Chapter 8, Eh, You Need Me for Something?

Translator: Lizz

 

The next day, Rekka went to school as usual and sat down at his seat. He was earlier than normal. He waited for a while, gazing outside while his classmates began arriving one after another with greetings, and the room grew more crowded.

 

But the person he was waiting for did not come. Only ten minutes before homeroom began did she finally enter. There were more people than expected. Thinking about that, Rekka stood up smoothly and spoke to the girl who had just sat down, Tachibana Rika.

 

“H-hey.”

 

It was the first time since entering high school that Rekka had spoken to a girl. His first greeting came out in a stammer. Because he wasn’t used to talking to girls, he was extremely nervous, and his actions looked even more suspicious than usual.

 

“Um… good morning.”

 

Rika was bewildered that the class delinquent had suddenly spoken to her. She didn’t feel like she was in danger, but she did get the impression that she might be dragged into some kind of scheme.

 

“Kanamiya-kun, do you need something? Homeroom is about to—”

 

Rika, conscious of her classmates’ eyes, tried to end the conversation quickly, but Rekka cut her off.

 

“Are you looking for fellow explorers? If so, I can introduce you.”

 

Rika’s eyes narrowed sharply, her wariness showing. The wavering look in her eyes turned into a piercing gaze.

 

It was a worry she hadn’t shared with her classmates. Why did he know? Why did he choose this moment to speak to her? Her imagination began to race.

 

“Um, what do you mean? Why do you think I’m looking for that?”

 

She returned the question with a probing gaze. Someone who didn’t know the situation was claiming he could give her exactly what she wanted. It was only natural to be cautious.

 

Rika wasn’t so naive as to trust someone unconditionally just because they were a classmate. She was trying to discern his intentions.

 

“I just happened to overhear. You told Koizumi, ‘I have an explorer’s license,’ and ‘I want to join a team,’ right? Looks like you got turned down. I figured it wouldn’t be a problem if I introduced you.”

 

“Hm.”

 

Rika thought she had blended in among the other girls and spoken discreetly, but now in retrospect, her actions had been clumsy enough for Rekka to notice.

 

Was he ‘a guy who looks stupid but actually observes the situation and can make deductions’? She considered revising her impression, but Rekka always wore a silly grin and had a sloppy look, so she decided that couldn’t be the case.

 

It wasn’t intelligence, just sharp intuition, she concluded.

 

“So, what’s it going to be?”

 

Rekka pressed her for an answer. Rika hesitated only for a moment.

 

“There are too many people here, so later.”

 

Since he had brought up the matter of explorers, she couldn’t simply run away.

 

Even so, since it was something she didn’t want classmates to overhear, the place wasn’t suitable for the conversation.

 

“Yeah.”

 

Rekka, aware that the surrounding eyes were on him, accepted her suggestion.

 

He quickly returned to his seat and, wearing a stern expression as if to intimidate, waited for homeroom to begin.

 

◆◆◆

 

When lunchtime came, most students rushed to the store or cafeteria to satisfy their hunger, but going against that flow, Rekka and Rika went behind the gym and spread out their lunches.

 

“Surprising. I thought you only ate sweet bread.”

 

Rekka’s lunch was made by Masato. Sometimes frozen food was used, but most of it was leftovers from dinner.

 

Fried chicken, rolled omelet, salad—classic items filled the box. It was a homely lineup that contrasted sharply with Rekka’s image.

 

“My brother’s cooking. I’m not giving you any.”

 

“It’s not like I actually wanted it.”

 

With that, Rika took a bite of her sweet bread. She handled her food carefully, savoring it slowly. In contrast, Rekka shoved fried chicken into his mouth and then stuffed in rice, eating in a rough manner that gave off a coarse impression.

 

For a while, they kept up small talks, as if probing each other, while filling their stomachs. As time passed slowly, Rika, growing impatient, tossed the last piece of bread into her mouth and brought up the main topic.

 

“So, what kind of person are you introducing me to?”

 

“Just to confirm the details, Tachibana,you have an explorer’s license, you’re currently solo, and you’re looking for teammates, right? If that’s wrong, tell me.”

 

Rekka asked to confirm Rika’s situation. To move the conversation forward, he needed to be sure his assumptions were correct.

 

“…That’s right. I even tried joining explorer gatherings, but I couldn’t find anyone unusual enough to want a high schooler as a teammate.”

 

“Yeah, that’s true. For us first-years, finding partners is tough.”

 

Though he agreed, Rekka was inwardly surprised. The fact that Rika was actively taking steps outside of school showed she wasn’t treating this as a game—she was serious about being an explorer. Thinking she might be a good fit for Masato’s team, he decided to tell her everything.

 

“Do you want to say I’m reckless and stupid…?”

 

“No, I just stated the facts. Anyway, the explorer I’ll introduce you to… is my brother.”

 

“Hmm. And?”

 

Rika forced down her inner impatience, fixing him with a look that demanded he get on with the explanation.

 

“My brother started solo about a month ago and has already reached the 3rd floor of the Tokyo Dungeon. The 1st and 2nd floors weren’t a problem, but apparently cutting through an orc’s fat is tough. Since his weapons are knives, it’s hard to land a fatal blow. He’d been struggling with that for a while, but now he’s finally decided to seriously look for teammates. Still, he hasn’t found anyone suitable yet, so he’s having a hard time. That’s why I thought I’d meddle a little and talk to you. That’s the situation.”

 

Being able to reach the 3rd floor solo showed a certain level of skill. Considering he had only just started, Rika could easily imagine he was in the talented category. Their combat styles wouldn’t overlap either, so she judged there wasn’t any major issue.

 

“Hmm. So your brother’s a professional explorer?”

 

“Yeah. Not part-time, but full-time. Generally, he can be called professional.”

 

“I see. What kind of person is your brother?”

 

Looking at his record alone, Masato seemed like an excellent explorer. But the fact that he was still working solo bothered Rika, making her wonder if he had personality issues.

 

She knew she wouldn’t get a perfectly accurate answer since he was family, but she still wanted some background information in advance.

 

“He’s not the type to panic. He’s more responsible than anyone, and above all, he takes good care of people. Even in a pinch, he wouldn’t abandon you… By the way, he also took ranger training, so he can handle things outside of combat too.”

 

“From what you’re saying, he sounds so reliable that I don’t understand why he’s working solo. Is there something you’re not telling me?”

 

“…He doesn’t have any friends. Don’t tell him I said that.”

 

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

 

“”…””

 

An awkward silence filled the air.

 

After a while, Rika broke it.

 

“This is a rare chance, so I’ll meet him. When would be good?”

 

There was no need to hesitate. She couldn’t afford to overlook such a promising candidate right in front of her.

 

“Tomorrow after school. I’ll tell you the place later, so give me your contact info.”

 

With that, the conversation about explorers ended. Rekka returned to the classroom and finished the day’s lessons. After going home, he explained the situation to Masato.

 

“Since Rekka is the one introducing us, I feel at ease,” Masato said, and the meeting was set.