Chapter 74

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After completing the two-day school period, it was once again the Golden Week holiday. Yuzi set off with Juzo for a local performance, and Himeko was helping out at her family's ramen shop.

And I was now sitting alone, feeling a bit lonely, in a café at the station, sipping coffee.

“...Regardless of Sae, is there any point in meeting Mika outside?”

I placed the coffee on the table, tilting my head with a question mark.

Today was the day I had planned to go shopping with Mika and Sae. I had intended to leave the house with Mika, but I was sent out ahead by Mika and my mother to drink coffee at the station café.

Apparently, girls have a lot of preparations to make.

By the way, my outfit is a simple one: a white shirt, black skinny jeans, and a jacket.

“...Excuse me! Can I have a cappuccino, please?”

“Sure! I'll bring it right away!”

I ordered my third drink from the server.

Checking the clock, I realized I had been in this café for nearly 40 minutes. It was almost time to stop wasting time with just drinks. The meeting time was in 5 minutes.

I operated my smartphone, wrote an email, and sent it to Mika.

“Here you are, your cappuccino. Please enjoy it.”

“Thank you.”

The server brought the order. On top of the milk foam, a deformed cat was drawn with cocoa powder.

This place is quite artistic. I hesitated to drink the cappuccino at first but mixed the drawing with a spoon and took a sip. ...The taste is normal.

When I had finished half of the cappuccino, my smartphone in my pocket vibrated.

“...Huh? Mika?”

Checking the email, it said she would arrive at the station soon.

I finished the remaining cappuccino, took the receipt, and headed to the cash register.

“The total is 1,350 yen. I'll take 1,500 yen... Your change is 150 yen. Thank you for your purchase, and we look forward to your next visit.”

After paying, I left the café and headed towards the ticket gates.

Arriving at the gates and looking around, I spotted two figures that looked like Mika and Sae.

“Sorry for the wait.”

Approaching the two, I called out to them, and they turned around in response to my voice.

“Oh, big brother!”

“Oh, good morning, big brother.”

Mika smiled happily upon seeing me, and Sae greeted me with a slight bow. Both of them had applied light makeup and exuded a different aura from usual.

Mika was wearing a casual outfit with a white skirt and shirt, while Sae had tied her long black hair into a ponytail and wore a gray hoodie with a striped skirt, a sporty mix.

Both of them seemed to have put a lot of effort into their outfits for just a shopping trip. I heard it’s good to compliment their outfits...

“Good morning. Your outfits look great, both of you are so cute.”

“R-really?”

“Thank you.”

Mika blushed slightly with joy, while Sae calmly thanked me.

Did Sae think it was a compliment? But their outfits are actually cute...

Well, it’s not a topic to delve into, so let’s move on.

“Shall we head out then?”

“Ah, yeah.”

“Okay.”

We bought tickets and went through the gates.

Since it was Golden Week, there were quite a few people on the platform.

While waiting for the train, I talked to them about today’s plans.

“By the way, which store are we going to first?”

“Well, we thought we’d start with the department store... Is that okay, Sae?”

“Yeah. The department store is closer to the station.”

That makes sense.

The distance to the downtown area isn’t that far, but the department store in the station building is much closer.

We could store our purchases in the station’s coin lockers.

“I see.”

“Since we became high school students, everyone has started to wear more mature fashion, so our current clothes are a bit...”

“That’s true. The other day, I met a friend from middle school, and their casual style had completely changed. I was surprised.”

It’s probably what they call a “high school debut,” right?

...I hope that girl didn’t mess up. In our case, the impact of the dungeon’s appearance made everything else a bit hazy.

After chatting with them for a while, the train arrived at the platform.

Since there were quite a few people, it was impossible to get a seat. Well, it’s only a 15-minute ride, so it’s fine. We stopped talking and got on the train.

When we arrived at the department store, we started looking at clothes...

“Even as an escort, it’s a bit awkward...”

The gazes of female customers pierced my back. The two were in the fitting rooms, and I was alone.

Being alone, I felt completely out of place.

“Big brother.”

“Huh? Are you done changing?”

“Yeah.”

The curtain of the fitting room opened.

Mika was wearing a striped top and a flared skirt.

“How do I look? Does it suit me?”

“Yeah, it looks great on you.”

“Really!”

When I complimented her, Mika smiled happily.

Then, the curtain of the fitting room next to Sae opened.

Sae came out wearing a striped top and a long pleated skirt.

“...How do I look?”

“It suits you. The long skirt gives you a different vibe from usual, but it looks good.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Sae blushed with joy at my compliment.

She’s so cute... As I was admiring Sae’s expression, I felt a gaze from the side.

“What’s wrong?”

“Does Sae get more compliments than me?”

“...Is that so? I didn’t mean to...”

“Hmm.”

Mika’s mood seemed to sour, and she closed the curtain of the fitting room.

...Did I do something wrong?

As I stared at the closed curtain, twisting my neck, Sae approached me with a wry smile and whispered.

“Big brother?”

“Huh? What is it, Sae?”

“My outfit is fine, but please focus on complimenting Mika more.”

“Eh...?”

I tilted my head, not quite understanding, and Sae explained further.

“Mika wants more compliments from big brother. But since you complimented my outfit in more detail than Mika’s... she’s a bit upset.”

“Oh, I see.”

“So, please compliment Mika more next time.”

“Got it. Thanks for letting me know.”

“You’re welcome.”

After saying that, Sae closed the curtain and returned to the fitting room.

Praising is quite a delicate matter. I scratched my head, trying to choose my next words carefully.

After that, there was a series of fitting sessions, but I managed to get through them.

We finished shopping at the department store and moved to a cosmetics store in the downtown area.

The store was located in the middle of a street lined with small shops. At the entrance, there were junior and high school girls buying cosmetics...

“...Is that it?”

“Yeah. According to what my friend said, that’s the store.”

“...I’m not going in, though.”

After confirming with Mika, it seemed to be the right place.

It’s too difficult for a guy to go into a place like that.

“I understand. Big brother, please wait at that café. We’ll come there after we’re done shopping.”

“Ah, that one...”

Mika pointed to a café a few stores down.

Honestly, I had already drunk a lot of coffee during the morning wait, but it’s better than storming into that store.

“Got it. I’ll wait at that café.”

“Okay.”

“We’ll come as soon as we can.”

“No need to rush, Sae. Take your time shopping. I’ll wait here with a coffee.”

After seeing them off, I moved to the café.

The café had a retro and cozy atmosphere. The classical music playing in the background added to the ambiance. As I stood at the entrance, a server wearing an apron with the store name approached.

“Welcome, are you alone?”

“Yes. Ah, two more will come later.”

“Understood. Please follow me.”

Led by the server, I was seated at a four-person table.

“Here is the menu. Please call us when you’re ready to order.”

I glanced through the menu the server left.

Since I had already had coffee in the morning, I decided to order something else. Cakes and sandwiches... I don’t need those.

I pressed the call button on the table to summon the server.

“Have you decided on your order?”

“I’ll have a cocoa, please.”

“Cocoa, got it. Please wait a moment.”

I chose cocoa because I wanted something sweet.

After a while, the server brought the cocoa.

“Here you are. Please enjoy.”

“Thank you.”

After thanking the server, I took a sip of the cocoa. ...It’s sweet. Much sweeter than I expected.

Since I had nothing to do, I took out my smartphone and checked the news. The store didn’t have Wi-Fi.

“Let’s see, today’s news...”

What...? The number of injured explorers has increased during the Golden Week?

Well, they’re not Sunday drivers, but people who occasionally go to the dungeon might get hurt if they’re not careful. I can’t really say much about others...

“Anything else... Wow. Plans to start trial drilling for seabed resources near Minamitori Island this summer?”

According to the article, a new deep-sea work vessel, utilizing new technology derived from the dungeon, is expected to be completed by June, and trial drilling will be conducted in the summer. The new deep-sea exploration vessel is capable of long-term operations at depths exceeding 10,000 meters, and there are expectations for commercial-scale mining of seabed resources at a cost-effective level.

If realized, it could lead to increased domestic production of resources, not just energy, as mentioned in the article.

“If realized, it would be amazing, but it seems like a plan that could invite trouble from other countries.”

Japan has already caused a significant ripple worldwide by announcing the practical application of Core Crystal power generation. Oil-producing countries, hit hard by this ripple, have raised prices to make as much profit as possible before oil becomes obsolete. While the situation has been stabilized through technical and economic support to oil-producing countries, it remains unstable.

If Japan were to cause another shock in the resource sector...

“...Is it going to be okay?”

I’m worried on various levels.

I’m not an expert in economic matters, but the recent Japanese economy, thanks to the dungeon boom, has been recovering from a long recession, and the economy is improving. If domestic production of resources, which currently rely on imports, can be increased, the recession could be completely overcome.

However, I also worry about the associated risks. Could there be a risk of terrorism to protect vested interests?

“Well, I guess they’ve considered all these factors before announcing the plan... Let’s hope it’s okay.”

While the Japanese government is often criticized for its sweet-talking, it’s unlikely they would act without a plan. Especially, considering the recent developments related to the dungeon...

I took a sip of the slightly cooled cocoa, sighing as if to expel the anxiety building up in my chest.

When I finished the tea I had ordered as a second round, the café’s entrance opened, and Mika and Sae entered.

I saw them looking around the café, so I waved to let them know where I was. The server who greeted them pointed in my direction, and they walked over to my table.

“Sorry for the wait.”

“Sorry for the wait.”

“Good job. Did you get what you wanted?”

I gestured for them to sit across from me and asked about their shopping.

“Yeah, they’re pros. It went well.”

“Yes. They selected items that suited us based on our requests.”

Mika held up a paper bag to show me her purchases, and Sae also showed me her paper bag with a satisfied look.

“That’s great. Ah, do you want to order something? I’ll pay, so feel free to choose what you like.”

“Really!?”

“...Is that okay, big brother?”

“Yeah. I can’t cover the shopping, but I’ll pay for today’s drinks. Especially for Sae, since I invited you.”

I handed them the menu.

“Yay!”

“Well... then, I’ll have what I like.”

Mika was genuinely happy, and Sae, looking at Mika, agreed and thanked me.

“What should I get...”

“You can choose anything, but remember we still have lunch, so go for something light.”

“Okay. Then... this cake set!”

“I’ll have the same...”

“Got it.”

With our orders decided, I pressed the call button to summon the server.

“Ready to order?”

“Yes. Two cake sets and one blended coffee, please.”

“Sure. What drinks would you like with the cake sets? You can choose from coffee, tea, or orange juice...”

“Hmm...?”

I looked at the two, asking what they wanted.

“I’ll have orange juice.”

“I’ll have tea, please.”

“Okay, I’ll order that.”

“Sure. Please wait a moment.”

The server took our order, bowed slightly, and left.

“Well... I guess that’s it for today’s shopping?”

“Yeah, we got everything we planned to.”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

The two smiled with satisfaction.

“Then, after this, let’s have lunch somewhere and go to karaoke.”

“Yeah. But before that, I want to talk to you, big brother.”

“? Talk?”

As I tilted my head at Mika’s words, Sae, sitting next to me, also nodded in agreement with Mika.

“Huh? Sae too? ...Do you both have the same thing to talk about?”

“Yeah.”

“Yes.”

It seems I was right.

The two straightened their posture and looked at me with tense expressions. ...What are they going to say?

“Big brother...”

“We...”

“We want to take the explorer exam!”

“...What?”

...Why?

I was momentarily taken aback by their words.

Shopping with my sisters and their consultation.

Once we achieve energy self-sufficiency, the next goal is resource self-sufficiency, right?