Chapter 161: Return to Okizome Town (Patreon)

The next morning at eight o'clock, Shido Makoto woke up right on time.

By the time he'd washed up and walked out to the living room, Sora was already sitting on the sofa.

She held the rabbit plush in her arms, and on the coffee table in front of her lay a sheet of white paper and a pen.

The paper was already covered edge to edge with dense handwriting.

Shido Makoto walked over and picked it up for a look.

Sora had organized everything she'd dictated the night before about the Hide and Seek dungeon, even numbering each point along a timeline.

"When did you write this?"

"I woke up at six and couldn't get back to sleep,"

Sora rubbed her eyes.

They were still a little puffy, but she looked much more alert than she had the night before.

Shido Makoto sat down and read through it carefully from start to finish.

As he read, he asked a few follow-up questions.

"Anything you left out?"

Sora closed her eyes and thought for a moment, then shook her head.

"I don't think so."

"Good. I'll contact Lin Yan."

Shido Makoto took out his phone and pulled up Lin Yan's contact.

He typed out a message:

[I have a complete intelligence report on a New Moon-class dungeon — a first-hand account from an A-rated clear. Interested?]

Less than two minutes after he sent it, Lin Yan replied.

[OK]

After getting the reply, Shido Makoto photographed Sora's written report with his phone and sent it over.

While they waited, Sora got up from the sofa and poured herself a cup of barley tea.

On her way to the kitchen she passed by Shido Makoto and paused.

"Makoto."

"Hm?"

"The money from selling the intel... can it go toward my medical bills?"

Shido Makoto glanced at her. "I've always been the one covering your medical bills."

"I know," Sora said, her voice muffled.

"But paying for it with money I earned myself... it feels different."

Shido Makoto almost said this was his problem and she didn't need to worry about it, but seeing how serious her expression was, he swallowed the words back.

"Fine," he said.

Sora carried her barley tea back to the sofa and sat down again.

Lin Yan replied: [Offer: 2,000,000 yen.]

Shido Makoto raised an eyebrow and turned the phone screen toward Sora.

Sora glanced at the number, her eyes widening slightly.

"Two million..."

"Agreed?"

Sora nodded.

"Agreed."

Shido Makoto replied to Lin Yan: [Deal. I'll send the full report through the usual channel — transfer the payment to the same account as last time.]

[Received. I'll transfer the funds after confirmation.]

Shido Makoto sent back a simple "Got it."

Over the next half hour, Shido Makoto sent Sora's complete report to Lin Yan through an encrypted app.

After she confirmed receipt, the two million yen landed in his account within ten minutes.

Sora stared at the transfer record for a long time.

"Clearing dungeons really does make money," she said.

Shido Makoto put his phone away. "The money's just a side benefit."

Sora pressed her lips together but didn't argue.

Shido Makoto stood up and went to the kitchen to start making breakfast.

He took eggs and bacon out of the fridge and sliced a few pieces of bread.

The money on hand would be enough for now — living expenses for the next few months were no longer a worry.

But money wasn't the most pressing problem.

The most pressing problem was that Sora was now a player too — she could be pulled into the next dungeon at any moment.

He needed to teach her more before that happened.

Basic survival strategies, how to respond to anomalous events, how to use ghost items...

But all of that took time.

And time was exactly what they didn't have enough of.

"Makoto, it's burning."

Sora stood in the kitchen doorway, pointing at the bacon in the pan.

Shido Makoto looked down; sure enough, one edge of the bacon had burnt.

"...Doesn't matter. It won't affect the taste."

"You never zone out when you cook," Sora said, watching him.

Shido Makoto scooped the fried eggs and bacon onto a plate and set it on the table.

Sora sat down, picked up her chopsticks, and immediately transferred the burnt piece of bacon onto Shido Makoto's plate.

"What were you thinking about?"

"About taking you back to Okizome Town for a visit."

Sora's hand froze mid-reach for food.

"Back to Okizome Town?"

"Yeah. You've just been through your first dungeon — you need time to recover, body and mind."

"Tokyo's too crowded and too busy, not a good place to rest. Let's go back home for a few days, change the scenery."

"When?" Sora asked.

"I'll go ask for time off at the izakaya first," Shido Makoto said, taking a sip of miso soup. "We'll leave as soon as we can."

Sora took a bite of bread, chewed for a long while, and after swallowing gave a small nod.

"Okay."

At two in the afternoon, Shido Makoto arrived at the izakaya early.

Ikeda Ken was crouched on the floor wiping it down when the door opened; seeing him come in, Ikeda immediately stood up and dusted off his pant legs.

"Yo, Shikata-kun, you're early today."

"Mr. Ikeda, there's something I wanted to discuss with you."

Shido Makoto changed into his work apron at the entrance, tying the strings as he spoke.

Ikeda Ken wrung out the rag, walked behind the bar, and tossed it into the bucket.

"Go ahead, what is it?"

"I'd like to take a few days off."

Ikeda Ken blinked, then looked up at him.

As far as he could remember, Shido Makoto had never once asked for time off on his own initiative.

The young man practically treated the izakaya like a second home — always on time, never late, never cutting corners on his workload.

"Time off?" Ikeda Ken pushed up his glasses.

"How many days?"

"About four or five."

"Four or five days."

Ikeda Ken wrung the rag once more and set it aside.

He ran through the recent shift schedule in his head.

"Something urgent come up?"

Shido Makoto considered how to put it.

"Taking my sister back home for a visit."

Ikeda Ken's expression shifted. "Is something wrong with her? Is she not feeling well?"

"Something like that," Shido Makoto said, not bothering to invent a different excuse.

Ikeda Ken knew Shido Makoto's family situation — the young man was raising his sister alone in Tokyo, no parents, no relatives, carrying every expense on his own shoulders.

He knew Shido Makoto worked himself to the bone to cover her medical bills.

Because of that, he'd always looked out for him a little extra — never shorting his pay, always giving him every yen of overtime he could, and slipping him a little red envelope on holidays.

Ikeda Ken dug a notebook out of the cabinet behind the bar and started scribbling in it.

"For four or five days I'll have Xiao Lin and A Yan cover a couple extra shifts. Noguchi can keep an eye on the back kitchen — we'll just take those Chinese dishes you handle off the menu for a while."

He looked up at Shido Makoto. "Is that enough? Want to take an extra two days?"

"That's plenty."

"Alright."

Ikeda Ken circled something on the page, closed the notebook, and tossed it back into the cabinet.

Then he pulled his wallet out of his apron pocket, counted out a few bills, and set them on the bar.

"What's this for?" Shido Makoto asked, looking at the stack of cash.

"Take it," Ikeda Ken said, sliding the money toward him.

"It's not for you, it's for your sister. Just tell her Uncle Ikeda gave it to her — let her buy something good to eat."

Shido Makoto looked at Ikeda Ken's round face, creased with a grin, and was quiet for a moment.

"...Thanks."

"No need to thank me. Don't be so formal."

Ikeda Ken waved a hand, then took a beer out of the fridge, cracked it open, and took a sip.

"Go on, go on. Come back refreshed and you'll work even better, right?"

Shido Makoto pocketed the money, the corner of his mouth twitching upward.

"Mr. Ikeda."

"Hm?"

"When I'm back, I'll make you a new dish as thanks."

Ikeda Ken's eyes lit up.

"Really? What dish?"

"I'll tell you when I'm back."

Shido Makoto tied his apron and headed into the back kitchen to start prepping ingredients.

Today he needed to prep everything the kitchen would need for the next couple of days, so things wouldn't fall apart in the back kitchen while he was gone.

Two busy hours later, Nanami Aoyama arrived for her shift.

As she pushed through the back door, Shido Makoto noticed she looked far more worn out than usual.

There were dark circles under her eyes, and her movements were half a beat slower than normal.

"Nanami."

"Huh? Senior?"

Nanami looked up, a smile rising to her face on reflex.

"What is it?"

Shido Makoto studied her for a couple seconds.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine! I just didn't sleep well last night..."

Nanami waved her hands quickly.

"If you're not feeling well, you can take the day off."

"No, no, no, I don't need to! I can do it!"

Nanami clenched her fists, psyching herself up.

"I'm on a four-hour shift today, and I'm going to work hard!"

Shido Makoto didn't say anything more.

The dinner rush arrived right on schedule.

As Shido Makoto worked through the orders, he ran through the itinerary for the trip back to Okizome Town in his head.

If they left first thing tomorrow morning, they'd reach Okizome Town sometime in the afternoon.

He needed to buy Sora's train ticket in advance.

After closing, he changed back into his regular clothes in the staff room and picked up his bag to leave.

Nanami was tidying up tables and chairs in the front room; seeing him head for the door, she hesitated, then called out to stop him.

"Senior."

Shido Makoto turned around.

Nanami stood there, twisting the strings of her apron between her hands.

She opened her mouth as if about to say something, but in the end just lowered her head and said quietly, "Be careful on your trip."

"You too."

Shido Makoto pushed the door open and stepped out into the night streets.

Cold wind slipped down his collar.

He pulled out his phone and sent Sora a message:

[We leave at eight tomorrow morning. Tickets are bought. Get to bed early.]

Ten seconds later, Sora replied with a single word:

[Mm.]

At seven-thirty the next morning, Shido Makoto checked over their luggage.

Two small travel bags, one his, one Sora's.

Clothes, toiletries, Sora's regular medication.

He'd wrapped the two black phones in clothing and tucked them into the deepest layer of his own bag.

Sora came out of her room still yawning.

She wore a white dress, two bow ties in her hair, and the black rabbit plush cradled in her arms.

"Can we leave a little later..."

"The train's at eight forty. There's no time."

Reluctantly, Sora pulled on her coat, grabbed her bag, and followed Shido Makoto out the door.

Getting from the apartment to Tokyo Station meant one subway transfer.

The morning rush-hour car was packed shoulder to shoulder; Sora huddled beside Shido Makoto, using the rabbit plush as a shield, her face full of impatience.

"I hate this," she muttered under her breath.

"Too many people."

"Just hang in there, we're almost there."

At eight-twenty, the two of them reached Tokyo Station.

Shido Makoto picked up two shinkansen tickets from the ticket machine and led Sora through the crowd toward the platform.

The bullet train left right on time.

Sora sat by the window, her head resting against the glass, watching the scenery slide by.

Shido Makoto sat beside her, eyes closed, resting.

Two and a half hours later, they reached the nearest transfer station.

From there, a forty-minute bus ride finally brought them into the outskirts of Okizome Town town.

Even the air felt different.

Shido Makoto pushed open the bus door and stepped off, taking a deep breath.

Air scented with soil and fallen leaves filled his lungs, nothing like Tokyo's exhaust-tinged air.

Sora got off too, standing by the roadside and looking around.

Okizome Town hadn't changed a bit.

A single main street ran east to west, lined on both sides with low Japanese-style houses and a handful of old shops. The road was almost empty of people — just a fat cat dozing outside the post office.

In the distance, the mountains were dyed warm colors by autumn leaves, and the faint sound of a stream drifted over.

Sora stood there for a moment, then let out a breath of relief.

"Come on, let's drop our bags off at home first."

The two of them walked west along the main street.

The old Kasugano family house stood on a slope at the western edge of town, about fifteen minutes on foot. Before they'd even left the main street, someone shouted from behind them.

"Hey!"

"Makoto! Sora-chan!!"

Shido Makoto stopped and turned around.

A girl with short brown hair was running toward them from the other end of the street, her white-and-red shrine maiden robes fluttering in the wind.

"Akira," Shido Makoto said.

"Sora-chan!"

Akira closed the distance and threw her arms around Sora, the impact pushing Sora back a step, nearly knocking the rabbit plush from her arms.

"Why are you suddenly back? You didn't even give me a heads-up!"

Akira let go of Sora and rounded on Shido Makoto with a glare.

"Makoto, did you just decide this on your own again?"

"We only decided last night," Shido Makoto said.

"You still could've sent a message! You're already here and I just ran into you on the street — do you know how shocked I was?!"

"Well, now you know."

"Ugh, you—" Akira stamped her foot in frustration, then immediately broke into a smile.

"Never mind, never mind, you're back and that's what matters! Sora-chan, why'd you get so thin? Have you been eating properly? Has Makoto been bullying you?"

"Makoto hasn't bullied me."

Sora, a little overwhelmed by Akira's enthusiasm, took half a step back toward Shido Makoto.

"If you got thinner, it means you haven't been eating well."

Akira planted her hands on her hips, sounding thoroughly convinced of herself.

"Just look at this brother of yours — he can cook anything, and yet he's let his sister end up like this."

"Shut up," Sora said flatly.

"Sora-chan's so mean."

Akira wasn't the least bit fazed, leaning in to pinch Sora's cheek.

"Come on, come on, let's go drop your stuff off at your house first! I'll carry your bags!"

Without waiting for an answer, she snatched the travel bag out of Sora's hands and strode off ahead.

Sora rubbed her reddened cheek and followed behind.

Shido Makoto watched Akira's retreating back, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

Still the same as ever.

The three of them walked up the slope together.

Halfway up, Akira turned to look at Shido Makoto.

"Oh right, Makoto, does Ichiyo know you're back?"

"Haven't told her yet."

"Then I'll call and tell her right now!"

Akira pulled out her phone, fingers flying across the screen.

"No need, I'll tell her once we get there."

"Too late! You don't know Ichiyo — if she finds out last, she'll be mad for three days straight."

Akira was already dialing.

"...It's connecting. Hey, Ichiyo? Big news, big news! Makoto's back, and he brought Sora-chan with him~"

A gasp came from the other end of the line.

Then a flurry of questions followed. Shido Makoto couldn't make out the words clearly, but he could guess what they were.

"Yeah, yeah, really really! He's right next to me! ...Yeah, they just got off the bus... You don't have to rush, they're not going anywhere~ Hello? Ichiyo?"

Akira looked at the screen after the call cut off and shook her head, laughing.

"She hung up. Probably changing clothes right now."

From beside them, Sora spoke up in a listless voice. "Why would she change clothes?"

"Well, her..."

Akira shot Shido Makoto a meaningful look.

"Some people just like to look their best when they're about to see a certain someone."

Shido Makoto didn't rise to that.

At the door of the old Kasugano house, Shido Makoto pulled a spare key from his pocket and let them in. A faint musty smell drifted out from inside.

Sora stood at the entrance, looking over the home she'd left months ago.

A layer of dust had settled on the shoe cabinet in the entryway, and the hallway's wooden floor looked dull from months without cleaning. Through the living room window she could see the persimmon tree in the backyard, hung with orange fruit.

"No one's lived here in so long."

Akira set down the travel bag and crouched in the entryway to change into slippers.

"We'll need to give it a proper cleaning."

"Let's put the luggage down first — we'll deal with cleaning later."

Shido Makoto stepped into his own slippers and carried both travel bags into the living room.

Sora lingered in the hallway a moment, then walked to the door of her old room.

She pushed the door open. Everything inside was exactly as it had been when she'd left.

The bed was neatly made, the closet shut tight, and an empty vase sat on the desk.

Holding the rabbit plush, she walked to the window and opened it. Autumn wind poured in, carrying fallen leaves with it.

In the distance stretched a chain of mountains, a winding stream at their base, and farther still, a rice field already harvested.

A quiet completely unlike Tokyo's.

Sora took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

The terror from that abandoned factory seemed, for a moment, to scatter a little in this mountain wind.

"Sora-chan~"

Akira called out to her from the living room.

"Want some tea? I found some tea leaves! Though they might be expired..."

"Not the expired kind," Sora called back.

"Well, drinking expired tea won't kill you."

"No."

Shido Makoto checked the water and electricity in the kitchen.

Good, neither had been cut off.

He ran the tap for a while, and once the water ran clear, filled a kettle and set it to boil.

"Makoto!" Akira called again.

"What about Ryohei and Nao? Should we call them over too?"

Shido Makoto poked his head out of the kitchen.

"Sure, call them. We've got cleaning to do anyway — more hands, faster work."

"On it!"

Akira immediately pulled out her phone and started dialing.

Her face, as always, seemed to carry an endless supply of energy and enthusiasm.

Shido Makoto watched her bounce around and let out a silent sigh.

Sora came back out and leaned against a post in the hallway, the rabbit plush still in her arms.

Her gaze drifted from Akira, to Shido Makoto, then out to the mountains beyond the window.

"Makoto."

"Hm?"

"Coming back... it's really nice."

"Yeah."