Dungeon Gacha Life Chapter 26

 Chapter 26: Almost Like a Dance

[Side: Tachibana Yui]

"Tachibana-san, why don't you become an Explorer with us too?"

The first term of my second year of high school.

Kaori-san was the one who spoke up to me, back when I couldn't fit into my new class.

Apparently she'd been looking for someone she could form an Explorer party with.

I asked her to wait a little while for my answer. But inside, I was so happy I could barely stand it and I told them I'd become an Explorer.

Then, once summer break started, the three of us began working as Explorers.

Kaori-san, who volunteered to be our tank.

Saki-san, who thrived as our attacker.

And me, handling support with a spear and all the little chores an expedition needed.

I think things were probably going smoothly.

Of course, there were people out there more impressive than us, but even so.

The three of us having fun together and getting a real sense of accomplishment out of it.

But half a year passed and once we reached Floor 16, our winning streak came to a stop.

We just couldn't fight well against monsters that carried weapons and worked together.

We looked into all kinds of things, held study sessions and practiced our teamwork.

All that effort paid off and we finally managed to break through the situation.

Bit by bit, we adapted to Floor 16 that way.

But it was around then that continuing on as an Explorer started to scare me.

Even after three more months passed, that fear never went away.

Eventually, I told the other two about it.

That I was thinking about quitting as an Explorer.

They both seemed to have half-suspected it already and they weren't surprised.

We kept discussing several times about it after that.

It was Kaori-san who decided to make the Minotaur our goal.

Whether we could kept going as Explorers or quit.

Overcoming the wall that was Floor 20 made for a good goal.

If we won, we'd become professional Explorers.

Maybe I'd think again and realize quitting there would be a waste.

And if we lost, then we'd give it up honestly right there.

I agreed with her suggestion.

I couldn't want to break up the party in some awkward, unresolved mood.

I also didn't want to betray the hopes of the two of them, who'd stayed close with someone as slow, gloomy and small as me.

After that, we pushed forward through the floors little by little and finally made it all the way to Floor 20.

By then, it was summer had returned.

* * *

The day of the real thing had finally come.

While we waited our turn in front of the boss room with our bodies stiff with tension, that person showed up.

A man with a fairy at his side and a rather unfriendly look in his eyes.

I realized right away he had to be the "fairy's friend" that the others talked about in the lobby.

The fairy girl, Lapis-chan, surprised me too but I was even more surprised by the man walking beside her.

He'd walked in here with a completely unhurried gait, like he was just popping out to the neighborhood convenience store.

The people who'd been waiting their turn ahead of us were tense and of course we were too.

And yet I couldn't sense a trace of that at all from this person.

There was something unnerving about him, something I couldn't quite place.

But it seemed that it turned out to be a needless worry.

Once we got to talking, the man — Suzukaze-san — turned out to be a surprisingly endearing person.

He got called "blunt" by Kaori-san and looked genuinely down about it.

He came out with something about "Social Skills Strengthening Month."

I got the feeling he probably wasn't a bad person but just clumsy with people.

Though he was clearly someone who did things entirely at his own pace.

He listened to our situation looking thoroughly uninterested.

Then, out of nowhere, he pulled a chocolate bar out of his bag and started eating it.

Being able to do that in an atmosphere like this was honestly impressive.

Oh, it wasn't good. He made a face, looking surprised.

Maybe he wasn't the type to usually eat that kind of thing.

Ah, and in the end he washed it down with water.

...Should I tell him he's got chocolate on his mouth?

Watching him like that, I felt the tension inside me start to fade.

Maybe that's why.

When our turn came, I found myself speaking to him first.

It was to feel him out about a request for help, just in case the worst happened.

He had no obligation to help us but I still thought I should at least ask properly.

Cutting to the result: Suzukaze-san agreed without any fuss at all.

There wasn't a trace of unwillingness in the way he said it and I felt washed over with relief.

And then I apologized for making him listen to our situation earlier, something he probably had no interest in at all.

Because it was my fault the mood had turned sour.

"Don't worry about it. Whatever needs saying should get said outright. 'They'll understand eventually' is nothing but wishful thinking."

At those words, and the utterly unwavering look on his face, I felt a fierce pang of envy.

I hoped that someday, I could be like that too.

So I could stop being this mopey version of myself that I hated.

As a first step, I opened my mouth.

"Um... you've got chocolate on your mouth."

* * *

After that, we lost to the boss.

No, we ended up in a situation so dire we couldn't even manage to retreat.

But by now, that fear too had already faded away completely.

"...Beautiful."

I found myself holding my breath at the sight in front of me.

I'd been utterly captivated by the fight that Suzukaze-san put on to save us.

Suzukaze-san was dodging by a hair's breadth the very axe strikes that had terrified us so badly.

Stepping lightly while adjusting his distance, he had the boss completely at his mercy.

The way he moved his body, as if it weighed nothing at all.

That cool, sharp gaze that showed not a trace of fear.

Attacks without a single wasted motion, that seemed to cut straight through the air.

I felt my heartbeat rising higher and higher.

Suzukaze-san's attacks were steadily wearing down the boss's HP.

Maybe because he was prioritizing dodges, the hits themselves weren't that frequent, but even so...

I couldn't imagine the Minotaur's attacks ever actually reaching him.

It looked like there was some wall between the two of them that could never be crossed.

That's how overwhelming Suzukaze-san's movements were.

After all, he was challenging the boss solo so his Level had to be higher than ours.

But I could feel a different kind of strength in him too, something apart from Status or Skills.

I guess you'd probably call that talent...

Watching the dance unfolding right in front of me, some part of me found myself convinced.

Surely it was people like him who are able to climb to the top.

(I'm going to retire as an Explorer.)

That's what I decided in my heart.

Though I'd already meant to, if we lost to the boss.

(But I can accept that wholeheartedly now.)

I wonder if Kaori-san and Saki-san and I can continue to stay as friends.

I want us to. So I need to work up the courage and tell them that.

I think I have become just a little stronger today.

Suzukaze-san gave me so many things.

Words that made me want to become someone like that.

He saved my life and the lives of my precious friends.

He gave me the peace of mind to let go of being an Explorer.

He showed me a sight right in front of my eyes that felt like the finest dance imaginable.

Once the fight was over, I'd thank him with everything I had.

I'd tell him how grateful I was.

And after I'd thanked him, and then...

(If we could talk again sometime...)

Would that be a bother to him?

D-does he maybe have a girlfriend?

If he does, it'd definitely be a bother, right? Um, but I won't know unless I ask and just asking shouldn't be rude... no, wait, bringing that up right after he saved us would basically be saying it outright and that's way too embarrassing. Yeah, it'd definitely be a bother. It has to be. There's no other way it could go!

...But still, I'd be happy if we could talk again some other day.