夏のスペシャル ２０２５年度 夏の怖い話 その１１ (Part2)
"Is such a measure available? If so, does that mean we’re free to rest here for three days?"
"I suppose it’s fine... Ah, I see your point. You lot rarely get the chance to catch your breath, do you? Being able to rest without the passage of time—that’s a luxury, isn't it?"
Luna seemed to grasp my intent, nodding in agreement.
Exactly. If we could take a break here, it would mean three days of rest without any risk or temporal cost. To my mind, that sounded like an incredible deal.
"Right. Though, is there a catch? Like, not actually recovering from fatigue, or perhaps the environment itself placing a strain on us?"
"None at all. You’ll experience the passage of three days, so you will age, and if you spend those three days running wild, you’ll certainly be exhausted. Well, if you come as a married couple, fatigue is inevitable, but since you’re ageless, the aging part shouldn't be a drawback for you, should it?"
True. Since we are immortal, aging is a non-issue.
Though, I have to wonder—does Luna think coming here as a couple is inherently tiring? Not that I think our marriage is on the rocks or anything.
"What about usage restrictions?"
"I don't intend to set any hard limits, but I’d rather you didn't hole up here indefinitely, and it does consume my resources, after all... Besides, it’s not just you, but your wives as well, right?"
"That's true."
"In that case, assuming you’ll want to use it almost daily... let’s say, for one person—no, three or four. Let’s cap it at around thirty people, once a week."
"Oh, that many? That’s more than enough."
"Well, I’m well aware of how much I’ve pushed you all, and with the scale of things growing, I know your nights have been quite busy lately, haven't they?"
"...I suppose they have."
Between work and the nights, I’m constantly occupied. Finding time for hobbies has indeed become a struggle.
"Wait! Hold on! If that’s the case, I want in too! I’ve been dying to get back to my plastic models and games!"
"Oh, Taiki and Taizo are welcome to use it as well. I’m kicking you all out after three days anyway. You can manage some study or light research, but nothing heavy-duty."
"Fair enough. What about leaving tools and equipment here?"
"Impossible. The maintenance would be a nightmare. It’s essentially a hard reset every time. Besides, I’d planned on adding a dedicated lodging facility—a safe house, if you will—from the start."
"You had that planned?"
"I wouldn't have built such an elaborate place otherwise. I’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic for Japanese cuisine myself. There’s no chef, mind you—you just go to the shops and whatever you select from the menu appears instantly."
"Seriously?!"
That was incredible news for Taiki and me.
We had noticed the shops on the main street, but they had all been shuttered. I’d assumed they were just scenery, but the fact that they were functional was a game-changer!
"Oh, right. Since you’re finished with the tour anyway, why not test it out for the next three days? I’ll open up the new lodging facility and a few of the shops on the main street. I don’t expect any trouble. And while I can’t open every single house, feel free to explore the rest of them. The whole point was to give you a good scare, right? That’s perfect for the summer season."
"Understood. I’ll take you up on that offer."
Under normal circumstances, I’d refuse to set foot in a haunted house, but the prospect of three days of leisure without the passage of time, coupled with good food, was a different story. To us, this was a reward. Getting this much out of a simple, harmless summer ghost story check was an absolute steal.
"Oh, wait a second. If we use it now, does that count toward our weekly limit?"
"Don't worry, I won't include this trial run. You can bring Airi and the others next time."
"Thank you very much!"
Even Taiki was genuinely grateful for such favorable conditions.
And just like that, we had secured ourselves a three-day vacation. I suppose I’ll finally get around to clearing that backlog of plastic models and books.
Thus, our summer vacation began.
And so, Yuki and the others claimed their summer break.
If you’d like to see the episodes from that summer vacation, let me know in the comments.
Though, I suppose there isn't all that much to do in a Japanese town, is there?