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Shi(n)mai
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Arifureta no Sekai, Yuragi no Senjou
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A little bit late, sorry for that 
Spoiler:
Orcus Great Dungeon. To describe, it's a dungeon consisted of 100 floors. One of the 8 great dungeons in that world. The deeper you get, the stronger the monster it get. Nevertheless this dungeon is a popular place as training ground. Compared to the ground, the monsters in this dungeon carry Magic stone with better quality. Magic stone is the core of monster, normally used as a power source due to it's effectiveness. By the way, Strong monster tend to be able to use special magic, thanks to the quality it core has. Special magic are magic which can be used only by monster, it doesn't need magic circle nor incantation, making it one biggest reason to be more careful against them.
Hajime and the others, together with knights under Meld arrive at the post town Horlad, a town for adventurers challenging Orcus Great Dungeon. They are staying at the inn usually used by new recruits of the kingdom. Hajime relax himself when he sees the room (the room at the palace is too big and making him nervous). The others are at worst stays in double room, but only Hajime who get in a single room. Tomorrow in the first morning is challenging the dungeon right away, Hajime thought of resting earlier to get more energy for tomorrow. It looks like the plan is to challenge down to 10th floor. With that plan, it's easy for Meld and the knights to cover Hajime, as he is the weakest. Hajime feel bad since he is just a baggage to them and thought that it's better if he just stay in the castle. He don't have that choice though.
Hajime decided to read the illustration book of monsters. his dozing skills which he trained at school, is displayed to the perfection here. When he waqs about to sleep, he heard a knock on the door. For Hajime the time is still early but it's actually quite late at night. Hajime thought it Daisuke but the voice blown his fear.
"Nagumo-kun, are you still awake? It's Shirosaki. Can I have, a minute?"
What? Although stiffening for a sec, Hajime quickly opened the door. Over there is Kaori wearing only white negligee with cardigan on top of it.
"......no way"
"eh?"
The sight is too much for Hajime that he unintentionally speak in Kansai dialect. Kaori who didn't hear it clearly is just puzzled. hurriedly put himself together, as much as possible not looking at her, Hajime ask her (No matter how little interest he has toward "real one", he is still a splendid boy in puberty).
"a~ no, nothing at all. err, what is it? Is it informational matter?"
"No. Umm, I just want to talk with you a little...as I thought it must be a bother right?"
"......come in"
Hajime asked the most possible thing she could be here for, but Kaori just shoot it down with a denial bullet. Not to mention her explosives upturned eyes. The effect is extraordinary!
"yes!"
with no wariness, she just entered the room happily, and sit at the table set near the window. Hajime served her a pseudo-black tea and Kaori happily thanked him. While she sip her tea, the moon illuminates her. Not in strange way, Hajime is charmed by her mysterious innocence. Kaori put the glass back, and Hajime started to drink to calm himself down. He drink a bit too fast and get choked, Kaori chuckle a bit seeing him. Hajime then ask what is it that Kaori want to talk about. Kaori nod and her smile disappear, as if brooding over something.
"It's about the dungeon tomorrow but... I want you to stay in town. I'll surely convince the instructors and everyone else. So! Please!"
Hajime is bewildered.
"Err......certainly I'm just a baggage but...as one would expect, staying behind after coming all this way is..."
"That's not it! I'm not saying you're a baggage!"
Kaori trying to clear Hajime misundertanding. She then put her hand on her chest, after realizing she is too excited and take a deep breath. After calming down, "Suddenly like that, sorry", she apologize like that.
"You see, somehow I have a really bad feeling. Some time ago I managed to sleep but......I saw a dream......You're there but......no matter how I call to you, you didn't hear me......no matter how I chase you, I can't catch up.....and then......"
Kaori is silent, she didn't continued.
"And then?"
Kaori bit her lips, and lift her face, her expression as if going to cry.
"......you disappear......"
"......I see"
The silence hit the place for a while. Certainly it's an ominous dream, but still it's just a dream. Hajime can't imagine he will get permission for that kind of reason, even if he did, the storm of criticism would surely come for him. The choice of not going are not there for him. As to relief Kaori, Hajime, with as soft a voice as he can be, started to talk to her.
He said to her that dream is just a dream. There are Meld and his knights. There are also lots of strong people like Amanogawa. Rather their class are cheat class, that he would feel bad for the monsters. He then ask if she saw those dream because Hajime had shown his weakness too much.
"Even so...even so, if you're still uneasy then..."
"......then?"
Somehow embarassed, but Hajime looks at Kaori straight at her eyes.
"Will you protect me?"
"eh?"
Hajime has a self-conscience that saying that is a shame for a man. Hajime face already red from embarassment. Even Kaori is able to see that, being illuminated under the moonlight.
He then explain that Kaori is a Healer, excelling at healing magic. Then if Hajime get a big wounds, she will be able to heal him. If Kaori could protect him that way, then He will be fine for sure.
Kaori stared at him for a while. Hajime endured the feeling of wanting to bury himself or jump to a hole. They looked at each other for a while, then, Kaori broke it with a smile.
"You didn't changed huh. Nagumo-kun"
"?"
She then tell him that Hajime must thought their first met are at high-school. However, Kaori ahd already know him ever since 2nd class of middle-school. Upon hearing that, Hajime is surprised, he tried hard to search in his head...but cannot remember. Kaori then tell him it's one sided. She know him the first time when Hajime is kneeling flat (Dogeza) so there's no way he would see her. Hajime is even more surprised, she see him in that uncool manner, Hajime then try even hard to search that memory. Kaori continued the story. Hajime is kneeling on the ground, surrounded by delinquents. Even after being spitted at, kicked, and stomped he didn't budge. After that, being tired, the delinquents went away. Hajime thought she must have seen her dark past when he is in still afflicting "that" (chuu2) and can just let out a parched laugh, the same laugh he showed when his porn doujinshi are arranged neatly on the shelf by his mother (*Nagiamatsu said: MOTHER GOOD JOB!). However, Kaori looked at him with kind eyes, there are no scorn or disdain on her expression.
"No. It's not unsightly. Rather, when I see you like that, I feel that you are strong and kind person"
"......ha?"
Hajime doubted his ear? he even think of rude things like having some special disposition or something.
"After all, Nagumo-kun. You bowed your head for a little boy and his grandmother"
Hearing that, Hajime finally remember. Certainly something like that happened, A kid bumped with a delinquent, his takoyaki falls and started to cry "waah-waah", hearing that the delinquents snapped and quibbled the boy's grandmother, She is frightened and huddled herself. It was quite a difficult incident. Hajime who passed that way coincidentally, thought of ignoring that but when he see the grandma take out her purse, his body move by itself. Of course he couldn't fight, his chuu2 skills could only be taken out at hom, so he can only kneel on the ground.
Kaori thought that it's easy for strong people to settle with violence... for example like Kouki when he encounter a trouble he just jump and defeat his foe......however, a weak person face his foe and bow his head for the sake of others, is very rare. Kaori add that at that time she is scared, making excuse to herself that she is not strong like Shizuku... and didn't do anything waiting for someone else to do so. That's why to her, the strongest person is Hajime. She is happy when she is able to meet with him at High-school. She wants to be like him and talks with him a lot, but Hajime would always go to sleep right away. Hajime apologized to her. He finally understand why Kaori would care so much for him, though he still feel really embarassed being valued like that by her.
"That's why, I somehow become uneasy. Wondering if you will do something reckless at the dungeon. Just like the time you faced the delinquents......but, yeah"
Kaori looked at Hajime with resolute eyes.
"I'll protect you"
Hajime accepted that determination, looked straight at her and nodded.
"Thank you"
After that he put a bitter smile, because the role is reversed. The role of cool man tonight is Kaori while Hajime became the heroine. After that they chatted a little bit, and then Kaori return to her room. Before going to sleep Hajime found a new resolution, to relinquish the title "incompetent" so that he can let go "the heroine" position.
Late at night, when Kaori came out from Hajime room and returned to her room, there is someone who watched her back in silence. No one know who that person is, and no one know...the unsightly expression shown in that face.
@bludvein:
@omegasereon:
Last edited by amatsunagi; 2014-02-15 at 11:25.
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