Chapter 86

As I was seen off by my family—excluding my father, who had messed up—Kasumi and I headed for the union headquarters.

Today, we’re not taking a car, after all, we’ll be staying overnight. Come to think of it, Kasumi doesn’t seem to have any luggage. I just stuffed some clothes into my backpack, but not having anything at all is a bit of a mystery.

When I asked, I got an unexpected answer.

“The family home is near the hotel where we’ll be staying. So, if we need anything, we can get it from there.”

“Kasumi, you’re from the neighboring prefecture?”

“Yes, technically.”

So, we’ll be staying at her family home for a few days. I thought for a moment that she should just go home, but then again, that might be a bit different.

Still, Kasumi’s family home. I’ve never even heard about her family. I’m curious, but it’s a delicate topic, so maybe it’s better not to ask.

Kasumi seemed to understand my hesitation and chuckled, then took my hand as we walked and started talking.

“Your family doesn’t seem as fun to be around as yours. No, I don’t dislike them, but we all prioritize our own interests in our household. My hobbies come first.”

“Um, hobbies?”

“My father does pottery, my mother does Japanese dance. I have a younger brother, but he’s a bit complicated. He seems to have made following my activities as an explorer his hobby.”

“Oh, a fan of the explorer Kasumi Kudo.”

“He even formed a fan club and made merchandise... I punished him for various rights issues, but he’s incredibly passionate. I haven’t seen him in a while, so I wonder how he’s doing.”

“Is that so?”

This sister, and that brother, huh.

I didn’t say it out loud, but I’m filled with such thoughts. Even though he hasn’t made merchandise, what he’s doing is almost the same as being fanatical about me.

However, Kasumi’s younger brother is a hardcore fan. What does he think about recent savior activities? First, I wonder about that.

He probably doesn’t find it amusing. After all, his favorite is all over a guy who suddenly appeared.

Kasumi isn’t the type of streamer who pushes an idol image, so I don’t think she’d be burned for dating anyone, but as a younger brother, his view might be different.

Wait, I’m going to stay at a hotel near where this guy lives for a few days?

"Riebe, can I say it? A full-blown love triangle!"

“Scary...”

“Kouhei? Is something wrong?”

“N-no, nothing.”

I’m in a pinch, having driven Kasumi’s sister crazy! I tremble at the terrifying conclusion. Kasumi notices my unease from our linked hands and looks worried. I might get stabbed by your otaku brother.

The fun exploration tour has somehow turned into a tour of difficult situations. I don’t want it—fried food is not my thing.

With a feeling of resignation, we reached the union headquarters. Quite a few people had already gathered, and the explorers were divided into several groups, all looking at us.

“Oh, Kudo and the secret favorite savior. Finally, we can explore together, huh?”

“Isn’t it a skill that only activates solo, though? Will he team up?”

“Everyone has to form a party for this tour. Even if Kudo is special, there won’t be any special treatment.”

“Is that kid Shining Yamagata... the one who shines?”

“Huh? He’s pretty cute, isn’t he? Wasn’t he a classmate of Sekiguchi?”

“...Yes, that’s right. But for some reason, he dislikes me. I don’t know what to do.”

“Hmm? Is that so?”

“Kudo and Nakazato, one after another, getting obsessed with that kid. That’s amazing.”

“His exploration style is also unusual. Solo, bare-handed, and double arm suplex on a bear. He’s crazy to do pro wrestling with monsters.”

“The famous Shining video was hard to see because of the light, but he did a cobra twist in mid-air. Does he like pro wrestling?”

“I don’t think it’s something you can do in life-or-death situations as a hobby...”

Wow, high attention! But, I guess it can’t be helped. After all, I’m a rising star in comedy saviors who became a nationwide sensation by shining, and the favorite of a top A-rank explorer.

By the way, Sekiguchi is here too. It’s not that he dislikes me; he’s the one who’s come to dislike me. Is he securing the victim position to gain popularity? He’s good at navigating the world.

Looking around, I see Nakazato and Aisaka. Wow, it’s like an all-star lineup. Not that I have many explorer acquaintances, but it’s tough.

I waved back to them when they noticed me. Wow, the eyes of the other guys in our party are intense. There are love triangles lurking everywhere, not just with Kasumi’s brother.

So, as the explorer uncle said, I can’t solo this time.

One of the purposes of this tour is to deepen bonds among explorers through party exploration, so I have to temporarily put my solo style on hold.

Honestly, without that 10x buff, I’m scared, and I’m worried that I might just be skill-dependent.

According to Kasumi, even without that buff, I’m already at a lower A-rank level.

“To be honest, I’m not sure if I can keep up with the full-power Kouhei. The dream of becoming the 11th S-rank in the country isn’t impossible, Kouhei.”

“No, no, no, no, please spare me...”

As always, this person sets the bar impossibly high!

Anyway, we’ve arrived at the meeting place.

At the time of posting this story,

I have received:

- 1st place in the Low Fantasy category for the day, week, and month, and 4th place for the quarter.

- 12th place overall for the day, 13th place for the week, and 6th place for the month.

Thank you very much.

I would appreciate it if you could continue to bookmark and rate the story.