ch401-ch420 · 404-ch404
Chapter 404: The Graduation Ceremony
"Ah—there it is. Haruki, that's your number, right?"
On results-posting day, the direction my mother is pointing holds, without a doubt, my examinee number.
I passed.
"Thank goodness. Truly, thank goodness. Congratulations, Haruki-san."
Kasumi-san, on the verge of tears.
I would have been fine just checking the results online, you know.
But Kasumi-san insisted we go to the posting in person—and that Ma'am come too—so my mother got dragged along as well.
"Where is it? Let's see......"
"Ahh! That one, THAT one! Sou-chan, over there! Bottom row—that's Sou-chan's number!"
Soushi was panicking, unable to find his number, and just as I was about to give up—well, that's that—Soushi's mother finds it.
Whooo—seriously!?
Dungeons are AMAZING!!!
That Soushi got into the same university as me.
And then......
"Aikawa? Did you find yours?"
"Mochi."
Ron, is it.
All three of us passed—really, thank goodness.
"Congratulations, Aikawa-san. And you too, Natsukawa-san."
Kasumi-san immediately steps in to congratulate Aikawa.
Aikawa is on her own today, after all.
"Congratulations, Natsuki."
"Congrats, Aikawa."
From me and my mother as well.
"You did it, Natsu—"
"It's ALL thanks to Haru-kun! When Sou-chan first said he wanted to go to university, I didn't know what would become of us—but thanks to Haru-kun, he got in like this. And this boy says he's going to pay his own tuition for everything. I'll never be able to point my feet toward Haru-kun in my sleep for the rest of my life. Thank you! Truly, thank you!"
Soushi's mother swoops in to grab my hands, splitting Soushi and Aikawa apart.
But her eyes are brimming with tears......
She really is happy, it seems.
"......"
Was that a bit cruel to Aikawa, though?
Aikawa's mother passed away when Aikawa was little.
Our mothers are here—but Aikawa's is not.
"Aikawa-san, about your living arrangements—now that university is starting......"
"Ah—I have a bit of a plan for where to live, actually......"
Kasumi-san went over to Aikawa, who had her head hanging.
I guess if I leave it to Kasumi-san, it'll be fine?
"Good grief, this is supposed to be a family celebration—why not enjoy some family time? Harue-san, you're far too soft."
Oh—now the spearhead swings toward Kasumi-san too.
Soushi's mother is pretty sharp-tongued with Kasumi-san as well.
"Kasumi-san is already family to us. She's off to pick my husband up at the station now, and we're all going out to eat together. That man comes home looking forward to seeing Kasumi-san more than he does us, you know."
"Ma'am......"
Right, the graduation ceremony is tomorrow.
Father is coming home too.
Which means we're about to go pick him up—but is it okay to leave Aikawa behind?
"Harue-san, don't rush things! Haru-kun is still young—you have to let him play around at least until he's out of university! Don't let yourself be fooled by refrigerators and vacuum cleaners!"
Hmm—Soushi's mother being hard on Aikawa might be because my mother's been bragging about her daughter-in-law, no?
"Mmm-mmm-mmm......"
It may have stung a little, but Kasumi-san bears it.
Aikawa's about to have a rough time of it.
"I didn't think ours would pass, so his is sleeping at home. I was planning to celebrate his graduation tomorrow, you see. Well, nothing for it today—I'll take this one with me and grab something to eat on the way back....... Haru-kun, really—thank you."
The one who studied desperately hard to teach Soushi was Aikawa, and the one who decided they'd go to the same university was Aikawa, though.
I look at Aikawa—she shakes her head side to side.
She's happy about it, and saying it now would just rain on the parade, huh......
Besides, it has to come from Soushi's own mouth.
Hang in there, Soushi.
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"Warm sunlight streams down upon us......"
Otori-san's send-off address began with the stock phrases......
Pretty ordinary, for someone so fired up about her "final great duty."
Well, even so, it beats three bags......
"The three things that matter to a working adult are......"
Hey, Principal!
The parents in attendance are all murmuring, you know.
The students are roaring with laughter at a bit that's secondhand, too.
How am I supposed to cry at my own graduation with this atmosphere......
"This concludes the graduation ceremony."
I braced myself for something else at the end, but there was no address.
Not that I'm disappointed or anything, you know?
"Kasugano-kun, can I get a photo? No—not with me, one of you together with Natsukawa-kun."
The final homeroom with parents in attendance is over, and the graduates are all out at the entrance, busy with commemorative photos.
Souma-san apparently passed her university properly too—she's got composure to spare today.
No wait—she took part in the year-end event, so maybe she had composure from the start?
Souma-san really did look after me.
She said she didn't need anything, but I asked her for a photo together.
It won't exactly be a farewell forever, but who knows when we'll next meet......
"Haruki-kun, got a second?...... Um, your second button, please."
"We're a weapon shop, so we don't deal in that sort of...... Huh?"
Not the boneless chicken?
I turn around—and there's Mizuki......
"Gimme one too, shii!"
"Then I'll be taking the first one."
"Hold it, you two—the second button belongs to Natsukawa-kun. I'll be securing it, if you don't mind."
"Everyone, calm down. Kasugano-kun—a sleeve button is fine for me."
And not just them—between the black gal, the white gal, Souma-san, the teacher, and even the female members of the Goddess Adoration Society, my uniform's buttons were stripped clean in no time.
Before I could even say "no buttons for anyone who didn't give me chocolate, you know?"—rip, they were gone.
"Hey, YOU!"
"Ah—sorry, I don't have any buttons left?"
Ah, it's Otori-san.
Crap, and she gave me chocolate, too......
"I don't want one!"
"Heyyy, Ito-kuuun! The President wants a button!"
"Foe? Y-you, what do you think you're doing!"
I caused her trouble before, so time to meddle a little on her behalf.
There was a little incident where Ito-kun, for some reason, turned red in the face and tried to hand ME a button, but it made it safely into Otori-san's hands, and the two of them apparently even exchanged contact information.
Hope it works out for them.
"What is WRONG with you people? I told you—I'm in a party with Soushi and the others! I've got plans after this, so can I go already?"
Oh?
That side's having its own scuffle, I see.
Aikawa has a talk with her father coming up after this.
"We're all Single-rank already, you know? You've got three over there, right? Soushi and the rest—we'd take 'em into our crew too, no charge."
No, we're Quadruple, though?
I've started a new work for Kakuyomu 10, so a bit of promotion ^^;
'The Unluckiest Man in the World Steps on the Level-Down Trap Twice in His First Dungeon'
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093086054561683
This one is also a modern-dungeon, modern fantasy story.
It's the tale of an unlucky man who experiences the urban legend that stepping on a level-down trap at Level 1 raises you to max level.
Max level, but still unlucky?
But actually, he just hasn't noticed it himself yet...... that's the kind of story it is.
Will he go on a rampage or not—I'm still feeling out the seasoning as I write.
Submissions for Kakuyomu 10 open at the end of the month, so until then I'll be posting irregularly.
That was the promotion ＼(^o^)／
To everyone who has already given it a high rating, thank you m(_ _)m
Comments would be appreciated too vv
I might reply to them over here ^^;