Mika and I arrived at school a little late. We parted ways at the entrance, and I made my way toward my classroom with a heavy heart. My ears practically twitched whenever I overheard students from other classes discussing dungeon business.
Apparently, a strange trio had appeared in the dungeon.
Word was, they looked like a dangerous bunch.
The intimidation they gave off was so intense that people couldn't even look them in the eye.
And so on... Fortunately, our true identities didn't seem to have been leaked, but I still wanted to find a hole and crawl into it.
"..."
My face twitching slightly, I hurried through the hallway in silence, ducking into my classroom as if I were a fugitive.
But once I stepped inside, I found Yuji slumped over his desk, looking like all the life had been sucked out of him.
"...M-Morning, Yuji."
"..."
I set my bag down and greeted him tentatively, but I got no response. A few moments later, Yuji slowly rotated his face ninety degrees from the desktop and peered up at me with hollow eyes.
"...Oh, Daiki. Morning."
"Yeah."
He spoke in a flat, lifeless drone.
Seriously, what happened to him?
"What’s wrong?"
"...Just things. Hey, Daiki? Did you hear any rumors on your way in?"
"Eh? Ah, well... which one?"
"The one about the weird trio showing up in the dungeon..."
Ah, right. So Yuji was in this state because he’d been forced to listen to the gossip too.
"...I got to school a bit early today. As soon as I arrived, I heard students who were at the dungeon yesterday talking about it in the halls and the classroom. Every time I hear them mention it, it feels like they're rubbing salt into an open wound..."
"I feel you."
I couldn't help but agree. Having our fresh "dark history"—something we desperately wanted to bury in the shadows—constantly dug up since first period was enough to break anyone's spirit.
In a way, my delays with Mika and Mom had been a blessing in disguise. If I’d arrived at the normal time, I might have ended up just as mentally devastated as Yuji.
"...But whatever. I’m over it now."
Yuji sat up and looked me straight in the eye, his expression turning serious.
"You should brace yourself for the rest of the day, Daiki. It really gets to you."
"Yeah... I'll keep that in mind."
His warning sounded a bit cynical, but I planned to take it to heart. Honestly, if I didn't stay focused, my mental state was going to crumble.
Good grief, I'd rather be fighting monsters in a dungeon than dealing with this...
I followed Yuji's advice and steeled myself for the morning classes, but it was still an ordeal. While no one talked during the actual lessons, the chatter in the hallways and the restroom was almost entirely about our disguises. Seeing everyone get so excited about the topic felt like being stabbed with invisible needles. Seriously, were we sure no one had recognized us?
Somehow, we managed to survive the morning. To stay out of the public eye, we decided to have lunch in the clubroom.
Sigh...
"What is wrong with you two? Sighing like that while you eat..."
When Yuji and I paused our lunch to let out a synchronized groan, Hiiragi-san frowned, her expression one of mild annoyance. From our perspective, however, we were amazed she could remain so composed.
I decided to just ask.
"Hiiragi-san, doesn't the gossip bother you?"
"Oh, so that’s what’s on your minds. But those rumors are about a group whose identities are unknown, right? As long as there’s no actual harm, a rumor is just a rumor. There’s no need to pay it any mind."
Whoa...
Yuji and I let out simultaneous gasps of admiration. She was certainly bold. It was true that we hadn't been identified yet, but I needed a little more time to reach that level of detachment. I'd probably get there eventually, but with the event having only happened yesterday... well, you know.
Yuji and I shared a brief look, shook our heads to clear the air, and went back to our food.
"Ah, that reminds me. Yuji... here."
"Hmm? What's this envelope?"
Once we finished eating, I pulled a somewhat thick brown envelope out of my Spatial Storage and handed it to Yuji with a slight bow.
"You remember? The payment for that monster meat Hiiragi-san bought."
"Oh, right..."
"I'm really sorry for being late with it!"
Yuji took the envelope and tucked it into his inner jacket pocket without even checking the contents. I chose to see it as a sign of his trust, but his nonchalant attitude only made me feel guiltier.
Why had I let that slip my mind?
"It's fine. Just try not to forget next time, okay? You probably had your hands full thinking about Mika-chan and the surveillance. But they say money is the fastest way to ruin a friendship."
"Yeah, absolutely. I won't let it happen again."
"I'm counting on it."
With the financial matter settled, Hiiragi-san spoke up to change the subject.
"Kokonoe-kun, did you bring the bear items we gathered yesterday?"
"Oh, yeah. Right here."
I packed away my lunch box and pulled a bag I'd brought from home onto the table. Inside was the bear fur. It was exactly as it had dropped, and the best part about dungeon loot was that it could be used immediately without any tanning.
Plus, the fur felt incredibly soft to the touch.
"Will this be enough?"
"Yes, it should be fine. Each piece is quite large, so I think we have plenty."
"Good. Oh, and what about the patterns? You said you’d handle that, right?"
"They’re ready. I found some free patterns online and printed them out."
Hiiragi-san showed us a file case she’d brought with her lunch. Judging by the thickness, there were dozens of A4 sheets inside.
Are we really going to use all of those?
"Also, I ran into Hashimoto-sensei this morning. Our request to use the Clothing Lab was approved."
"Really?"
"Yes. The Handicrafts Club already uses it, so we'll just be borrowing a corner of the room."
"Still, I'm glad we have a place to work."
Knowing we had a proper workspace was a relief. I’d never made clothes out of fur before, so I at least wanted access to the right tools.
"By the way, Kokonoe-kun, Mika-chan and the other girl will be helping with the costumes, right? How are their sewing skills?"
"Sewing? Mika was taught by our mother, so she’s reasonably good. I'm not sure about Saori-chan, though. She can probably handle the basics from home ec."
"I see. They should be helpful, then. And what about you two?"
"Well, I'm about the same as Mika. Just home ec level..."
"...No comment."
I gave a vague response, while Yuji looked away entirely. That told the whole story.
I’d learned a bit of sewing alongside Mika when we were kids, but I’d gotten bored and quit halfway through, so I wasn't very confident. I usually got average marks in class.
Yuji, however, clearly wanted nothing to do with it.
"I see... In that case, you two can handle making the stage props for the presentation."
"Ah, okay."
"...Got it."
After a quick glance at us, Hiiragi-san assigned us to prop duty. She’d clearly decided we'd be useless with costumes. A fair assessment, honestly.
Just as we finished assigning roles, the warning bell for the end of lunch rang.
"There's the bell. Shall we?"
"Yeah."
"Let's go."
We packed up the lunches and the fur, then left the clubroom for our afternoon classes.
Sigh. Back to enduring the rumors...
After school, we met up in the clubroom again. This time, Mika and Saori-chan were there, along with Hashimoto-sensei, who had managed to find some time.
Once everyone was present, we officially started our club activities.
"Alright, we're splitting into two groups—basically boys and girls."
"Hey, Onii-chan, what are we doing in separate groups?"
"Making things for the sports festival. Mika, you and Saori-chan are helping Hiiragi-san with the costumes."
"Costumes? But didn't we buy all of those the other day?"
"Most of them, yeah. But we have to make Yuji’s costume from scratch."
"Yuji-san’s costume? For that presentation?"
"That’s the one."
Mika looked at Yuji with a strained expression.
Yuji remained silent, staring off into the distance with a blank look on his face.
"So, Yuji and I will be working on the other props. We're counting on you for the outfits."
"...Okay, I get it."
As I spoke to Mika, Saori-chan timidly raised her hand.
"Um... excuse me."
"Hmm? What is it, Saori-chan?"
"Could I be on the props team instead?"
"Eh?"
"Well... I'm really bad at sewing. I always end up pricking my fingers with the needles."
Saori-chan confessed her weakness in a small voice, her ears turning red. The four of us shared a look, silently debating what to do.
After a few moments, Hiiragi-san made the call.
"Mika-chan? How are you with sewing? Hand-stitching or using a machine?"
"Um, yes. I can do both."
"Good. Then Mika-chan and I will do the actual sewing. Saori-chan, you can handle cutting the fabric."
"Oh, um..."
"You just have to follow the patterns. Having a dedicated cutter will make the work go much faster. Please."
"O-Okay!"
"So, Kokonoe-kun, Hirose-kun. We'll stick with the original groups."
"Sure."
"Works for me."
And so, Saori-chan became our designated cutter.
"Well then, we’re heading to the Clothing Lab to get started."
"Good luck."
"Thanks. Let’s go, Mika-chan, Saori-chan."
Yes!
Carrying the bear items, Hiiragi-san led the two girls out of the clubroom.
Once they were gone, Hashimoto-sensei, who had been watching from the corner, stood up.
"I’ll head back to the faculty room. Let me know before you leave."
"We will."
"Be careful not to hurt yourselves."
"Understood."
Hashimoto-sensei gathered her documents and left.
Yuji and I looked at each other, then turned our attention to the bear items and the bags of supplies from the discount store.
"Shall we?"
"Yeah. Let's do this."
We both reached for the bags.
By the time the sun began to set and the sky turned a deep orange, Yuji and I were stretching our arms toward the ceiling.
"Finished!"
"Yeah... My neck is stiff from looking down all afternoon."
"I hear you. But hey, for amateur work, these look pretty decent, right?"
"I hope so."
We surveyed the array of props spread across the desk. They wouldn't pass for professional work, but they looked good enough for a school festival.
"Well, that’s that. I wonder how the girls are doing?"
"Who knows? We haven't heard a peep from them."
"Want to go check?"
"...Yeah, let's go."
Having reached an agreement, we started tidying up. The props were a bit too big for the bags, but we made it work.
Once we were done, we headed over to the Clothing Lab. As we got closer, we heard a chorus of what sounded like screams.
"Ow! Seriously?! Another needle broke!"
"The blades on these scissors are ruined!"
"Eek! The sewing machine is making a horrible noise!"
The girls from the Handicrafts Club were in a state of absolute chaos. Yuji and I shared a look, our faces twitching. We both hesitated at the door.
I mean, who wouldn't hesitate to walk into a room full of screaming people?