I was shown a battle I didn’t know at that time.
Their appearance at that time made me mistakenly think they were fighting in a dungeon.
It’s already been a week since that intense rock-paper-scissors battle among my classmates.
I discussed various things with Karen-chan about shop locations and times.
“Amelia-san! Let’s go shopping for clothes!!”
“OK!”
“I’m definitely going to get a boyfriend at the next mixer!! I need to buy some winning clothes for that!!”
“Hahaha, Hitomi. You’re fired up.”
Right now, we’re discussing going shopping for clothes for the mixer that has been scheduled.
Tomorrow is the weekend, so it’s a holiday.
The mixer Karen-chan set is next Saturday, so if we’re going to shop, we only have this Saturday or Sunday.
Because of that, I think Izawa-san’s enthusiasm is amazing.
It’s like Minami-chan and Jiro-san when they update their dungeon equipment.
Even now, she’s pondering what kind of clothes to choose while holding a fashion magazine.
“It’s natural to be enthusiastic. Our youth is only at this moment.”
“Personally, I’m surprised the committee member is so excited about this kind of talk.”
They quietly enter the place where we are.
“Oh, the victor of the battle has arrived.”
“Didn’t I tell you? I’ve never lost at rock-paper-scissors.”
“It was overwhelming. Most of you won in one go.”
Izawa-san welcomes them.
Saeki-san appears, gently adjusting her glasses and showing a defiant smile, holding a fashion magazine different from Izawa-san’s in her hand.
“Hey!! The person Saeki-san was dealing with looked like they were about to cry.”
It’s a secret that when Saeki-san was playing this rock-paper-scissors match to secure her spot at the mixer, she was as serious as Jiro-san when he’s fighting, and I was a little intimidated.
Haga-san, a classmate of ours, was watching it up close.
Haga-san, who has very short hair and is good at sports, is in the drama club and often plays prince roles, making her popular with girls of all ages.
Izawa-san agrees with Haga-san’s words.
“Hmm, if we’re going, maybe Harajuku?”
“I think Ikebukuro is fine too.”
“We could go to all of them! We should just gather a little earlier.”
“That’s right, if we use the train, the travel cost won’t be that much.”
From there, we start planning for tomorrow.
We’ve talked about it many times since the mixer was decided, but no one has a single unhappy face, and they’re talking enthusiastically.
“Kuu, I’m really looking forward to the mixer with university students!!”
“Hitomi, you only talk about that.”
“But, Amelia-san, you’re looking forward to it too, right!!”
“Yes!! I’m a little nervous, but I’m looking forward to it!”
“Right! Right!! I wonder what kind of people they’ll be, I might get too nervous to talk.”
That time is so enjoyable, and I’m also a little excited.
“Don’t be late for our meeting tomorrow!!”
“I know.”
“Yeah.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“OK!”
Everyone has forgotten about being transported to another world, but I remember.
That’s why this casual, peaceful everyday life is so precious.
And the promised day arrives.
“Ah! Amelia-san!”
“Good Morning!”
“Good morning, your English is different from the real deal.”
“And then there’s Haga-san.”
At the meeting spot, in front of the familiar dog statue, were Izawa-san, Sasagawa-san, and Saeki-san, three of them.
“Hey, sorry we’re late.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay!! Haga-san, you’re the farthest away among us.”
With no trouble at all, ahaha, this isn’t a dungeon, nor is it that dangerous otherworld.
I can’t help but smile a little at my own relief at having gathered safely.
“Amelia-san, were you looking forward to it that much?”
“?”
“Your face is smiling.”
“Oh! That’s right! I’m really looking forward to shopping with you all, so I might be a little sleep-deprived.”
I say words that aren’t lies, but also not the whole truth, so as not to let my inner feelings show.
“I understand! I was so excited yesterday that I went to bed late too.”
“Me too.”
“Oh, even the committee member is like that.”
“A little surprising.”
“Why? I’m interested in fashion too.”
“I know, I know, well, well, the shops are starting to open, let’s go, let’s go!!”
It’s a bit of workaholism when work matters even during private time, isn’t it?
I reflect on myself a little.
“OK! Let’s go!”
Enjoying the holiday with friends.
“Hey! What about this one?”
“Ah! It’s cute!!”
“Right, right!! But one piece of this costs my part-time job earnings…”
“That’s how it is with brand-name items.”
“I know, the clothes I wanted to buy earlier also had one more digit than expected.”
“Me too.”
Izawa-san found some nice clothes at the first boutique she entered, but she’s hesitating whether to buy them or not after seeing the price tag.
I completely understand that feeling.
If I may say so, I earn the most among us.
However, my disposable income per month is limited, so I often agonize over buying clothes like this.
But that’s enjoyable too.
At this store too, I picked up clothes I thought were nice, but in the end, I put them back on the shelf after looking at the price.
Shopping has just begun, and I might still encounter good clothes.
No need to rush!
“…I’ll give up.”
“It can’t be helped.”
“Ugh, I should have taken on more part-time jobs if I knew this would happen.”
While saying that to herself, Izawa-san gently puts the clothes back in their original place.
Her face clearly showed a desire for the clothes, but she gave them up because if she bought them, she wouldn’t be able to shop for anything else later.
Karen-chan used to say that encountering clothes is a once-in-a-lifetime event.
She said that clothes you truly want are something you must seize with your own hands.
It’s a shame I couldn’t get them, but we still have plenty of time today, so I think we’ll run into something else nice!
“I’m surprised you had time for a part-time job despite all the remedial classes.”
Saeki-san is surprised by the words that come out afterward.
The time we were kidnapped to another world caused us to fall behind in our studies, and we were given plenty of remedial lessons.
Even with consideration to minimize the impact on holidays, we had to attend school on Saturdays and increase our regular classes, so we have less free time than ordinary students.
But Saeki-san is genuinely impressed that Izawa-san was working part-time in the small gaps of her free time.
“Fufufufu! I’m good at waking up early!! Working at a convenience store early in the morning before school starts is quite profitable!”
Izawa-san proudly boasts these words.
“Izawa-san, you’re amazing. I had to borrow three months’ worth of my allowance.”
“I’m not good at waking up early, so Hitomi, you’re amazing. I also asked my dad to lend me my allowance in advance because I can’t do it. Amelia-san?”
Everyone genuinely praises their guts.
I also think it’s amazing and nod, and then Sasagawa-san asks me about it.
“My part-time job earnings!”
It’s not something I need to hide, so I answer honestly.
“Oh, Amelia-san was working part-time too.”
“Yes!! I’m working at a place where I’ve been helped!”
The only thing I need to keep secret is the business content.
“Oh! What kind of part-time job are you doing?”
“Debugging!”
“Debugging, like at game companies? I heard that’s pretty tough.”
I’ve been told how to answer if asked about it.
As we head to the next store with Izawa-san showing interest, I give the answer I was taught, and Saeki-san asks about the content.
Sasagawa-san seems to know the locations of the shops, so we all follow her.
“Yes! It’s tough, but the pay is good!”
There are many people out and about today because it’s a holiday, and many people are enjoying their day off just like us.
“The pay is good. How much do you get?”
“Sorry, company policy prohibits me from saying that.”
“No, it was just out of curiosity. My apologies.”
“Don’t worry about it!!”
I understand wanting money.
That’s why I don’t mind Haga-san’s question.
“Speaking of which, Amelia-san, why are you working part-time? I’m working part-time because I want various things and my allowance isn’t enough.”
She says, laughing, and then changes the subject.
The reason I’m working. This is a bit difficult.
“Hmm…”
“Eh, is there a reason it’s hard to talk about? If so, you don’t have to force yourself to say it?”
“It’s alright! I just thought about it for a bit! The reason I’m working is more like a matter of circumstance.”
“Circumstance?”
I don’t particularly want anything.
My mother originally gave me a certain amount of allowance, and I enjoyed saving it up and buying various things, so I didn’t feel the need to work part-time.
Also, the anxiety of moving from a place I knew in America to an unfamiliar place in Japan was a big factor.
“Yes! Someone I happened to meet invited me to work at their workplace, so I’m just working there.”
“I see, so there are connections like that.”
Therefore, for me, who had rather complex circumstances due to being summoned to another world, Jiro-san’s invitation was a godsend.
I explained it to Saeki-san as a coincidence, but in reality, there were various complicated reasons.
I can’t talk about those things, so I’m sincerely grateful that they just let it slide.
“I wanted to work part-time too, but I can’t seem to find the time.”
“The committee member too?”
“Yes, I have a few things I want to buy. I’m also attending cram school, so I don’t have much free time and have given up.”
“Cram school, huh? We also have entrance exams coming up. Considering college, we don’t have much time for part-time jobs.”
“Kyoko, are you going to cram school too?”
“Ah, the university I want to go to is quite difficult.”
The conversation then shifts to other topics, and I’m a little happy that the content is so typical of students.
“Hmm, I want to go to university too, but I don’t want to study.”
“But everyone says they’re going to university. Me too.”
“That’s right. My mommy also tells me I should go to university. Ugh, classical literature, classical literature is the worst.”
“Miyakawa-san, who grew up in America, finds classical literature to be your nemesis?”
“Yes, it’s too difficult.”
It’s unavoidable that the conversation turns to studies.
When I talk about classical literature, which I’m not good at, everyone laughs and offers advice, or says they can’t do it either.
For me, who wants to cherish this time, it’s a comfort.
We visited a few shops, and before I knew it, it was lunchtime.
“Ah, it’s fun but tiring! Hey, shouldn’t we have lunch soon? I’m starving.”
Before we knew it, paper bags were in our hands, each containing clothes we liked.
We had also been walking around, so our stomachs were quite hungry.
“That’s right, I’m hungry too. Shall we go into a random shop?”
“Ah! I know a place I’d like to go!”
In response to Haga-san’s suggestion, I showed her a place I wanted to go on my smartphone.
“Oh, “Wizard’s Village”?”
“Yes! It’s said to be decorated in the style of a famous movie set! My senpai at my part-time job also went and said it was delicious, so I’ve wanted to try it.”
It’s a place recommended by Karen-chan and Minami-chan.
It boasts a rating of four stars or more.
Haga-san, who peeks at it curiously, then shifts her gaze to Izawa-san, Sasagawa-san, and Saeki-san.
“Looks interesting!”
“This cake looks delicious.”
“It’s close from here, so it should be fine.”
“That’s right, I have no objections.”
We easily decided on a lunch spot, and following the navigation, we arrived at the restaurant.
“Welcome! How many people?”
“Ah, five.”
“Understood, please take a seat at an available table!”
The staff were dressed as wizards, though to me it felt a bit unnatural, not like real ones. Ignoring that, Izawa-san entered first and was about to sit down.
“Ah.”
“Hm?”
On the way, I saw someone I knew happily eating a parfait at the counter.
I unintentionally made a sound, and that person also felt my gaze and turned towards me, waving their distinctly red hair, which is rare in Japan.
“What a coincidence to meet you here, Miyakawa.”
“Yes, Evia-san.”
It was Evia-san, Jiro-san’s wife, whom I met at my part-time job, dressed in a suit.
Thank you for your usual feedback and for pointing out any typos.
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Pandora Pandemic Panic – Pandora’s Box has been reopened, but we’re fighting back with secret bases and other things!
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