to leave the store but paused.
“Ah, right, Manager Tajima.”
“Hm?”
“Actually, I made a large purchase outside this store earlier and noticed I was being followed by some strange individuals.”
“Strange individuals?”
“I suspect they’re a group that targets people making large purchases in Akihabara for robbery.”
“What did you say?”
I recalled the men tailing me outside the store and made sure to inform Tajima properly.
Despite his appearance, Tajima loves anime and manga.
He’s familiar with many people who frequent Akihabara.
That’s why he can procure rare items like this.
Therefore, he strongly dislikes those who prey on the residents of Akihabara.
“Alright. When you step outside, just walk away without doing anything. I’ll take care of them.”
He seemed willing to act on the request of his junior, who had generously paid 1.5 million yen. He said he was closing the store, and we went outside together. I exited the building first.
The tailing group was waiting outside the store, and I confirmed that Tajima was following them.
“Well, they’ll find their own ending now.”
Realizing the fate of the tailing group, I figured I could leave it to Tajima and, feeling hungry, decided to grab something to eat.
“Oh? Kitamiya-chan, meeting you here is unexpected.”
“Oh, Kaido-san, it’s unusual to meet you outside.”
And as I headed towards a kebab stand in Akihabara, I encountered Kitamiya-chan, whom I never expected to meet in this town.
Today’s Word:
Expressing gratitude is important for conveying everyday thanks!!
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