“Welcome today, Kiraboshi-san, to the Shirogasaki Estate. …It’s a small home, but please relax and make yourself comfortable.”
That afternoon—after school, Shirogasaki invited her friend Kiraboshi to her home as planned.
The Shirogasaki Estate was a detached house on a hill.
Although somewhat distant from the downtown area, the two-story mansion with a balcony and garden was more compact than her family home, but perfectly adequate for daily living.
“Excuse me…” Kiraboshi said timidly. Shirogasaki smiled, telling her, “Don’t hesitate,” as she set down her bag and headed to the balcony.
She accepted the situation of overlooking the houses lined up below the hill as a matter of course. She had the butler prepare tea and sweets, and first bowed her head politely.
“Kiraboshi-san. I apologize for saying rude things to Kageichi-san the other day. I offer my sincere apologies once again.”
“It’s alright. I’ll convey it to the teacher from my side.”
“Thank you very much.”
First, greetings and apologies. Even if the other party was a con artist, Shirogasaki’s name would be tarnished if she lacked courtesy.
And then, the main topic—but before that.
“…Well, there’s something else I wanted to talk about today, but before that, may I ask about the matter of Imoutoya-san, who was attacked the other day?”
The man who attacked them in the S-class Dungeon “Nagi Plains” was never found.
She thought it was the Labyrinth Agency’s negligence, but apart from that…
“I also heard from Imoutoya-san, and she seems to think she was abandoned by Kiraboshi-san. That I was used as bait to escape, she said.”
“…Imoutoya-san may think so. But it was a dangerous situation if I hadn’t gone to call for help, right?”
“I explained that as well, but she wouldn’t listen.”
“Shirogasaki-san. I’ll say it again, but it’s impossible for me to make up with her. Someone who calls me heartless for going to call for help…”
Indeed, that incident had distanced Kiraboshi and Imoutoya.
It was also the trigger for Shirogasaki to harbor even more aversion towards Dungeons.
But that’s precisely why—trials must be overcome.
“Even so, I’m asking you. Couldn’t you please get along with her?”
“Huh???”
“Imoutoya-san must have been very scared being attacked by a man. …It was the same when she was attacked by a Monster at school before. She’s been attacked twice in the special environment of a Dungeon… I think she’s just taking her fear out on Kiraboshi-san to cover it up.”
“So, you’re saying I should silently accept that abuse? Don’t force it on me.”
Kiraboshi glared, and while she understood her feelings—she couldn’t falter.
Imoutoya was a victim of the Dungeon.
She needed mental care, and it was only natural for herself and Kiraboshi, who weren’t directly harmed, to be considerate.
Of course, she had also sternly told Imoutoya that Kiraboshi wasn’t at fault—
“Shirogasaki-san. I’ve been wondering this for a while, but why do you try so hard to make everyone get along?”
“Eh?”
“Normally, you wouldn’t try to be friends with someone who has declared they don’t want to associate with you…”
A prick of pain in her chest.
Friendship… it was a kind of trauma for Shirogasaki.
The old pain gradually resurfaced—but it would be cowardly to keep hiding it.
“Kiraboshi-san… haven’t you ever felt it was unnatural that I attend the current school?”
The high school Shirogasaki and the others attended was an ordinary public high school.
She understood that Shirogasaki, who looked like she should be attending a private school, stood out. In fact, she had previously attended a well-known elite school for girls.
If things had gone smoothly, she would have progressed to the high school on the same educational ladder—
“Actually, I was being lightly bullied at my previous school.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes. The content wasn’t a big deal, but… it was still uncomfortable.”
You should get along with your friends.
Based on the principle she learned from her mother in elementary school, Shirogasaki tried to communicate properly in middle school as well.
She actively joined groups and occasionally showed her face among the boys.
She didn’t take on the role of Class Representative, but she was active, or so she thought.
But when she realized it, she was isolated.
–That girl tries to please everyone, doesn’t she?
She acts like a good girl and flirts with the boys. She’s not a bad person, but I can’t be friends with her. Does she feel like anyone is fine?
She protested that that wasn’t her intention.
But for some reason, no one would listen—she consulted with her mother, and it improved somewhat, but there were still people who wouldn’t listen.
The words that girl said still lingered in her ears.
–You know.
–Don’t you just want to collect trophies called “friends” instead of actually wanting friends?
“…At the time, I couldn’t completely believe in my mother’s teachings. …I was weak. And my mother also said that there are sometimes people you just don’t get along with… so it became uncomfortable, and I came to this high school. My mother also said it would be easier to ‘persuade’ her if it was a normal high school rather than an elite girls’ school.”
“Persuade, huh.”
“Yes. But even after transferring, I still stood out… and that’s when Kiraboshi-san was the first to speak to me.”
She still remembered the joy of that time.
If you have any problems, consult me. I’m the Class Representative, she said—
“I was happy. There was someone who would talk to someone like me. The Kamase Sisters are the same.”
“…I think they just smelled money, though?”
“I hadn’t had friends in a long time… just having someone with me filled my heart.”
“Are you listening to me?”
Shirogasaki gently placed her hand on her chest and gave thanks as if praying.
She wasn’t wrong after all.
If she sincerely did her best, there would be people who understood, like Kiraboshi-san and the Kamase Sisters.
That’s why she wanted to cherish the “friends” she made for the first time in high school from the bottom of her heart—
And she had to properly eliminate the causes that interfered with her friends.
…It was the Dungeon’s fault that she went crazy.
It was the Dungeon’s fault that the Kamase Sisters and Kiraboshi became estranged.
Since everything was the Dungeon’s fault, if they didn’t get involved with Dungeons, they would surely be able to get along again.
–Let’s get to the main topic.
In order to properly awaken her.
“Kiraboshi-san. …As a friend, let me say it again. Can you please stop getting involved with Dungeons?”
–She had changed since she got involved with Dungeons.
She used to always listen to the other person’s opinion and think about it, but recently she often refused, and… the other day, she apparently skipped school to work on Dungeon cleaning.
That was already beyond the realm of a student. Students should focus on studying and friendship.
“I’ve also researched a lot about Dungeons. Kiraboshi-san, you’re being deceived.”
Shirogasaki once again lined up the arguments she had researched online.
The Labyrinth Agency’s deception and lies, the truth about Dungeons.
The stories that were told in the world, such as the great disaster—a terrifying Monster sleeps in the basement of the S-class Dungeon, and if the extermination fails, it will suffer fatal damage—were nothing more than fabrications by the Labyrinth Agency—
“Even though you’ve never seen the real thing.”
She muttered something quietly, but it must have been her imagination.
“Kiraboshi-san. There’s still time. Stop doing such barbaric and dangerous things like Dungeon exploration, and spend your time as a normal high school girl, like before? …Instead of following dangerous adults, let’s all get along, like we did in our first year.”
“…………”
“What I want is a normal high school girl relationship. Being friends and studying together, going shopping after school. …If necessary, I don’t mind providing some of my money. Even if we’re friends, I’m wealthier, so I think I should sometimes give alms.”
What Shirogasaki sought was an ordinary friend.
Going to school together as friends, playing, and sometimes revealing embarrassing secrets… being shy, laughing, and deepening their friendship.
Money didn’t matter. Family background didn’t matter.
She wanted to enjoy a normal, commonplace happiness—exchanging conversations for that purpose was surely the right thing to do, no matter how anyone looked at it—
“Shirogasaki-san. Before I give you my answer, please allow me to apologize for one thing.”
Kiraboshi pushed up her glasses, placed her hand on her skirt, and gently lowered her head.
Deeply. Correctly.
I’m sorry, she said. …?
“When I first entered high school, I was, as usual, appointed as the Class Representative, and I was nervous. …I had to do well in this class, or I’d be ostracized by my classmates. I’d be looked at strangely, scolded by teachers and parents. So, I was really on edge, making sure nothing weird happened in the class. That’s when… I found you, standing out.”
It seems even Kiraboshi noticed that Shirogasaki was out of place in the class.
Rumors had been circulating since day one about a freshman being picked up in a black luxury car at school.
“I had a gut feeling as the Class Representative that I couldn’t leave it alone. So, I called out to you. …Looking back now, it was calculated. It wasn’t so much that I wanted to be friends with you, but more that if there was someone standing out in the class, the Class Representative would be blamed—I was afraid of the eyes of those around me, so I called out to you.”
“That’s not true! Kiraboshi-san was kind to me and asked me to be friends!”
“…It was also my fault that I deliberately didn’t correct that misunderstanding.”
I’m sorry.
For letting you misunderstand for a year—I’m sorry, she said, bowing her head.
But that’s not right. It’s not right, Shirogasaki floundered.
Certainly, it started as a calculation, but now we’re proper friends.
There’s nothing to apologize for, and what happened back then doesn’t matter anymore.
“Kiraboshi-san. What’s important… is what happens from now on, I think.”
There was a big discrepancy between them.
But that’s precisely why humans can bridge gaps through dialogue—reflecting on the past and building new relationships.
“The old Kiraboshi-san may have been wrong, but you can just start over from now on, and I want to forgive you for it.”
“…………”
“So, please. Once again—”
Like a saint, Shirogasaki slowly spread her arms wide, welcoming her.
It’s okay.
We can start over. We can still get back on the right path, even from now.
So, please.
Not to that strange old man, but to me—
“No, thank you.”
“…………Huh?”
“Shirogasaki-san. I didn’t come here today to talk because I wanted to be friends with you. …It’s the opposite.”
She took a small breath.
Slowly taking a sip of her tea, she looked straight at her without hesitation—and declared.
“Shall we… stop being friends?”