Between the bustle of school festival preparations with Mika and my classmates, the days leading up to the weekend blurred past with surprising speed. Soon, the morning of the interview with the Association arrived—a day defined by tension and uncertainty. I must have been more nervous than I’d realized; the moment my alarm went off, my mind snapped into a state of absolute clarity, much like it did when I spent nights camping inside a dungeon.
I checked the date on the calendar hanging on the wall and let out a long, heavy breath before climbing out of bed.
"It’s finally here. Interview day..."
I had spent as much time as possible preparing with Juzo-san, but the actual morning of the main event brought an unavoidable spike in anxiety. No matter how much we had prepared, there was no standard script for this. We were going in blind. It wouldn't be surprising at all if they threw curveballs or unexpected demands our way.
Surely... word of the Drawer Dungeon hadn't leaked, had it?
"Well, first things first—I need to eat."
Pushing down my unease, I left my room. I washed my face in the bathroom and headed for the living room. As the saying goes, a hungry man can’t win a war. I needed to get myself into peak condition before the meeting began.
In the living room, Mom was busy preparing breakfast, while Dad sat on the sofa watching the morning news. The sight of this perfectly ordinary, everyday scene provided a small spark of relief. Despite the looming interview, today felt like a simple extension of my usual routine—no different from any other weekend when I’d set out for a dungeon. It was nothing special. Just like any other excursion, I simply had to stay calm and avoid any lapses in judgment or bouts of overconfidence.
"Good morning, Dad. Morning, Mom."
"Oh, morning."
"Morning, Daiki. It’ll be ready in a minute, so just hang on a little longer."
Mom paused her cooking to acknowledge me, and Dad looked up from the TV to return the greeting. That simple, mundane exchange helped unravel the knot of anxiety tightening in my chest. There were times when the repetition of daily life felt tedious, but when I was plagued by worry, these quiet moments were a vital reminder of how to maintain my composure.
After giving Mom a quick nod, I sat down on the sofa across from Dad.
"By the way, Daiki. You seemed a bit on edge just now. Are you heading into a dungeon today?"
"Huh? Oh, no. I have other business today, so I’m staying out of the dungeons....Did I really look that nervous?"
"Hm? Yeah, when you walked in, you had a bit of a stiff aura about you. I figured it was a dungeon day."
"I see... It was that obvious, huh?"
Apparently, I was even more wound up about the interview than I had suspected. Stiff enough for Dad to think I was going into a dungeon... well, considering I was heading into a battle of wits and words, I suppose the feeling wasn't entirely misplaced.
I was glad I’d noticed it before the meeting. I’d have to be careful not to let my nerves lead me into any stupid mistakes.
"Well, you seem fine now, but... what’s the occasion? Do you have something big planned?"
"Oh, yeah. Just some tedious business. I promised to meet up with Yuji and Hiiragi-san later to go see someone."
"Meeting someone with those two? Must be explorer business, then....Are you caught up in some kind of trouble?"
"Haha, something like that. It’s not that we did anything wrong, but since we’re involved in a bit of a headache, they want to hear our side of the story. We have to head over to the Dungeon Association branch this afternoon."
I kept the details vague as I explained the day’s plans. Dad watched me with a slightly worried expression, so I gave him a reassuring smile and kept talking to put him at ease.
"I called it a headache, but don't worry, it's not like we've gotten into a fight with anyone. The Association just needs statements from the people involved so they can finish their report. We’ll talk about what happened, sign a few documents—like non-disclosure agreements—and that’ll be the end of it."
"I see... I don't know how much help I can be with explorer matters, but you can always come to us for advice. Your mother and I haven't been working adults all these years for nothing. I’m sure we can offer some perspective."
"Yeah, thanks. Once this whole thing settles down, I actually have a lot of adult things I want to ask about—like taxes and dependency deductions."
"Is that so? It would be a relief if you'd consult us more often. It helps us keep track of what you and Mika are doing."
They saw snippets of the world on the news or in the papers, but since they weren't directly involved with dungeons, they must have been anxious not knowing exactly what we were getting into. Even if it was just a consultation, they clearly wanted to be part of our lives.
...If I told them I’d just earned a fifty-million-yen appraisal for a single drop item, I was terrified to think how they’d react. I didn't think they were the type of people to let their eyes glaze over at the sight of a fortune, but between the magic bag and my other income, I was definitely going to clear a hundred million this fiscal year. You heard stories on the news all the time about how even good people could be led astray when faced with a massive windfall.
"Understood."
"Morning..."
Just as I was promising Dad to talk more later, Mika shuffled into the living room, stifling a yawn and looking half-asleep.
"Morning."
"Morning, Mika."
Now that the whole family was together, Dad and I moved to the table. Mom had just finished the food, so Mika’s timing was perfect.
We sat down and began our breakfast.
After eating, I returned to my room to change into the clothes I’d prepared. There hadn't been any specific instructions regarding a dress code, but since we were the ones being summoned, the three of us had decided we should look respectable. Juzo-san had also pointed out that while this was an informal summons, looking disheveled would only give them an opening to look down on us and seize the advantage during negotiations. He suggested that while suits were unnecessary, things like T-shirts and jeans were too casual. It was all about the dress code. In the end, we’d settled on a "smart casual" look appropriate for high schoolers.
I had even bought a fashion magazine for the first time in my life just to use as a reference.
"Okay, the jacket was this one, and these were the pants..."
I pulled my "battle outfit" out of the closet and started putting it on.
The figure in the full-length mirror wore a black tailored jacket over a crisp white T-shirt, paired with khaki chinos—a smart casual look straight out of the magazine. It wasn't my usual style, and even to my own eyes, I looked considerably more mature.
"...Is this really okay, though?"
I had non-prescription glasses and leather sneakers to complete the look, but I was starting to worry I was laying it on a bit thick. I’d chosen this to ensure we weren't underestimated, but would the bluff actually work?
Despite my lingering doubts, the clock was ticking. I finished dressing and left the room.
"Right. Clothes are good. I’ve got the envelope with the appraisal report, my Explorer Card... my wallet should be enough, right?"
They hadn't asked for anything specific, but the lack of instructions made it harder to know what might be useful. Since I was an explorer, my card worked as identification. I might need a personal seal for the paperwork... or would a signature suffice? I decided to bring a seal and red ink pad just in case. It would be awkward if I needed one and didn't have it. I’d ask Mom to borrow hers before I left.
I threw some stationery in my bag as well.
"That should do it."
I tucked everything into a leather bag, stood before the mirror, and took a long, deep breath to steady my mind. I put on the fake glasses and finally headed downstairs.
I hesitated for a split second in front of the living room door, bracing myself for my family’s reaction before stepping inside. I really hoped they wouldn't tease me.
"B-Big brother?! What’s with that outfit? Are you going to a party or something?"
"My, Daiki... You look very sharp."
"Hmm... You clean up well, Daiki. Though I have to say, it still looks a bit like the clothes are wearing you."
Mika looked utterly bewildered, Mom was pleasantly surprised, and Dad gave me an appreciative look while pointing out the flaw in my presence.
"Haha, thanks. And Mika, I’m not going to a party."
"But still! Why are you dressed like that? You never wear stuff like that, Big brother..."
"I’ve been summoned by the Association. It’s a serious talk, so I thought I should look the part. And I’m not the only one. Yuji and Hiiragi-san are doing the same."
"Oh, I see... I guess that’s why you guys were meeting up right after school all week. You were planning for today."
Once I explained the situation, Mika seemed to settle down and accept it. I felt bad about being unavailable during the festival rush, but I couldn't ignore this. If handled poorly, it could have a negative impact on my life for years to come.
"Yeah. Sorry I couldn't help out more. This all came up so suddenly that we didn't have much time to prepare."
"No, it’s fine. My club prep is basically done. It’s just the class exhibit that’s still busy."
"I get it. This will be over today, so I’ll be back to help out normally starting next week."
"Okay."
I endured some lighthearted teasing and critiques about my smart casual transformation until it was finally time to leave.
I’ll just tell myself the reviews were mostly positive.
Just because my clothes were different, the familiar streets looked like a different world. Perhaps because I was so conscious of my own outfit, I found myself captivated by the movements and gestures of other people dressed formally. Normally, I wouldn't have given them a second glance, but today they caught my eye.
I wondered if I, in my new clothes, looked the same way to others.
"If you're going to look the part, you have to act the part too, I guess."
Subconsciously, people expect a certain level of behavior that matches one's attire. The fact that I was so focused on others' movements meant I was worried about my own. And that worry was proof that I lacked confidence in how I carried myself.
Well, this was the first time I’d ever seriously dressed like this. I couldn't expect to be perfect right out of the gate.
"Might as well observe others on the way and fix what I can."
I broadened my awareness, observing people in similar clothes and adjusting my own posture as I went. The first thing to go was the slouch. Slouching in a jacket looked terrible. I straightened my back, tightened my core to prevent swaying, and focused on walking with a steady, rhythmic stride. My gaze naturally settled on a point about fifteen meters ahead, which in turn corrected the angle of my head and tucked my chin. As my posture improved, my arms naturally pulled back instead of swinging forward, and the sway in my shoulders vanished.
Yeah. I definitely looked better walking like this.
"The clothes are wearing me... Dad was right about that."
The sheer number of things I had to correct made me realize just how right he had been.
I continued my cycle of observation and correction all the way to the station. It seemed I was the first to arrive at our meeting spot. As I stood waiting in the shade of a tree, a few girls about my age stole glances at me while whispering to each other. Their looks weren't filled with suspicion or disgust; rather, they seemed curious and perhaps a bit impressed.
"...? Am I standing out that much?"
Confused by the kind of attention I never usually received, I prayed for the others to hurry up and get here.