Shido glanced around, taking in his surroundings. At a glance, there was almost no difference between this world and the world of Date Alive. He wanted to walk around to explore the area but then a system notification rang into his head.
Ding!
[New Quest Issued]
[Quest 1: Buy A Residence In Tokyo]
Hearing a quest pop up the moment he arrived, Shido didn't know whether to laugh or sigh. However, the quest was rather easy since he just needed to purchase a residence.
After taking a moment to settle his thoughts, Shido decided his next move: find a real estate agency. But before that, there was something even more critical. He would need to create a proper identity for himself, after all, he wasn't originally from this world.
With his hacking skills at perfection level, it was a trivial task for Shido to forge a legal identity for himself.
As he strolled through the quiet streets, he quickly realized he was in a residential neighborhood. It wasn't surprising that the area felt like a ghost town, most people were likely off at work or school.
But as he continued walking, the scenery gradually shifted. The stillness gave way to the bustling energy of a busy district. People filled the sidewalks, moving in every direction. The roads were packed with motorcycles, cars, and trucks weaving through traffic.
It was Shido's first time in Tokyo, and he couldn't help but be impressed. The city was vibrant and alive. Towering buildings stretched toward the sky, glowing billboards advertised everything from tech to anime, and shops lined the streets with colorful displays and enticing aromas wafting from cafes and food stalls.
After taking in the vibrant atmosphere of the city, Shido spotted an internet café nearby and decided it was the perfect place to get things in order. Slipping inside, he quickly found a terminal and got to work.
Within minutes, he had forged a new legal identity for himself. He decided to stick with his original name, after all, he had grown used to it.
While he was at it, Shido dove deep into the internet, hacking his way through firewalls with ease. He scoured the web for information about this world, absorbing everything he could. Then, he pulled up a detailed map, not just of Tokyo, but of the entire country.
Thanks to his photographic memory, it only took a glance for him to commit the entire map to memory. Getting lost was nearly impossible for him... unless he had no sense of direction like Ryouga and Zoro.
Once he had finished memorizing the map, Shido searched for real estate listings and located a suitable apartment. And without spending a single yen, he hacked his way through the transaction and made the purchase as effortlessly as clicking "buy."
What would've been impossible for others was just another casual task for someone like him.
After wrapping everything up, Shido stepped out of the internet café and hailed a taxi. He slid into the back seat and gave the driver the address of his newly "acquired" apartment.
Ten minutes later, the taxi pulled up in front of a modern fifteen-story building. It looked clean, well-maintained, and decently upscale, better than Shido had expected for something he hadn't paid a single yen for.
As he stepped out of the car, a professionally dressed woman approached him. Her heels clicked against the pavement, and she carried herself with an air of professionalism. A polite smile adorned her face.
"Hello, are you Itsuka Shido-san?" she asked, her voice warm and businesslike.
Shido gave a nod. "Yes, that's me. You're Yamada Akari-san?"
She returned the nod with a smile. "Yes, that's my name. I've been assigned to assist you with the apartment handover and orientation. If you'll follow me, we can get everything sorted."
Yamada Akari was a young real estate agent, though she was likely nearing her thirties, she easily passed for someone in her early twenties. She wore a sleek women's business suit that complemented her professional demeanor, and her long black hair flowed smoothly down her back like silk.
Her skin was strikingly moist, glossy, and radiant, the kind of complexion that only came from dedicated self-care. Unlike many who relied on layers of makeup to mask imperfections, Akari's beauty was natural, her face untouched by heavy cosmetics or signs of age.
Shido used his scan to see her stats as he was curious about how humans in this world are.
Name: Yamada Akari
Level: 5
Age: 29
Height: 167 cm
Measurements (B/W/H): 84/60/85
Class: Real Estate Agent
STR: E
VIT: E
AGI: E
INT: D
CHA: C
LUK: C
Threat Level: None
Affiliation: Nakamura Real Estate Agency
Shido look at her stats and saw that it was quite normal. He glanced at those distracting numbers for a while before he closed the interface as Akari was starting to look at him strangely.
"Let me show you to your apartment." she said, her professional smile returning.
"Alright." Shido replied with a nod, falling in step behind her.
As they walked, Shido's eyes unintentionally drifted. Her confident stride caused a subtle sway in her hips, and despite himself, his gaze lingered for just a moment.
Akari noticed it, but chose not to say anything. Shido was, after all, quite handsome… and exactly her type. If she weren't already in a relationship, she might have been tempted to test the waters. But for now, she kept it professional, even so, a small smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.
Shido's new apartment was on the fifth floor, so he and Akari made their way to the elevator. As the elevator began to ascend, Akari took the opportunity to explain the layout.
"It's a 2LDK." she said with a friendly tone, her hands folded neatly in front of her. "That means it has two bedrooms, along with a combined living, dining, and kitchen area. It's perfect for small families or… perhaps someone who expects a few guests from time to time."
Shido nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I figured I'd need something a bit bigger. I don't know how many people might end up staying with me."
Akari smiled, though a flicker of curiosity passed through her eyes at his comment.
The elevator chimed as it reached the fifth floor, and the doors slid open.
Standing just outside was a middle-aged woman, though the word "middle-aged" hardly did her justice. She possessed a mature beauty that turned heads effortlessly. Her brown hair, soft and flowing, reached just past her shoulders, and she wore a form-fitting suit that emphasized both elegance and authority.
Her expression was calm, but her eyes were sharp, cold even. For a brief moment, her gaze met Shido's, and something unspoken passed between them. Then, without a word, she looked away and stepped into the elevator, the faint scent of a subtle, expensive perfume lingering in her wake.
Shido glanced back as the doors closed, unable to help his curiosity.
"Do you know that person, Yamada-san?" Shido asked, glancing back at the elevator doors that had just closed.
Akari shook her head lightly. "No, I don't. She might be a relative of someone living here."
"…Is that so?" Shido murmured, nodding slowly.
He decided not to dwell on it. She was just a stranger, after all and right now, he had more important things to focus on.
"Anyway," Akari continued with a cheerful tone, "your apartment is unit 503, on the far left side of the hallway."
She smiled warmly and gestured ahead, leading Shido toward his new home.
As they walked down the hallway, Shido noted that there were two more units on this floor. When his eyes drifted toward the apartment next to his, something caught his attention, the nameplate above unit 502.
"...Shiina."
The surname tugged at something in the back of his mind. He remembered someone with the same surname but Shido thought that it was only a coincidence.
"Itsuka-san?" Akari's voice broke his train of thought. She had noticed him standing still, staring blankly at the door next to his. "Is something wrong?"
"No, it's nothing," Shido replied quickly, shaking his head.
He dismissed the feeling for now and walked forward to catch up with her.
"Anyway, this is your apartment. Let's take a look inside." Akari said with a warm smile as they reached the door to unit 503.
Shido nodded, and together they stepped inside to see what his new home had in store.