Episode 16: A Turbulent First Day of School

"……Shiki?"

The face was exactly as I remembered it, though he’d grown a bit. The voice, too, was unmistakable. He was my best friend, someone I’d known since the fourth grade... and there he stood.

"What’s with the look, best friend? You look like a panda that just had its bamboo snatched. It doesn't suit you."

"What kind of metaphor is that? You’re as weird as ever."

"I don’t want to hear that from a Dungeon nut. More importantly—everyone’s dying to hear from you, so let’s get this show on the road. There are thirty-two people in this class, you know?"

His attitude hadn't changed a bit. He was blunt, but he had a natural knack for taking charge. Even in this world, he possessed that same sense of leadership—or perhaps he just liked to meddle.

My thoughts wavered for a second, but I managed to steady myself. I steeled my resolve and prepared for the Q&A session.

"……Right. One at a time, then."

"Ah, yes! Um, excuse me! What exactly is your relationship with Ayane-sama!?"

Wait, what? I’d been told this was the Support Department, so I’d braced myself for technical questions about Dungeons. What was this? I’d been on the defensive for nothing.

"Wait, I wanted to ask that too! You were walking to school together this morning. Are you two dating!?"

"I get it! The rumored genius Adventurer and Supporter duo from middle school! I heard your coordination is legendary. Give us the details!"

...And with that, the floodgates opened. Every single question was about Ayane. I’d prepared myself to answer questions about monster types or Dungeon architecture by feeling my way through the conversation, but the class had other ideas.

"Ah, well... Ayane and I are just childhood friends. I’m sure she feels the same way... We aren't in that kind of relationship... probably."

My voice trailed off into a whisper at the end. Since I genuinely didn't know the truth of our history in this world, that was the only answer I could give.

"Seriously!? With the way you two were acting this morning!?"

"……Incredible. So this is the 'Genius Supporter.'"

"Maybe it’s a strictly professional relationship?"

Good. Judging by their reactions, that was the safe choice.

I felt like I’d earned their respect in a very strange, unintended way, but I blamed the whole thing on Ayane for forcing her way over to me this morning. Curse you, Ayane. I won't forget this. I sat there hoping for at least one decent question, but it was just more of the same—until a short, androgynous male student spoke up.

"Um, Reima-san... have you watched that Black Robe video?"

"——Cough! Pfft—wha? Oh, uh... yeah, I saw it."

The kid had dropped a literal bomb on me. I choked on my own breath, my face contorting into a subtle, melting grimace as I forced out an answer.

"I knew it! Of course you’d watch it! Those movements from a Summoner Job with Supporter aptitude... that perfect timing on the buffs for the Summoned Beast! A video like that is a goldmine for research!"

"Yeah... I guess. I get it... He’s amazing, that Black Robe guy. And, uh, the Summoned Beast was really beautiful and impressive too. Yeah. Seriously amazing."

Because that video was still going viral and racking up views, I was being eternally haunted by my own "dark history." I’d already gone as far as adding "Black Robe" to my muted words list on Tsumitter and DanTube. The "bomb" had been so sudden that my entire vocabulary had been incinerated. I had effectively transformed into a bot that could only say the word "amazing."

Eventually, the clock ran out and the questions ended. Since we only had two periods on the first day, we sat through an hour of a standard lecture before it was finally time to head home.

"……Yo, you free, best friend? If you’ve got time, let’s grab some food at the school store."

"Heh. They actually have a store here?"

"Yeah, and the food is top-tier. I recommend the bread. Specifically, the cream bread and the curry bread are god-tier."

"Seriously? Now I’m curious. But where are we going to eat? It’s probably going to be packed."

"Heh. I figured you’d say that, so I borrowed the key to the rooftop. The view is great. Let’s head up."

"……You’re a genius."

"Praise me more. I want to see some high-energy wotagei dancing."

"Not happening."

Trading quips like that, the two of us headed to the roof. We lined up the various breads we’d bought to compare them. The selection at the school store was insane—they even had specialty items like apple pie and croissants filled with red bean paste. I’d ended up buying way too much because of the unusual lineup, but it looked like it would be worth the calories.

"……Hey, best friend. Did something happen to you?"

"……Where is this coming from? Nothing happened."

The question came out of nowhere. Shiki was sharp; a part of me worried he’d already noticed something was off. However, I couldn't afford to let the mask slip yet. I had to play it cool.

"Hmm. If you say so. It’s just... you seem different. Like you’ve been constantly on guard."

"Ah... I’m just nervous because it’s the first day. You know how I am."

"Haha, true. You’ve got those weird social skills where you can step up when you have to, but deep down you’re a total wimp. I guess getting interrogated by that many people would do it to you. I was worried since it’s been a while since we hung out, but I’m glad to see you haven't changed."

It seemed I’d managed to dodge the bullet. More importantly, it didn't seem like he knew about my amnesia. Knowing him, I’d assumed he would have heard the details from Ayane. I’d have to make sure to tell him not to mention my memory loss to her later; with his intuition, trying to fake my way through amnesia in front of him would be a losing move.

Still...

"……I see. Sorry, Shiki. Didn't mean to make you worry."

"Forget it. Oh, and you probably don't know the ropes around this school yet... so feel free to ask me anything, anytime."

"Oh, I plan to. Don't worry, I’m going to rely on you for everything."

"……Sigh. Keep it within reason, will you?"

We shared a wry smile and were just about to dig into the bread when a loud alarm suddenly blared across the campus.

【EMERGENCY SITUATION. MONSTERS HAVE ESCAPED FROM THE UNDERGROUND DUNGEON. ALL STAFF MEMBERS, PLEASE PROCEED TO INTERCEPT. ALL STUDENTS RANKED C-RANK OR HIGHER REMAINING ON CAMPUS, PLEASE LEND YOUR ASSISTANCE. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL.】

As the broadcast echoed, I felt it—the unmistakable presence of monsters within the school walls.