My Refrigerator Turned Into A Dungeon

Chapter 461

Firm Promise

(...W-what, what in the world is going on!?)

Ah, what’s this? My vision’s shaking, wobbling all over the place…

(Uh… what exactly did Ruu just say…??)

"Ah, Nakihito-kun. Shall I explain things from my side as well?"

"Huh? Ah, yes… please."

Ruu’s completely unexpected statement made my brain hang up entirely. Seeing that, Ruu’s father kindly threw me a lifeline, and I clung to his words just as they were.

"It happened the other day. A person who works as a producer at a TV station came to visit our home. I spoke with him as well."

"I-I see…"

Hearing Ruu’s father’s calm tone, I feel my composure return just a little."Right now, this is the situation we’re in. Our lives are being threatened by things called dungeons, and even ordinary people are forced to live right next to danger."

"Yes. That’s certainly true."

Yeah, not just next to it—more like rooming with it. Our refrigerator even turned into a dangerous dungeon, after all.

"So the government apparently asked each TV station to cooperate with awareness… no, rather announcement activities regarding this problem."

"And that’s why Ruu is becoming an idol…??"

But I couldn’t wait for the explanation and ended up rushing ahead to ask for the conclusion.

"Ah… hahaha, well, that’s about it. In order to oppose things like dungeons, they want her to become a sort of advertising figure to increase people like you."

"I-I see…"

I understand that. But why Ruu for that? It doesn’t necessarily have to be Ruu, right…?

"Ahh… of course, if Ruu were the same as she used to be, I would never have agreed to such a proposal. However, perhaps because the impression of her as a sickly child was so strong, we ended up being far too overprotective of her. But the one who taught us that couldn’t continue was you, Nakihito-kun."

"Huh? Ah, no, that’s not…"

While answering like that, I recall what Ruu was like when we first met. Then I turned my gaze to Ruu, who had been quietly listening.

(...)

It’s true. Back then, Ruu always looked unsure of herself and would timidly hide behind Serai-san’s shadow.

But now she’s sitting calmly with a very composed expression. And you can even sense a firm confidence in herself there. That’s probably not just because she’s relaxed at home.

Then, sensing my gaze, Ruu looked straight into my eyes and began to speak.

"When I walked through the Stampede city together with Coach and Machi-chan and the others… there were so, so many heartbreaking things that happened…"

(Yeah… I see. After witnessing those tragic sights, Ruu had been thinking about this the whole time…)

It’s true, a lot of things happened.

Refugees pushed monsters onto us again and again, and Ruu even got shoved. There were other things too—she was run over by a car, almost attacked at a hotel. And more than anything, I myself hurt people and made Ruu anxious…

"I was able to change because Coach taught me. So this time, I want to tell everyone about it."That’s what Ruu says while looking straight into my eyes.

(That’s right. Even if Ruu seems timid, she’s actually a girl with a strong core. After going through so many life-and-death situations, she must have grown and finally brought that strength to the surface…)

Yet while I’m happy about her growth, my heart feels painfully lonely at the same time. If she says something that sounds like she’s leaving the nest, what am I supposed to do?

"And so, Ruu will likely become busy with both university and that work from now on. So how about it? Perhaps this would be a good opportunity for you to focus on the studies you’re currently pursuing…"

(Guh!!)

I-it finally… Ruu’s father finally said it…

His words are gentle, speaking softly and kindly. But their meaning is harshly asking, “How long do you intend to keep drifting around unemployed!?”

But… it’s not like I’ve just been playing around.

I’ve already finished halfway through my chiropractic school curriculum, and I’ll graduate soon. And as for income, I’ve started a business supplying materials and food ingredients from dungeons.

But I can’t say that.

There was the Dungeon Stampede and all. But the fact that I still haven’t graduated from chiropractic school is undeniable. And as for the supply business, it’s completely under the table. If I tried to formalize it and run it openly as a corporation, they’d immediately question where the goods came from and I’d end up in handcuffs.

Which means I absolutely cannot say something like, “Actually, I’m doing business with a major company like Sanada Pharmaceuticals right now.”

But then I finally notice something about the eyes of Ruu’s father as he looks at me. They’re filled with a very sad color.

(...Ah! H-he had been waiting… Ruu’s father had been waiting for me…!!)

And yet, I’m still unemployed…

From a father’s perspective, that’s obviously a source of dissatisfaction. I wouldn’t like it either. If my daughter brought home a man and said, “He’s my boyfriend,” and the guy was unemployed.

Even if I smiled and treated him politely for my daughter’s sake at the time, I’m confident my mood would stay sour for a whole week afterward.

(S-so this anguish… have I been making Ruu’s father bear it for such a long time…!?)

Only now does the realization hit me, leaving me stunned.

No… that’s not it. I knew it all along, but I kept deliberately looking away from it. That’s why I tried to smooth things over by doing things like cooking and cleaning, fussing over Ruu’s parents.

That’s right. Ruu’s father probably didn’t want to say something like this either. And yet the one who forced him to say it… was me.

Then I have to make a decision here… as a man.

"I understand. I promise that until I get a proper job, I won’t see Ruu… I won’t see Ruu."

I made my decision. Bowing my head, I made that painful promise. It felt like tightening a noose around my own neck.

But that was the utmost sincerity I could show Ruu’s father right now…