Chapter 12: Hey, You’re Using Too Much Polite Speech!

(Part One)

After the ordeal of narrow staircases in those detached houses, the ordinary staircase in this apartment building feels surprisingly spacious to Cola.

“Miss Cola, please come in!
This is the last place we’re seeing today!”
At the door of unit 301, Kobayashi Huan opens it and, ever professional, waits for Cola to enter first.

She tilts her head, glancing at both sides.
“Two units per floor, and they’re farther apart than I expected.”

“Yes, this apartment’s relatively new!
The layout’s much more reasonable!”

Cola licks her lips, nods, and steps inside.
The first impression: unexpectedly roomy.
The entryway’s large—plenty of space for shoes, even without a rack.
To the right, a separate bathroom.
Japanese bathrooms are often like this—split from the shower room, crammed into a tight space.

Cola naturally swaps her shoes for oversized plastic slippers, taking a few steps in.
To the left, an open kitchen—standard in Japan.
A closed kitchen would be a rarity.
The dining area merges with the kitchen, tucked into a triangular corner.
Finding a perfectly square house in Japan can be tough.
At least this triangle’s not too sharp.

“Miss Cola, over here is the washroom, and this door opens to an integrated bathroom with a bathtub.”

“Seems pretty spacious,” Liuli says, nodding along.

An integrated bathroom is like a pre-fab box slotted into the room, not built on-site.
Pros: quick to install, simple, convenient.
Cons: Cola hasn’t tried it yet, so she’s not sure.
She eyes the bathroom curiously, muttering, “Looks okay, but no windows in here at all.”

“Yes, that’s the biggest downside, but it has a high-powered exhaust fan, so no worries.”

“There are lots of windows outside,” Liuli says, leaning by the kitchen window.
“One by the stove, and another where you could put a small dining table!”

“A small table here?
Hmm… could work.”
Cola pictures eating there, nodding slightly.
“But no AC outside?”

“Right, there’s only one AC unit, in the Western-style room on the left.”
Kobayashi Huan pushes open a flimsy wooden door, leading Cola into the room.

The Western-style room connects to a Japanese-style tatami room, separated only by another thin sliding door.
No bed, of course.

“So that’s the bedroom?”

“Yes, but you could put a bed here and make this the bedroom instead.
It’s flexible!”

“Use that as the bedroom and this as a living room or study?
Open the sliding door, and the AC breeze flows through,” Liuli says excitedly, darting from side to side, then fumbling to open the glass door to the balcony.

Seeing the glass door, Cola startles.
“Huh?
Two walls are glass?”

“Yes, great natural light!”

“And they’re floor-to-ceiling…”

“Miss Cola~ you can see the parking lot and the elementary school gym from here!”
Liuli, already on the balcony, waves excitedly.

“There’s a balcony too.”
Cola steps out, leaning on the railing, looking around.
Not much of a view—just low buildings, either detached houses or small apartments.
The scenery?
Blue sky, white clouds, and a web of power lines.
Below the balcony, a parking lot with a coin-operated parking machine and a vending machine.

“Buying Cola will be easy…” she mutters.

“Brother, is the parking lot part of the apartment?”

“Yes, it belongs to the owner.
You can park here if needed—very convenient, only 100 yen a day.
Where I live, parking’s 6,000 yen a month…”

Kobayashi Huan keeps explaining.
Liuli, leaning on the balcony railing, tilts her head with a smile.
“Miss Cola, what do you think?”

“Better than the other weird ones.”
Cola rubs her chin, turning back.
“I don’t like waffling, so let’s go with this one.”

“Eh?
This one?
No need to see more?”

“Nah, it’s convenient by the intersection, mall’s across the street, and the price is decent… 45,000 yen a month, right?”

“Yes, I highly recommend it.
The owner’s great—no deposit or key money, so you’ll save a lot on fees.”

“Hmm—then this is it.”
Cola puts one hand on her hip, deciding.
“You need my documents?
Pay after approval?
Can we speed it up?”

“I can submit today, handle it myself, and get results tomorrow.
Then we can sign at the office… let’s see…”
Kobayashi Huan, ever efficient, calculates on his phone, muttering like a chant.
“Rent’s 45,000 yen, guarantee fee 22,500, insurance 17,000, key change 11,000, cleaning fee 49,500.
Oh, and the agency fee—mine’s waived, but the company’s mandatory fee is… 24,000 yen…”

Cola’s head hurts.
Her million yen feels like it’s flying away.
A million yen in Japan doesn’t go far…

“So, total?”

“169,000 yen!”

“Phew…”
Cola takes a deep breath.
“Fine, this one it is.”

“Great, do you have your documents?
I’ll need…”

“Hold up, we’ll do that later.”
Cola glares at Liuli, who’s sneakily snapping photos of her.
“Let’s get lunch first.
My treat.”

“No, no, that’s too much!”
Kobayashi Huan shakes his head like a rattle.

“What’s the big deal?
You helped me find a place for free, ran around all morning in this heat.
It’s only fair I treat you.”

“No, really, as Liuli’s friend, it’s my duty to help for free…”

“Brother!
If Miss Cola invites you, don’t refuse!”

“Uh… then, I’m deeply honored!”
He bows, nearly 90 degrees.

“There’s a COCO’S restaurant by the entrance.
Let’s eat there?”

“Yes, no problem!
Thank you, esteemed Miss Cola!”

“…Hey!”
Cola stands on tiptoes, grabbing his shoulders.
“You’re using too much polite speech!
No need to be that formal—it’s getting annoying!”

“Eh?
D-did I do something wrong?
Sorry!”

“Not wrong, just… ugh, why do Japanese people love bowing, apologizing, and honorifics?
You’re Liuli’s cousin, just talk casually with me.
All this politeness is exhausting!”

“Eh?
‘You Japanese’?”
Kobayashi Huan looks confusedly at Liuli.

“Miss Cola’s parents are &@ese.”

“Oh, I see… &@ese, no wonder you’re so straightforward!”

“Not all &@ese are straightforward.
I just can’t handle all these honorifics.”
Cola sheepishly retracts her hands from his shoulders.
“Ahem, got a bit worked up…”

“No worries, your frankness is super cute!”
Kobayashi Huan laughs, unbothered.

(Part Two)

COCO’S is a typical Japanese family restaurant, akin to a modern fast-food joint.
The food’s reasonably priced.
The booth, once cramped, now feels perfect for Cola’s petite frame.
Kobayashi Huan, across from her, looks a bit uncomfortable.

“Miss Cola, what’ll you have?”

“Summer vegetable set meal.”
Cola flips through the menu and slides it to Liuli.

“Brother?”

“Me?
Haha… katsu omurice?”

“Still eating katsu omurice like a kid, huh?”

“It’s hot, so I like something simple.”

“I’ll have… salmon oyako-don, okay, Miss Cola?”

“Order whatever, it’s fine.”

“Thanks~ I’ll submit the menu.”

“Sure.”

“By the way, where are you staying these days, Miss Cola?”

“Ugh, Japan’s rental process is such a drag.”
Cola clutches her forehead in pain.
“Guess I’ll stay in a hotel.
No idea if it’ll be done in five days…”

“If we skip utilities setup, I can try to get you in by day three!”
Kobayashi Huan says quickly.

“Um, Miss Cola?”

“What?
Ugh, don’t get so close!”
Cola leans back as Liuli’s nose nearly touches her cheek.

“If it’s okay, wanna stay at my place?
It’s just my mom at home now.”

“Huh?
Eh?”