[CH.8] Little exploration (Part 1)
"Exploration?"
During Wednesday's lunch break, when there were no classes in the afternoon and all that was left was to clean up before going home, Nao approached and said, "Let's go on an exploration!"
"Yu-kun and Icchan want to go. Since we're at it, how about you, Suu-chan and Fumi-chan too?"
Yu-kun referred to Yuuji Tanaka, while Icchan was a nickname for Yasui Ippei. Both were known as two of the rowdiest boys in the class, constantly competing for the title of the most mischievous.
In my previous life, Yasui Ippei and I had been classmates since we were in elementary school, but as for Yuuji, I couldn't remember exactly when he transferred out. He was either in the fourth or fifth grade when he left, but the details were fuzzy in my memory. From what I've observed over the past year, besides occasionally playing pranks that made girls cry, Yuuji seemed like any other mischievous boy.
"Where are we going?"
"Um, it's that place near the housing complex, like a big box."
The location Nao mentioned was likely one that all the kids in our school were familiar with. It was a former large truck garage located right next to the housing complex where construction company employees lived.
The garage, large enough to accommodate about four trucks, was now locked with shutters, so normally, it couldn't be accessed. However, there was a small window for adjusting the lighting, and the window frame had been removed, leaving a small gap. If you were a small child, you could easily squeeze through, and even a slender adult might be able to fit.
However, the inside was quite messy, littered with scattered objects, and shards of glass were scattered on the ground, making it dangerous. Since children's shoes in this era had thin soles, it would be especially hazardous, so I couldn't help but feel reluctant to go.
"It's scary... I don't want to go."
Fumika, who was next to me, whispered softly and tightly held onto the hem of my clothes. Indeed, it was dark and dusty inside, and for kids, it might be scarier than your average haunted house.
"Fumi seems scared too, so I don't really..."
While it might not have been entirely fair to use Fumika's fear as an excuse, it was the responsible decision to discourage them from going. To avoid dampening Nao's spirits, who clearly wanted to go, I gently informed them.
"Why are you guys such cowards when I invited you?"
"This is why girls are hopeless."
Just as I was about to respond, a cocky voice interrupted me. I turned to see that Yuuji and Ippei, the two boys mentioned earlier, were smirking at us with irritating grins.
Physically, we were all around the same age, but mentally, I couldn't care less. Unfortunately, there was a spirited girl among us.
"We can do it! We're not cowards!"
Nao responded with a fiery determination as if she had sensed us being belittled. I even mentally played out a scenario in my head, mimicking her with "We can do it!" Unfortunately, no one in this era would understand the joke. Well, I was just engaging in this sort of diversion because I already knew how this would play out and was trying to escape from reality.
As it turned out, as expected, after Nao responded to their provocation, we ended up deciding to go on the exploration together. We all had different reasons for doing so, but with reluctant Fumi and me joining in, we made our way to the exploration game together. Looking at each other, Fumi and I sighed in resignation. Somehow, it seemed like Fumi and I had grown a little closer through this experience, which might be the only silver lining.
After that, we set a specific meeting time and place and disbanded for the time being. Leading disobedient children to explore a deserted place... Not something I wanted to do at all.
I changed from my school uniform into casual clothes and quickly tied my hair back. My mother hated being bothered in the busy morning, so my older sister was forced to have a short haircut. However, since I could manage my hair on my own to some extent, I was allowed to keep it long.
I understand wanting to be fashionable as a girl, but considering my mother, who gets annoyed when we're already fighting for every minute during the morning rush, insisting on a particular hairstyle, I can't help but feel more sympathy for my mother than my sister.
Setting that aside, my hair currently reached just past the middle of my back, and I enjoyed various hairstyles, like putting it in a ponytail or roughly tying it in the style called "kururinpa," which I knew from my past life. Kururinpa involved gathering the hair with an elastic band, dividing it into two halves, pulling them to either side, and twisting the ponytail through the gap, creating a simple yet stylish look.
Normally, I would wear a dress or something similar, but since we were going to the ruins today, I opted for a comfortable outfit, wearing a thick long-sleeved T-shirt with pants. I packed a backpack with a towel, work gloves, band-aids, ointment, and other items. They might not be necessary, but there was always a possibility that someone could get injured, so it was better to be prepared. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and it wouldn't hurt to have them just in case.
Oh, right. It might be dark, so I should bring a flashlight. Since LED lights don't exist in this era, our flashlight is quite large. I forced it into the spare space in my backpack, and now I was finally ready.
"I'm going out to play!"
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to play outside with Nao and Fumika!"
"Be back by 5 o'clock!"
"Okay!" I replied, and then I rushed out of the house. My voice was a bit loud during the exchange with my mother, who was in the laundry room, but it was lunchtime, so the neighbors should forgive me. Besides, the residents of this apartment were noisy at night without any regard for others, so it's fair play, I guess.
I then passed by the candy store and walked through the residential area, heading toward the housing complex. Since it was my home neighborhood, I only encountered familiar faces. Carrying a backpack that seemed larger than usual, some elderly ladies stopped to ask me curiously. I just gave them a vague smile and continued on my way, finally arriving at the housing complex park, our designated meeting spot.
Everyone except me had already arrived, Nao and Fumika were enthusiastically waving their hands. It seemed like they had followed my advice from earlier, as both of them were wearing slightly worn-out knitted gloves on their hands. Nao was learning the piano, and Fumika was taking art lessons. If they accidentally got injured, they would have to skip their lessons, and most importantly, I didn't want to see them in pain.
I had initially suggested bringing work gloves, but they probably didn't have any at home. So, in that case, I advised them to bring gloves that they didn't mind getting dirty. It seemed like they found suitable ones.
I had given the same advice to the two boys, but judging by the fact that they weren't wearing gloves, they either forgot them or had them in their pockets. Well, I had given them the warning, so whether they got injured or not was their responsibility.
"What's with all that gear? It's so heavy, isn't it?"
"Well, it's fine. You guys can just stay behind us. We'll protect you."
The mischievous boys made these comments and took the lead as we started walking. I followed behind them, and then I felt small hands reaching out from both sides and grabbing my hands.
Despite their competitive spirit, it seemed like they were getting scared now. Nao looked a bit anxious, and in contrast, Fumika's entire body was expressing her fear.
Holding hands didn't seem to be enough for them, as they proceeded to wrap my arm around their chests. It made walking quite awkward, but if I tried to shake them off, I felt like they might collapse, so I just continued walking with them clinging to me.
And so, an exploration team formed with enthusiastic boys and a reluctant party, embarking on a small adventure together.
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