Ch.49Chapter 8. About the Future (2)

Walking around helped clear my mind a bit.

Actually, I had already been walking for quite a while before meeting Miura’s group, but I guess my stamina has improved lately because I didn’t feel particularly tired. Maybe I was just strolling too leisurely while wandering around without purpose.

“Come on, this way!” Fukuda said, leading the way.

We headed to Roppongi. Whether the kids were being considerate or they simply wanted to spend time walking together, we traveled quite a distance on foot.

Roppongi, huh.

No matter how unfamiliar I might be with geography outside of Seoul, I’ve lived here for several months now, so I know what kind of place Roppongi is.

It’s famous for its extremely expensive land prices, even within Minato Ward, which is already known for high property values in central Tokyo.

It’s also close to Tokyo Tower.

Tokyo Tower in Minato Ward occasionally comes into view between buildings as you walk around. Its distinctive shape and red color make it particularly eye-catching.

If you just walk around without thinking, it seems like an area full of tall buildings, but following these three who grew up here and know the geography well, we came across shopping malls, small clothing stores… it was actually quite interesting.

What was I doing in 2004? I certainly wasn’t going around clothing stores like this. I usually went to bookstores with friends.

Looking at this, I probably won’t have a day to talk about animation or games with these kids.

But this was fun in its own way.

Fukuda held various clothes against my body, put some in my hands, and pushed me toward the fitting room to try them on.

I would go in, change, and come out, then Fukuda, Miura, and Yamashita would look at me and either nod or shake their heads.

Then, as if sorting them, they would put some clothes aside or keep holding others.

“Kotone-chan, let’s keep this one on.”

Fukuda nodded with satisfaction at the last outfit I tried on.

“…A dress.”

What I was wearing was a white dress. The skirt was a bit shorter than my usual sailor uniform, and the sleeves were short, almost sleeveless. At least the neckline wasn’t particularly revealing, which was fortunate.

“What’s wrong? It’s cute.”

When I muttered to myself, Fukuda smiled and pushed my back.

“Yamashita already paid for it, so don’t worry.”

Snip.

I was startled by the sound, but it was just Fukuda cutting off the price tag from the back of the dress.

“And here.”

Fukuda pulled out the ribbon that was hanging from the end of my hair, gathered it all together properly, and tied it up.

She also swept my bangs to the side, away from my face.

“How is it?”

Fukuda pulled me by the shoulders and placed me in front of a full-length mirror.

“…”

How should I put it?

I look like a limited-edition gloomy character gacha version. Though they dressed me up as brightly as possible to improve my appearance, my pale skin and the dark circles under my eyes still remained.

“You’re cute, Kurosawa.”

Miura said with a pleased smile beside me.

Yamashita was standing next to her, hands in his pockets, quietly looking at me.

…I can somewhat guess why they’re suddenly doing all this for me today. Yamashita is probably repaying the favor from last time.

Come to think of it, I barely spent any of the money Mr. Yamashita gave to Yamashita. There wasn’t much opportunity. Yamashita only stayed at our house for a few days, and most of the food we ate wasn’t particularly expensive.

Is that why he’s been keeping it in mind?

“Thank you.”

“…It’s nothing.”

When I said that to Yamashita, he slightly averted his gaze as he answered.

*

The dress wasn’t the only thing Yamashita bought for me, so I was also carrying a shopping bag.

As if worried I might refuse, all the tags had been removed from the clothes.

So I’m not sure exactly how much they cost.

It wasn’t a luxury boutique, but from the large price tags I glimpsed while entering, they didn’t seem like clothes from places like Uniqlo either.

…Well, I decided not to refuse. At this point, refusing would just mean wasting the clothes.

As we leisurely walked around sightseeing, I would suddenly find myself holding a crepe or cream puff… some kind of food in my hand.

It wasn’t just Yamashita treating me.

After my stomach had settled a bit from all the walking, Miura and Fukuda also kept putting food in my hands, seemingly finding it amusing to watch me munch on whatever they gave me.

Thanks to that, I was already full by the time we entered a cafe, so I only ordered a coffee without any other desserts.

“By the way, Kotone-chan, do you have any plans to go somewhere during summer vacation?” Fukuda asked.

At those words, Miura and Yamashita momentarily tensed up.

But Fukuda maintained a nonchalant expression as she sipped her incredibly complicated-named drink while staring at me.

Fukuda must have seen Kagami too, but she doesn’t seem particularly concerned.

…Well, I could go with friends instead of family if I wanted to go somewhere.

“Not yet.”

I answered, using the bitter coffee to counteract the sweetness from all the desserts I’d eaten on the street.

“Oh, really? So you don’t have any special plans?”

“…I work from Thursday to Sunday.”

“Hmm.”

At my response, Fukuda thought for a moment before speaking.

“This might be a bit awkward to say, but my dad seems to really like your mother.”

I almost spat out my coffee.

Miura and Yamashita both had similar expressions.

“Well, that doesn’t mean you and I will become sisters or anything.”

I felt somewhat relieved at Fukuda’s words.

“…That doesn’t seem like a good idea.”

Miura and Yamashita gave me somewhat subtle looks in response.

All three of them knew well that I had a bad relationship with my “mother” Kagami.

“Right? Trying to score points by going somewhere with her daughter would be stupid, wouldn’t it?”

“…”

Unable to outright call it stupid, I just kept my mouth shut.

Fukuda nodded.

“I’ll make sure to tell my dad exactly that.”

“Please do.”

Miura and Yamashita seemed somewhat relieved by our conversation.

“Oh, right.”

As soon as our conversation ended, Miura quickly jumped in.

“Kurosawa, are you free on the 29th? Ah… but that’s Thursday.”

Before I could answer, Miura’s expression immediately wilted.

“What’s on the 29th?”

“Adachi fireworks.”

Yamashita answered when I asked.

What’s that?

Is it something like the Yeouido fireworks?

“We had planned to go together that day.”

Miura added to Yamashita’s explanation.

I looked at Miura’s face again.

She really wants to take me along. If that’s the case, I should at least try to make an effort to go with them as a courtesy.

“…I’ll ask my boss.”

“Really!?”

Miura said with a bright smile.

“I hope they’ll allow it.”

Me too.

Fireworks, huh.

I haven’t seen them since I was very young when I went with my family.

Maybe I’ll go this time.

*

We parted ways before dinner.

They all had plans with their families, it seemed. Miura seemed a bit apologetic while saying so, but I didn’t mind.

If their families are harmonious, that’s good enough.

With a shopping bag in one hand, I took the train to the station, then walked another 30 minutes home, ending up drenched in sweat.

Of course, the new clothes I was wearing also got sweaty.

As soon as I got home, I showered, changed into comfortable clothes, and thoroughly washed the outfit I had worn.

Then I hung it up to dry.

I should keep this outfit as is. I shouldn’t wear it around and risk getting it dirty.

Hmm.

It would be nice to wear it when we all meet on the 29th. With my hair neatly tied up.

With that thought, I laid out my futon and lay down.

Thinking that tonight I might be able to sleep a bit more deeply.

*

“…If anything happens during the vacation, make sure to contact me.”

After the end-of-term ceremony, Suzuki-sensei called me to the faculty room and said with a serious expression.

I nodded.

I probably wouldn’t contact Suzuki-sensei no matter what happened, but she likely wouldn’t have anything to worry about.

Even if I got hurt, I would heal quickly, and Kagami was just pretending to mistreat me rather than actually abusing me.

Seeing my expression and apparently believing I was really okay, Suzuki-sensei gave me a small smile.

I bowed slightly and left the faculty room, heading toward the club room.

“…”

And then I saw bread abandoned in the hallway.

No, it wasn’t exactly abandoned. The bread was properly wrapped in packaging. It was just that the end was visibly tied to a fishing line, even to my eyes.

The contents were korokke, just like the first time I encountered this.

Come to think of it, I’ve received quite a lot from this person too.

With a feeling that made me want to smile lightly, I climbed the stairs and reached out for the bread.

Whoosh.

The bread was pulled to the side.

No, is this person not going to let me catch it even on the last day?

When I rushed toward the bread again, it once again whooshed to the side.

“…”

This time I tried to quickly run and step on the fishing line with my foot, but again, the korokke annoyingly evaded my foot.

After several such exchanges while walking—

“Got it!”

I finally ended up in front of the photography club again, with the korokke in my hand, being embraced by Kaneko.

“…It’s hot.”

“Mmm. But we won’t see each other for a while after today, right?”

For that reason, I was dragged into the literature club room while trapped in Kaneko’s arms.

“…Why are you tormenting the kid?”

Ikeda scolded Kaneko who had dragged me in.

“Just trying to remember the feel of my junior who I won’t see for a while.”

Kaneko released me and plopped down next to Ikeda.

“What kind of perverted thing to say…”

Ikeda said incredulously and placed a book on her lap. I don’t know what book it was, but it was quite thick. Not the usual detective novel she reads?

“We’ll see each other again when the second semester starts anyway, right?”

“Izumi, club activities are voluntary for students. If you want, you can leave or join another club. You’ve been sitting here all first semester without doing much, so you might leave or transfer to another club in the second semester.”

Ikeda’s eyes wavered at Kaneko’s words.

Then, looking at me anxiously, Ikeda asked.

“Really? Are you going to do that?”

“No.”

I answered firmly.

Of course I have no intention of quitting. I come here precisely because I can sit without doing anything. Plus, there’s quite a lot of food too.

If someone bullied me or gave me a hard time, I would quit immediately, but everyone who comes to this club room is kind. There’s no better place to spend time after school before going home.

“See?”

Ikeda’s expression instantly became triumphant.

Honestly, it’s hard to believe she’s a year older than Yuuki. Aren’t they just a few months apart in reality?

Watching that, I reached out and grabbed a dorayaki.

“Oh, right, then how about this? Since Izumi gets lonely easily, let’s keep her company.”

“Who gets lonely!?”

That’s rich coming from someone who’s seen people die from loneliness and despair.

Well, she doesn’t know that.

“How about we all do a summer training camp together in August? A club training camp, what do you think?”

Ikeda, who was about to snap something at Kaneko, closed her mouth upon hearing Kaneko’s words.

Are you looking forward to it? It’s just been mentioned.

“Where?”

“Don’t worry about the location. If I ask my grandmother to let us stay at her house, she’ll definitely agree. Izumi has already met her several times.”

I see.

Hmm, normally if someone else offers to let you stay at their grandmother’s house, you might want to decline, but…

Kaneko’s eyes were sparkling so much as she looked at me that I was hesitating, when the literature club door slid open.

The person who entered was Yuuki.

“Oh, Yu-chan!”

“Hello.”

Kaneko raised her hand in greeting, which Yuuki lightly returned. Yuuki was initially a bit surprised by that nickname, but now she seems completely used to it.

“What were you talking about?”

“About the literature club’s summer training camp.”

“Does the literature club have a summer training camp?”

“No, I just made it up right now. Are you free by any chance?”

“I…”

Yuuki frowned slightly and fell into thought.

In the original light novel “Tokyo Slayers,” if volume 1 covered the cannibalistic murder case, Yuuki and Sasaki’s meeting, and an explanation of Sasaki’s abilities, then volume 2 is about the summer vacation episode.

It contains an episode where Sasaki, the heroines, and Shii go to the summer beach together, but coincidentally a typhoon suddenly occurs naturally, preventing them from moving, and it turns out to be the work of a yokai, which Sasaki and Yuuki resolve.

The yokai is Raiju, the Thunder Beast. As the name suggests, it’s a yokai that controls lightning.

The date isn’t explicitly mentioned, but it seemed to be early to mid-August in the story.

…

Wait a minute.

What about this time? Yuuki has left Sasaki’s group.

Could I possibly be invited by Shii?

Maybe I should ask Shii later.

“…I’ll go if I have time, but I’d appreciate it if you could let me know a few days before departure.”

“Huh? Don’t you have any travel plans?”

“…I don’t have any travel plans.”

That’s right. The reason Yuuki said that is probably because there might be days when she needs to go beat up yokai after receiving someone’s request.

Although there are apparently people with similar roles to Yuuki in different regions, so she rarely needs to leave Tokyo, but that doesn’t mean she’s not busy.

It seems certain from the way Yuuki slightly glances at me.

“Great, then we can discuss it a bit and adjust accordingly.”

At Kaneko’s words, Ikeda had an expression that showed she was looking forward to it. Though she didn’t express it verbally.

…I hope nothing happens to shatter that anticipation.

*

“Well, we won’t see each other at school for a while. Would it be okay if I visit?”

Before parting at the station, Yuuki asked that.

I nodded.

“Can I visit you too?”

“You’re welcome anytime.”

Yuuki, who was momentarily surprised by my question, soon smiled and answered.

I nodded.

It’s strange.

Going back and forth to school was really tedious, but now that I think about not going for a while, I feel oddly wistful.

After looking at each other for a moment, we waved our hands simultaneously.

Then I turned around and headed home.

…After that, things flowed surprisingly smoothly.

The next day, when I went to work and asked the boss if I could take the 29th off because I had plans,

“The 29th? Oh, we’re closed that day anyway. All the other kids besides you want time off to see the fireworks with their boyfriends.”

The boss said with an extremely bored expression. Even Shii had said she needed to go see them with her brother.

When I looked at Shii’s face, our severe brother-complex little sister blushed bright red.

“You should go enjoy yourself with your boyfriend too. That’s what youth is for.”

He’s not my boyfriend, but I didn’t want to bother explaining. The boss didn’t look particularly interested in hearing it anyway. His expression was more like, “Ah, youth!”

…By the way, Sasaki will probably be flanked by girls on both sides.

I never understood people who dislike harem protagonists, but seeing it like this, it is a bit annoying. I see. It’s like an outsider looking at a popular person.

To make matters worse, Sasaki is set up to like games and manga for otaku immersion, but what “ordinary otaku” lives in a neat two-story detached house in Sangenjaya with a beautiful little sister and goes around with two beautiful girls who are head over heels for him?

That’s quite absurd.

“Is he really your boyfriend?”

When I turned around without denying it, Shii asked that, but I shook my head.

“Just friends. All girls.”

“Oh.”

Shii nodded with what seemed like a relieved expression.

It hurt a bit that her expression seemed to say “I thought so,” but what can I do?

It’s not like I’m going to date a guy.

“Maybe we’ll run into each other there?”

Won’t there be a lot of people?

I had that thought, but the possibility isn’t completely zero. I nodded.

If we do meet… if Sasaki is flanked by heroines… and if Shii is there too—

Miura’s group will probably get a very bad impression of Sasaki.

For the sake of Sasaki’s reputation, I hope we don’t run into each other.

*

The first week of vacation passed relatively well.

I spent Monday and Tuesday cooped up at home, which was quite nice. There was a satisfaction in completing RPG series one by one on the game console. I guess people who work for a long time naturally want to stay holed up at home.

After spending time leisurely like that, around Tuesday evening, I received a call from Yuuki.

Could it be a call about coming over tomorrow?

I answered the phone without much thought, but—

[…Kurosawa.]

Yuuki’s voice over the phone was serious.

[I received a request, could you help me a bit?]

“Sure.”

I sat up straight and answered immediately upon hearing that voice.

“How can I help?”

Perhaps because I answered too readily, Yuuki seemed to hesitate even more.

[…I’d like you to track something.]

I think I understand why Yuuki called me.