Having finished breakfast and gotten ready to head out, I sat on the living room sofa, chatting with Mother while waiting for Mika to come downstairs. Father had already left for work, so he wasn't home.
As I sipped my coffee and watched the morning news, a particular segment caught my eye.
"‘Core Crystal Power Generation Unit 1 begins rated operation. Power transmission scheduled to start in mid-September’... huh."
"Isn't that the project using those things you all recover from the dungeon?" Mother asked.
"Yeah. It generates power using the Core Crystals you get from defeating monsters. Apparently, it's higher output and safer than nuclear power. They've been developing it since the dungeons first appeared, aiming for domestic energy independence."
"Oh, really? I wonder if that means our electricity bill will finally go down."
"The costs are supposed to be lower than other methods, so if Core Crystal power generation becomes the norm, it probably will."
This was news announcing the full-scale operation of a new energy source intended to replace oil and nuclear power, but Mother's primary concern was the monthly utility bill. From a typical citizen's perspective, no matter how much the media hypes up oil, nuclear, or Core Crystals, the general consensus is usually: So what? Very few consumers care if the power for their TV comes from thermal, wind, or solar plants. To them, electricity is just electricity. The only ones truly losing sleep over it are the government and the utility companies.
As we were talking, the living room door swung open with a bit too much force, and Mika appeared.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Onii-chan!"
"Mika! Open the door more quietly! You’re going to break it one of these days!"
"Eek?! S-Sorry..."
She had burst in full of energy, but Mother’s sharp gaze and scolding quickly made her shrink back, looking thoroughly dejected. I wondered if she was struggling to control her strength because her level had gone up during our summer explorations.
Then again, she was probably just riding a high because she was so excited about the club barbecue.
"Now, now, Mother....So, Mika, are you all set?"
"Eh? Oh, yeah. I’m ready."
"Good. It's a bit early, but let's head out. Some of the others might have arrived at the meeting spot ahead of schedule."
"U-Uh-huh! You're right, it’d be bad to keep them waiting!"
Mika jumped at the lifeline I offered, clearly eager to escape Mother’s lingering irritation. I gave a wry smile at her behavior, finished the last of my coffee, and stood up from the sofa.
"Well, Mother, we’re heading off."
"Goodness, Daiki, you're far too soft on Mika. Do be careful, you two."
"Yeah, got it. Oh, and we might be late getting back, so I'll send you a message if that's the case."
"Even if it is summer vacation, don't stay out playing until all hours, alright?"
"I'll keep an eye on her. Let's go, Mika."
I shouldered the bag I’d left by the sofa and gave a final nod to Mother, who saw us off with a sigh and a small smile.
"Okay! Bye, Mom, see you later!"
"Don't go overboard, Mika!"
"I won't!"
With our goodbyes finished, we left the living room. Most of the gear was being rented or bought on-site, so I was traveling light with just a shoulder bag for my wallet and a small cooler bag for some special ingredients.
Mika, however, was carrying a large tote bag that looked stuffed to the brim.
"Hey, Mika? What exactly do you have in there? It looks like it’s about to burst."
"Hmm? Just stuff to play with once we get there... and, you know, things."
"...I see."
It looked heavy, but Mika is an explorer now. A load like that probably wouldn't bother her much. I decided not to press her on it, put on my shoes, and stepped out the front door.
"We're heading out."
"We're off!"
"Have fun, and make sure you don't cause trouble for anyone else!"
With Mother’s slightly worried voice behind us, Mika and I left the house.
We arrived at the station well before the meeting time and looked around to see if anyone else was there yet. Unfortunately, it seemed we were the first ones. We had arrived nearly twenty minutes early, after all.
I shielded my eyes with my hand against the brilliant midsummer sun and looked at the clock in the station square, feeling a twinge of regret.
"Looks like we're a bit too early..."
"Yeah... but everyone will probably show up early anyway, so let's just stay here."
"I guess. For now... let's move into the shade. If we stand out here in the sun without any cover, we're going to get heatstroke."
"Good idea."
We were both wearing sun hats since the barbecue was outdoors, but I knew better than to think a single hat would protect us against this level of heat. It was just one small part of staying safe.
Mika and I moved into the shade of the station building.
"Phew. Just getting out of the sun makes a world of difference."
"No kidding. Just losing that sizzling feeling on my skin makes it so much easier."
Our physical resistances had increased, so we didn't feel the heat as intensely as normal people, but standing in a place where heat haze was shimmering off the pavement for long periods was still unpleasant. Just looking at it made me feel stifled.
As we chatted in the shade, another person arrived about five minutes later. That was...
"Asami-chan! Over here! Over here!"
"!? Ah, Mika-chan!"
Tatebayashi-san looked surprised for a moment, but once she spotted us, her expression turned to one of relief as she approached. She was clearly glad she wasn't the first one there.
"Good morning, Tatebayashi-san."
"Good morning, Asami-chan!"
"Good morning, Kokonoe-senpai. Good morning, Mika-chan."
Tatebayashi-san gave a polite bow and returned our greetings.
"You're early, Tatebayashi-san. We still have plenty of time."
"I didn't want to be late, so I left home a bit early. But you two are even earlier, aren't you, Kokonoe-senpai?"
"Haha, well, yeah."
"Haha, y-yeah, I guess so."
I gave a wry laugh and looked at Mika, the culprit behind our early arrival. Mika twitched her cheek slightly and looked away, avoiding my gaze.
"？"
Tatebayashi-san looked puzzled by the exchange, but she quickly moved the conversation along.
"By the way, Kokonoe-senpai, thank you so much for inviting me to the barbecue."
"No, no, I should be the one apologizing for the last-minute invite. We just got excited talking about making some memories together... was it really okay?"
"Yes! I didn't have any plans, so I was actually wondering what to do with myself today. Your invitation was a godsend."
"I'm glad to hear that. I was a bit worried I'd forced it on you with such a rushed schedule."
"Not at all, so please don't worry about it."
"That's a relief..."
When Tatebayashi-san gave me a bright smile and said she was happy to be included, I finally let out a breath I’d been holding. After I’d invited her, I’d started worrying that a direct invitation from a senior to a junior might be hard to turn down. I probably should have gone through Mika.
While we were talking, three more people arrived in short order.
"Good morning, Kokonoe-kun, Mika-chan, Asami-chan."
"Good morning!"
"Good morning, you two."
"Good morning!"
Hiiragi-san, Hino-san, and Saori-chan must have met up on the way, as they appeared together. Even though there were still ten minutes until the meeting time, everyone was showing up early. I raised a hand in greeting.
With the ladies all present, that just left Yuji.
"That's quite a lot of luggage, Hiiragi-san."
"It's that thing we talked about. When I told my parents I was bringing it to the barbecue, they ended up packing all sorts of other stuff too."
"Isn't it heavy? I can carry it if you want."
"I'm fine. It's a bit bulky, but it isn't heavy at all. Besides, you're already carrying a cooler, Kokonoe-kun. Carrying two would be awkward. Don't worry about it."
I offered to take the large cooler bag from Hiiragi-san, but she politely declined with a wry smile. She had a point; carrying two bulky coolers would look ridiculous and be hard to balance. I nodded, imagining how silly I’d look, and let it go.
Still, being the only guy among five girls was starting to make me feel a bit awkward. I felt like a piece of garnish that had accidentally been dropped into a vibrant bouquet of flowers.
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah, exactly."
"I'm so jealous..."
"Actually, me too..."
"Wait, that's not fair!"
The greetings were barely over before the five of them were deep in their own conversation, leaving me on the outside looking in. All I could do was try to erase my presence and wait for Yuji. Hurry up, Yuji.
Since we were doing a barbecue, everyone was dressed casually. Mika had a T-shirt and half-pants; Saori was in a T-shirt and denim; Hiiragi-san wore a T-shirt and bottoms; Tatebayashi-san had a T-shirt and gaucho pants; and Hino-san was in a T-shirt and overalls. I was just in a T-shirt and cropped pants.
"..."
I felt the envious glares of the other guys passing by and kept checking the clock. Unfortunately, only three minutes had passed since Hiiragi-san and the others arrived.
Finally, five minutes before the scheduled meeting time, Yuji showed up and rescued me from my social isolation. You took your sweet time, Yuji!
"Sorry, sorry, am I late? Looks like I'm the last one..."
"No, you're not late. We still have time before the actual meeting start."
"Oh, good. Though... Daiki, you look a little haggard. Are you feeling okay? Don't push yourself if you're sick."
"Haha, thanks for your concern..."
Who do you think made me like this?! I thought, my expression twitching as I tried to keep my frustration internal. It wasn't Yuji's fault, obviously, but I needed to vent the mental stress of those few minutes on someone.
Hiiragi-san and the others noticed his arrival and called out.
"Good morning, Hirose-kun."
"Good morning!"
"Morning, everyone. Sorry for making you wait in this heat."
"We were in the shade, so it wasn't a big deal. Don't worry about it."
"Haha, glad to hear it."
Yuji looked relieved as he finished his greetings.
"Alright, since everyone's here, should we head to the bus stop?"
"Sure. But wait, is it time for the bus yet?"
"Buses aren't as punctual as trains, so it’s better to get there a bit early. This one goes out to the suburban park, so if we miss it, we’ll be stuck waiting twenty minutes for the next one."
"That's true. Better safe than sorry."
We picked up our gear and started moving toward the bus terminal.
I ended up at the back of the group with Yuji, so I decided to ask him about something.
"By the way, Yuji, what's in that heavy-duty cooler box?"
"Hmm? This? Just a little something to share. A package came to the house, so I grabbed one."
"To share...?"
"You'll see when we get there. You can't have summer without one of these..."
"？"
Yuji had a mysterious, happy smile on his face.
A summer staple... maybe a watermelon?