Chapter 7

Well, how to handle me seemed to be a matter that even the union couldn't decide on immediately. They said they would take it back and consider it, and Mr. Mikado and I also dispersed from the scene.

"If you have time, how about having a meal, a bath, or staying at a hotel?"

"That's quite all right. I'm starting high school tomorrow."

Having shaken off her relentless pursuit, which no longer hid her desires, I returned home. I ended up thoroughly enjoying the last half day of my already ruined spring break and welcomed the next morning.

Spring! The first day of my first year of high school, Yamagata Kosei! From today, my wonderful high school life begins! My spirits are high! Why? Because!

"Being a student explorer means you're super popular, you know!"

That's it. Student explorers are popular. Actually, explorers themselves are popular! When you think about it, it's only natural. First, the profession of explorer is inherently rare. It's a narrow path; you can't even become a union member unless your skills awaken. There are only about 10,000 explorers in Japan, which is quite a small number. Even if you consider the entire world, there are probably fewer than a million. In other words, it's a very rare job.

And because it's such a rare job, it's incredibly profitable. My mom made some wild statements, but it seems to be true. Especially when you defeat monsters, the items and materials that occasionally drop are valuable for various purposes. As for dungeon cores, one of them alone can fetch a minimum of 1 million yen. It's like selling the ownership of a dungeon, so it's essentially like buying and selling land. For large-scale dungeons, transactions can reach the hundreds of millions, which is a world far, far away from me. Even for those who do exploration as a side job, they say they can live comfortably without worrying about food.

So, in that sense, the potential for me, a child, to become wealthy is tremendous. If you date me, you'll be living a life of luxury from the start, thanks to money power.

There's no way I won't be popular. It's decided that I will be popular.

...I'm aware that this way of thinking, relying on money power, is quite twisted. But what can I do? I, who have hardly ever talked to girls, still wanted to be popular! Now that I have this financial cheat, what's wrong with going a bit crazy?!

"Nothing is wrong. Therefore, I am correct. Proof complete."

"What are you mumbling about, Yamagata?"

The classroom of Class 1-13 at Tō Quartz High School, where I'll be starting from today. The entrance ceremony just ended, and since the seating is in alphabetical order, I'm sitting near the edge, waiting for the teacher to arrive. I was thinking about the kind of trashy things mentioned above when the guy next to me spoke to me.

Hmm, I think his name is...

"Matsumoto, right?"

"Yeah, Matsumoto Taizō. So, what's up?"

"Nothing, just..."

"Got it? Well, see you around this year."

"Sure, see you."

He has a refreshing smile, but he's a bit too ordinary to be called handsome. Just as I nodded to this good boy, Matsumoto, the homeroom teacher came in. She's a woman in her late 20s with a soft, soothing bob cut. She has a cute face, and the moment I saw her, I had a feeling that my first year would be a happy one.

Standing at the podium, the teacher smiled at all of us, the students.

"Alright, everyone, thank you for your hard work at the entrance ceremony. I'm Sayaka Harada, your homeroom teacher for Class 1-13. Please take care of me!"

She's cute. Her gentle smile is really cute.

The guys next to me, including Matsumoto, and the other guys all seemed to be smitten, their noses stretching. I understand, I understand. I've been there, having gone through the same with Mr. Mikado. On the other hand, the girls' cold gazes towards the guys are quite something. They're sighing and looking at them like they're bulky trash. Scary...

I didn't know there was such a big difference in awareness between boys and girls...! While thinking such trivial things, the self-introductions of the students began. We were to introduce ourselves with our names, our middle school, and a brief comment. This is the first and most important point to show who I am as a man.

Casually, smoothly, I would mention that I'm an explorer. That's all it takes.

With that alone, I can stand out in the class as someone with a bright future, a kind of charismatic figure. If I can join the popular crowd and make a high school debut, then, hehe, having a girlfriend is not just a dream!

I've won! I've won!

"Kanaguchi Hisashi, from Hoshiko Middle School. I've been an explorer since my first year of middle school and I'm currently D-rank. Nice to meet you."

"Explorer!?"

"Wow!"

"Wait, and he's handsome... No, no way! He's so cool!"

What... the...

I stared blankly at the guy who just introduced himself. The cool guy, with a calm smile, casually declared that he was a more experienced and higher-ranked explorer than me, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.