Chapter 34

When I returned to the staff room, Kaede was heating a camping kettle on a cassette stove.

"Oh, Azami-san. You brought a change of clothes, didn't you?"

"Yeah. Kaede, you got wet just now, so you should change into these."

Saying that, I handed over the clothes I had carelessly rolled up.

The room was dark, lit only by the LED lantern, and perhaps because they were rolled up, Kaede couldn't tell what they were at first.

When she unfolded them, her face lit up.

"What's this? ... Oh."

Seemingly realizing something, her expression changed from the joyful one just a moment ago to a pout.

"Didn't you like it?"

"No, that's not it! You didn't have to go out of your way to get my clothes... Oh, I'm happy! I'm happy, but... um."

Kaede's expressions changed rapidly, but essentially, she was probably referring to the conversation she had with me before, where she asked me not to do anything dangerous unless it was for my own business.

"These are just some clothes I found in the room I stayed in last night. I brought them along just in case. This one too."

Well, the clothes were actually different, but that's beside the point.

"Um... If that's the case, well, it's okay? ... Hehe, thank you. I'll take good care of them."

"You don't need to take care of them. Just change quickly. I don't want you to catch a cold again."

With that, I left the room and closed the door. After a while, I heard Kaede's voice from inside.

"Are you okay? Does it look strange? Does it fit?"

"Huh? Yeah. Is it comfortable?"

"Yes!"

When I opened the door, Kaede, who was wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt with English lettering, the cuffs tight but the sleeves loose, stood up from the chair and swayed her body to show me. I decided to go along with it.

For me, and probably for most men, in a world like this, whether clothes fit or not is a trivial matter as long as the size isn't too tight. But I guess it's different for girls.

It's not worth pointing out, and besides, I chose the long-sleeved shirt for its ease of movement. The slightly childish look of the shirt actually suited Kaede's age and, in fact, looked good on her.

Looking at Kaede, she seemed happy with the clothes, and I thought, well, if she's happy, that's fine.

"Oh, right. Azami-san, you must be cold, so I boiled some water for you."

The cassette stove on the table was already off, and steam was gently rising from the camping kettle.

"Thank you, I'll have some."

"No problem. I can't do much else... But, I even got clothes this time."

"Don't worry about it. It was just a coincidence."

Emphasizing that it was just a coincidence, I sat down at the table.

Kaede poured the hot water into a camping cup and placed it in front of me, saying, "Be careful, it's hot."

"I wish I could make coffee, but in a world like this..."

"Want me to go get some?"

"That's not what I meant! ... Oh, Azami-san, have you eaten?"

"Yeah. I had something before I came here."

"Oh, that's right. I ate just a little while ago. If you're hungry, just let me know. I can make something for you."

"That's all I can do...," she added, looking at me.

I picked up the warm stainless steel cup and took a sip of the hot water.

Thanks to my "All Attribute Resistance" skill, I didn't mind the cold or the heat, but I still felt my body warming up.

Kaede carefully sipped her own cup of hot water, blowing on it to cool it down, and looked at her hands as if gazing into the distance.

For a while, silence filled the room.

"... Azami-san, I was worried that you might not come back."

Suddenly, Kaede spoke, her voice low.

"I said I would come back. I might be gone for a few days."

"Yes... Oh, I'm not blaming you! It's just that... after a whole night without you coming back, I was really worried..."

Kaede gripped the cup with both hands, as if to warm herself, and stared at the ripples in the hot water, continuing to speak.

I understood how Kaede felt.

In a world like this, if someone doesn't return after a night out, their fate is questionable.

Kaede lost her father this way, so it's even more understandable.

I waited silently for her to continue.

Her words, though her expression was dark, were filled with joy.

"But, I was really, really happy that you came back."

"... I see."

"Yes."

Not knowing how to react to the unexpected turn of the conversation, I responded, and Kaede smiled at me.

Well, she was genuinely happy to see me alive.

I was taken aback when she hugged me upon my return, but it shows how worried she was.

I felt a bit guilty, but there was nothing I could do about it.

Thanks to this, I was able to make contact with the police station, and now all I need to do is get Kaede there.

I'll prepare and leave in a few days.