After Kiritani-san gave his greetings and left the room, we followed Yuta-san, who was loaded down with various bags and equipment, toward the parking lot where the company car was waiting. According to Yuta-san, the area near the station closest to the first property was about an hour’s drive away. An hour... that was a fairly significant distance.
We arrived at the same white passenger van we had used for our previous property viewing.
"All right, everyone, we’re heading to the site now. Please hop in."
"Understood. Lead the way."
We quickly climbed into the back. Once Yuta-san confirmed everyone was settled, he took the driver's seat and pulled out of the lot.
As the office faded into the distance, Yuta-san dropped his professional facade and spoke to us in a more casual tone.
"Man, it's been a while, everyone. I’m counting on you today."
"Yes. We’re counting on you for the tour as well."
"Yeah, leave it to me. That’s my job, after all. Though it’s a bit pathetic that I’ll have to have you guys carry me once we reach the site, just like last time..."
"No, no, please don’t let it bother you. If anything, the burden is greater for you, Yuta-san, since you’re the one being carried. I heard the route today is pretty rugged."
Even though the mountain we had visited during the last viewing was a proper mountain path, it had been reasonably well-maintained, allowing for relatively smooth movement. However, I’d heard that the area we were visiting today would require us to traverse unmaintained animal trails. Being carried through that meant enduring constant, violent vertical motion.
During our last viewing, he’d looked quite nauseous after the piggyback dash...
"Haha, all I can say is... I’ll do my best. Well, I took some motion sickness medicine before we left just in case, so I think I’ll handle it better than last time. Probably."
"Medicine, huh? I hope it works."
"Yeah. I mean, I intend to use my sheer willpower to avoid the worst-case scenario—vomiting—but if it becomes unavoidable, well, I’m sorry in advance..."
"Right. In that case, please don’t hesitate to tell us as early as possible."
I really didn't want the worst-case scenario to happen just because he tried to hold it in. If he felt like he was reaching his limit, I wanted him to speak up immediately.
After we chatted briefly about our destination, Yuta-san took a breath and spoke up again, his tone a bit more hesitant and searching.
"Oh, right. This might just be a misunderstanding on my part, but do you mind if I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"Um, well... Is it possible that you guys hadn't heard anything about the conditions for the discount negotiations? I mean, it might just be my imagination, but you all looked genuinely shocked when the subject came up earlier..."
"..."
We all went silent. Yuta-san wore an awkward expression, watching us with probing eyes. We let out collective sighs, exchanged glances, and then nodded.
"Yeah. To be honest, that was the first we’d heard of it," Yuji admitted. "We thought we were just coming here for a regular viewing after a brief explanation, like last time."
"...Ah, I thought so."
When Yuji explained the situation with an apologetic tone, Yuta-san’s eyes widened for a moment before shifting into an expression of understanding.
Apparently, even though we thought we had played it cool, we hadn't been able to hide our confusion. If Yuta-san had noticed, then Kiritani-san definitely had as well.
"When you came to the office last time, you guys were clearly amateurs," Yuta-san noted.
"Haha... we said a lot of cheeky things back then. Sorry for the trouble."
"No, no, that’s not a bad thing. Most customers don't have a clue how to handle real estate negotiations. Very few people can navigate something they know nothing about with that kind of precision. But that’s my point. I wondered how a bunch of amateurs could suddenly pull off such a perfect, win-win discount negotiation. Since you weren't the ones doing the talking, there had to be someone else behind it... but then I saw how surprised you were when we mentioned the details."
It was a valid point. There was no way a group of students could have negotiated a deal like that on their own. Yuta-san and the others had naturally realized that another party had intervened, and our suspicious reactions made it clear that the intermediary hadn't bothered to fill us in.
This time, things worked out because we assumed it was just another of Juzo-san’s pranks and went along with the field verification, but the deal could have easily fallen apart. If that had happened, the profits the agency was expecting would have vanished. Yeah, we really needed to handle communication better, even for the small stuff.
"I’m sorry for the trouble my Old Man’s sense of humor caused you," Yuji said.
"Ah, no, it’s fine. Our company didn't suffer any actual damage, so don't worry about it. But... you should probably have a talk with your grandfather."
"Yes, I will... the moment I get home."
"Haha, keep it peaceful, okay?"
Yuta-san seemed a bit intimidated by the cold, determined glint in Yuji’s eyes. Sweat beaded on the agent’s brow as he urged for a non-violent resolution. Yuji looked like he was ready to settle things with his fists. A "talk" between Yuji and Juzo-san... which would likely mean a confrontation in the dojo. That sounded like a nightmare to clean up.
If it came to that, Hiiragi-san and I would be the ones forced to stop them. I really didn't want to get caught in the middle of those two when they were going at it.
After an hour of casual conversation and being jostled by the road, Yuta-san parked the van near our destination. As expected, it was an unmanned station nestled deep in the mountains. There were no houses nearby, no sign of any oncoming trains, and not a single soul on the platform.
We stepped out of the car, and Yuta-san began his tour.
"This is the station closest to the property."
"This is it, huh? So, where’s the mountain?"
"Unfortunately, you can’t see it from here. It’s further back, beyond that range over there."
Yuta-san pointed toward a line of peaks. There were several high-altitude mountains towering in the distance.
Ten kilometers beyond those, and with no proper roads... it seemed impossible for ordinary people to make the trip in a single day.
"We’re still a long way off, then."
"Yes. We can drive partway up the mountain using a forest road, so let's head that far. There’s a clearing at the end of the road used for forestry work. From there, we go on foot."
"Understood. Oh, but before that..."
Yuji asked for a moment and walked into the unmanned station. He was likely checking the schedule. He returned thirty seconds later with a grim look on his face. I already knew the answer, but I asked anyway.
"How was it?"
"The train only stops here seven times a day. If you miss one, you’re looking at over an hour's wait for the next."
"Seven times... that’s not much."
"Yeah. But as long as we move according to the schedule, it shouldn't be an issue, right?"
He was right. Unless there was an emergency, there was no reason to rush. If we timed our descent to match the train, we wouldn't miss it. Besides, if we had our own transportation, it wouldn't matter at all.
The infrequent trains weren't a deal-breaker.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Yuta-san. We’re ready."
"All right. Everyone back in the car. Also, the forest road ahead is rough, so tell me immediately if you start feeling unwell."
We climbed back in and left the station behind. We stayed on paved roads for a while, but as we drew closer to the mountain ridges, the asphalt disappeared, replaced by gravel. The forest road was a mess; the van bucked and swayed in every direction. It clearly hadn't been maintained in years, and large rocks littered the path.
A car with lower ground clearance would have bottomed out and broken down in minutes. If we bought this place, we’d have to fill in the craters that were large enough to swallow a tire, not to mention dealing with the constant threat of falling rocks.
"This is quite a ride! It’s like being on a roller coaster!"
"Haha, make sure you don't bite your tongue! Nobody uses this road, so it’s in terrible shape! The potholes are from rain washing the soil away! Same for the rockslides!"
Yuji and Yuta-san were practically shouting to be heard over the noise of the shaking van. Now I understood why Yuta-san had warned us about getting sick; he knew exactly how bad the road was.
If I hadn't been distracting myself with the conversation, I might have actually gotten motion sickness. Honestly, I’d rather have just run to the clearing on foot!
"Hiiragi-san, are you okay!?"
"Yes, somehow! Yuta-san, how much longer until we reach the clearing!?"
"At this pace, about ten minutes!"
Ten more minutes of this!? Damn it, I should have just run from the station!
After enduring the violent shaking of our motorized roller coaster, we finally reached the clearing. The moment the car stopped, we all scrambled out before Yuta-san could even say a word. Can't really blame us for that.
Man, I still feel like the ground is moving...
"Good work, everyone," Yuta-san said as he stepped out, looking a bit green himself.
"Good work."
"This is the end of the line for the car. From here on, we’re walking."
"Should we take a break before we set off?"
"Yeah, I’d appreciate a few minutes."
"Then, while we rest, I’ll explain the equipment we’re bringing along."
Yuta-san opened the rear hatch and began pulling items out of a tool chest. He held up the first device for us to see.
"This is a climbing GPS. As you know, it uses satellite signals to track your exact location."
"A GPS... we have our phones, is that not enough?"
"It’s not that it's 'not enough,' but using a phone constantly for tracking drains the battery too fast. This device is dedicated for the task and can run for over a full day."
"I see."
That made sense. The last thing we wanted was to be deep in the mountains and have our phones die, leaving us lost. We took the GPS units from Yuta-san and practiced using them. The interface was simple enough.
"Since you’ve got the hang of the GPS, here’s the next piece of gear."
Yuta-san held up the next item.
"This is an action camera—a small video camera. I’ll be using these to record how you navigate the terrain to reach your destination. That’s okay, right?"
"Yeah, that’s fine, but... is a camera that small going to work? We’re going to be moving pretty fast. Won't the footage be too shaky to see anything?"
"It’s small, but it's high-performance. You know the ones comedians wear on their helmets when they do bungee jumps on TV? It’s the same brand."
Ah, I remember seeing those. As I recalled a recent variety show, Yuta-san pulled out another small device.
"We’ll be using this with it to significantly reduce the shake."
"What’s that?"
"It’s called a stabilizer. It uses motors to keep the camera steady. Once you mount the camera and turn it on, it’ll maintain a level, forward-facing view regardless of how you move."
Yuta-san mounted the camera and switched on the stabilizer. After a few self-calibration movements, the lens locked onto us. Even as Yuta-san tilted the handle in every direction, the lens stayed perfectly fixed on us. It was impressive.
"Between this and the camera’s internal digital stabilization, the footage should be perfectly watchable. Though, if possible, try to move with the recording in mind. Safety first, of course."
"Understood. We’ll try to keep it in frame."
"I appreciate it."
It was true that if the footage was for verification, it wouldn't do any good if the viewer got motion sickness just from watching it. The gear would help, but we’d have to be mindful as well.
After a few more equipment briefings, we finally prepared to set off toward the target mountain. I’d heard it was a brutal trek, but I was curious to see just how difficult it really was.
We were fully geared up and ready to go.