Megami Buchigire

Chapter 48: The History of Nekomimi Traces All the Way Back to Ancient Egypt

High school.

For many, the word is a synonym for adolescence, an important educational institution where things important to life later on are taught. But contrary to its name, it is not higher education that is taught there, but merely late-stage secondary education.

(T/N: Here, ‘higher education’ = ‘tertiary education’, but the word ‘higher’ is the same as the word for ‘high’ school, and the word for ‘secondary’ education is the same as the word for ‘middle’ school.)

As for why the full word for ‘high school’ is ‘school for higher learning,’ it is because when the international standards of education were unified, the Japanese just said ‘it’s a bother to think of a new name, so let’s just call it by the old system☆”.

There’s the Japanese for you. Always happy to cooperate, and ‘freedom’ all around.

“Eh...... what is with this situation degozaru?”

For some reason yet unclear to her, Yayoi-san has been called over to the Prime Minister’s Official Residence in relation to said high school.

Beside her is Adachi-kun in a chair, and right in front across from her is the Minister of Foreign Affairs Yagira-kun.

A tanuki at the front door and a fox at the back door.1 Now begins an enigmatic parent-and-child conference2 with the fox and tanuki that is supporting the Japan of today.

“We’re honestly quite apologetic about this, but a problem’s come up. Normally we take care of these kinds of problems by ourselves so that you wouldn’t have to be troubled over it, but your will is quite important when it comes to this one.”

“I don’t particularly mind degozaru, but what is this problem exactly?”

“Many other countries have been asking this question for quite a while already: ‘Is the country of Japan treating otherworlders humanely?’”

“Hah?”

Yayoi-san tilts her head at Yagira-kun’s words.

From Yayoi-san’s perspective, the treatment she’s been receiving is at the level where she thinks ‘is this really alright?’ to herself, so she is truly confused by this question.

“There is nothing I am dissatisfied with at the moment degozaru. More like, even if there is an issue, wouldn’t this be something between my home country Homura, and Japan? Other countries are completely unrelated, right?”

“That is indeed the case, but international relations is a place where things aren’t that clear cut. In short, the other countries are trying to pin something on us in order to take in otherworlders for themselves.”

“That sounds troublesome indeed degozaru.”

Yagira-kun’s frank explanation causes Yayoi-san to be at a loss for words.

Unconsciously, her nekomimi also seem to be withering.

“So that’s why we want you, young lady, to attend high school.”

“How did that come to this?”

Yagira-kun’s conclusion that skipped over the entire thought process evokes a tsukkomi from Yayoi-san.

The whole world is overflowing with things that aren’t what they seem, so there’s no helping it.

“It’s sort of an external appeal. Basically, it’s an easy-to-understand way to demonstrate that otherworlders are carrying out lives exactly the same as other Japanese. The overwhelming majority of people around Yayoi-san’s age is in fact attending school in the first place.”

“It’s true that I was in the midst of attending school on the other side degozaru, but......”

“Yes? Is there a problem?”

Yayoi-san indicates her understanding after Adachi-kun’s explanation.

However, though she might understand, she is yet to be convinced by it. In actuality, there is reluctance in her face.

“There was a few—they really were very few!—over on that side who discriminated against beastkin and non-humans degozaru.”

“Hou. It’s regretful, but understandable. Humans do have a strong tendency to reject anything they deem to be foreign.”

“Even I understand that the Japanese are good people degozaru. But seeing as how there are no beastkin at all here, surely there are those who would ostracize me and be on their guard against me?”

“I see your point. There is indeed a possibility that this would lead to an ending that is bad for both sides.”

Yayoi-san’s words causes Adachi-kun to sink into thought.

Perhaps we need to back to the drawing board again? Or so he is thinking when Yagira-kun’s carefree laughter rings out.

“Nah, I think it would unexpectedly turn out alright. Take a look at this.”

So saying, Yagira-kun takes out a thin laptop.

It is apparently displaying some BBS bulletin site, so Yayoi-san and Adachi-kun both begin reading it. But then both of their faces gradually become dyed with bewilderment.

——Thread about Yayoi-san, the real life nekomimi girl

—I never imagined that real life nekomimi would be that cute.

—Those eyes of hers are great too. Though they seem cat-like, they don’t look out of place at all.

—Furthermore, they’re heterochromic! It’s like she maxed out her ‘cat’ character trait, seriously what am I to do with my bursting moe gauge?

—Can she transform like Makami-shi can? I would give anything for an opportunity to enjoy the ultimate fluffiness.

—I am in despair about how no one here has yet to mention her tail. It’s normally hidden inside her clothes, but when it comes out every once in a while and wriggles all around, it’s just the cutest thing ever!

—Why haven’t we been blessed with an inumimi girl.

—↑ Inumimi faction go home.

—↑ This place is sacred ground for nekomimi.

—↑ Inumimi faction member spotted! Surround him!

“...... So yea, you’re actually quite popular, you see.”

“I am now worried about attending high school for a completely different reason degozaru.”

After laying eyes on the BBS that is in its usual ‘seriously just what is with this country’ state, Yayoi-san replies with distant eyes.

Today, too, Japan is at peace.

?

?

?

Yosenabe.3

Among the various hot pots that can be said to be standard fare for wintertime, this is a particularly popular version, as it contains a wide variety of tastes to enjoy. But actually, yosenabe has a rule that you mustn’t put in too many ingredients.

The reason is because if too many ingredients are put in together, the taste would become all mixed up, so it is said that 5 ingredients is the most optimum amount.

But to be honest, just throw whatever you want in there.

Chinese cabbage and spring onion and chicken dumpling and meat and tofu is already 5 ingredients all maxed out right there. As if anyone would actually stop at five, hah.

“When it comes to nabe, tofu really is a must. This feeling of heat passing through the throat and settling in the stomach is just heavenly.”

And it is the chief goddess residing in Takamagahara, Amaterasu-sama, who is currently smacking her lips before such a yosenabe. Apparently she likes tofu.

Tofu is indeed delicious, but you need to eat it carefully as it is easy to get scalded by it. There have been many who’ve gotten a serious burn wound inside their mouth which led to a large piece of skin peeling off.

...... Eh? None? It’s just me?

“Picking up tofu with chopsticks, what is with that pointless dexterity...... Susanoo, I say this during yakiniku also, but stop taking the food before they’re thoroughly cooked.”

“Whaaat. There’s no more red already, see, see? Who are you, the nabe bugyo?”4

Then there are the brothers Tsukuyomi-sama and Susanoo-sama who’ve barged into Takamagahara to eat nabe as if it’s the most natural thing to do.

Susanoo-sama we already talked about, but actually Tsukuyomi-sama is also supposed to be governing over the Country of Night, Yoru no Kuni, and does not stay permanently in Takamagahara.

But after all is said and done, the two of them are quite the siscons, so there’s no helping it.

“Speaking of which, why is it nabe ‘bugyo’? What about nabe ‘shogun’?”

“A bugyo is someone with power in a relatively closer position. The word is used with an ironic connotation in regards to someone who holds so much power that they are a slight bit annoying.”

“Oh, well, that fits Aniki to a T then.”

“...... Ane-ue. This meat is ready to be eaten.”

“AHHHH?! Don’t take it all away, Aniki!”

Tsukuyomi-sama presents all the meat to his older sister while ignoring Susanoo’s shouts.

Today, too, Takamagahara is at peace.

1 The original idiom is “a tiger at the front door and a wolf at the back door (前門の虎、後門の狼). The meaning of that one is “after escaping from one danger, only to come upon another danger immediately right after.” Here the animals in the idiom have been switched out. Tanuki represents craftiness, while fox represents slyness.

2 The word for ‘parent-and-child’ conference is sansha mendan (三者面談), which directly translates as “three person meeting,” so it’s meaning is a lot broader and thus its application is much wider. But these alternate applications are more often than not for comedy purpose, with the original ‘parent and child’ connotation in mind.

3 Here’s the Wikipedia page with a list of the various kinds of nabes.

4 At nabe parties, sometimes there’s just this guy who wants to control the whole process, such as the way to cut ingredients, what order to put which ingredients in, the strength of the fire, etc. The name for this kind of guy is ‘nabe bugyo’, where ‘bugyo’ means ‘magistrate/commissioner’ from the Edo period. Sometimes you have someone even more severe than that, who actually gets pissed if someone else does something against their policy or vision; that kind of person is called ‘nabe shogun.’ Obviously, a shogun is more powerful than a bugyo. See here for a list of names for other common roles during a nabe party. For some reason, all the names are roles from the Edo period.