Agonizing over the consulting issue, we slogged through our lessons in a melancholy daze until school finally let out. During lunch break, Yuji and I had shared a brief exchange with Hiiragi-san, keeping the details vague, but we hadn’t come up with any definitive solutions.
Well, it wasn't the kind of problem that could be solved in an afternoon, so the lack of progress wasn't exactly a surprise.
"We survived the day, more or less," Yuji said. "Though I guess the main event starts now."
"Yeah. We aren't reaching a final verdict today, so that makes it a little easier to stomach."
Yuji and I stared out the window, letting out heavy, synchronized sighs. Just the thought of having to sit down and talk with the very people who had requested our help made my chest feel tight.
"Honestly, you two. Stop brooding and let’s get moving," Hiiragi-san urged, looking at us with a touch of exasperation.
Yuji and I gave listless groans of acknowledgement and forced ourselves to stand. Even though Hiiragi-san had seemed just as gloomy as us during lunch, her steps toward the clubroom were noticeably lighter than ours. We trailed behind her with leaden feet.
"By the way," I said, "Hashimoto-sensei mentioned she’d be stopping by the club today. Should we have her sit in on the talk about the consultancy? It’s technically a private matter, but it might be bad if we keep her completely in the dark."
"True," Yuji agreed. "Even if the request happened outside of school, it’ll be a nightmare if it comes out later and she says she never heard anything about it. It might be a hassle for her, but having her present is probably the safer bet."
"I think that’s wise," Hiiragi-san added. "This whole thing started because of a connection between club members. It would look bad if the advisor didn't know what was going on. It’s better if she has a general grasp of our activities."
We weren't planning on causing trouble, but if any kind of dispute arose, it wouldn't do for our closest faculty link to be blindsided. It was a nuisance that technically had nothing to do with her duties as a club advisor, but inviting her to the meeting felt like the right move.
"Alright. Let’s ask her for some of her time when she shows up," I said.
"Fine by me."
"Agreed."
Feeling a twinge of guilt for adding to her workload, we committed to bringing Hashimoto-sensei into the loop.
When we reached the clubroom, the place was empty. Mika and the others hadn't arrived yet.
"I wonder if Mika-chan and the others are still stuck in LHR?" I asked.
"Probably," Yuji replied. "Our homeroom didn't have any announcements, so we were able to bolt as soon as it ended."
"Hashimoto-sensei isn't here yet either, so there’s no rush," Hiiragi-san noted.
We set our bags down and took our usual seats. I’d been bracing myself for the tension of seeing Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san waiting for us, so the empty room was a bit of an anticlimax.
"What should we start with when they get here?" I asked.
"Well, they’ve probably heard the gist of things from Mika-chan and Saori-chan," Yuji said. "The first order of business has to be whether we’re actually taking the job. Fees and dojo introductions only matter after we’ve decided to say yes."
"Exactly," Hiiragi-san said. "Yesterday, we might have been swept up in the moment and agreed because we saw them as club juniors. But looking at it objectively, it's not a light decision. We have no professional consulting know-how, nor do we have the experience to handle an emergency if things go sideways."
We had all been far too casual about the idea of taking this on as "work." It was only after hearing Juzo-san’s perspective through Yuji that the gravity of the situation finally sank in. I was genuinely relieved we hadn't given a definitive "yes" right then and there.
"That's the problem," I muttered. "We can pretend to be consultants, but..."
"Doing it as a real profession is a different beast entirely," Yuji finished.
"It really is..."
We had initially thought we were just helping some underclassmen find their footing as explorers. But as soon as the word "consultancy" entered the frame, it turned into a massive headache. At this stage, even if we tried to walk it back and say we’d just help them as friends, their parents likely wouldn't accept it. Kengo-san’s offer to pay for our services was essentially a demand for accountability—he wanted us to take responsibility and ensure that Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san became capable explorers without us flaking out halfway through.
They probably feared that, with an informal arrangement, we might just stop teaching them if we got bored or decided we didn't like them. Since level ups allow explorers to wield power far beyond human norms, a half-trained amateur is in a much more precarious position than a complete novice.
"The good news is that their parents are supporting their dream and even offering financial aid," I said. "Kengo-san and the others probably don't expect us to be world-class experts, so they might cut us some slack... but we still can't afford to be half-hearted. If we accept this as work, we need proper contracts. We might even need to consult a lawyer."
"I agree," Yuji said. "We've never drafted a legal document. We need a professional to mediate. I'm not looking for loopholes, but if a formal document has errors, the cleanup later will be a pain. It's better to get an expert involved from the jump."
"True," Hiiragi-san said. "But would a lawyer even take a one-off job like this for high schoolers? There are so many hurdles. I'm not sure we can just say 'sure' and dive in."
It wasn't my imagination—the more we talked, the higher the barrier for entry became. As we sat there with grim expressions, the sound of voices drifted in from the hallway.
The door swung open, and Mika’s group entered. Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san seemed surprised to find us already there, their faces tightening with visible nerves. I glanced at them, then decided to break the ice with Mika first to lower the tension.
"Hey. You’re a little late. Did homeroom run long?"
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Mika replied. "The teacher just kept talking. Nothing important, though. You guys finished fast, Onii-chan."
"Yeah, we didn't have anything today, so we were out in a flash."
"Hmm."
Mika traded banter with me with her usual casual energy, taking her seat without any apparent stress. Saori-chan followed suit, but the two juniors were a step behind, sitting down with stiff, flustered movements.
"First of all, good work today," I began. "It feels a little weird talking so soon after yesterday, but how did it go? Did you two talk to your parents properly?"
"E-Eh? Oh, yes!" Tatebayashi-san said. "After we left you, I talked with my parents. I never imagined they would support us this much."
"We talked too!" Hino-san added. "They gave me a lot of warn—I mean, they made me make some promises, but they said they’d support me just like they told you yesterday!"
"I see. That’s good to hear. We could tell from yesterday's meeting that they were taking your goals seriously. You’ve got great parents."
Judging by their faces, the fallout at home had been positive. The financial support was also coming through as promised, though it sounded like the specific amounts were still up for negotiation. That was only natural; no budget is infinite.
I’d harbored a small suspicion that Kengo-san’s supportive stance might have been a performance for our benefit, but it seemed there were no hidden strings. Which, unfortunately, made our side of the problem even more difficult.
"In that case, we really need to have a serious talk," I said.
"Yeah," Yuji added. "It’s clear Kengo-san and the others are serious about hiring us. We can't give an answer without thinking this all the way through."
"Exactly," said Hiiragi-san. "They’re asking us as club seniors because they genuinely care about their daughters' safety."
"A talk?" the two girls asked simultaneously, looking confused.
Honestly, a part of me had been hoping it was all just spur-of-the-moment lip service. But since it was real, we had to debate it seriously, whether we were going to accept or decline. If we said no, we needed to be able to explain exactly why.
Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san clearly felt the shift in our mood. They tilted their heads, looking toward Mika and Saori-chan for help. Mika and Saori-chan just shared a troubled look and let out awkward, wry chuckles.
"A talk about the offer your parents made yesterday," I clarified. "The consultancy for your explorer debuts. We’ve been researching and discussing it since last night, but to be honest, we’re stuck. We’re undecided on whether we can actually take this job."
"Wait... you might not do the consulting!?"
"Why!?"
Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san practically leaped out of their chairs, their faces pale with shock. I couldn't blame them. They’d just overcome what they thought was the biggest hurdle—parental permission—and thought they were on the home stretch.
I raised my hands in a calming gesture.
"Calm down, you two. I’ll explain everything. Please, take a seat."
"Oh... S-Sorry."
Realizing how much they’d overreacted, they both sat back down, their cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
We shared a small, weary smile and began walking them through the list of concerns that had cropped up since yesterday. By the time I finished the explanation, Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san were wearing stunned expressions and forced, twitchy smiles.
"......"
"Yeah. It’s a lot to take in," I said.
None of us had expected to be asked to do this as a professional service. Once we started looking into the logistics, the problems multiplied. If this were a career path we intended to follow, we might have fought through the "growing pains," but this was likely a one-time thing. It was only natural that we were hesitant.
While the atmosphere in the room was growing increasingly thick and stagnant, a new visitor arrived.
"Good work, everyone. Sorry I’m a bit late... wait. What’s with the mood in here?"
Hashimoto-sensei had arrived. She frowned as she stepped into the stifling air of the clubroom, looking around with an awkward, confused expression. I suppose walking into this much tension without context would make anyone think a disaster had occurred.
"Ah, Sensei. Good work. It’s just... we were discussing the matter Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san consulted us about yesterday, and some issues have come up."
"Something they consulted you about? Now that you mention it, you all were absent from the club yesterday. Did something happen?"
"You could say that. Actually, we were hoping to report the situation to you and get your advice. Do you have a moment?"
"Report and consult... Yes, I don’t have anything urgent, so I can spare some time."
Hashimoto-sensei looked a bit wary at my choice of words, but she stepped into the room and took a seat at the back.
The five of us looked at her with apologetic eyes for dragging her into our mess, while Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san stared at her with desperate, pleading gazes, hoping she might have a magic solution.
I figured it was better to have her involved now—it would be a disaster for everyone if she were left to say "I never heard about this" when it mattered most.