The Shockingly Empty Room
People probably imagine all sorts of different things when they hear about a young woman living alone due to family circumstances. Stuff you often see online, like a room overflowing with trash where you can barely take a step, or maybe a fancy space crammed with cute knickknacks. Reiko, having lived independently for quite a while herself, figured there might be some malicious spin in those rumors, but overall, they weren't too far off.
So when Yui timidly suggested serving tea in her room, the image that popped into Reiko's head was closer to the latter—adorable stuffed animals decorating every corner, a frilly canopy bed straight out of a princess fairy tale. The trash heap was unlikely, sure, and this was colored by Reiko's own tastes, but still.
Yet the room she followed Yui into, shuffling behind her hesitant guide, was nothing like what she'd envisioned.
'...This is supposed to be a home..?'
There was nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not even the stuffed animals Reiko had pictured, let alone any essentials you’d expect in a place where someone actually lived. The room wasn't that big—a modest one-room unit—but it felt cavernously spacious because there was hardly any furniture taking up space.
Reiko scanned the interior with trembling eyes. All she saw was a tiny mini-fridge she could probably move by herself, a low desk sized for Yui's height with a desktop PC on it, and bookshelves stuffed with books. Incredibly, there wasn't even a closet. Just a small portable clothing rack with a few outfits hanging, and a little box underneath that must hold underwear. No closet meant no vanity either, obviously.
She'd heard of minimalism, but was this what it really looked like? Reiko thought as she slowly followed Yui to the center of the room. In this stark, barren space, the one thing with real presence was the bookcase crammed with countless volumes, creating an oddly eerie atmosphere.
'...Mostly language books.'
She couldn't pinpoint why, but it was clear Yui was dead serious about learning multiple languages.
Yui glanced around awkwardly with Reiko behind her, then let out an embarrassed chuckle.
"Uh... now that I think about it, there's no table..."
"Do you have any tea to offer?"
"If... convenience store stuff counts... Oh, only half a bottle left..."
Reiko let out a deep sigh, and Yui fidgeted uncomfortably. Despite the overwhelming frustration, Reiko felt her understanding of Yui deepening. So this is the kind of girl she is.
As Reiko moved to sit, she pointed at the desk with the desktop.
"Tea can wait... Mind if I check your PC specs? We might provide company support depending on them."
"Oh... they do that?"
"Modern games have high requirements, and streaming makes specs even more crucial."
Slow. And tiny. That was Reiko's impression of the PC's boot time and Yui perched in the chair. Yui was small to begin with, but seeing her seated like that amplified it. Hard to believe this was an adult. If it weren't for work, Reiko shook her head sharply to banish the stray thought, focusing on the leisurely loading screen.
Truth be told, this alone told her everything—no need to nitpick further. It seemed even lower-spec than a basic personal machine for casual gaming,