Chapter 80: I Guess Being Alone Really Suits Me After All

Original: Chapter 80: I Guess Being Alone Really Suits Me After All

The chocolate cornet I ate for my early lunch was delicious.

But it wasn’t nearly enough, so I spent class time thinking, “I wish lunch break would hurry up and get here already.”

Several dozen minutes passed—and finally, lunch break arrived. I opened the wrapper of the bread I’d bought earlier at the school store.

“For lunch, it’s a cutlet sandwich and a cream bread with extra cream. I’ll start with the cutlet sandwich first.”

In a cheerful mood, I took a big bite of the cutlet sandwich.

Mmm~ Just chewing it makes strength well up inside me—that’s how delicious this meat is. The meat juices spread through my mouth, letting me savor a moment of pure happiness. And then the sweet and savory sauce begins to play a perfect harmony with the meat. It’s just… truly the best.

And what’s more… what’s more! The bread is fluffy and pleasantly chewy, with a great texture, but that’s not all. When it enters my mouth, its aroma gently wafts and spreads. It doesn’t interfere with the deliciousness of the meat at all. It plays the perfect supporting role—this bread is just way too good.

“This cutlet sandwich is sooo gooood!”

I end up chomping into it greedily, like a boy.

Holding the cutlet sandwich with both hands as I eat, I swing my legs back and forth. Ahh~, ahh~, eating delicious things is happiness. It’s just too much happiness.

“Somehow, I feel like I’ve come to like eating meat more than I used to.”

Maybe it’s because I’ve been commuting to the dungeon nonstop. I might be turning into a carnivore.

“Oh my, Miss Chiyusaki is eating her cutlet sandwich so deliciously.”

“Ah, hobihakihan.”

It came out weird because I had just stuffed my cheeks with the sandwich. The person who spoke to me was my classmate, the bespectacled Miss Tobisaki.

Miss Tobisaki sat down in the empty seat in front of me.

“So, so, how was it yesterday?”

I swallowed and then replied.

“How was what…?”

“About Senior Shirogane. You went to the dungeon with her, right? I was just wondering what it was like.”

Her eyes behind her glasses were sparkling brightly. It was the kind of sparkling look that said, “C’mon, c’mon, hurry up and give me some interesting gossip.”

Normally, I hardly ever talk with my classmates, so when someone presses me like this, I get a little flustered.

“I-it was pretty amazing. In various ways…”

“That ‘various ways’ is what I want to hear about. Were you acting as Senior Shirogane’s bodyguard yesterday?”

“No, the opposite…”

“The opposite? Whoa—so it’s true! So the rumors that Senior Shirogane is a dungeon maniac were right after all.”

“A maniac…? Well, she was definitely enjoying the dungeon, that’s for sure.”

Being called a maniac makes it hard to just agree. Besides, we’ve only spent one day together, so I don’t know Miss Himeka that deeply yet. For now, she just seems like a beautiful senior who enjoys dungeons.

“Hmm~. So, how many quests did you do yesterday? Like a gathering-type quest with a recommended conquest level around 30?”

“No, no. We did something much harder. The two of us subjugated something called an Eval Woodfolk.”

“Huh…? I’ve never heard of that monster.”

“It’s a monster from the Red Zone.”

“The Red Zone… That feels like something for people way above my level. Both Senior Shirogane and you, Miss Chiyusaki, are incredibly beautiful and strong. That’s amazing.”

“Hahaha… Senior Shirogane is beautiful, but I’m not particularly beautiful.”

“Oh my, being modest. How refined.”

“You’re more beautiful, Miss Tobisaki.”

“Wow, you’re praising me. Thank you. But, but, objectively speaking, you, Miss Chiyusaki, are overwhelmingly more beautiful. In my book, you’re the number one beauty in our class.”

“That’s the first time anyone’s ever said that to me.”

Miss Tobisaki is such a nice person. She even gives compliments to someone like me.

…Huh? Miss Tobisaki smoothly stood up from her chair. She’s waving toward the hallway.

“Sorry, my friend’s here. I gotta go.”

“Okay. See you later.”

“Oh, do you think you’ll go to the dungeon with Senior Shirogane again?”

“I’d be happy if she would.”

“I see~. Well, I’m rooting for you. Bye-bye!”

With a cute wave and a smile, Miss Tobisaki headed over to her friend waiting in the hallway.

Are they going to the cafeteria now? I can’t help but feel envious that she has someone to go with.

I took another bite of my cutlet sandwich.

We ended up talking for quite a while. For me, it turned into a pretty good day.

“Miss Tobisaki is such a nice person.”

I wish we could be friends… No, wanting to be friends is probably too greedy. Becoming friends is a big deal… But even if it’s just occasionally, I’d be really happy if we could have little chats like that again. If that happened—

“My high school girl life might become a little more enjoyable.”

…Or so I thought. There’s no way it’ll become enjoyable. I shouldn’t get my hopes up too much. After all, in both elementary and middle school, I had high hopes for lots of different people, but in the end, I never made any real friends.

I absentmindedly gazed at the dungeon visible through the window.

“I want to go to the dungeon with Senior Shirogane again.”

I really hoped I could.

△

After school arrived.

I had been excitedly waiting for after school all through class, but—

“She’s not here… after all.”

Yesterday, Miss Himeka was waiting for me in the hallway, but today she wasn’t there.

“No messages on my smartphone either…”

Miss Himeka wasn’t at the shoe lockers either. I waited for about five minutes, but I couldn’t meet her…

Sigh… I’m disappointed.

I thought I had told myself not to get my hopes up too much. But it was still a shock. That’s how big Miss Himeka’s presence had become inside me.

“It’s fine. This is how it usually is…”

I told myself that, but the damage to my heart was huge. With slumped shoulders, I trudged alone toward the dungeon.

I looked up at the dungeon entrance. It just looks like an ordinary, large cave entrance.

“Yesterday, I entered the dungeon with Miss Himeka…”

That was like a miracle… I guess coming to the dungeon alone really does suit me after all.

Sigh… This is the first time I’ve come to the dungeon with such low energy. I wanted to go on an adventure with Miss Himeka. I would have worked hard on a high-difficulty quest suited to her level too…

“I guess being alone really does suit me after all…”

I trudged into the dungeon. And then I made my way toward the bustling plaza.