In the chilly early morning, I stood in the shadow of a utility pole a short distance away, keeping a close eye on the home of today's surveillance target: Daiki Kokonoe.
My outfit for the day consisted of a light blue long-sleeved shirt over a plain T-shirt and black jeans. I also carried a large backpack and was currently "armed" with an anpan in my right hand and a carton of milk in my left.
"The report said his pattern is to leave around seven, but... did I get here too early?"
I checked the clock on my smartphone. It was 6:15 AM.
I took the opportunity to review the bulleted list in my notes app detailing the target's typical dungeon exploration patterns. He usually left home around 7:00 AM, met up with his group at the station, and took a train to a dungeon some distance away rather than the one closest to him. I had my doubts about why he bypassed the nearest dungeon, but I still had plenty of time before he was expected to emerge.
"Still... I look like a total creep right now, don't I?"
My cheek twitched as I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a convex traffic mirror.
Standing in the shadows on a Sunday morning when there was hardly anyone around, staring at someone's house with bread and milk in hand... Yeah. It wouldn't have been surprising if a cop stopped to question me at any moment.
"If there were at least a vending machine or a convenience store nearby, I could try to blend in..."
Unfortunately, there were no such facilities within sight of the target’s house. I wanted to kill time at a convenience store if possible, but I couldn't risk leaving because I didn't know exactly when he would come out. I knew his general pattern, but that was no guarantee he wouldn't deviate from it.
Since this was supposedly a one-day assignment, I could endure the suspicious looks from the neighbors, but I prayed I wouldn't be reported or interrogated.
Fortunately, while a few passersby gave me odd looks, time passed without any major incidents. It was incredibly boring, though.
"...He's out."
The front door of the house opened, and Daiki Kokonoe—the boy from the photo in the investigation report—stepped outside. I checked my phone; it was 6:56 AM. He was leaving almost exactly on schedule.
It looked like he had company, too.
"Wait. Is that... his sister?"
Recalling the family structure listed in the report, I guessed her identity. She was carrying a backpack and a weapon storage bag just like him, which suggested she was an explorer as well, even though that hadn't been in the files.
Since this hadn't been mentioned in the previous report, she must have passed the Armed Exploration Permit for Special Underground Structures Issuance Exam shortly after the last investigation ended. Normally, I would have just thought, Oh, I see, but for me, this was a massive problem.
"...Asking an amateur investigator to tail two people at once is a huge jump in difficulty."
The risk of being spotted had just doubled.
I had been given permission to explain the situation to ensure my own safety if I was caught, but I’d also been instructed to observe their daily behavior without being discovered if at all possible.
"No point overthinking it now... Let's go."
Steeling my resolve, I began to follow the Kokonoe siblings as they walked toward the station, chatting amiably.
When they arrived, they looked around as if searching for someone. Based on the way their shoulders slumped slightly after a quick scan of the area, it seemed they were the first to arrive.
A short while later, a girl joined them. She hadn't been in the previous report either, but given how warmly she spoke to the sister, they were likely friends. She was also carrying a large backpack and a weapon storage bag, so perhaps she had become an explorer at the same time as the sister.
Daiki, seemingly unable to find a way into the girls' lively conversation, looked like he was about to awkwardly pull out his phone. However, he was interrupted when a boy approached from behind and tapped him on the shoulder.
Ah, he was definitely in the report...
"Was it... Yuji Hirose?"
"Yeah, that's him."
"Whoa!?"
I nearly shrieked when someone tapped my own shoulder from behind, but I managed to clamp my hand over my mouth and stifle the sound. I whirled around to find Fuyuki-san standing there in plain clothes with a backpack of his own.
"S-Sorry....Did I really startle you that much?"
"O-Of course you did! My nerves are already frayed doing something I'm not used to. Don't scare me like that!"
"M-My bad."
Fuyuki-san and I hurriedly ducked further into the shadows, where I whispered my protest against his little prank. I stole a glance at the targets and saw that, fortunately, they hadn't noticed us. Still, we were supposed to be tailing them; I really wished he’d stop doing weird things.
"So, Fuyuki-san. How are things on your end? I've got an unexpected number of people over here..."
"I see. Well, there were no extra companions on my end, but..."
"...Did something happen?"
"It's his house..." Fuyuki-san said, his eyes growing distant. "Apparently, his family are martial artists. It's this massive mansion with high walls. Monitoring it from the outside was impossible with my amateur skills. Plus, there are surveillance cameras all along the perimeter, so I couldn't even get close."
"Oh, wow..."
"And that's not all..."
Something seemed to occur to him, and Fuyuki-san turned slightly pale, hugging his own arms as he shivered.
"When I tried to follow him after he left the house, I felt this sudden, horrific chill. It felt like my spine was turning to ice."
"..."
"I looked around in a panic, but there was no one there. Seriously, I have no idea what that was..."
Fuyuki-san looked at me with pleading eyes, his face still a bit white. Don't bring up ghost stories to me right now, I thought. I didn't even know how to respond. While both of us were feeling an inexplicable sense of dread, we peeked out from behind our cover to keep watching the group, which had grown by one more person.
A few minutes later, Kondo-san, who had been tailing another target in her civilian clothes, joined us.
"Good morning, Fuyuki-san, Tagawa-san."
"Ah, morning, Kondo-san."
"Good morning."
Even though she was tailing people just like we were, Kondo-san showed no signs of nerves, giving us a perfectly natural morning greeting. How could she be so calm?
"? Is something wrong, Tagawa-san?"
"Ah, no. It's nothing. Anyway, how are things on your end, Kondo-san? Any close calls?"
"There were a few moments where I thought I might be spotted, but fortunately, it seems I’m still in the clear."
"I-I see."
"Oh, but if we're going to be boarding the same train, it might be best to change our appearance a little."
Kondo-san set her backpack down and pulled out a cardigan that was a different color from the one she was currently wearing.
"Fuyuki-san, Tagawa-san, I think you should change as well."
"Ah, right. Good idea... let's do that."
According to Kondo-san, simply swapping out an outer layer could change someone's silhouette enough to make a tail less obvious. It was a crude form of deception, but she argued it was a hundred times better than doing nothing. Fuyuki-san and I, having zero experience in surveillance, followed her lead and pulled spare jackets from our bags. I was starting to wonder what kind of past she had to be so used to this, but I decided it was better not to ask.
Just as we finished changing, the targets began moving toward the station's ticket gates.
"Alright. Let's move out."
"Understood."
At Fuyuki-san's signal, we resumed the tail.
After one transfer, we successfully reached the destination station without losing sight of them. Since it was the closest station to a dungeon, there were plenty of other passengers dressed as explorers, allowing us to blend in as we got off the train.
"So far, so good... I think?"
"Yeah, probably. We haven't been spotted yet, so... I guess it's going well?"
Fuyuki-san and I moved with the crowd through the gates, checking in with each other while still harboring a persistent anxiety about our amateurish tailing.
Kondo-san spoke up as if to soothe our fears.
"It's fine, Fuyuki-san, Tagawa-san. Even if they have noticed us, they don't know who we are. There are so many people going to the dungeon here; as long as we act natural and stay in the crowd, they'll just assume they're imagining things. If you keep looking that anxious, you'll actually give yourselves away."
She gave us a gentle smile.
Seriously, how could she be so unfazed? Her nerves were made of steel.
"Ah, yeah. You're right..."
"She's right."
Fuyuki-san fought to keep his face from twitching, giving a short reply to Kondo-san, who remained perfectly serene. It was actually getting a little scary.
We passed through the gates and left the station, following the group as they walked across the rotary.
After watching them enter a convenience store, we paused to discuss our next move.
"What now? Should we follow them inside?"
"No, that's probably... a bad idea, right?"
"I agree, Fuyuki-san. Even if it's crowded, being in a confined space like a convenience store with them carries a high risk of them remembering our faces."
"That's true, but we need to secure some food for ourselves before we go into the dungeon..."
Fuyuki-san had a point. It would be reckless to enter a dungeon without supplies. We had emergency rations in our backpacks, but I wanted to avoid a tasteless meal if I could help it.
Besides, emergency rations were for emergencies! That was my stance, anyway. I pointed toward a certain shop.
"Why don't we buy something at that bakery over there?"
"That bakery, huh..."
Fuyuki-san and Kondo-san both frowned slightly at the shop I was pointing to. To put it politely... it looked like it had seen better days.
"There aren't any other takeout places open, and if we're skipping the convenience store, that's our only option."
"...Fair enough."
"...I suppose so."
With no other choice, the debate ended.
We hurried into the shop and bought some bread. The samples they offered were so delicious that we ended up buying far more than we had intended. That bakery was definitely suffering because of its curb appeal...
"We stumbled onto something good there..."
"Definitely. If we have time on the way back, I might buy some more to take home."
"Oh, I like that idea."
Leaving the bakery, we headed back toward the rotary where the dungeon-bound buses departed. When we spotted the targets leaving the convenience store and heading for the bus stop, we stopped at a nearby smoking area.
Fuyuki-san casually pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.
"Wait, do you smoke, Fuyuki-san?"
"Hmm? No. This is just for show. A pose. Here, you don't have to light it, just keep one in your mouth."
"Oh, okay."
I took the cigarette Fuyuki-san offered and held it in my mouth, mimicking the act of lighting up. We spent a few minutes pretending to smoke while keeping an eye on them. When the dungeon bus arrived, I tossed the cigarette into the ashtray, and we joined the end of the boarding line.
There were about ten people between us and the targets. It wasn't too close, but not so far that we'd lose them—or so we thought.
"That's a lot of people... Are we going to make it?"
"Probably... It'll be fine."
Watching the surprisingly long line, Fuyuki-san and I both felt a prickle of unease.
The bus arrived, and the line shuffled forward. That bad feeling grew stronger and stronger until...
"Sorry, we're at capacity! The rest of you will have to wait for the next bus! Closing the doors now, please stay back from the platform for your safety... Doors closing."
With those heartless words, the bus doors slammed shut right in front of us. I stared blankly at the targets already inside the bus, completely stunned.
The bus pulled away from the rotary, leaving us behind.
"...They're gone."
"...Yeah."
"...It seems we've been left behind."
"..."
We didn't even notice the second bus pulling into the rotary. We just stood there with vacant expressions, watching the bus carrying our targets disappear into the distance.