ch161-ch180 · 168-ch168

Chapter 168: Soushi, So Cool

"That's enough already! Just leave me alone!"

Whether it was Kasumi-san's killing intent or regret over blurting out "boyfriend," Aikawa—marched obediently into the meeting room—came bursting back out.

"Ah—Natsuki-san!"

Makihara-san calls after her; Aikawa stonewalls her completely and comes straight for us.

Our discussion hasn't reached a conclusion yet...

Ah—she's crying...

Wh-wh-wh-what do we do?

Flustered flailing.

"Haruki, sorry—my mind's made up. ...Aikawa. Form a party with me. Let's be adventurers together!"

Kyaaa.

Soushi, my man... so cool.

To say that, right here, right now...

Is this guy actually Soushi?

"S-Soushi... Yeah! Waaahhh—"

Ahh, you've gone and made her cry.

'That's all Soushi. Not me. I leave that side to you.'

I exchange a look with Kasumi-san.

Kasumi-san speaks to Makihara-san and ushers her toward the meeting room.

Message received, apparently...

"Let's relocate for now. Warehouse, second floor."

Better to get her away from the old-timer.

Oh-ho. He's pulling her along by the hand.

Nicely done, Soushi.

Straight through the 'Dungeon Gate,' into the dungeon.

We pass the counter under the black-gyaru receptionist's smirking gaze.

Oh—her partner today is the newbie, huh.

The newbie's pulling a sour face like, "Did you do something again, ssu?"

It wasn't me, for the record?

"Here we are, Aikawa."

Soushi turns back and calls to her.

Aikawa had followed his hand wordlessly, but NOW she finally makes a "wait, where are we?" face.

"Our base. A rental warehouse. Ground floor's storage, but the second floor's got a space where we can at least have tea... Just come on up."

Thought about it properly, this is a bad look—hauling a crying girl into a warehouse.

"Kasumi-san will be along soon, so relax"—somehow that sounds scarier, so I keep it to myself.

Well, they'll be party members from here on.

Everyone will have to get used to things.

"...What IS this place? It's amazing."

Only after climbing to the second floor and entering the room does Aikawa finally speak.

There's even carpet down, you know...

Shoes off here—I go in first and set the example.

"Soushi—tea. And whip up whatever you like. Guest gets the sofa."

We stocked up before coming to the branch today—cup ramen and whatnot.

The question is whether hot water alone can make it taste good...

"Hmm. What to make? It'd be a waste not to—let's use actual fire for something."

Boiling water and pouring it is ALL you need to do, you know?

Trying to show off for Aikawa, is he?

Eh, if he's making mine too, fine by me.

Said fire being a portable gas stove, so options are limited.

"Oh, I'll help. I cook every day—I'm better than either of you, you know?"

"Oh? You can say that after you've had the tea."

"Here—tea first, settle down."

Soushi brews the tea with water that boiled instantly, as always, for reasons nobody can explain.

Handed her cup, Aikawa—who'd been half out of her seat—sits back down, seemingly out of resignation.

"Oh. It's good. Ugh. HOW expensive is this tea? This is what happens when people who never do housework go shopping. Renting a whole warehouse, too. I don't know how much you're making, but you should really be saving more, you know?"

It IS good.

If you knew nothing, you'd absolutely take it for high-class tea.

Hard to fault Shiraishi-san over this one.

No—knowing the truth, it is admittedly cheap tea.

And yet, somehow, delicious.

This stuff is 200 yen per hundred grams—slightly pricier than the tea at home, but cheap stuff is cheap stuff.

Gulp-gulp-gulp-gulp. Can't. Stop.

"Yeah, I've wondered too, but it's Haruki. I'm too scared to ask where the money comes from..."

Soushi says this while setting up the stove and a pot.

The tea seems to have settled Aikawa down—she stays seated.

"Don't worry about money for a while. And that conversation starts with whether Aikawa actually joins the party."

"...Yeah. Hey? Is it really okay—me joining the party?"

She was crying until just now—eyes and nose still a little red.

She looks up at Soushi with those glistening eyes.

Devastatingly effective, that.

"I'm all for it, at least. Rest is up to Haruki."

Utterly unmoved by that attack, Soushi answers with a smile.

Magnificent!

But don't go tossing it to me.

I'm honestly leaning "why not?", though.

We certainly have no other prospects.

It hinges on Kasumi-san—but Soushi's outburst just now would have carried to her.

If she were against it, she'd have stopped him on the spot.

If Aikawa's serious about joining, it's probably time to talk about Kasumi-san too.

"I'm fine with it. Question is what Kasumi-san and the others say."

"Watanabe-san... She scared me earlier. It'll be fine, right? Haruki, back us up here, okay?"

That request is beyond my power, I'm afraid.

I am on Kasumi-san's side. Always.

"Watanabe-san? The scary staff member from before? You're close with her, Haru-kun? You call her by her first name—Kasumi-san and all..."

"Uh, Haruki—can we tell her?"

"Yeah. She's going to be party members with us, after all."

I nod back at his question.

"Aikawa, this stays secret. You tell NO ONE. Haruki's dating that staff member from before—Watanabe-san..."

"EHHHHH?!"

Well, THAT came out loud.

She's been shrieking all day, but that one takes today's prize.

Which is exactly why you drop "Haru-kun" and "President."

Lives are on the line here?

"Huh? But you're the President, though? Don't you like Saori? And what about Souma-san?"

Hey—don't say that stuff at full volume.

We're INSIDE the dungeon, you know?

Thankfully, 【Presence Detection】 shows nothing, and I don't hear anyone approaching.

And what's with Souma-san is not that kind of thing, okay?

"That's exactly what I mean—cut it out. Watanabe-san's a party member too, just a secret one. We can't add you to the party without her say-so. So nothing that puts her in a bad mood, got it?"

"Huh? But you said the party was just the two of you... It's a secret? Why?"

"Explaining from square one would take forever, so cliff notes: in that 【Berserker】 incident, Watanabe-san's the one who caught the culprit. Now adventurers, the media, the Association—everyone's got eyes on her."

He's right; from square one is impossible.

My skill stays under wraps until Kasumi-san gives her official OK.

"Oh—the video person? Haru-kun was in it? So THAT's why you were on camera~. Still don't really get why it's a secret, though?"

I said drop the "Haru-kun," didn't I?

Well—Kasumi-san's already heard it...

Is "Haru-kun" safer than her slipping and saying "President" at the wrong moment?

"We're high schoolers, for one. And if certain things get out, it gets ugly. You're about to see exactly what."

"Right—she said something about a kouhai, so she's, what...? Dating a high schooler might be bad for her, huh. Okay, secret understood. But is there stuff beyond THAT that can't get out either?"

"That woman" being Makihara-san...

Even mid-conversation with Aikawa, Soushi's hands never stop cooking.

Like Soushi says, for special skills, showing beats telling.

And it sounds like he's ready.

Aikawa should have a special skill of her own, and today her "born-with-it job" should have come to light too.

I do wonder what hers is.

And the weapon choice and job build to match it...

Soushi's agonized over his own forever, but with a party in the picture, he'll have to think about everyone else's too, right?

Sorry I went ahead and settled mine first...

"There. Done."

Oh—while I was lost in thought, the cooking finished.

Th-this is...