kscans

Chapter 11 - Possibly the Best Day of My Life

I returned from the Frontier, settled my accounts at the reception desk, then went to the changing room and took a shower.

Ah, that feels good. Moving my body is nice.

For eight years, I barely moved at all. I washed away the fatigue and sweat from my first real exercise in a long time, then quickly changed my clothes. Kaede-chan said I could take my time, but I can’t keep a girl waiting outside.

After changing, I stood in front of the mirror.

Yep, that’s me. Not blonde, not a woman. Just my usual, ordinary self.

Satisfied with my neither good nor bad face, I grabbed my bags and left the changing room. Then, I walked through the lobby and out of the guild.

At the edge of the guild entrance, a cute girl with brown hair wearing a loose white knit sweater and a floral print long skirt was waiting, a brown pochette slung over her shoulder. Of course, it was Kaede-chan.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Oh? You’re early."

"I didn’t want to make you wait. This is how it is for guys."

We don’t wear makeup or anything.

"I see..."

Kaede-chan kept glancing up at me.

"It’s been a while since I’ve seen you in your regular clothes. You’re as cute as ever."

"Thank you!"

Alright, quota fulfilled.

"But didn’t you say we were going to an izakaya?"

"Girls dress up no matter where they go."

"Hmm. Do you go there often?"

"I go with my colleagues."

After work, probably? She did say it was nearby.

"...And at those times?"

"I’m in my uniform... Senpai, you need to fix that about yourself. Please read the room."

Right. Yeah, I know. Kaede-chan got dressed up for me. Her hair, which she usually ties into a single ponytail for work, was down now, looking all natural and fluffy.

"Sorry, sorry. Shall we go?"

"Yes, this way!"

I followed Kaede-chan as she led me to her favorite izakaya. It was close to the guild, not even a five-minute walk.

We entered the izakaya, and a staff member showed us to a private room that only had a table and seating.

"It’s a private room."

"All the rooms here are private. I mean, you wouldn’t want to be drinking after an adventure and overhear a receptionist complaining, would you? That’s why we drink at places with private rooms."

That would be unpleasant. Especially if it was a complaint about the adventurer they were just serving.

"I see. Ah, Kaede-chan, what are you drinking? Cassis?"

Kaede-chan likes Cassis.

"No, I’ll start with a draft beer."

I called over a waiter and ordered two draft beers. They were brought over right away, so we ordered some random appetizers.

""Cheers.""

Once the waiter left, we clinked our glasses and drank our beer.

"You drink beer now, Kaede-chan? You used to say you hated it because it was bitter."

"Working adults drink beer. This feeling as it goes down my throat washes away all the stress."

No, you’re swallowing the stress right along with the beer.

"Sounds tough. Is it the customer service?"

"It is. It’s not so bad during the day when you come, Senpai, but it gets crowded in the evenings. And there are some bad-quality people too."

"Quality, huh. Complainers? Guys hitting on you?"

"Both. Plus there are guys with bad attitudes, it’s so annoying."

She’s really letting it out.

"By the way, I didn’t see any other adventurers in Eden Forest during the day, but it got crowded in the evening. Why is that? Does everyone go out in the evening?"

"Ah, that... Eden Forest is a beginner’s area. So, the people who go there are either students who have school or salarymen thinking of quitting their jobs. That’s why no one is there during the day."

Ah, so there aren’t many people who become Adventurers after quitting like me...

"Why aren’t they at the guild?"

"Because our guild is an unpopular one that only gets beginners like that."

Kaede-chan chugged her beer.

"Guilds can be unpopular?"

"There are various factors, but ours doesn’t have any A-rank adventurers. So the materials brought back are lame, and the materials for sale are lame too. To put it bluntly, the receptionists are unpopular."

"But you’re here, Kaede-chan."

You’re cute.

"Other places are amazing. They’re full of beauties to boost sales. And their figures are all don."

Kaede-chan made a gesture for large breasts with her hands.

"Huh..."

"Ah! Senpai, are you thinking of transferring!?"

"No, I prefer a guild where Kaede-chan is over one with strangers. Come to think of it, you’re the only person I talk to."

I only talk to my neighbor Yaa-san every once in a while.

"...Senpai."

"And I just realized that the other day."

"Senpai, want another drink?"

"Yes, please."

We quickly ordered our second round. We continued to vent our complaints while eating the appetizers that arrived.

"What do you mean, ‘You’re cute, miss’? I’ve known that since the day I was born! Don’t hit on a 24-year-old when you’re still in high school!"

She’s on a roll.

"Hey, Kaede-chan, don’t take my tsukune. You already ate yours."

"You’re as petty as ever. Just order another one. You won the lottery, didn’t you!"

She’s drunk. Yeah, there’s no way I could let other adventurers see her like this.

"I’m not petty."

"Oh yes, you are. Back when we went drinking together, you were counting the number of karaage pieces."

...That is petty.

"Have I ever gone drinking with just the two of us?"

We’d had simple meals like lunch several times, but when we went drinking, it was always with a group.

"It was the after-party. We had an extra round, just the two of us, remember?"

"Oh, right, that did happen."

I miss the youthfulness of ordering karaage at an after-party. I’m still young, though!

"This is the first time we’ve gone drinking just the two of us from the start."

"Well, we were university students back then. If we were going out, it would be with everyone."

It’s not like we were a couple.

"Four years since then... Senpai, you became mentally scarred at a black company, and I feel like I’m currently on the verge of breaking down. I want to quit and go back to being an Adventurer too."

Hm?

"You were an Adventurer?"

"I was. After you graduated, Senpai, I worked part-time and got my license. I didn’t want to get a real job."

That was her motivation...

"But you quit?"

"I kept it up until I graduated from university, and I made good money. But the party I was in disbanded. You wouldn’t know since you’re a master swordsman, Senpai, but only idiots or people with no friends go to the Frontier solo... Yes, that’s you!"

Kaede-chan pointed at me with a force that seemed to have a don sound effect. Then she immediately started cackling.

This girl is super drunk...

"Why did it disband?"

"The leader said she was tired. Well, it’s not a profession you do for a long time."

There are a lot of dangers, after all.

"Right before graduating university... Wasn’t job hunting tough?"

There’s no way you could make it if you started job hunting then.

"No, that leader got a new job as a Guild Master. And she invited me to join her. That’s why I became a receptionist."

I see. So the Guild Master of the Ikebukuro branch was the leader of Kaede-chan’s party. She must have been considerate since she was a student.

"Wow. You’ve had it tough too."

"Well, the pay is good, though."

At least, it seemed better than my salary at my previous job.

"Hmm, I should have invited you to become an Adventurer with me back in our student days."

"Oh, speaking of which, Senpai, why didn’t you think of becoming an Adventurer? Even though you had Swordsmanship Level 5 from the start..."

"I wanted to live a normal life. Get a job, get married, have kids. That kind of life."

It might sound pathetic, but that’s the life I wanted to live.

"I see... And yet, the company you joined was a black one."

"That’s right. Life doesn’t go as planned."

"Well, things like that happen. But you’re still only 26, Senpai, right? You can still do it!"

"Just asking, but is 10 million enough?"

Will you marry me?

"No, I think you can do better, Senpai. Let’s aim for a hundred million! Yay! Cheers!"

"Cheers! I’ll take you on a trip around the world!"

"Lovely! But between the crab in Hokkaido just now and this, your ideas are completely those of a commoner."

Shut up!

Kaede-chan and I continued to talk and drink, and when it got late, we decided to call it a night. Looking at Kaede-chan’s state, I knew she couldn’t manage on her own, so I had the waiter call a taxi.

"Senpai, what about round two?"

As I tried to get the completely wasted Kaede-chan into the taxi, she asked a stupid question.

"Next time. For the second round, I’ll take you back to my 30-year-old apartment."

"Move! I want a nice condo with a double bed!"

It has been decided that I will buy a double bed when I move.

"Yes, yes. Go home and sleep."

"Senpai, thank you for today. It was delicious."

"Thanks for showing me a good place. I still have today’s earnings left."

I thought I would lose all of the 35,000 yen I made today.

"Earn more! A hundred million, a hundred million!"

"I get it, I get it."

What a handful she is.

"Senpai, see you tomorrow! Oh, and next time, let’s go for yakiniku!"

You have tomorrow off...

"Yes, yes. I’ll take you to that famous place we talked about."

We had exchanged messages about that before.

"Promise! Senpai, I love you!"

"Driver, on second thought, I’ll take her home with me."

Umm, a hotel, a hotel...

"Ah, crap, this is for real. Driver, to Nerima station."

It seemed Kaede-chan had sobered up.

"Hurry up and go home."

"Good night."

"Good night."

The taxi carrying Kaede-chan drove off, so I bought a few things at a convenience store and took a taxi home myself.

Four years since graduating from university... I think today was the most fun day I’ve ever had.