Chapter 93: Aerial Fireworks
Three days after the commotion in the Yokohama Dungeon.
The four of us from Team Secret Base had gathered on the first floor of the Private Dungeon.
—And what’s more, we were in yukatas.
“Ko-chan, how do I look?”
Otama-chan was wearing a yukata with a white base and red flowers drawn on it.
Her hair was adorned with red and white ornaments, making her look very vibrant.
“Ah, uh… I-It suits you…”
I’m not used to being asked questions like that, so I felt a bit embarrassed.
“Ehehe… I’m happy.”
“Natsume-kun, what about me?”
Shi-chan was wearing a yukata made of navy blue fabric with morning glories drawn on it.
Her hair was tied up in a bun at the back of her head.
“Um… it suits you.”
“Fufu… Thank you.”
“Keke, your lines are the same. You gotta praise us more smoothly, y’know.”
Manamin, as if seizing the perfect opportunity, was wearing Pretear’s pink yukata outfit.
It was the Tear Festival attire we had found in the “Home” within this dungeon.
“Manamin, you actually pull that off normally…”
“I’m not wearing a wig, so it’s not perfect, though.”
“Anyway, Ko-chan, that black yukata looks good on you too!”
“Yeah, you look cool.”
“Ah, thank you.”
I’m not used to being complimented like this, so I blushed.
I had also bought a men’s yukata from Eeyon to match everyone.
Our objective was singular.
“…Alright, let’s head to the second floor and offer the coins to the shrine. That should probably trigger the festival time.”
☆★☆
The second floor of the Private Dungeon was, like last time, shrouded in twilight.
The first star of the evening was shining in the sky.
Along the path leading to the shrine, stalls with their curtains down were lined up.
There were no goods or shopkeepers yet, but it felt like a festival was about to begin any moment.
Otama-chan was looking around restlessly.
“There are a lot more paper lanterns than when we came before, huh?”
“I offered some drop items from when we explored Ota Dungeon the other day. Like Metal Lizard scales…”
“…Sorry, Ko-chan, for always having you use your spoils…”
“It’s fine. I’m doing it because I want to.”
…For the Ota Dungeon investigation, I received 2 million yen as a request fee from the Explorer Association.
On top of that, there’s income from magic stones, so there’s no point in being stingy with using drop items.
Besides…
My childhood friends are here next to me, looking happy.
“I wonder if the stalls will operate on their own? Considering the example of Dungeon Hote, it seems possible…”
“Kekeke, if they sell stuff like Elixir Ramune, we could make a killing reselling it…”
“Geez… Manamin, you can’t do that. This is the Secret Base, so we have to keep what’s inside a secret from everyone, okay?”
“Fufu… Tama-chan’s words have a nostalgic feel to them, don’t they? But I might agree.”
“Right, Shi-chan? If it gets weirdly famous, people might try to sneak into the Private Dungeon. We should limit information disclosure to only the mandatory reports to the Explorer Association.”
“Ugh, I just want money…”
“The Secret Base is everyone’s secret base, Manamin.”
…Going to a fireworks festival with everyone in yukatas.
A memory I couldn’t even hope for during my middle and high school days because the puzzle of my life had fallen apart into a mess.
The past I couldn’t obtain because I was weak is here now.
That made me happy.
It felt like I was somehow able to reclaim the mistakes of my life.
Memories of walking home from elementary school, happily chatting with everyone.
I felt like the three people walking with me overlapped with their figures from back then.
We walked along the twilight path to the shrine.
Even closer friends than we were back then.
☆★☆
“God of the Private Dungeon, please accept our offering.”
Clink, clonk…
The four of us offered the gold coins we obtained from a Mimic in the Yokohama Dungeon to the Offering Box at the far end of the second floor.
“Aah, the Mithril Medals… 200,000 yen each…”
“…Manamin, you always say the same thing. And you know way too much about item market prices.”
“Ah, Natsume-kun! There’s light again…!”
From the Offering Box where we’d placed the gold coins, countless firefly-like lights emerged and flew off towards the path to the shrine.
After a short while.
“Ko-chan, the sky is getting darker!”
The sky darkened, and one after another, the paper lanterns lit up, all the way to the shrine where we were.
“Ooh…”
A line of red paper lanterns, shining beautifully against the night sky.
With this, all the paper lanterns from the entrance of the second floor to the deepest part where we were, had lit up.
This might be the last of the changes brought about by making an offering.
“Ko-chan, all the paper lanterns are lit, right?”
“Yeah, I think we did it.”
“I’ll go check!”
Shi-chan ran towards the stone steps.
Then, she turned back and shouted to us.
“Everyone, look! The stalls are lit up! There are shops lining the path!”
“Seriously…?!”
“I want to see too!”
“Valuables…!”
The three of us followed Shi-chan and ran towards the stone steps.
Looking down from the high ground, not only the paper lanterns but also the stalls were illuminated.
Even from a distance, we could read the signs.
Apple candy, shaved ice, goldfish scooping…
A wide variety of stalls were lined up.
Otama-chan and Shi-chan let out cries of “Uwaah…”
“It’s so vibrant.”
“It’s amazing that a place like this can exist inside a dungeon.”
“It looks like we can have a lot of fun just with the atmosphere…”
Just then.
A high-pitched hyuuu sound came from our left.
What’s this…?
“Ko-chan, towards the river!!”
Otama-chan pointed at the night sky.
When I looked in that direction, a small light was flying up towards the sky.
And then.
—Booooom…!
A large, orange flower bloomed in the completely darkened night sky.
“Ah…”
“Waaah…”
The place where we stood was momentarily illuminated.
It was an aerial firework.
To think we could see something so proper inside a dungeon.
“Beautiful…”
“It’s like a dream…”
“Amazing…”
My three childhood friends seemed overwhelmed too.
The fireworks didn’t end with just one; new ones were launched one after another.
Red.
Blue.
Green.
Each time, the inside of the dungeon was brightly lit, and gasps of “Waaah…” escaped our lips.
Vivid lights that bloomed and vanished in an instant—
“…It’s beautiful.”
Its beauty was so ephemeral.
It vanished into the dark night sky as if it had all been a lie.
Looking beside me, my three friends were happily gazing up at the sky.
My childhood friends, whose connection with me had once vanished like fireworks…
…I clenched my fists tightly, wishing that my relationship with my childhood friends would never disappear again.
I don’t want to be separated.
I don’t want to let go.
When we were kids, playing at the Secret Base in the mountains, I thought we’d all keep playing together even as adults.
I thought ordinary days would just continue ordinarily.
But in reality, if you do nothing, such things can break apart from the slightest trigger.
Back when I was working in Tokyo, I had nothing left.
I didn’t even have allies, let alone friends; the future was dark, and every day was painful.
Returning to my parents’ home, the appearance of the Secret Base dungeon, and meeting Otama-chan—those things allowed me to change.
—I don’t want to make a mistake again.
—I don’t want to let go.
“Keke, wanna go check out the stalls? If they’re selling regular Elixirs or something, we can exchange them for cash.”
“Ah, Manamin, no you don’t! I’m going too! It’s still a dungeon, so monsters might appear!”
Manamin and Shi-chan ran down the stone steps.
“Ah…”
“—Shall we go too, Ko-chan?”
Otama-chan stepped in front of me and started walking towards the stairs.
At that moment.
—I grabbed Otama-chan’s hand.
“K-Ko-chan…?”
“Ah…”
It was an unconscious action.
I had stopped Otama-chan, as if to prevent her from leaving.
But then, I realized.
I must have already decided this deep down in my heart for a while now.
The words I needed to convey overflowed from the depths of my chest.
As if I had practiced it countless times, I looked into Otama-chan’s eyes and said.
“—Otama-chan, I like you. Please go out with me.”
“Eh…”
Otama-chan’s profile, illuminated by an orange firework, stood out against the night.