part2 · 090-ep90

Episode 90: Shopping After Ten Years

Out of the barbershop, the two of them walked through town.

Ren was still in the sweats he'd had on until a little while ago. His hair was tidied, his beard cleanly shaved.

He looked like a completely different person from yesterday.

And so—

"...Hey, look at that person."

"Huh?"

"Isn't he ridiculously good-looking?"

The women passing by turned to look back at Ren.

"A model, maybe?"

"An actor, maybe?"

"But..."

One of them looked at Ren's clothes.

"Why the sweats?"

"True..."

"With a face that good-looking, too."

"If anything, it makes him stand out more."

Their voices carried. Mizuki smiled wryly.

"...He really does stand out, huh."

"...?"

Ren looked at Mizuki, puzzled.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. It's nothing."

Ren kept walking, unbothered.

How he looked to the people around him — he himself hardly understood.

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"Let's try this place."

Mizuki stopped in front of a clothing store.

"...A clothing store?"

"Yeah."

The two of them went inside. Mizuki immediately began looking at clothes.

"This one would look good on you."

"...You think?"

"Yeah. Try it on."

"...Okay."

Ren took the clothes Mizuki had picked and headed for the fitting room.

A while later—

"Well?"

Ren came out.

"Yeah. That looks good."

Mizuki nodded.

"Next, this one."

"...Again?"

"That was only the first one."

"...Right."

After that, Mizuki kept picking out clothes, one after another.

Shirts. Pants. A jacket. Everyday wear.

Ren tried on whatever he was handed. The clerk, too, looked a little startled every time.

"It really suits you."

"...Does it."

"It does."

Ren looked at himself in the mirror. But he had no particular impression.

Ten years living in the dungeon. He had never chosen clothes. As long as they were easy to move in and durable, that was enough.

"Okay, this one and this one..."

Mizuki gathered up the clothes she'd chosen.

And then—

"We'll take these, please."

Mizuki called the clerk over. The clerk bundled the items together.

"Thank you."

That was when it happened.

Ren stopped short.

"......"

"What's wrong?"

"...This."

"Hm?"

"...Do you need money for this?"

"......"

Mizuki went quiet for a moment.

And then—

"...Yeah."

Ren looked down at his clothes. Then he checked his belongings.

A wallet.

—He had none.

To begin with, he had no money that could be used on the surface.

"......"

Ren thought it over.

"...Then, next time is fine."

"Huh?"

"...I don't have any money."

Mizuki couldn't help a wry smile.

"Yeah. I know."

"...?"

"I know you don't have any money, Ren."

Ren looked at Mizuki without a word.

"That's why it's fine."

"...It's fine?"

"Yeah."

Mizuki took out her wallet.

"I'll pay for it."

"...Are you sure?"

"Of course."

Mizuki smiled.

"I'll have you know I'm an A-rank adventurer."

"......"

Ren's expression changed.

"...Adventurer?"

"Yeah."

Ren repeated the word.

"Adventurer...?"

"That's right."

Mizuki was a little surprised. Only now did she realize.

Ren—

knew almost nothing about the adventurers of today's world.

Of course he didn't. He had been inside the dungeon for ten years.

"...Oh. Right."

"...?"

"Looks like I'll have to teach you from the very beginning."

Mizuki smiled a little.

"You see, adventurers are—"

"......"

Ren tried to listen quietly.

But Mizuki stopped mid-sentence.

"...Never mind for today."

"...?"

"Clothes first."

"...Yeah."

"I'll tell you about adventurers some other time."

"...Okay."

Mizuki turned back to the clerk.

"These, please."

"Thank you."

She paid. Ren watched it all in silence.

Clothes for him. And Mizuki was the one paying.

"...Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Mizuki smiled.

"Next up — shoes."

"...Shoes too?"

"Yeah."

"...We're buying more?"

"Obviously."

Mizuki laughed, enjoying herself. Ren made a slightly troubled face.

Ten years in the dungeon. He was used to fighting monsters. To pushing through dangerous places. To putting his life on the line.

But—

buying clothes was the thing he wasn't used to at all.

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By the time the shopping was done, Ren's hands had picked up any number of bags.

Ordinary clothes. Underwear. Shoes. And the things he'd need for the life ahead.

Every one of them was something Ren hadn't had in ten years.

"Tired?"

"...A little."

"Heheh."

Mizuki laughed.

"More than the dungeon?"

"...In a different way."

"I see."

The two of them walked side by side.

This time, Ren wasn't in sweats. He wore ordinary clothes. Even in the middle of town, he no longer looked out of place.

—Except.

"...That person really is good-looking."

"Isn't that the person from before?"

"The woman next to him — isn't that Mizuki-san?"

"Huh, really?"

This time, what drew the eyes wasn't his clothes — it was his face.

Mizuki noticed the looks around them and smiled wryly.

"...Even with a change of clothes, you still stand out."

"...Do I?"

"Yeah."

Ren looked around. But he couldn't tell what was so unusual.

At the sight of him, Mizuki laughed again.

"Well, never mind."

"...?"

"You'll just get used to it little by little."

"...Yeah."

Ten years.

Ren had acquired only what he needed to keep living.

Food. Water. Weapons. Armor.

And—

the strength to survive.

But now was different.

Buying ordinary clothes. Choosing shoes. Paying at a store.

That ordinary, taken-for-granted everyday life — he was reclaiming it, little by little.

For Ren—

that, too, was an "everyday life" he hadn't had in ten years.