[International Stadium Yokohama — First Round of the Soccer Competition — Japan vs. The Republic of Woori]
When asked which sport was the most internationally renowned, most people would surely bring up soccer. International Stadium Yokohama was currently packed with more than seventy thousand people. Fans were always lively during soccer games, but today’s match-up, Japan vs. Woori, had everyone charged up.
“Shingo-kun, how did you manage to get these tickets?” asked Mari.
“I went through Kazu-san. I couldn’t think of a better place for our date.”
The two high schoolers who were members of Dungeon Busters had officially started dating in July. Shingo had used his savings pay for a Japanese bike in full and had passed his motorcycle license test. Once he became a third-year student, he would be able to get a heavy motorcycle license as well as a driving license.
Although they had barely started going out, Shingo only had eyes for Mari. Several people were also ready to quite literally kill him if he ever dared make her cry.
Sex is out of the question for high schoolers. The best I can hope for is a kiss. The two had barely held hands, let alone kissed. Tonight, Shingo hoped to take things a little further.
The second half started with the scores still tied at 0-0, and the fans got even more riled up. Shingo and Mari were each holding small Japanese flags with one hand and cheering, but the Woorian team had just as many supporters. The giant screen showed both teams’ fans. Suddenly, the camera stopped on Mari, zooming in on her face. She noticed and took Shingo’s arm, resting her head on his shoulder.
“It’s my first time seeing a game in a stadium. The crowd gets really crazy, huh?”
The game ended with Japan’s 1-0 victory. The lovebirds helped gather the trash after the match and happily exited the stadium. They went by the Rainbow Bridge and arrived in Odaiba. It was a little late, but they had a light dinner before going for a walk in Aomi Minami Terminal Park. It was already eleven o’clock, a little too late for two high schoolers to be out and about.
“Mom said that...as long as I get home before midnight, it was okay.”
“Then, can we stay a little longer?” Shingo asked.
They stepped onto the grass and sat on a bench, gazing into each other’s eyes. Although it was midsummer, the sea breeze blowing through the park should have been cool and refreshing, yet both Shingo and Mari felt their cheeks heating up. Shingo reached his hand to Mari’s soft, unblemished cheek, and she closed her eyes. Their shadows intertwined under the skies over the harbor, lit orange in the night.
✦ ✦ ✦
[Tokyo Olympics — Closing Ceremony]
Before the Olympics started, plenty of potential issues had been raised, such as subway and road congestion, difficulties in directing foreign tourists, and the risk of terrorist attacks. In the end, the event had not caused much trouble and welcomed its conclusion with no major mishap in sight. The adventurers, who had been on their guard the whole time, worrying about a potential terrorist attack, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“In two days, I’ll be off to Ishigaki-jima for three nights and four days along with all the members of Dungeon Busters and their families,” Ezoe explained. “We’ll relax and use the occasion to shift gears by taking it easy at a resort for a while.”
Ishihara nodded, trying to keep her killing intent in check. She had to deal with the establishment of the Ministry of Dungeons and had forgotten the meaning of the word “rest.” On top of that, the crazy Gamerican researcher who had recently joined them hadn’t allowed her to take a decent summer vacation. And yet, the man in front of her was casually bringing up his plans to slack off.
“Is that right? Make sure I can still contact you in case of emergencies. And, you know, if you feel like it, maybe you could bring me along for a little while by using your teleportation abilities. I don’t want to force your hand, but...” Ishihara trailed off.
Ezoe laughed and nodded before exiting the Olympic Stadium. The festive mood lingered, and plenty of tourists were walking around. It would probably remain this way for a few more days.
He debated going to Shinjuku or Roppongi for a drink, but he figured he wouldn’t be able to settle down there and decided to go to a bar around Mizue Station instead.
“Hmm?”
He was heading to the toilet to use Teleportation when he suddenly felt as though someone was watching him and turned around. A man, a foreigner, stood one hundred meters down on the other side of the crowded street. Next to him was a young girl. The strange thing was the girl’s hair color. It was blue, but the color looked so natural that it was hard to believe it had been dyed. There were plenty of people donning flashy outfits, perhaps because the Closing Ceremony had just ended, so she did not stand out too much. Still, Ezoe’s eyes were glued to her for some inexplicable reason.
“Who the heck...are they...?” he whispered, in spite of himself.
Unlike Shishido Akira, Ezoe wasn’t able to sense others’ strength. However, he still felt as if the air around those two was out of the ordinary.
For a split second, he thought he saw the corners of the man’s mouth turn upward. The next moment, they had both put on clown masks. Ezoe dashed toward the man. Although his brain told him it wasn’t possible, his instincts had recognized the other man instantly. Before Ezoe was able to cover fifty meters, a group of foreigners cut into his path. If a B-Ranker like himself crashed into them, they would surely die. He had no choice but to stop.
“Fuck! Get out of the way!” Ezoe yelled.
The group of foreigners—they seemed to be Sinese—appeared to be drunk, and it took Ezoe quite some time to get past them. When he finally stepped foot on the other side of the road, the two clowns had already disappeared.