137 – The Three Ichinose

Before the man and woman, caught in the Monolith’s wake, were plunged into the Nightmare’s nest.

Rohan and Ichinose met once Orion Academy had concluded for the day.

In this world, their disappearance lasted roughly ten hours.

As such, it was now the liminal hour between dawn and morning.

The day had turned from Friday into Saturday.

Fortunately, it was the weekend, a day of rest for the Academy.

Ju-yeon, their instructor, was also free to attend the peacekeepers’ inquiry as the students’ guardian, time permitting.

Rohan and Ichinose, too, were without impediment.

And then there was the gap in time, so considerately created by Ichinose Momo.

—Wouldn’t it be proper to fill our bellies before the investigation? It’s not as if we’ve committed any wrongdoing.

—Perhaps we should enjoy a good nap and then have lunch?

Even the hour for their meal was set to a leisurely, late lunch.

For Rohan and Ichinose, as they were now, a moment of unburdened rest was precisely what they needed.

Rohan, needing to accompany Ichinose to the peacekeepers, was naturally invited to attend, and Momo, with characteristic foresight, invited both Sion and Clara, who were already present, to join them for the meal.

Afterwards, the restaurant designated for the meeting was decided to be Ansimjeong (安心停), a place whose location all knew.

The visit to the peacekeepers was thus nebulously scheduled for sometime after the meal.

“Yui. Have you been keeping your room clean?”

“Don’t you worry! Noces room is so clean!”

In response to Momo’s query, Noah waggled her tail as she answered in her stead.

As you can see, Ichinose had returned to the Academy dormitory, accompanied by her mother and Noah.

“Should Mother make some side dishes for you? Are you eating well?”

“Mother worries too much, you know.”

A zone where male cadets were forbidden, being the dormitory for the female students.

Ichinose Jun was sitting with Juyeon at a nearby café to discuss the incident on the deserted island and the current situation.

Noah had naturally taken possession of Ichinose’s bed.

With guileless eyes, she didn’t hide a question that had only just occurred to her.

“Oh, I just thought of something – Nōse was with Rohan, wasn’t she?”

“Ah… yes… that’s right…”

“What were you two doing?”

“Nothing special… we were just on our way to get some food.”

“Ah-ha!”

Noah seemed satisfied with the simple explanation, but

Ichinose, as if fleeing from the possibility of deeper questioning from someone, excused herself.

“…I’m going to go shower!”

The girl headed for the bathroom, leaving clothes, torn in places that needed to be discarded, in a pile next to the laundry basket.

She started the shower, wanting to cleanse herself.

— Is our Noah having fun at the Academy? Is anything uncomfortable?

— Yes! It’s even more fun with Nōse. And I studied really hard for this exam myself───.

Despite the closed door, voices could be heard from outside.

The sound wasn’t unpleasant. It felt good to listen.

Ichinose raised the corners of her mouth as the warm water hit her.

‘…I really did come back.’

The realization that she had survived the dungeon, breaking through a needle’s eye of a survival rate.

The girl covered her pearly white skin in smooth foam, reflecting on the harsh environment of the dungeon.

‘If it hadn’t been for Rohan, I wouldn’t have been able to come back either.’

She understood why so few survived the dungeons. It wasn’t just the monsters; everything, including food and water, was a problem.

She was simply lucky to have been with Rohan.

“…”

Looking back at a past where there was nothing she could do, she should be motivated to train, feeling a keen sense of her lacking skills.

But the girl’s thoughts drifted elsewhere.

Her hands, lathering foam into her raven-black hair, stopped moving.

‘Rohan with those two…’

The image of Rohan seeing them off, telling them to meet in the afternoon, surfaced in her mind. Sion and Clara had stayed behind with Rohan.

She envied how natural that seemed.

Ichinose emerged from the shower, already dressed in pajamas.

The hot water had soothed her body; she felt like she could fall asleep the moment she lay down. As the tension ebbed away, a wave of accumulated mental fatigue washed over her.

“Nose! Let’s go to sleep already!”

“…”

Noah had already made up her sleeping space on the floor.

Seeing the duvet cover densely patterned with white tiger characters and meat, she’d brought her bedding from her room.

Ichinose didn’t have the energy to argue with Noah, who was clearly intent on them sharing the room for the night, or to try and push her away. She was just too tired now.

“Mom and Dad will be nearby, so call us when you wake up.”

“Did you secure a place to rest?”

“Yes. But we came all the way to Academy City, didn’t we? I think Dad and I need to have a little date.”

Momo knew her husband well.

Ichinose Jun, having directly witnessed his daughter’s transformation, must be weathering a colossal storm within.

The way he tried not to show it still struck her as adorable.

Momo tucked Ichinose and Noah in, then clicked off the light.

And quietly left the dormitory.

*

Two PM at Anshimjeong. The Place of Tranquil Rest.

Rohan, well-rested and freshly showered, arrived at the shop looking refreshed.

He was accompanied by Sion and Clara, and they met Ichinose’s party just as they arrived in front of the shop.

“Ro- Rohan…”

Ichinose, as if sending a signal, whispered his name, waving her hand weakly.

Noah, twitching her round ears, came closer and showed her palm.

“High five!”

Rohan’s lips curved into a smile at the inexplicable energetic greeting.

He met the palm waiting for a touch. Then, he bowed to Ichinose’s parents.

Sion and Clara also showed their respect.

“Thank you for inviting us.”

“To feed my daughter’s friends until they’re stuffed is a parent’s joy. Thank you for coming.”

Momo smiled, watching Rohan and the girls trailing after him.

“Well, let’s head inside.”

Ichinose Jun’s greeting ended with a curt nod. He was Momo’s opposite, a man of few words and a different air entirely.

He led the way into the restaurant.

Ichinose Jun, who managed a corporation, was never free, but he had stayed behind in the academy city with his wife to attend.

Nothing was more precious than family, after all.

And the young man his daughter had taken an interest in had piqued his curiosity.

“Our girls must be hungry?”

“Starving!”

Noah answered the loudest.

Momo, seemingly used to Ichinose Jun taking the lead, guided the group.

Rohan, following behind, stared at Ichinose Jun.

Silently, he was nothing but impressed.

Wasn’t he a celebrity one would never encounter in Abyss City?

‘Maybe the same level as Instructor Joo Yeon? He’s a real monster.’

Like Joo Yeon, Ichinose Jun was a being far beyond Rohan’s ability to measure.

Walking across the grass at the entrance, his footsteps made no sound.

He wondered what kind of trajectory his sword would trace if he drew it.

“I am Maeng Do-hyun, the manager. It is an honor to guide you.”

Having received the news, the manager of Ansim Jeong had come out personally.

He gave a straightforward greeting and then started to walk.

The group was led deep into the restaurant, to a private room with its own garden.

*Drrrrrrr*───.

The door to the private room opened smoothly.

Ichinose Jun, still in the lead, took his seat first.

Sion and Clara’s eyes sparkled as they sat, leaving the middle seat empty.

The girls patted the vacant spot, calling to Rohan.

“O-Oppa…! Sit here!”

“Rohan. Come and sit down.”

To Rohan’s left and right, as though it were their due, Zion and Clara had taken their places.

Though the seats were ample, they sat pressed close, their shoulders almost touching Rohan’s.

Momo found the girls’ impatience endearing, nothing more than a pleasant feeling.

‘Such youthful times. How precious.’

And most precious of all was her own daughter, who seemed to find even this anxious behavior a source of nervous excitement.

A glance to the side revealed she looked ready to gnaw on her fingernails.

“Hehe.”

Across from Rohan sat the Ichinose mother and daughter.

Each time Momo caught his eye, she offered a smile tinged with kindness and mischief, leaving Rohan inwardly quite flustered.

Amidst trivial chatter, the dishes arrived with surprising speed.

A veritable feast, threatening to break the table legs, filled the expansive surface.

Noah began devouring the food, practically drinking it down.

Momo, meanwhile, naturally steered the conversation. The tense twin-tailed girl and the elven maiden were a source of amusement with every word spoken.

How had he captured the heart of an elf, so young?

“Rohan is most promising, having returned from the dungeon twice. A truly impressive record, wouldn’t you agree, darling?”

“Hmm…”

Ichinose Jun offered a vague affirmation at Momo’s prompting.

It was, after all, an unprecedented feat.

“I don’t think I could have returned without Ichinose’s help. I was fortunate.”

“Ichinose… would that be me you’re referring to? Or perhaps my husband?”

“…”

Momo’s smile deepened at Rohan’s momentary loss of words.

This Rohan fellow, despite his severe features, was well-mannered and considerate.

Yet, within that facade, there was a touch of endearing naivete that made her want to tease him.

“You should call her Yui, shouldn’t you? Seeing as there are three of us with the same surname.”

“M-Mother?!”

Ichinose nearly dropped her chopsticks in surprise, quickly grasping them again as she spoke.

Momo continued to gaze at Rohan, not her daughter. Comprehending her intent, Rohan corrected himself.

“I couldn’t have returned without Yui’s help.”

Ichinose, hearing Rohan call her Yui, instinctively ducked her head, attempting to hide a face as red as a ripe tomato.

Momo, feeling a surge of satisfaction, continued,

“Oh, really? My daughter said the same thing, it sounds like you two are close?”

“I believe we grew quite fond of each other during our time at the Academy.”

Momo barely suppressed a laugh at the sight of her husband raising his eyebrows. She decided to listen to the real story.

“Student Rohan. Would you tell us a bit about the dungeon? What kind of dungeon was it?”