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Thunderclouds resembling cotton candy stand out against the clear blue summer sky. The chorus of cicadas resounds, making you want to cover your ears, but not a single child is seen running around with a bug net in hand. Right now, people are probably sipping barley tea in their air-conditioned rooms, engrossed in the new game consoles that were released last week. Wind chimes, a symbol of summer until a few decades ago, have been widely heard, but their numbers have been greatly reduced due to complaints that they were a nuisance to neighbors. Even in places where rice paddy paths continue, the benefits of modern times are still evident.
Going down the hill, she came to a narrow intersection. Crossing the crosswalk, she found an old-fashioned shopping street bustling with shoppers. She hopped off her bike and stepped onto the road, checking both sides as it rarely saw traffic. It was too early to marvel at how people managed to go shopping on such a scorching, midsummer afternoon.
There, many monsters will appear and block the adventurers' path. While they are nuisance monsters that appear on the way to the Demon King's Castle, they also provide a wealth of experience points. It is a special dungeon perfect for heroes who have just begun their journey. What kind of monsters will appear on Wednesday at 1pm?
...I've gotten all excited about this, but the sudden RPG elements are making me feel overwhelmed, so I'll put it in the most extreme terms. In short, it is extremely difficult to get through this shopping district easily. This is especially true if you become a regular.
While many young people choose other routes to school, Nao preferred to cross this shopping district. Her mother had taken her to the store since she was a child, and she had become a regular there even before she started elementary school. This familiar place had become like family to her. In a way, she felt a sense of security here, like she did at home.
Given that, it's all the more difficult to clear this dungeon so easily. So why did she choose this place ?
"Oh Nao-chan. Are you at school during summer vacation?"
A woman with naturally curly hair appeared from the small window of the croquette shop. It wasn't clear if the window was small or if her face was just too big, but her head was crammed into a space that required some effort to peer through. Not only did voluminous hair out of the small window, but the delicious aroma of freshly fried croquettes wafted in.
Nao stopped, intoxicated by the aroma, then tightened her grip on the steering wheel and turned toward the woman.
"Yes. I'm going to the baseball stadium today to support my juniors."
"You're so energetic, even though it's so hot. Do you buy some croquettes?"
"Uh... No thanks! I ate way too much lunch!"
"It's okay to have a few. Take for your juniors. I'll fry them up now."
As the lady said this, she tossed the perfectly formed chunk of meat into the oil.
But wait a minute. At this rate, she'd have no choice but to accept it.
Nao hastily blurted out a contrived excuse.
"B-But! They'll get cold , right? I want them to eat them fresh. Of course, they're still delicious cold!"
The lady frowned in disappointment and handed croquette in a paper bag.
"Oh well, I guess. Stop by on your way home then! I'll give this to you."
"Thanks! I'll come back later."
Taking the still-warm croquette, I finally set off. I nearly got held up until the croquette was ready.
I gratefully accepted the gift, appreciating its generosity. I took a bite, and the sound of the light batter popping and the punchy juices blurred my vision. The deliciousness blew away the heat, and I almost forgot about reality.
As I was engrossed in the croquette, I caught a glimpse of someone blocking the road in front of me. I looked up just before I bumped into them, and saw a man standing there, roughly the size of two Naos.
"How are you? Shall we stop by a my shop?"
The savory smell of sizzling sauce brings a different kind of excitement than the croquettes.
Next, I stand in my way: the owner of a teppanyaki restaurant. He's good at hiding his baldness by wearing a white tank top, black shorts, and a blue hat. he's only 37. His father, now retired, doted on me a lot as a child. Back then, I used to get excited about the slim, handsome guy who would occasionally pop in, but now he has a physique that's more suited to being muscular than handsome. Recently, his toes have started to hurt, so he's been taking more days off from drinking, or so I've heard.
And the teppanyaki here is exceptionally delicious...!
Apparently, they're so particular about their ingredients that if they opened in the city, there would be long lines, but for some reason, not many tourists come. This is another urban legend surrounding this town.
"No, I'm going to the baseball stadium today."
"Oh, wow, that's great! This is youth! Bring your junior and come back!"
Despite his large size, this kind-hearted monster easily makes way for anyone. His heart is even more generous than it looks.
Nao arrives at the final castle, watched by his trembling, log-like arms. Standing in front of the shop is an old man, standing with his arms clasped in front of his chest. Perhaps he's the brilliant, beloved village chief. Or perhaps the king who summoned the hero. Or perhaps a super-important character who asks, "Should I save?" right before defeating the demon lord. In any case, he exudes a dignified aura never before seen.
"Aren't you running an errand for Mom today? I've got a huge watermelon for you!"
He's a greengrocer's grandpa, turning 90 this year. He stands taller than today's young people, and apparently aims to live another 150 years. His forward-thinking attitude is so positive that he'll probably start a new business venture called "virtual watermelon" by then. His motto is "Just being alive is a fortune." Incidentally, the other day, even though he's a greengrocer, he sold me a baseball.
"Here, eat it, eat it!"
Even before I asked, the grandpa handed me a watermelon cut into bite-sized pieces. The juicy flesh sparkled with rainbow colors, and it was so beautiful I could mistake it for a garnet gemstone.
"Uh, but... Just one, then!"
Even Nao, as expected, couldn't resist this allure. As she popped a slice of watermelon into her mouth, an unbelievable sweetness and refreshing sensation flooded her. She'd decided to just have one, but the next one seemed to be begging for her to try it, making her feel bad about putting down the toothpick.
"Okay, one more..."
At this point, there was no stopping him. Before you knew it, the watermelon had vanished from the plate grandpa was holding.
"Mmm, that was delicious!"
"Yeah, that's right. We also had some ripe peaches!"
"What!"
Damn. It was a trap...! It seemed like they wouldn't be able to get out of this spot for about an hour, so Nao frantically called out to grandpa as he disappeared into the back of the store.
"Oh, hey! I have to go now...!"
"Oh, you can go after you eat!"
What an ineffectual old man.
"No, it's not that. I was a little late leaving the house! I was going to be late! So hurry up."
"What's that? That's boring."
Grandpa returned with a plump peach in hand. It was hard to refuse something like that. Nao almost reached out, but she braced herself and pointed her index finger at the peach.
"I'll come buy it! Absolutely! So save the biggest, tastiest one!"
"Thank you! I'll save the best one for you!"
Nao had fallen for Grandpa's trick, but he promised to come back later, and she finally made it through the final hurdle.
Nao stopped in her tracks every time someone called out to her, her whole body sticky with the salt she'd spat out. Her throat was dry, and although she had temporarily recovered from the watermelon, her HP was already in the red zone. She had to get out of here as soon as possible, or the hero's life would be in danger...!
But at the same time, Nao's heart was bright. The many conversations she had with familiar faces revived her spirit. Her MP was always full. In today's society, where human relationships have become simpler thanks to the spread of the internet and people no longer even exchange greetings with their neighbors, she dares to say out loud:
--This hassle is what's good about it!
Nao made it through the shopping district, where she was looking forward to seeing all the faces she had gathered. She then climbed back into her beloved car, which was beside her. Narumi Nao stomped hard on the pedal and sped out of the shopping district. The sound of a bell, a greeting, signaled the start of a long journey.
