Chapter 43, Are You Getting Flustered Because of Me?

Translator: Lizz

 

I’ve arrived, but wow, this place sure looks expensive.

 

I totally thought it was going to be an izakaya, but it’s pretty stylish. Is it okay for someone like me to walk in?

 

Thinking that, I nervously step inside. When I tell the dandy-looking staff member that I’m meeting someone, I spot a flashy girl waving from afar.

 

“You’re so late! Come on, sit down, sit down.”

 

“I’m on time though. Are you already drunk? And where’s everyone else?”

 

“Huh? Just me. I’m super stressed from work, you know. I can’t deal without drinking.”

 

So it’s just the two of us again. And wow, Rena’s really drinking hard. The wine bottle’s already empty.

 

“Is work really that tough?”

 

“Totally tough. I’m just way too good at my job.”

 

“Are you bragging now?”

 

“I might be ten times better than Tora.”

 

“No way you’re that good. Maybe twice… Actually, I’m totally capable too!”

 

“Haha! Just kidding, just kidding. Hey, are you still doing dungeon exploration?”

 

I talk about how my streams have been doing well lately, like, unbelievably well.

 

When I say I don’t really get why they’re getting so much attention, Rena laughs cheerfully.

 

“Well duh, of course they’re blowing up. You’re the only one doing streams like that. Seriously, it’s crazy impressive.”

 

“Is it really that impressive?”

 

“Yeah. I mean, I always thought you’d succeed at something eventually. You’re just totally different from everyone else.”

 

Friends from high school and college have said stuff like that before. Like, ‘You’ve got serious talent’, or ‘If you get hooked on something, you’ll do great’.

 

But I’ve never really believed it. Even now, I still feel like a half-baked nobody. My streams just happen to be taking off.

 

Rena’s pretty drunk now, and her energy is through the roof. But as we keep talking about dungeon stuff, her expression gradually turns serious.

 

Then suddenly, she invites me.

 

“Hey Tora. If you’re up for it, wanna do it?”

 

“Huh? Do what?”

 

“Come on, you know. Let’s explore together, in DunFest.”

 

“Oh, DunFest, huh. Yeah, I don’t really have anyone to explore with right now.”

 

“Then perfect! I just leveled up three times the other day. So?”

 

<That proposal is not recommended.>

 

“Huh!? What was that voice!?”

 

Oh right. I forgot to turn off the goggles again. I quickly pull them out of my backpack and try to power them down.

 

“Hey Tora. Are those goggles really okay?”

 

“Hm? They’ve always been helpful. Why?”

 

“Well, I mean… I’ve never heard of that subscription thing. What if they hit you with a huge bill later?”

 

“I doubt that.”

 

People have always said I’m easy to fool, but the old lady who sold me these goggles wasn’t like that. I’m not that dumb… I think.

 

“If anything happens, tell me, okay? Anyway, what do you think? I’ve got some pretty strong teammates too. We could form a super solid party right now.”

 

“Eh, not sure…”

 

<Kagetora-sama and that person have too large a level gap. There is a risk of friendly fire.>

 

Every time Rena invites me, AI Miria shoots it down for some reason. But yeah, judging from the levels I saw before, there’s definitely a gap. Just leveling up three times isn’t quite enough…

 

“Geez, stop saying unnecessary stuff! Here, Tora.”

 

“Hm? What’s this?”

 

“A card from my Guild. I’m giving it to you.”

 

“Oh, uh, thanks! I’ll think about it.”

 

“Just so you know, neither I nor my teammates do any friendly fire, okay?”

 

“I’ll be careful too. Oh, looks like they’re closing.”

 

Before I know it, it’s already closing time. Rena and I leave the bar and start walking toward the station. Or at least, we were supposed to…

 

“Not enough booze! Tora, let’s hit another place!”

 

“Seriously? You should probably call it a night. Last train’s coming soon.”

 

“Who cares!”

 

More importantly, something’s bumping into me. I won’t say where, but it’s huge!

 

“Hey, are you blushing?”

 

“I’m not blushing.”

 

“Liar. What, are you getting flustered because of me?”

 

“No, not really.”

 

“Ehh, really? Your face is totally red. Come on, are you flustered?”

 

What’s going on? Rena’s acting totally different today. Well, she’s always kind of wild, but tonight she feels closer than usual.

 

“Then how about I make you even more flustered?”

 

“Huh? What do you mean—”

 

Just as I’m about to ask, something soft brushes against my cheek.

 

“Whoa!?”

 

“Ahaha! Been a while, huh?”

 

“Hey, hey. Don’t just surprise me like that.”

 

She’s the kind of person who does stuff like this sometimes. Random kisses on the cheek and all. I chuckle awkwardly at the thought.

 

<Sudden weather change detected.>

 

“Huh?”

 

Wait, she gives weather alerts now? I’m thinking that absentmindedly when—

 

“Ahhh!? It’s freezing!!”

 

“Whoa!? Rena, what’s going on!?”

 

A blizzard suddenly erupts—right where Rena’s standing! What the hell is this unnatural weather shift? It’s May, for crying out loud!

 

“Wh-Wh-What the heck is happening!?”

 

<Localized blizzard detected. Please be cautious.>

 

“No way that’s real!? Ahhh!”

 

“Hey! You okay!?”

 

The blizzard that hit only Rena disappears, but it’s so bizarre that going for another drink is totally off the table now.

 

So in the end, we part ways like usual.

 

On the train ride home, I get a chat from Rena. Looks like she’s seriously inviting me to join her team for DunFest.

 

While I’m still wondering what to do, I get another message, this time from Aoi-chan.

 

: Kagetora-san! One of our Guild’s top-ranked players wants to invite you to their team. If you’re interested, would you like to meet?

 

I’m getting invited from both sides. I feel really grateful, so I decide to go ahead and meet them.