"Kobayashi-obaasan… this is what you meant by a double bed?"
Kuroba Akira stared at the so-called "double bed" tucked in the back of the storage shed, his expression blank.
Turned out, by double bed, Kobayashi Mika meant a bunk bed.
"That's right. It's got some years on it, but… mhm, still sturdy. Looks like it's perfectly usable."
Mika walked over and gave the ladder a shake to test its strength, a nostalgic look rising on her face.
Akira frowned. "Why do you even have this kind of thing? Did you have a bunch of kids or something?"
"I only had one son."
"Then who was this for?"
"Back when my old man and I hadn't moved into this house yet, we used this. Once we moved, we stopped using it. But I kept it for sentimental reasons. Didn't think it'd ever come in handy again."
"Why'd you stop using it?"
Mika shot him a 'do you really want to go there?' kind of glare.
Right. Stupid question. Akira realized it as soon as he asked.
Obviously, they stopped using it because they got married—and married couples sleep in the same bed. Who needs a bunk bed then?
"Before we were married, things were still a little ambiguous between us. But I couldn't bear to be apart from him, so he made this for me himself."
"He built it? With his own hands? Kobayashi-ojiisan had those kinds of skills, huh…"
Akira had no idea what Kobayashi Tokumasa had done for a living, but not many people could build a bunk bed from scratch.
"Yep. He said it reminded him of his time in the military."
"Military, huh… So Kobayashi-ojiisan was a soldier too."
That explained it. No wonder the bed had such a no-frills look—it was modeled after standard-issue military bunks.
This wasn't the kind of bunk bed meant for siblings in a cozy home. It was utilitarian and bare, just wood and bolts.
Still, it reminded Akira of his university dorm days from his past life. Back in his first and second years, he'd lived in an eight-man dorm—slept on a bed just like this.
It had been chaotic and loud, but fun. Eight guys constantly messing around, pulling pranks, telling stories—the whole dorm was a nonstop laugh factory. Simpler times, simpler joys.
From third year onward, he'd moved into a four-man dorm. The living conditions improved, sure, but it never felt the same. Even though his old dormmates were just next door, and they still visited back and forth, that special bond of bunk bed camaraderie—like sons and fathers—was gone.
He missed being everyone's "dad."
Anyway, a bed—any bed—was miles better than crashing on the couch.
"Yeah, he had a military background. I met him because of… certain special circumstances… but never mind that. Old stories. No need to drag them out."
Mika didn't want to dwell on the past. She gestured for Akira to haul the bed out.
"Clean it off, then move it up to your room."
"By the way, Kobayashi-obaasan—did you sleep on top or bottom?"
"Bottom. Why do you ask?"
"No reason. So you're a bottom."
"You little—! You damn filthy brat! You—&%$@#@&%￥&*!!!"
Mika's sudden eruption of obscenities—laced with a level of rural dialect venom that would make a biker gang blush—shook the whole house. The yelling was so loud it startled their neighbor, Hijikata-san, into opening his window to peek out from the second floor.
Perfect timing. Akira, who couldn't move the bed alone, called up to him.
"Hijikata-san, could I get a hand with this?"
And so, with Hijikata-san's help, the two of them hauled the bunk bed all the way up to Akira's second-floor room.
"Thanks for your help, Hijikata-san."
Hijikata-san was a slightly pudgy middle-aged man with thick black glasses, natural curly hair, and stubble that almost connected to his sideburns. He wore a zip-up track jacket, shorts, and had such thick leg hair it looked like he was wearing wool leggings.
Full name: Hijikata Isamu. A name straight out of the Shinsengumi—but from the look of it, he wasn't exactly thrilled with that association.
He bent over, hands on his lower back, panting heavily like he was about to collapse.
"Phew… feels like I just threw my back out. I really gotta start exercising…"
"How about joining me for morning runs?"
"Yeah, I'll pass. Big guys like me shouldn't run—it's murder on the knees."
As he caught his breath, Hijikata looked at the bunk bed with a nostalgic expression.
"A bunk bed… wow, brings back memories."
That alone told Akira that Hijikata was, like him, a transmigrator. Most native Japanese were day students—they wouldn't have used this kind of dorm bunk bed.
Including Akira, there were three total "boarders" in the Kobayashi household. But despite being housemates, none of them were particularly close.
No one liked talking about their past life. Probably because none of them had been very happy back then.
"New arrival?"
"Yeah. But she's not like us."
"I see."
Hijikata didn't probe further. He didn't seem especially interested in the newcomer.
Just then, Shion walked out of the bathroom, freshly bathed and dressed in Akira's oversized gym uniform. When she saw Hijikata beside Akira, she bowed politely.
"Hello. I'm Shiginomiya Shion. I just started staying here today… You must be Hijikata-san? It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Uh… yeah… I'm Hijikata Isamu…"
Hijikata responded awkwardly. Akira could hear his breathing pick up.
Yup. Shion's looks really are a serious weapon against men.
Still, Hijikata wasn't just some lovestruck teen. Two lifetimes gave a man experience. He quickly composed himself and leaned in to whisper to Akira.
"Looks like your second life's finally paying off, huh? Enjoy it. Don't worry about noise—your neighbor will be wearing headphones."
He clapped Akira on the shoulder with a knowing smirk and gave Shion a polite nod before disappearing into his room.
"…Why do you people keep saying things like that?!"
I'm not gonna do anything!!
Shion stepped up to him. The scent of her freshly washed hair lingered in the air, and a faint pink blush bloomed on her cheeks.
"Um, Akira-kun… I noticed a woman's business suit in the laundry basket. Does that mean someone else lives here too?"
"Oh, that must be Miss Tashiro's. She's the third tenant, lives across the hall."
He pointed to the room opposite his.
"If she were around, borrowing clothes from her would've made more sense. But she's probably not home right now. I'm not sure what she does for work, but she rarely comes back at night."
"I see…"
"Yeah. If you keep normal hours, you probably won't see much of either her or Hijikata-san. They're both night owls. Basically nocturnal."
Hijikata didn't go out for work, but he wasn't a shut-in either—he was a work-from-home programmer, always coding late into the night.
Because of that, his health was perpetually borderline—pretty much how Akira had lived in his previous life.
Even after transmigrating, still a corporate drone. What a depressing fate.
As for Miss Tashiro… she acted like she was actively avoiding Akira.
Last time he said hi from behind, she screamed and sprinted a good ten meters away. It had been… emotionally damaging.
She was probably an ultra-introvert.
Akira still hadn't decided whether to collaborate with his fellow transmigrators. Just because they were from the same world didn't mean they'd be tearfully bonding on sight.
Even the saying "Chinese don't scam other Chinese" couldn't always be trusted—let alone "transmigrators don't scam other transmigrators."
For now, none of them seemed willing to share their pasts. Akira wasn't either.
"Oh right. I'll be sleeping with you tonight."
"Eh? Eh—EH?! You mean… really… sleeping together…?!"
Even with all her talents, Shion couldn't suppress her surprise.
Even if it was just futons side by side, she'd never experienced something like this before.
Sleeping next to a boy… if he snuck into her futon in the middle of the night… what should she do?
Fight back? Or… quietly accept it?
In exchange…
Her first time…
While Shion's thoughts spiraled into chaos, Akira, purely to mess with her, opened the door to his room with a mischievous grin.
"Heh heh. Feast your eyes!"
And what she saw inside—was a newly placed bunk bed.
Oh. Of course. Akira-kun isn't that kind of guy after all…
Shion swore to herself: Next time I let my thoughts run wild, I'm slapping myself. Twice.
"So? Top or bottom?"
"Top!"
With sparkling eyes, Shion pointed at the bed like it was a throne.
"I'm sleeping on top of you!"