“Panda Impact!”
“Gyaaaahhhhh!!!!“
With cute music playing in the background, a girl with a panda plush toy attached to her bounces across the screen.
The panda lands a glowing, rainbow-colored punch on a massive bear that’s her enemy.
Yes, it’s a movie.
I… no, we came here to watch this movie.
It’s Saturday. As students training to be dungeon explorers, we probably should be dedicating ourselves to endless practice. But every now and then, we need a break, so Amagi invited me to go out.
I’ll say it again since it’s important: Amagi invited me.
This movie is based on an anime that’s popular with girls. To be honest, I wasn’t sure about the choice, but the surprisingly well-crafted story made it enjoyable.
For someone like me, who doesn’t normally watch movies, even being in a theater was maybe a first-time experience. When I mentioned that, Amagi said, “Leave it to me!” and handled the booking.
Jealous, aren’t you? Spending Sunday with a beautiful, angelic girl—it’s a date, no matter what anyone says!
Ah, now that I’m thinking about it, I’m getting nervous.
Amagi is cute. Her uniform is cute, but her casual outfit was even cuter than I expected. When I saw her at the meeting spot, I dropped my water bottle like something out of a comic scene. That’s our little secret.
She was just too cute.
She wore a light pink cardigan over a simple white blouse. Her skirt was pastel and knee-length, swaying lightly as she moved. Her hair was slightly curled, with soft waves that made her look even more delicate.
With slightly flushed cheeks, probably from hurrying, she smiled a bit nervously as she walked up to me. She embodied the very definition of “cute.”
“Sorry, did I keep you waiting?”
“…”
“Hm? Yumeno-kun?”
“Oh, sorry. I was captivated.”
“Oh, Yumeno-kun! Let’s go! ♡”
We went inside and enjoyed the movie.
Then we had lunch.
“Sorry, was it a bit childish?”
“Haha, I kind of thought so at first, but it turned out to be pretty fun.”
“I’m glad. It had good reviews.”
We went to a café and had pasta. I got a large portion of Neapolitan spaghetti, and Amagi chose a cold salad pasta with a small dessert.
“This pasta’s good too.”
“Yeah. I actually wanted to try this place for a while, so I’m glad you came with me. ♡”
“If it’s with me, then anytime.”
Her charming smile was adorable. I’m starting to lose all other words besides “cute.” Rest in peace, vocabulary.
What a perfect day! Sure, I’ve had to protect Amagi from exploding archdemons in dungeons, save Saya from Baalor, and even kiss Amagi to fight the Nightmare King… wait, that doesn’t sound too bad.
Well, I did my best, right?
Then, we moved on to a serious conversation.
“I have the unique skills of both Mage King and Battle King, aside from my mana release ability.”
“I see. So you go in, take down enemies up close, and finish with a magic attack. Strong… and cute.”
Oops, I almost called her fighting abilities cute. Gotta switch gears.
“Hm? Right. With that, I can handle A-rank monsters and even fought the Nightmare King recently. With you, Yumeno-kun, I think we can aim for S-rank.”
Amagi was even stronger than I thought. She could probably take on S-rank explorers right now.
“Yeah, I think so too. I might not be much help yet, but I’ll work hard.”
“That’s not true! Your knowledge, appraisals, and healing support magic are amazing. Plus, you’re strong even in normal combat, right?”
Whoa. Higher praise than I expected.
Feeling pretty proud now—I endured the mana release training for moments like this.
“With the potential for a third unique skill, I feel like we’re only going to get stronger. I’m really glad I teamed up with you.”
She looked so happy talking to me that it was almost painful.
And I think my “determination” skill is about to activate just from her cuteness…
“My third unique skill requires ten thousand hours of ‘determination activation.’ I think I’m almost there.”
“Wow. Did you have to go through something rough before joining the Academy? Even with just dungeon exploration, ten thousand hours is a lot.”
I can’t exactly say I’m using it right now…
Amagi watched me intently, her expression full of concern.
“The truth is, I don’t remember much about my childhood.”
“Huh?”
I should tell her properly.
About my past.
We left the café and moved to a quieter, private spot.
“Sorry to bring this up suddenly, but I thought I should tell you.”
“Yeah… I understand.”
“I joined Shidou’s team at thirteen, so three years ago. But I actually met Shidou at age ten, when I was found after going missing. I don’t remember much before that.”
That’s right. I have no memory of what happened before I was found, or how I got there.
“Shidou said that he found me inside a dungeon.
And even though I had a proper family registry, I wasn’t listed as a missing person.
Hearing that, it would seem like my guardians had abandoned me, but I didn’t have any guardians at that point. They had already passed away.
Beyond that, there wasn’t much information. I should have been attending elementary school, but it was recorded that I had gone abroad with my parents when I was young, and they had died overseas. Although I had gone missing, there was no search for me as a missing person within the country.
It was a vague, puzzling situation.
Even so, I had already unlocked two unique skills by that time.
So I was taken under the protection of the Association.
And then I was taken in by Shidou.
When I’d matured a little, Shidou suddenly tried to get closer to me—to hug, kiss, and even go further. I was surprised, but right up until I almost considered running away, I still felt a sense of obligation to her.
That’s why I’m going to become stronger.
Strong enough to stand before her again.
I don’t know what I’ll feel about her then, but it won’t be a one-sided situation.
When that time comes, I’ll thank her and then follow my own path.
I shared all of this with Amagi.
“Sorry for the heavy talk all of a sudden.”
“No, thank you for telling me. Let’s keep doing our best together. ♡”
“Yeah.”
“I want to explore all kinds of dungeons with you, Yumeno-kun. Let’s make it happen.”
After that, I don’t remember much. Amagi looked like she wanted to say something, but… can it wait until tomorrow?
I was nervous sharing my past, but the way she responded—with a kiss—that’s just unfair.
It felt like she’d accepted everything about me.
She’s too adorable.
All day, I couldn’t stop feeling happy or grinning, and it took all my effort to hide it.
