ch321-ch340 · 322-ch322

Chapter 322: Where I Hid That Stuff

"A-Ah, President-san, mornin'—"

"President, the road-to-school cleanup is complete!"

"Salute the President!"

"Good morning, President."

What's with "President"?

It's not student council president, right?

The third-year student council president's term should already be over, with a new second-year president having taken over.

Did I win some election by mistake?

Or did the votes pile up as a form of bullying?

But from girls I've never met all the way up to the principal, everyone calls me "President" for some reason—and there are even students and teachers bowing respectfully to me.

Bowing awkwardly back all the way to the classroom...... this school is weird, isn't it?

What on earth happened in these six months?

"My, my? The two of you are walking to school together today? Gufufu."

The seating hasn't changed, it seems.

Right next to Souma-san.

Souma-san was in a different class until last year, but we were both on the library committee, so I've known her for a while.

The girl I talk to the most—or rather, just about the only girl in school I talk to.

(Business as usual. What a relief.)

My memory hasn't come back, but I can't rest forever, so starting today I'm back at school—and apparently my attendance record is in dire straits.

I was so absorbed in the dungeon that I skipped school all the time, it seems.

That explains the Double-Rank too.

By the way, Soushi came to pick me up at home, and we came to school together.

Supposedly so I don't just head straight for the dungeon.

(Seriously, just how much did I love that dungeon......)

Speaking of the dungeon—apparently that Watanabe-san is an Adventurer's Association staff member.

An adventurer and a receptionist.

I don't know how, but apparently my past self pulled it off.

(It seems it's confirmed that Watanabe-san and I are dating.)

She fusses over me so attentively it's almost embarrassing.

At home, my mother talks about nothing but Watanabe-san.

She's apparently a young lady from a well-off family—our fridge and dishwasher are brand new now, and there's even a robot vacuum.

All of it seems to have been gifts from Watanabe-san, and the difference between her sense of money and mine makes me anxious about whether we can make this work.

(Do I have to make it work?)

Will it be fine if my memory comes back?

It'll be fine.

She is my most important person, after all......

"Mornin'—shii."

Oh, the black gal's here.

A girl in full gyaru fashion with deeply tanned skin.

Her name is...... what was it again?

"Good morning, everyone."

"Good morning."

The whole class returns the greeting in a chorus.

Enter the goddess of the class—no, of the whole school—Mizuki Saori.

Oh, her hairstyle's changed.

I think it really suits her.

(Right—of course, half a year has passed...... I wonder if she has a boyfriend now......)

Speaking of Mizuki—losing my memory has caused one problem.

The photos of Mizuki that should have been in my room are gone.

Photos of us together from field trips and whatnot.

Apparently I changed their hiding place, but I've searched the whole room and they're nowhere.

Same goes for this thing and that—and even my computer's bookmarks and suspicious folders seem to have been stashed somewhere I can't find.

My mother's been oddly strict lately—did I hide them somewhere even harder to find?

But hiding them someplace even I can't find......

Maybe they're not at home at all.

Evacuated to Soushi's place, maybe?

I'll have to search Soushi's room tomorrow or so.

"......"

For once, my eyes met Mizuki's......

Two seconds? Three?

Then she looked away, but I'm pretty sure she was looking at me.

Today feels like it might be a good day.

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(Our eyes keep meeting like crazy......)

Why?

Oh, she's coming this way......

"Natsuki—let's go buy some juice."

Oh—she just needed Aikawa behind me.

Seems Mizuki and Aikawa made up.

Well, half a year is plenty of time for that.

So the eye contact was my imagination too, huh?

She was looking at Aikawa behind me...... no wait, during PE too......

"......"

Our eyes meet again.

Actually—she's close.

"Our eyes keep meeting today, huh. Did something happen? Did you have a fight with someone?"

She spoke to me.

"Ah, uh? No, I......"

My heart skips, and my voice won't come out right......

"Hey! We agreed you'd ignore him, remember? Come on, let's go!"

Huh? Ignore? Me? Why?

So it IS bullying after all?

"Huh? We never agreed to anything like that? Hey, quit pushing me—"

Mizuki, pushed along by Aikawa, leaves the classroom.

Apparently I'm not being ignored.

So it's not bullying......?

"Soushi, what are we doing for lunch?"

"Huh? Ah. I've got a bento, so go buy yourself something."

"What? Then I'll hit the school store or something......"

Wasn't Soushi's mother suffering from can't-be-bothered-to-make-bentos syndrome?

That's why I quit bringing bentos too, but......

Well, there's a hospital inside the dungeon now, so maybe they found a cure.

"Kasugano-kun, aren't you acting a little strange today?"

I'm keeping the memory loss a secret.

The school has been informed, technically—but only that I bumped my head and my memory is a bit jumbled.

There's no problem with daily life, after all.

With Soushi and Aikawa covering for me, coming here is basically just to bank attendance days.

"Nah, Haruki being weird is business as usual."

"Is iiiit?"

If Souma-san doesn't notice, nobody will......

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"Welcome back, Haruki-san."

"Um—I'm home, Watanabe-san."

"......"

Ooo—"welcome back" and "I'm home"—this might be kind of nice.

Blush-worthy, really.

After school I came to the Chiba branch, and Watanabe-san greeted me at the entrance.

The Association uniform really suits her.

That's what I thought, but am I allowed to say that out loud?

From now on, on the way home from school, I'll be alternating tests and treatment between the university hospital and Dr. Amamiya's hospital inside the dungeon.

"......Soushi, let's go. Haru-kun, you've got the hospital. We'll be at Mia-san's shop, so drop by before you head home."

"See ya."

Soushi and Aikawa head into the Dungeon Gate.

"Huh? Shop? Where?"

Who's Mia-san?

A woman? A café or something?

"I'll escort you, so there's no need to worry."

"Sorry—and thank you."

Has Aikawa forgotten I have amnesia?

"One thing before you enter the dungeon. Please promise not to use any skills. It seems your body suffered strain from overusing them, so until Dr. Amamiya says you're cleared, please absolutely do not use them."

"The special skill too, right? I know. And it's a secret from Dr. Amamiya—was it?"

Apparently I have this incredible special skill called 【Gate】, and that's how I made Double-Rank.

But if it gets known, my life could even be targeted, apparently—so it was kept secret.

If this skill is what I imagine it to be, couldn't I bring back information from Floor 50?

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A spotlight shines down on me.