DLBF Chapter 38

Chapter 38 – Phone Call

Chapter 3, Part 3.2

Novel Title: ルーデンドルフ公と森の獣 (Duke Ludendorff and the Beast of the Forest)

Author：かわい有美子 (Kawai Yumiko)

Illustrator: 周防佑未 (Suoh Yuumi)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 藤森賢士 (Kenji Fujimori -MC), ユリアン ルーデンドルフ (Julian Ludendorff -ML)

*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

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Fujimori felt somewhat relieved knowing that there was someone who had properly taken care of Julian, even after knowing he was a werewolf.

“He sounds like you, Julian.”

Fujimori nodded, feeling that Julian’s stubborn adherence to analog methods suited him somehow. Then, his gaze fell on a telephone that was almost hidden behind a large book.

“That’s a rotary phone!”

Fujimori couldn’t help but laugh.

The phone on the desk was a classic black rotary phone, known as a ‘Type 3 Telephone,’ which was a very old model among domestic black phones.

The ivory-coloured phone in the living room that he had borrowed earlier was also a dial-type. But it wasn’t as old. So it had only struck him as slightly unusual. It hadn’t given off such an antique impression.

However, unlike modern phones, the simple structure of rotary phones meant that they rarely suffered from fatal malfunctions. So they were still surprisingly in use in homes where fax machines weren’t available, often in the homes of elderly people.

Since the heir to the Hachigaya family had passed away, the mansion hadn’t been used for a long time. So it made sense that the phone hadn’t been replaced with a modern one.

As they were chatting about the room, which had nothing to do with the lesson, the antique black phone on Julian’s desk suddenly rang.

It was a charming, nostalgic sound.

“Please, answer it.”

Wondering if it might be a work call, Fujimori urged Julian.

However, Julian hesitated slightly. So Fujimori gestured that he would step outside, heading toward the door.

“Hallo,” Julian picked up the receiver and greeted with the equivalent of ‘Hello’ in English.

――Ah, hello?

As Fujimori placed his hand on the doorknob, he recognized a familiar voice coming from the other end of the receiver.

――Hello, is this Mr. Ludendorff? This is Fushimi.

Regardless of whether the person on the other end understood Japanese or not, this pushy way of speaking could only belong to Professor Fushimi, Fujimori thought as he turned back to look at Julian.

“Wait a minute.”

Julian, who had also turned to look at Fujimori, interrupted Fushimi. He spoke in broken Japanese; “Professoa Doctora Fushimi, right?”

“Ah… yes,” Professor Fushimi responded in a dull voice. 

Fujimori remembered how, in the past, he had complained about not being able to reach him and that had left for Europe on his own.

It was like waking up from a pleasant dream, suddenly being reminded that he was just an overqualified freeloader.

Julian, too, looked somewhat pensive as he handed the receiver over to Fujimori.

――Fujimori-kun, right? If you’re going to stay longer than planned, you should at least let me know. It’s a hassle otherwise, don’t you think?

Professor Fushimi’s call began with that unreasonable complaint, and it was essentially an order for Fujimori to return to Tokyo.

Apparently, the call wasn’t from Tokyo but from Europe. Professor Fushimi was supposed to return to Japan from Europe today. But due to a plane malfunction, he had been forced to return to the UK.

He grumbled that all flights were fully booked at this time of year, so he couldn’t reschedule immediately. He wouldn’t be arriving in Japan until the day after tomorrow, early in the morning.

Tomorrow afternoon, a famous architect from America, Mr. T. David, was scheduled to arrive in Japan. Professor Fushimi had promised to escort Mr. T. David to his hotel and show him around. But now he couldn’t keep that promise. Therefore, he wanted Fujimori to go to the airport and welcome Mr. T. David instead.

Mr. T. David from America was a renowned architect, known to everyone in the architectural world. Recently, his grand and flowing architectural spaces had gained worldwide fans.

Lately, he had started incorporating warm, classical elements into his previously modernist style, which had only increased his popularity.

Fushimi had tried contacting several students. But most of them were unavailable due to part-time jobs or job interviews. Fujimori was the only one who could be fully trusted with such a detailed task.

At first, Fujimori thought about refusing. But Fushimi’s next words made him reconsider.

――But you know, it’s not polite to overstay your welcome at Mr. Ludendorff’s house, is it? I thought you had already returned to Tokyo. You’ve been there much longer than originally planned, haven’t you? You really should consider leaving at a good stopping point.

It was true that Fujimori had enjoyed the detached serenity of this place and hadn’t wanted to think about it. But being reminded that he had stayed almost twice as long as planned brought a dose of reality. Fushimi’s words, though demanding as usual, were reasonable.

Besides Fushimi’s orders, Fujimori had to check his mail and emails, visit the cram school to adjust his shifts for the next month, and take care of many other mundane tasks.

He hadn’t been in contact with his parents for a long time as well. And because he was out of service range, he hadn’t been in touch with his friends either.

He worried that someone might have accidentally filed a missing person report for him.

After jotting down all of Fushimi’s arbitrary instructions, which extended beyond just welcoming the guest, Fujimori finally ended the long phone call. He found Julian sitting in the corner of the room, staring at him with his grey eyes.

It didn’t seem likely that Julian could fully understand the conversation in Japanese. But he appeared to have already guessed the purpose of Fushimi’s call.

“I need to go back to Tokyo for a bit…”

“Why don’t you stay a little longer?”

Julian asked in a voice that suggested he already knew Fujimori’s answer. His long leg folded up on the chair as he hugged his knee.

“I haven’t checked my emails or letters at all, and I need to get my shifts sorted at the cram school. Or I’ll be without income next month. I need to go back and sort everything out.”

Julian looked away, still hugging his knee. He looked like a sulking child.

“Will it only take one day?”

“No… I think it’ll take at least two days.”

Fujimori counted on his fingers as he considered the tasks of welcoming the guest, reporting to Fushimi the following day, and so on.

“Will you come back here afterward?”

Fujimori quickly put on an ambiguous expression, thinking it might be too presumptuous to return immediately.

Despite the fact that there wasn’t much of the summer break left, Fujimori hesitated at the idea of returning as if he were a virtuous boyfriend. Although it wasn’t exactly what Fushimi had said about overstaying his welcome, Fujimori couldn’t help but feel like he was turning into a kept man, lounging around Julian’s home without working.

He felt a reflexive disgust at his own position. Maybe it was just a matter of perspective. But Fujimori held a pretty straightforward attitude towards work.

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*Translator’s Note: Professor Fushimi is so annoying. Grr. I wish Fujimori-san would just quit and be with Julian without a care in the world. But most Japanese are really serious about work. Though… he’s really a pushover and this annoys me quite a bit. I have a friend like this and I’m tired of getting angry for him when he lets people boss him around for uncalled for reasons. Grrrrr! But on a side note, why do I feel like Julian intentionally wanted to hide the phone? Maybe the prof had called so many times before but Julian kept mum about it hahahaha! -K

Next update: 2024.11.27

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