Episode 317: The Night of the Banquet

"Then! With that in mind! To the 'Land of Mirrors,' which gave us temporary refuge and boredom... Cheers!"

At Hamada's shout, the response "Kanpai!" echoed throughout the high-ceilinged building.

Thirty or so refugees present there simultaneously raised their glasses and clinked them together.

At the same moment, the lively clamor drifting from the night-time izakaya filled the air around them.

It felt like everyone could finally breathe a sigh of relief now that an escape route was in sight.

That said, I can't help but notice—just a little—how they're drinking a bit too enthusiastically.

I just hope it doesn't affect them tomorrow.

For precaution, I'm carefully watching everyone while sipping mineral water with a sealed cap and a bowl of soup that's been thoroughly boiled and confirmed to have neutralized the "zombie toxin."

As for the taste... well, uh...

Everything about it feels like baby food. It's not that the taste is particularly strange, but there's hardly any solid texture, and eating this for too long might weaken my teeth.

Still, one could say this very lack of texture gives it an odd, intriguing quality.

As I carefully brought the soup to my mouth, I mashed the fibrous bits of beef with a soft, squishy motion.

"Ahh-hyaha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Nuh-oh! Matsumi-san, you're something else!"

In the center of the refugees, laughing like it was a scene from a straw hat pirate party, was Nanami.

Among us, she's by far the brightest and most energetic, and she's already drawing everyone's attention.

Unfazed by being lightly touched on the backside, Nanami seamlessly blends into the crowd of older men.

Unexpectedly, it's also Shichireiran-chan who's adding energy to the atmosphere.

She seems surprisingly unfazed by this kind of environment, surrounded by several older men, listening attentively to their conversations.

The unwavering belief that life will surely improve—it seems to be something universally uplifting.

Every face gleams with the light of hope.

Among these people, one boy stands out, his expression unmoving.

This is Koita Kōichi.

"Every time a bright, festive scene like this appears in a story—I always think, 'There's no way I belong here.'"

A completely negative opening greeting. I couldn't agree more.

"So, what about Dogbite?"

"He was found. Right away after."

That's good to hear.

"Is he here now?"

"No... well..."

Kōichi looked a bit awkward,

"It's just... I really don't feel like meeting him."

"Like meeting him? Why? Is there something shady going on?"

"Well... um... I don't know how to put it. It seems there's been a bit of a misunderstanding between us."

It was clear he was struggling to come up with a way to neatly explain it, in his own way.

I frowned.

"Even if he doesn't want to show his face, you could just check with the Skill Assessment and find out for yourself, couldn't you?"

"That is... well, I must admit I don't fully understand your world, but I've heard there are ways to cleverly conceal things."

Indeed, I've heard there are skills capable of hiding the fact that one is a 'player.'

"Still, we can't carry out rescue operations with peace of mind under such circumstances."

"Please, don't worry. By then, the dog-bite fellow has promised to reveal his true identity for certain."

"At that time... exactly when is that? What time, what minute, what day of the week? How many times has the Earth turned?"

"I cannot say for certain. But I can only tell you this— the Dog-Biter is acting with greater caution than usual. That is all."

He wants to maintain his advantageous position until the very last moment.

Well,...in that case, I can understand.

"Regardless, the Dog-Biter harbors no ill intent. I swear it with my life."

"...Hm."

I gave a small nod and stood up.

"Ah... where are you going?"

"I'm going to sleep. It seems there's nothing more to do here."

"...I see."

"In that case..."

I quickly left the spot and headed toward the furniture store inside the mall, assigned as our sleeping quarters.

There, a perfect bed setup for all four of us had already been made, and I collapsed onto one of them with a soft thud.

Buried my face into a six-thousand-yen sleep pillow said to be made by NASA.

— That guy, Il, must be someone who's received blessings of a divine caliber.

This world has far too many uncertain elements.

Just one source of anxiety, and suddenly, unpleasant things seem to sprout from every direction.

It feels like I'm being manipulated on someone else's palm, and I hate it.

▼

Even after that, as I continue tossing and turning in bed, lost in thought, Maemi suddenly appears, her cheeks flushed, as if she's had a little to drink.

Good job!

Good job. Where are the other two?

Ran-chan is still listening to everyone's words....Nanami is...

She let out a long, slow sigh.

Found a good guy, but he seems to have vanished somewhere. Somewhere quiet, you know.

"Places that aren't popular... could it really be...?"

Maya-san moves her index finger in and out of a ring made with her fingers.

"By tomorrow morning, he'll be a hollow man. The 'playboy's' 'sexual technique'—it's incredible, I tell you."

"...Seriously? This is like an erotic manga world."

The unfortunate one is the man who was used for stress relief. They say that after spending one night with Nanami, he'll never be able to touch an ordinary woman again.

Wow.

Something like... that...

For the sake of future reference, I'd like to take a look at how it feels, just briefly.

"So, the 'deal' scheduled for midday—"

"Yeah, the 'reconciliation with Nanami' will have to wait."

That's disappointing.

We had agreed that, by helping mend the relationship between the two, I'd gather information about Ayame-chan.