Chapter 72: The Nightmare Returns
It felt like just yesterday we had our midterms in May, but now were already in mid-June.
This marked the beginning of summer according to the traditional seasonal calendar.
The atmosphere in the class was quite elevated because a three-day, two-night trip to Chiba was scheduled to start the following Monday.
The interim school trip in summer.
Officially, it was known to be conducted for the purposes of improving the students health and academic achievement. However, in reality, it was no different from an annual summer outing.
Camping in the forest, making curry or barbecues, enjoying tests of courage, and campfires were staple events in any school romance comedy.
Typically, the class would be divided into several groups for such events to prevent anyone from feeling left out. The groups were usually determined by drawing lots.
With a total of 26 students in the class, dividing into groups of 6 or 7 resulted in a neat formation of four groups.
The drawing for these groups took place during the self-study period on Wednesday, in the 5th and 6th periods, under the supervision of our homeroom teacher, Matsuda.
As a result, I ended up in Group D, the same group as the protagonist, Sakamoto Ryuji.
Please take care, Kim.
Sure.
Ending up in the same group with close friends, thats lucky, isnt it?
The members of Group D, chosen through a fair draw, totaled seven: me, the protagonist, Rika, Satoru, the class representative, Sasha, and Yaguchi.
Honestly, the outcome of this group drawing could have been believed to be rigged.
It seemed impossible for a group to be formed so blatantly full of the original works heroines.
Perhaps, as a staple event in a love comedy, it was due to some sort of narrative necessity inherent in the original story?
Anyway, whats done is done, and we couldnt redo it. Excluding the fact that I ended up in the same group as protagonist Sakamoto Ryuji and the true heroine Yaguchi Maiya, everyone else was people I was friendly with, so the grouping wasnt bad.
After the group drawing, we had a temporary group meeting.
Hello! Were in the same class but havent talked much, have we?
Ah, yes. Please take care, Kishimoto.
Rika, a naturally sociable person, took the lead in the meeting, initiating conversations with her fellow group members.
Our Group D was essentially divided into two subgroups. One centered around me, Rika, and Sasha, and the other around Yaguchi and Sakamoto.
Satoru was sort of a bridge between both groups, and the Class President was, well, the Class President.
The Class President, who naturally took the lead as group head, pushed up her round glasses and asked with a notebook in hand.
First, we need to decide what were going to make for food at the campsite. Curry is the standard, but does anyone want to try something different?
Sasha was the first to raise her hand, surprisingly.
How about beef stroganoff instead of curry?
As long as the cooking process isnt too complicated. The campsite cooking facilities are basic.
That shouldnt be a problem. As long as we have the ingredients, everything else is quite simple.
Following her, Rika raised her hand next.
Omurice! Its easy to make and the ingredients are simple!
Yeah, thats not a bad idea. Any other suggestions?
I hesitated, caught between the two, then raised my hand.
How about Chinese-style rice bowl? I can bring a wok.
Chinese-style rice bowl? Isnt that a bit too complex?
Unlike the others, the Class President expressed skepticism at the mention of a Chinese-style rice bowl.
Alas, it seemed I had proposed a dish too ambitious for a school trip, understandable given their reaction.
Just as I was about to give up and suggest sticking with curry,
I think Chinese-style rice bowl is a good idea.
Sakamoto Ryuji, who had been quietly listening, suddenly spoke up.
As all eyes turned to him, he scratched the back of his head, perhaps feeling a bit embarrassed by the attention, and shared his thoughts.
Well, its just every time we go on a school trip, we end up making curry. Wouldnt it be nice to try something different for a change? If it turns out well, we could even trade with the other groups curry.
After hearing his words, the Class President pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement.
Thats a valid point. What do the rest of you think?
Oh, Im in favor. Ryu-chans cooking is really delicious.
I have no objections.
While were at it, can we also make chili shrimp?
Well like Ryuji said, it might be okay to try something different for once.
After gathering everyones opinions, the Class President put down her notebook and summarized.
Alright, its settled then. For this school trip, well make beef stroganoff, omurice, and a Chinese-style rice bowl.
Hearing this, Satoru chuckled,
Looks like curry is off the menu.
Well, its good to try different things once in a while.
I shrugged and thanked Sakamoto across the table with a nod, acknowledging his support.
Two days after the tumultuous discussions about the school trip,
I finally received the long-awaited answer from Senior Fuma at the gym after school.
Come to this address around 2 PM tomorrow. Then, Ill answer everything youre curious about.
She said as she handed me a small piece of paper.
Upon opening it, I found an address written on it.
Where is this?
Its the cafe where I work on weekends. I work at a convenience store during the weekdays and at the cafe on weekends.
For a third-year student busy preparing for the center exams and working two part-time jobs a week, her school life seemed incredibly hectic.
Arent you overworking yourself?
With school life during the day, club activities, and then gym and convenience store jobs at night.
It would be physically tough for the average person to keep up.
Sensing my thoughts, Senior Fuma chuckled lightly and wiped her sweaty face with a towel.
I know what youre worried about. But for a Fuma ninja who has been trained under extreme conditions, this is nothing. In fact, my health has improved since I started following you here.
Following me?
Ah. No, forget what I just said. It was a slip of the tongue.
Senior Fuma hurriedly said so, then confessed with a slightly reddened face.
At first, I followed you for a few days because I was curious about the secret of your strength. Now, I come here for health purposes since my curiosity has been satisfied.
It seemed she was referring to the stalking that happened at the beginning of the semester.
I had no idea why she was following me at the time, but I never expected this backstory.
So, I just need to go to the shop at this address tomorrow?
Right. Around 2 PM, most of the customers will have left, so well have plenty of time to talk.
Got it. Ill see you tomorrow then.
I said this and nodded, then watched Senior Fuma head home first.
June 24th (Saturday)
The summer school trip was now just two days away.
Since we planned to buy the ingredients together tomorrow, today was relatively free.
Enjoying a rare day off, I rolled around on the floor after breakfast and remembered I hadnt checked the address Senior Fuma gave me.
I set aside the manga I was reading and entered the address into a search engine on a portal site, which showed me where her cafe was located.
Akihabara?
Could I have seen it wrong?
Wondering if my eyesight was already deteriorating at this age, I rubbed my eyes and looked at the screen of my smartphone again, but the address hadnt changed.
Akihabara was still considered a sacred place for otakus worldwide, but recalling the rough incident there during the last Golden Week, I felt a slight resistance in my heart.
However, to hear the story about the other side of this world, I needed Senior Fumas cooperation.
That meant I had to head back into that den once more.
Sigh.
There was no other choice.
I decided to stop avoiding reality and confront it head-on.
It seemed unlikely that the same kind of incident would happen again, especially with the school trip, a major episode in the original story, coming up.
Even if something did happen, I could always just run away with all my might.
[AsobiMaid Akihabara Main Store]
Was this the cafe where Senior Fuma worked?
I looked at the building in disbelief, comparing the address listed in the search results to the actual building.
In a way, it was a nightmare I never wanted to experience again, more so than any fight before.
I decided to retreat for now and find another way to meet with Senior Fuma.
Just as I was about to turn around,
Kim Yu-seong? Why are you loitering in front and not coming in?
Ding Dong! Ding Dong!
The sudden sound of the cafe door opening and the voice from the entrance made me freeze.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l