After confirming the emails reporting the completion of their assignments, I replied to Yuji and Hiiragi-san, suggesting we meet up to prepare for our dungeon trip. Honestly, heading into a dungeon while mentally drained from finishing homework felt like a recipe for disaster. It was better to treat today as a rest day to recover our strength while getting our gear in order. My proposal was met with short replies of agreement, though the meeting time was pushed back to noon.
I met them for a working lunch at a family restaurant. Both Yuji and Hiiragi-san looked a bit haggard, traces of fatigue still clinging to their faces. In contrast, I greeted them with a bright, energetic expression that betrayed no such weariness.
"Right, then—time to go shopping!"
"O-Oh."
"Y-Yes."
Still wearing those exhausted expressions, the two of them gave half-hearted replies that made it clear they weren't exactly thrilled.
"Wait, you two have no energy at all..."
And whose... whose fault do you think that was?
My words seemed to have struck a nerve. They both directed resentful glares at me, protesting in low, rumbling voices. I couldn't help but let my face twitch at their reaction, and I instinctively recoiled until my back hit the sofa’s backrest.
Seeing my reaction, the two of them let out small sighs, though they kept their glares fixed on me as they explained the source of their grievance.
"It’s not like it’s your fault, exactly, but when you sent that email saying you finished your assignments way earlier than expected, I panicked. I ended up staying up half the night finishing the parts I was planning to do today... I got it all done, but still."
"It was the same for me. I was helping out at the shop when I saw your email, Kokonoe-kun. When I read that you were already done, I felt like I had to finish mine quickly, too. I ended up rushing through the rest of it..."
It seemed my casual update had caused quite a stir. I hadn't intended to pressure them, but it had clearly caused them to panic.
"I'm sorry."
Though it wasn't intentional, I had led them to an unintended outcome. I lowered my head slightly in apology, feeling a bit dejected. Seriously, while no one was truly at fault, I still felt bad.
The two of them exchanged awkward looks, appearing somewhat embarrassed by my formal apology.
"No, there’s no need to bow your head, Daiki. It was homework we had to do anyway. We’re just venting."
"That’s right, Kokonoe-kun. If you apologize that seriously over a simple complaint, it makes us feel guilty. Just let it go with a 'Huh, is that so?'"
"Right, yeah."
I had apparently chosen the wrong reaction. An indescribable, slightly awkward silence settled between us as we all avoided each other's eyes. What was I supposed to do with this mood? Someone, do something!
"Thank you for waiting. I have your cakes here."
"A-Ah, thanks."
"Please, enjoy."
As if my prayer had been heard, the waitress arrived with our desserts. This was it—my chance to change the subject!
As I poked at my cake with a fork, I brought up our shopping list.
"U-Um, about the shopping. Is there anything you want besides the basic food supplies? Since we’re going anyway, it doesn't have to be just things for the dungeon."
"Let me see..."
"Well..."
The two of them also seemed eager to move past the awkwardness, biting onto the new topic immediately. Good, let’s use this momentum.
"Oh, right! It’s not necessarily for the dungeon, but I’d like to look at some hats... if that’s okay? It looks like the sun is going to be brutal again this summer."
Yuji managed to squeeze out that suggestion after a moment of thought. It was true that the sun was quite strong today, so a hat would be a huge help. Plus, it was something we could all look for together.
I shot a glance at Hiiragi-san, who caught my drift and gave a light nod.
"You're right. I'd like to look at hats as well."
"Then shall we look for hats while we're out?"
"Sure."
"Yes."
With everyone in agreement, the atmosphere lightened significantly. Although a hint of lingering stiffness remained, relieved smiles appeared. Success—the mood had shifted. I finally felt at ease and took a bite of my cake. It was delicious.
After finishing our general grocery shopping, we headed to a shopping center near the station. While the clothing section of the supermarket where we bought our food had hats, since we were already near the station, we figured we’d check out a specialty shop. It wasn't a place we usually visited, so it was fun just to browse.
After trying on various styles, we each purchased something we liked. I went with a safari hat, Yuji picked a work cap, and Hiiragi-san chose a bucket hat. Mainly, we picked them because they were on sale.
"Does that cover everything for today?"
"Yeah, I think this is good for now. We can decide on any other small items after we actually get there. Once we’ve done it once, we’ll know what’s necessary and what’s not."
"I agree. But with what we’ve gathered today, I don't think we'll be lacking anything for the time being."
Essentially, our party didn't have to worry about a carrying weight limit, though we still needed to maintain appearances. This was all thanks to my Spatial Storage skill. Without it, we would have to be incredibly selective about what we brought, but since weight wasn't an issue, we could take anything that seemed remotely useful.
To other explorer parties who have to allocate a large portion of their carrying weight capacity to essential supplies, this skill would be the stuff of dreams.
"The food court is on the upper floor. Do you want to take a break there?"
"Sure. Since we’re done shopping, let’s grab some juice."
"That sounds like a good idea."
"Let's go, then. It's past lunch, so it shouldn't be too crowded."
According to the directory, the food court was located in the center of the floor above us. It wasn't particularly large, but it featured several shops, including major fast-food chains. When we arrived, it was sparse as expected.
"We just ate earlier, so just drinks and light snacks, right?"
"Yeah. It's not like we’ve been training, so I don't need a heavy meal."
"I'd actually be fine with just a drink."
Since we weren't looking for a full meal, the major fast-food place was the obvious choice. I pointed to the shop, and the other two agreed without hesitation. There weren't many other options, anyway.
In the end, Yuji and I ordered colas and fries, while Hiiragi-san got an iced caffe latte. We found a quiet spot and sat down.
"First off, good work today."
Good work.
We raised our drinks for the customary greeting. Just to be clear, they were just sodas, but it felt a bit like the start of an after-work drinking session. After a sip of juice to refresh my throat, I spoke up.
"So, does this mean we're all prepared?"
"Yeah. Preparations are complete."
"And we're still heading to the dungeon the day after tomorrow as planned?"
"Yeah, that works for me."
"I'm fine with that too."
With drinks in hand and a casual attitude, we finalized the plan. This trip had been on the books for a while, so there were no issues. That was likely why the two of them had pushed so hard to finish their assignments today—so they could rest tomorrow. I decided to stop thinking about that. There was nothing to gain by digging that topic back up.
"What about tomorrow? Should we meet up to prepare... though I guess we're basically done."
"True. It doesn't feel right to do intense training the day before a dungeon trip. We don't really need to meet up just for light exercise."
"I was planning to help out at home in the afternoon tomorrow after I finish some errands..."
"Ah, I see. Then there's no need to force a meeting."
And so, tomorrow was a complete day off. We agreed to spend it however we liked and meet at the station the following morning. It was summer vacation, after all; we might as well enjoy a bit of freedom before we had to start sleeping in a dungeon.
Once our little "wrap-up party" ended, we left the food court and moved to a secluded spot. I tucked all the groceries and supplies into my Spatial Storage, and we went our separate ways.
The first person to greet me when I got home was Mika. She looked accomplished but exhausted, and her tone carried a hint of resentment.
"I-I'm home."
"Welcome back, Daiki. Did you have fun shopping with everyone?"
"A-Ah, yeah. In its own way..."
I tried to keep my face from twitching as I asked why she was in a bad mood.
"Uh, Mika? Did I do something?"
"It’s not like you did anything. It’s just..."
"Just what?"
"I just couldn't help thinking about how hard I was working to finish my assignments while you and the others were probably out having a great time."
Mika looked away and pouted, her cheeks puffed out. Ah, I see. She was sulking because she felt left behind.
"I-I mean... it couldn't be helped, right? You hadn't finished your homework yet, after all. And you were so fired up about your final spurt this morning."
"That might be true, but... you could have at least invited me."
"Ah, yeah. I guess so..."
Honestly, I wanted to tell her she was being difficult, but I knew better than to say that to her face. Since she’d been so determined during breakfast, I’d been trying to be considerate by not bothering her. Of course, it had backfired.
While watching Mika sulk, I scratched my head, trying to find a way out of this. I didn't have many cards to play. I let out a small sigh and spoke to her again.
"So, Mika, did you finish your homework?"
"Yeah, I'm all done. I really focused."
There was a slight edge to her voice, but I ignored it. Poking that bear would only make things worse.
"Then... do you want to go shopping together tomorrow? I don't have any plans."
"..."
"Oh, fine. I'll treat you to something, so cheer up."
"Wait, really!? Yay!"
"Sigh..."
I felt like I’d been played, but thinking about it too much would only make me more depressed. At least she was in a better mood. I watched her exhaustion vanish, replaced by a beaming, joyful smile.
"Well then, time to go."
Shouldering my backpack, I called out to my family and left the house. Yesterday, I’d spent the day shopping with Mika and Saori-chan, but today was the real deal. Our first overnight trip—an exploration that included a dungeon stay. Just that one difference made the commute I'd repeated for over half a year look like a completely different world.
It wasn't that the scenery had changed; it was that my nerves were on edge, making me notice tiny details I usually ignored.
"I didn't think I was this nervous..."
I was surprised by how much anxiety I was carrying about staying overnight in the dungeon. Being completely indifferent would be its own kind of problem, but I needed to make sure I didn't make any stupid mistakes because of the tension. Letting out a wry smile, I picked up my pace toward the station.
"Good morning!"
"Ah, Kokonoe-kun. Good morning."
I arrived ten minutes early, but Hiiragi-san was already there.
"You're early, Hiiragi-san. Have you been waiting long?"
"I only got here a few minutes ago myself, so not at all."
"I see, that’s good then..."
As we were talking, Yuji came running up to us, looking a bit flustered.
"Sorry, I'm late!"
"You're not late. You're early."
"Eh, really? Well, anyway—good morning."
Good morning.
Good. Everyone was here ahead of schedule. Time to head out.