"Today... this outfit... it seems... still..."
Since the door's soundproofing wasn't very good, Anna Komiya heard some muffled sounds when she pressed her ear against it. However, there was no explosive content; it sounded like mere indecision over choosing an outfit.
She wasn't disappointed; this action was only a sudden impulse. The fact that Alistair was standing right behind her made her feel a little ashamed. Eavesdropping on her sister's room felt a bit perverted.
"Ah, Alistair-kun, I just suddenly wanted to listen, I absolutely don't do this often!"
Anna Komiya knew her behavior was highly misleading, so she quickly turned to Alistair to explain. She didn't want her image in Alistair's eyes to have too many negatives; even if it wasn't perfect, it shouldn't be bad.
"Hmm? Oh, that's fine. You probably just remembered I said I heard some sounds, right? I understand your curiosity."
Alistair didn't mind. He had just told Anna Komiya that he heard sounds from Rina Komiya's room. It was perfectly normal for Anna Komiya to suddenly want to listen. Everyone is curious, and there was nothing wrong with that.
"That's good. I'll knock now."
Anna Komiya breathed a sigh of relief, turned around, and was about to knock when she struck someone's smooth forehead.
"Ouch! Itai (Pain)!"
Just as Anna Komiya was about to knock, she hit the forehead of the blonde, twin-tailed girl who had just pulled the door open. The sudden accident caught everyone off guard, and Rina Komiya instinctively cried out in pain.
"Ah! Sumimasen (I'm sorry)! Are you okay, Rina?"
Anna Komiya froze, then quickly reacted, grabbing Rina Komiya's shoulder. She looked anxiously at Rina Komiya's forehead. Only after finding no issues did she sigh in relief.
For some reason, Anna Komiya felt her physical strength had improved recently. She had always practiced self-defense, which helped keep her fit, but females naturally have physical limitations. However, over the past few weeks, she was surprised to find her physical condition was much better. When sparring with her self-defense partners, she could now easily defeat others. She had hit the door with some force just now, hoping to make a loud knock, so she was worried she had hurt Rina. She quickly supported her sister, wanting to check on her.
Unlike Anna Komiya, who was focused on her sister Rina, Alistair had seen Rina many times through her live streams, so he wasn't surprised by her appearance. Instead, he immediately began observing the room layout.
Rina Komiya's room was both simple and complex.
It was simple because the room only contained a bed, a desk with a computer for gaming and streaming, a large closet, and a display cabinet. There was no vanity table. Well, there was one, but it was very simple; the desk itself held some cosmetics and skincare products, along with a mirror about the size of her face.
Compared to Rimono Momoki's room, which was full of plush toys and had a dedicated vanity table, Rina's was simple. Even Anna Komiya's room had a large full-length mirror, while Rina only had a small one.
How does she adjust her clothes after getting dressed without a mirror? Alistair couldn't figure it out.
It was complex because of the display cabinet, which was filled with various figurines of characters Alistair didn't recognize.
As the saying goes, "A wall of merchandise for a man who loves anime could buy a house in the city." While exaggerated, it showed that these authentic figurines were likely quite valuable.
The other complexity was a drawer at the bottom of the display cabinet that was open, filled with various console cartridges. Judging by the covers, many were the kind unsuitable for minors. Furthermore, because copyright enforcement was excellent in Japan, there were virtually no pirated copies. Authentic items were expensive; a single disk could cost several hundred RMB, or several thousand Yen.
The collection of console cartridges in Rina Komiya's drawer easily totaled over a hundred thousand Yen. That drawer was not small. A hundred thousand Yen—Minako Morita, who came from a good family, didn't spend that much on all her living expenses for a month. And the figurines above that? Alistair wasn't familiar with the cost of these items in the community, but they certainly weren't cheap.
Before transmigrating, Alistair was only a pseudo-otaku, barely even that; he had only watched some anime. But some of his friends were serious otaku, and those figurines were indeed expensive. The price of some single figurines could cover Alistair's food for a month. It was truly terrifying. No wonder people said it was easy to make money from the anime and manga world. Alistair didn't know how to judge this, as it was the passion and emotional fulfillment of the fans. At least it was better than throwing money at certain girls and making no splash at all.
To get back on topic, Rina Komiya couldn't have acquired these items just from pocket money. She likely started her "hot chick" career early, though she hadn't had customers clearing out her shelves yet. Or perhaps she was very conscious of her family's reputation, especially her father, Mr. Komiya. Like Anna Komiya, she cared a lot about her image outside the home.
The difference was that Rina Komiya didn't have the strong social skills of her older sister, Anna, so she chose to become a "hot chick" streamer.
"Ugh~ Yah! Anna-nee, who is this?"
Rubbing her forehead, Rina Komiya spotted Alistair standing behind Anna Komiya. She instantly became alert, staring at Alistair and backing away slightly. Then, she remembered she was only wearing panties and a short-sleeved top, so she quickly hid behind Anna Komiya, trying not to let Alistair see her.
Alistair wasn't surprised by Rina Komiya's reaction. This was the real world, and he was a stranger. It was normal for Rina Komiya to be wary of him. This wasn't the Gantsuma family, where anyone could drop by and play with them; that would be truly bizarre.
"This is Alistair Vance. He lives on the floor above us and is a student at the same school, your classmate, actually. His cat ran out of his house today, so he came down to ask if it might have wandered into our apartment." Anna Komiya explained to her sister.
"A cat? Is it black?" Rina Komiya looked surprised to hear about the lost cat and asked.
"Yes, it's black, and it's about... Huh? Who?"
Alistair was speaking to Rina Komiya when he suddenly felt another gaze, and he instantly turned his head to look.