At first glance, Hiiragi-san’s family ramen shop looked like a renovated convenience store.
The exterior walls were clad in wood with a beautiful grain, and a large sign resembling a single massive plank sat atop the roof, brightly illuminated. A parking area for five or six cars was situated in front of the shop, creating a layout that seemed inviting even for drivers passing by on the national highway.
“This is my family’s place—Hiiragi Ramen Honpo.”
““Whoa.””
Upon Hiiragi-san’s introduction, Yuji and I looked up at the building and voiced our admiration.
“Now then, let's not just stand around. They said they were closing the shop early today for a family meeting, so let’s head in.”
“Wait, is that okay? Isn’t dinner time the busiest part of the day for a restaurant?”
Surprised by Hiiragi-san’s casual remark as she started walking toward the entrance, I couldn't help but speak up.
A restaurant closing during the dinner rush—its peak earning hours? And on a day that wasn't even a scheduled holiday?
“It is indeed the busiest time. But that’s what my father told me when I was leaving for school this morning...”
“...I see.”
This felt slightly different from the mental image I’d formed of Hiiragi-san’s father when I first heard her motivation for taking the explorer exam. I’d imagined a parent who would coolly throw their daughter into a dungeon for the sake of their own ideals, but here he was, deciding to close the shop during peak hours just to talk to her.
Following behind Hiiragi-san as we approached the door, I noticed a large notice posted on the menu board near the entrance. It read: Notice of Temporary Closure.
It seemed he was truly serious about making his daughter quit being an explorer.
“Go on. Come in.”
“Uh... excuse us?”
I wondered if it was appropriate to say “excuse us” when entering a ramen shop, but since I couldn't think of a better greeting for the situation, it would have to do.
Pushing open the heavy door, I saw tables and chairs arranged in a T-shape, reminiscent of a certain beef bowl chain. The scent of a rich tonkotsu-style broth wafted through the empty shop, making my stomach rumble in protest.
“I’m home! Dad, Mom... is anyone here?!”
After looking around the deserted interior, Hiiragi-san called out toward the back.
A few seconds later, a woman wearing an indigo apron with the shop’s logo printed in white and a matching indigo bandana appeared from the kitchen.
“Welcome home, Yukino....Oh? Are these friends of yours?”
Hiiragi-san’s mother opened her eyes slightly in surprise, observing Yuji and me with interest. Well, I suppose any parent would be taken aback if their daughter suddenly brought home two boys her age at the same time.
I observed her without using Appraisal Analysis. In appearance, she looked exactly like a more mature version of Hiiragi-san with her hair tied back, just without the glasses. Hiiragi-san definitely took after her mother.
“Yes. Let me introduce them. This is Daiki Kokonoe-kun and Yuji Hirose-kun. They’re my fellow explorers; we dive into dungeons together. I asked them to come along because I want them to be part of today's discussion.”
“U-Um... Yukino? You’ve been going into dungeons with boys? I never heard a word about this.”
“I didn't tell you, so of course you didn't know.”
Hiiragi-san’s mother voiced her confusion at the sudden revelation. In contrast, Hiiragi-san brushed off her mother’s suspicious gaze as if it were nothing.
Wait, she really hadn't told her?
“Anyway, let me introduce my mother to you two. This is Miyuki Hiiragi.”
Leaving her mother—Miyuki-san—in a state of visible agitation, Hiiragi-san introduced her to us.
My eyes met Miyuki-san’s, and I felt a wave of awkwardness. But for now, formalities came first.
“I’m Daiki Kokonoe. Hiiragi-san is always a great help to me.”
“I’m Yuji Hirose. Please rest assured, Mrs. Hiiragi, nothing of the sort you might be worried about is going on.”
Yuji and I bowed slightly as we greeted her.
Yuji added that last bit to try and dispel her anxiety and suspicion... but I wondered if it would actually have any effect.
“Er... I’m Miyuki Hiiragi. Well, it seems my daughter is in your care...”
Miyuki-san returned the bow, but her gaze still held a fair amount of skepticism.
I suppose it couldn't be helped. Yukino seemed to be an only child. We would just have to clear up her mother’s suspicions gradually.
“Now that the introductions are out of the way, I’d like to get started... Where’s Dad?”
Peering toward the back, Hiiragi-san tilted her head when her father failed to appear and asked Miyuki-san about his whereabouts.
“Your father went out a little while ago. He should be back any minute now.”
“I see.”
Hiiragi-san looked slightly relieved to hear that.
Miyuki-san suggested we shouldn't just stand around talking, so we took seats on the stools at the counter. While Yuji and I quietly sipped the tea she provided, Hiiragi-san and Miyuki-san moved a short distance away to talk.
Thanks to the physical enhancements from my level ups, even a whisper in the same room was perfectly audible to me.
“Yukino, listen. I have something to ask you...” Miyuki-san began in a low voice. “Were you really going into the dungeon with just the three of you?”
“Yes. Ever since the explorer exam, we’ve always acted as a party.”
“I see... And nothing else happened, right?”
“No, Mom. Like Hirose-kun said, we aren't doing anything indecent like you’re imagining.”
Having heard it directly from her daughter, Miyuki-san finally seemed convinced. She let out a long sigh and offered a word of caution.
“Listen, Yukino. It might be fine for now, but you’re still a girl. Be careful not to do anything rash. Do you understand?”
“I know, I know.”
“...I wonder if she really does. Sigh... Since you only told me you were going to the dungeon with friends, I just assumed you meant girlfriends.”
Hmm.
It seemed Miyuki-san was worried Yuji and I might turn into "wolves" at any moment. I figured we’d better clear up that misunderstanding sooner rather than later.
I glanced at Yuji, and he sent back an identical look of concern. We nodded to each other in silence.
“So, Yukino. What do you plan to do now? Are you going to quit being an explorer like your father wants?”
“Huh? I have no intention of quitting.”
“...Are you serious?”
“Completely. Besides, there’s a reason I can’t quit right now.”
“A reason?”
Miyuki-san tilted her head, clearly having no idea what that reason could be.
The price of orc materials had been dropping lately because supply had increased, so it wasn't just about that.
“I have a debt,” Hiiragi-san stated bluntly.
“...What?! Yukino, you’re in debt?!”
For a second, Miyuki-san stood frozen, unable to process the words. Then her face paled as she cried out in shock.
Hiiragi-san took a sip of tea to steady herself before answering.
“Yes. The weapon I’ve been using in the dungeon broke, and I had to borrow the money to buy a new one.”
“Borrowed from where?! And how much?!”
Miyuki-san interrogated her intensely. To be fair, purchasing a specialized weapon is quite expensive. Any place that would lend that kind of money to a high schooler usually wouldn't be a legitimate business.
“Calm down, Mom. Even though I said I borrowed it, it wasn't from a loan shark or anything like that.”
“Then where? No reputable place would lend money to a high school student. It’s not right.”
“Technically, I borrowed it from the three of us.”
“?”
A visible question mark practically floated above Miyuki-san’s head.
“I’m borrowing the difference from our party funds—the money the three of us contribute to and pool together.”
“...Oh, I see.”
A look of relief and understanding finally washed over Miyuki-san’s face.
“You know how I’m always bringing home orc materials, right? In our party, we usually exchange drop items for cash and split the profit equally. But since I take the orc materials home instead of cashing them out, the guys were considerate enough to adjust for that. They subtract the appraised value of the orc materials from the total cash-out, and the rest goes into the party funds.”
Of course, this was a method that wouldn't normally be possible without my Spatial Storage skill. It wasn't like the total cash-out would always conveniently cover the value of the materials she took home.
And after all, nothing ruins a relationship faster than financial friction.
“I see... So, how much is Yukino supposed to have borrowed?”
“Let’s see... about 500,000 yen?”
“What?! That much?!”
When Hiiragi-san casually dropped the figure of 500,000 yen, Miyuki-san let out a strained cry that was almost a scream. I suppose it is a shock for a mother to hear her high school daughter owes half a million yen.
Though, personally, I didn't think it was that astronomical an amount anymore...
“Yes. But Mom, is it really an amount to be that surprised about?”
“What are you talking about?! Do you have any idea how many bowls of ramen we have to sell to make 500,000 yen?!”
“...Ah.”
Now that she mentioned it, Miyuki-san was right.
Normally, earning 500,000 yen was an incredibly difficult feat. Because we could easily get money in the dungeon lately, our sense of value had become completely skewed compared to the general public.
I glanced at the menu on the counter. The cheapest bowl was about 500 yen. To earn 500,000 yen from that, you’d have to sell a thousand bowls. After deducting overhead and costs, you’d probably need to sell twice that... Even at a hundred bowls a day, it would take nearly three weeks of hard labor.
...Yeah, the gap in our financial perspective was getting dangerous. It might be a good idea to work a normal part-time job sometime just to stay grounded.
I let out a heavy, depressed sigh of self-loathing. I looked over at Yuji, and he had a similarly gloomy expression, letting out a weak, wry smile.
“Why didn't you say something to us before borrowing that kind of money?! we would have helped you out if you’d just asked. Tell me... Yukino. Are we really that unreliable as parents?”
Miyuki-san asked with a pained, sorrowful expression, truly questioning her daughter’s faith in them.
“N-No, it’s not that at all.”
“Then why didn't you talk to us?”
“Uh, well, you see...”
Hiiragi-san was at a loss for words. Should I... offer a lifeline?
I checked with Yuji via a glance, but he silently shook his head. He had clearly judged that this was a problem Hiiragi-san needed to resolve with her family herself. It wasn't right for outsiders to overstep. I decided to stay quiet unless she directly asked for help.
“Well? Why?”
“L-Look, Mom. I know 500,000 yen sounds like a fortune, but for an explorer with a decent amount of skill, you can earn that in a single month of diving. I didn't borrow it without a plan.”
“...Yukino.”
Even after hearing her desperate plea, Miyuki-san’s doubts didn't seem to fade. Her expression was heartbreaking—the look of a parent worried that their daughter was just telling tall tales to make them feel better.
“I-It’s true! Please don't look at me like that. Kokonoe-kun, Hirose-kun! Please, say something to my mom!”
The request for backup came sooner than I expected.
Miyuki-san’s gaze shifted to us. I couldn't tell if it was my imagination, but her eyes felt a bit more accusatory now.
I cleared my throat and spoke up.
“Um, excuse me, Miyuki-san?”
“...Yes?”
“What Hiiragi-san said is true. Earning that much in a month is entirely feasible for us.”
“...Really?”
She still looked deeply skeptical. It made sense; you can't just believe a stranger’s word on something like that.
In that case, I needed to provide some proof. The best evidence would be an exchange certificate from the Association, but I didn't have one on me. I’d have to show her that instead.
I took my smartphone out of my pocket and pulled up the deposit records for my online bank account.
“Here. As proof... take a look at this.”
I stood up, walked over to them, and handed the phone to Miyuki-san.
“These are the amounts deposited into my account from exchanging drop items recently.”
“What?! Is this for real?!”
Miyuki-san peered at the screen, her eyes widening. The display showed multiple deposits, each exceeding 100,000 yen.
“Yes. So, what Hiiragi-san said about her earning potential wasn't an exaggeration.”
As I took my phone back, I reaffirmed that her daughter wasn't lying. Miyuki-san stared at Hiiragi-san in a daze, and Yukino nodded her head vigorously to drive the point home.
Seizing the opening in her mother’s shock, Hiiragi-san pressed on with her persuasion.
Finally, it seemed like they had reached an understanding.
Yuji and I quietly watched the mother and daughter finish their talk while we moved on to our second cups of tea.
“I understand, Yukino. If you’re that determined to continue being an explorer, I won't stand in your way anymore.”
“Thank you, Mom.”
“But you’re the one who has to persuade your father, you hear?”
“I know.”
“I’ll put in a good word for you, for whatever it’s worth.”
The first hurdle was cleared. We had Miyuki-san on our side. Now, all that remained was Hiiragi-san’s father...
Speaking of which, when was he coming back? I checked the clock; it had already been thirty minutes since we arrived.