The gloom Juzo-san had cast over us by pointing out our blunders didn't last long. We immediately sprang into action to rectify the deficiencies he’d identified. Staying depressed wouldn't solve the mountain of problems piling up in front of us.
Our first priority was contacting Kiritani Real Estate to postpone the contract signing and request an additional survey. Since they had gone to the trouble of preparing the paperwork so quickly, we needed to inform them of our oversight and apologize as soon as possible.
"First, let's call Kiritani-san and explain the situation. Even for the Association's preliminary investigation, we'll need his permission to access the property."
"Right. It's under Kiritani Real Estate's management, so we can't just move forward with a survey without telling them."
"There’s no sense in booking the Association if we don’t have access secured," Hiiragi-san added.
We began by sketching out our plan. If we acted individually without coordinating, it would lead to unnecessary friction. Even if it felt tedious, talking things through before making a move was essential.
"Okay. Once we have Kiritani-san's permission, we’ll book the preliminary investigation with the Association. I don't know how long the waiting list is, but we should probably assume a month-long wait in the worst-case scenario."
"Probably. If we're lucky, they might be able to do it the day after we apply, but... we have school on weekdays. If the investigation takes several hours, we’ll have to aim for the weekend."
"Heading there after school for a multi-hour investigation would be difficult," Hiiragi-san noted. "Unless it only takes an hour or two, it’s safer to request a Saturday or Sunday."
Even if we rushed there after school, it would be close to dusk by the time we arrived. There are no streetlights out there, so once the sun goes down, it’s pitch black. On top of that, the property is massive; simply walking the grounds for a survey would easily take an hour or two.
For everyone's sake, it was best to request a time during the daylight hours of a weekend.
"True. But if we're picking specific dates, we might need to be prepared for the long haul. Leaving corporate-type explorers aside, there are probably plenty of people doing this as a side job who find weekends more convenient."
"That’s just down to luck. But since there aren't many individuals looking to own their own training ground yet, we might be able to get a reservation surprisingly fast."
"I agree," Hiiragi-san said. "Even Kiritani-san treated our request as a rare case. There probably aren't many people in the market for a personal training ground. If that's the case, we might be able to get in sooner than we think."
Just as Hiiragi-san suggested, it seemed we were the first ones at Kiritani Real Estate trying to establish a training ground for explorers. While I didn't know the specifics of other agents, it felt like there wasn't much demand for this across the industry yet.
If that was true, then there likely weren't many explorers clogging up the permit process either. It wasn't entirely impossible that the investigation could start almost immediately after we applied.
"I hope so... Also, we have to ask Kiritani-san to arrange a boat so we can inspect the coastline."
"We'll need him to ask the local fishermen for their cooperation," Yuji said. "If we tried to do it directly... yeah, that would be a nightmare. I think this part would be fine even on a weekday after school, though. What do you think?"
"It should be. The coastline is long, but if we're viewing it from a boat, it shouldn't take that much time."
"Yeah. Depending on how far the port is from the property, the inspection itself probably won't take long."
I remembered hearing on a TV show that fishing boats travel at around forty kilometers per hour. If things went well, we could probably finish the coastal inspection in an hour or two, round trip included. If we moved quickly after school, we could finish well before sunset.
"Let's ask how much time they'll need before we set a date for the coastal inspection. If it looks doable, we'll go on a weekday; otherwise, we'll wait for the weekend."
"Yeah, let’s go with that. The last thing I want is an accident because we forced ourselves out onto a dark sea."
"I think that's for the best as well," Hiiragi-san agreed.
Even though we were in a hurry, the worst-case scenario would be causing an accident by rushing. Because we were under pressure, we needed to act with more deliberation. Besides, while we were handling the inspections, we also had to research government subsidies and legal protections in case a disaster affected the property or the surrounding land. We couldn't afford to focus solely on the physical survey.
We spent the next while hammering out the finer details of our movements.
"Alright, that’s the gist of how we'll proceed with Kiritani-san. You two should explain the situation to your parents and tell them the contract signing is on hold."
"Got it. It's a delay for the sake of due diligence, so I don't think they'll object."
"Right. Also, I'll take a copy of this draft contract with me."
After getting Yuji's permission, Hiiragi-san and I each took a copy of the draft. While we probably wouldn't sign it exactly as written, the basic terms would likely remain, making it a good reference for our parents.
"Then let's call it a day. I'll be the one to give Kiritani-san a call."
"Thanks, Yuji. Sorry for pushing the heavy lifting onto you."
"We're counting on you, Hirose-kun. Thank you, as always."
"Nah, don't worry about it. I have the connection with the Old Man, so I’m the best fit for this anyway. I'll let you know how it goes at school tomorrow."
With our plan set, we stood up from the reception room table, grabbed our bags from Yuji's room, and prepared to head home. The discussion had lasted longer than expected; the sun was low, and the sky was beginning to bruise with twilight.
Yuji walked us to the gate and gave a light wave as he said goodbye.
"See you both tomorrow at school."
"Yeah, see you then."
"Yes, see you tomorrow."
And so, the consultation with Juzo-san—which had turned out unexpectedly long—finally concluded. With several new challenges on the horizon, it looked like I was going to be busy starting tomorrow.
The next morning, when I arrived at school, I found Yuji slumped over his desk, looking like every ounce of strength had been drained from his body. He radiated an aura of pure exhaustion; perhaps because it was still early, the area around his seat was a literal dead zone that other students were carefully avoiding.
Everyone was put off by the vibe he was giving off—or rather, they were completely repelled. They watched him from a distance, their faces a mix of concern and annoyance.
"...Uh, hey. Good morning, Yuji?"
"...Hm? Oh, Daiki. Morning."
His lack of spirit was obvious. When he lifted his head, his eyes were clouded with soul-deep fatigue. What on earth had happened?
Yuji slowly sat up, turning his lifeless face toward me.
"For now... everything's settled."
"Oh? I see. Um... good job?"
"Yeah, I'm really wiped out."
With that, he slumped his shoulders and collapsed onto the desk again.
I looked at him, bewildered. I put my bag on my own desk and crouched down next to him, trying to meet his eyes to find out what had happened.
"What's wrong? You're radiating a 'my life is over' atmosphere."
"Because it almost is. I'll give you the details after school, but... man, it was a lot of trouble..."
"H-Huh."
Perhaps reliving the stress, Yuji kept his head on the desk and gave me a distant look. Just watching him was starting to make me feel tired. After staring at me with lifeless eyes for a while, he began to mumble the details.
"...The talk went fine. After hearing the situation, even Kiritani-san admitted his explanation had been a bit lacking. He asked what we looked at during the property viewing, and when I told him we focused on the underground cave and didn't really check the coastline, he just let out this long sigh."
"...I hope Yuta-san is okay."
I winced, imagining Kiritani-san's reaction. Yuta-san had been our guide, and I worried he might get scolded. Part of it was our fault for rushing him toward the cave, but Kiritani-san likely thought Yuta-san had been negligent about the essential warnings for such a complex property.
We’d been so blinded by the romance of an underground cave that we’d completely ignored the coastline. I felt a twinge of guilt.
"He should be fine. I told him we were the ones who pressured him to show us the underground area first."
"Well... I guess that's something."
For a moment, I thought we're both to blame, but since our own lack of diligence was the root cause, I kept that to myself.
"Anyway, once I explained everything, he granted the access permit and agreed to the postponement."
"Oh, that's a relief."
Being allowed to delay the signing was a massive weight off my shoulders. If we’d been forced to sign while still uncertain about the Association's certification or the disaster risks, we would have been backed into a corner.
"He also wants us to come by soon because he has more to explain about the property."
"Makes sense. It’s probably too complicated for a phone call, so he wants to talk face-to-face."
"Yeah. I think that's for the best."
Even if they sent us documents, we probably wouldn't understand the technical jargon without help. Hearing it directly at the office was the better option.
"And he’s going to arrange the boat for us. He has connections, so he thinks it’ll be fine. He’ll get back to us with an answer soon."
"That's good, but... should we have asked for a boat from the beginning?"
"I wondered that too. But Kiritani-san handles all sorts of properties, so maybe there was already a need for transport? Is that why he has the connections?"
"Oh, right. He did show us that small island before... It’s not surprising he knows people at the Fisheries Cooperative Association."
I remembered the island property that was only accessible by boat. Since he handled places like the Cape, it made sense that he’d be able to arrange transport for clients who wanted a view from the sea—or perhaps he used drones.
"Whatever. The details don't matter. What's important is that he agreed."
"...True."
"We'll set the date once he gets back to us. It'll depend on the boat's availability and their schedule. I gave him our preferences, so now we're just waiting."
"I just hope the timing works out."
If the boat owner was a working fisherman, his job would obviously come first. We wouldn't get our pick of dates, and weather conditions could always cancel the trip at the last minute.
I could only pray that things went smoothly.
"Tell me about it," Yuji muttered, his voice thick with exhaustion.
As we were talking, another voice cut through the air.
"What are you two doing, radiating such a gloomy atmosphere first thing in the morning? You're bothering the other students."
"Ah, Hiiragi-san. Morning. We were just going over the follow-up from yesterday."
"...Morning."
"Good morning. So, how did it go?"
I took over for the drained Yuji and briefed Hiiragi-san on the news. By the time I finished, she was wearing a similarly weary expression. I suppose it was inevitable.
"I see. But any more of this will be a nuisance to the class. Let's talk in detail after school."
Roger.
With Hiiragi-san’s command, we dropped the subject. The classmates who had been hovering nearby breathed audible sighs of relief and returned to their seats.
Well... sorry for the scene so early in the morning.
Even when you're scrambling to solve things and the results are good, the process itself is still exhausting.