My Refrigerator Turned Into A Dungeon

Nishinokawara Hot SpringsWalking through the hot spring town with Serai-san.Originally, I was supposed to help distribute the meat and get a ride back, but since some com

Nishinokawara Hot SpringsWalking through the hot spring town with Serai-san.Originally, I was supposed to help distribute the meat and get a ride back, but since some com

Nishinokawara Hot Springs

Walking through the hot spring town with Serai-san.

Originally, I was supposed to help distribute the meat and get a ride back, but since some commotion happened, including someone getting injured, I decided to leave early.

Well, you know, even if I were to help, it’s not like I’m with that group of Yumekun’s friends. So, it’s like… we’re not really on the same page.

So, after making some calls and arranging things, I told Sasayama-san, “I’ll just grab a taxi and head back,” and we parted ways there. Sasayama-san even apologized to us, saying, “The younger ones were at fault.”

Yeah, staying behind would’ve just made us the source of more trouble, so this was probably for the best.

As we were leaving, that noisy kid was shouting, “Hah!? Like you guys could ever take down the mountain lord!”

But when they found out the truck was loaded with meat from a giant boar, they were speechless. The meat was piled up on the truck bed, heavily salted, so it just looked like concrete blocks. Well, it was a massive boar meat block, so it’s not like you’d think it was regular cuts of meat.

That giant boar was apparently treated like some kind of UMA (Unidentified Mysterious Animal) around here, like it was something you’d expect to exist in these parts.

Well, if you found something like that, you’d call the Self-Defense Forces, right?

To put those young guys who’ve gotten a bit cocky with their dungeon abilities in their place, I casually dropped, “The boss? That thing? Took us less than five minutes to take it down.”

And man, the reaction was hilarious—they were all buzzing and murmuring. I just turned my back on them and walked away like it was nothing. How’s that for a strong vibe?

So, we strolled through the souvenir shop-lined streets.

But even though it’s usually bustling with tourists, it was quiet now.

Most shops were closed, and the ones that were open were sparse. Even the open shops seemed like they were only open because they had nothing else to do, with the steamers for hot spring buns still covered with sheets and not set out.

And where were we headed? To the Nishinokawara Open-Air Bath.

It’s a natural hot spring nestled in a lush park. After all the unpleasantness, I thought a good soak would help clear my head before heading back.

...

As we left the hot spring town with its souvenir shops and entered the park, the view opened up, and the breeze felt refreshing. The path ahead was a slope, and the layered terrain was interesting to look at.

As we walked, Serai-san, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke up.

“That guy… he’s my ex…”

“Yeah, I figured.”

I had a feeling, given how overly familiar he was with Serai-san.

But well, the fact that she referred to him as “that guy” probably means it’s over for her. She then explained the situation, albeit in fragments, and even apologized to me for it.

Apparently, she and Yumekun had dated back in high school.

He approached her, and she thought he was kind of cool, so she agreed to date him. At first, it was fine, but he gradually became controlling and would always try to assert dominance before talking, which eventually made her lose interest and end the relationship.

But when she tried to break up with him, he suddenly got upset and stopped listening, so she ended up leaving for a university in Tokyo to get away from him.

Hmm, I see. So Yumekun was still hung up on Serai-san.

Serai-san is so cute that she even has a fan club called “The Guild Receptionist Appreciation Society.”

So, it’s more surprising that she doesn’t have a boyfriend. Yeah, in terms of looks, she could pretty much have her pick of anyone. So, it’s not strange at all if she’s had a boyfriend before.

But, that Yumekun, huh? I can’t help but think.

Well, I think he’s good-looking. Even that noisy kid seemed pretty into him. But, well, as someone who’s a bit narrow-minded, I can’t help but not feel great about him being Serai-san’s ex.

Still, whether it was for show or genuine, he did seem to be doing a lot for the people who were evacuated.

I caught a glimpse of the stuff they were unloading from the car—wild vegetables like butterbur that they must’ve gathered from the mountains. It’s not nearly enough calories, but it’ll probably help with the boredom. But as Sasayama-san said, with that many noisy people going into the mountains, unless there’s a trap, the prey would’ve just run away.

In that sense, Sasayama-san, who’s been hunting since she was a kid, is a real pro.

From what I saw, she had a pretty strong presence. Yeah, in times like these, the people who can secure food definitely have more say. I should learn from that and make sure I don’t neglect securing food supplies.

Logistics are important. If you start talking about procuring locally, you’ve already lost.

As for Yumekun, well, I do have some thoughts, but it’s too early to judge him at this point. If I do that, I’d be no different from that noisy kid.

His strength was evident when he easily broke someone’s arm, but there were about 30 people there.

If he could keep that many people in line, he must have a lot of charisma. I only have a few friends I can call close, like Netto and Tomo.

Though, thanks to Serai-san and the others, my circle has thankfully expanded a bit…

“So, about an hour?”

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

Now that we’ve arrived at the Nishinokawara Open-Air Bath, it’s time for a soak.

...

“Phew… Ahh, this feels amazing!”

After rinsing off and sinking into the abundant hot water, I’m enveloped by the warmth of the highly acidic spring.

“But, love, huh? I never had any luck with it back in school… ‘Men want to be a woman’s first love, women want to be a man’s last love’… who said that again? It wasn’t from an anime or a galge, was it?”

Anyway, this is a good way to wash away the stress. I hope Serai-san feels better after this soak too.