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Interlude 3, Chapter 6-0. The First Yuuji’s House Site Offline Camping part 2
Interlude 3, Chapter 6-0. The First Yuuji’s House Site Offline Camping part 2
Interlude 3, Chapter 6-0. The First Yuuji’s House Site Offline Camping part 2
Translator: Yukkuri Oniisan
Editor, Proofreader: So-Chintzy
After exiting JR Utsunomiya Station Eastern Exit, about 10 minutes away by car.
Yuuji’s imouto – Sakura –, Emi, and 3 thread residents men was heading towards a shopping complex at the intersection of the National Route 41 and the Bypass Route 42.3
Inside the complex, there were specialist stores4 lined up, from the casual fashion shop to boots chain store. Since there was a supermarket too, they also planned to shop for some of the groceries. Though, the real groceries shopping would be after meeting with the Home Center group.
Both of the women in the driver and passenger seat were excited, while the three men who sat side-by-side in the back seat were silent. This was no wonder. It was hard for the newly acquainted men to intrude on the conversation of fellow women who hadn’t meet with each other for a long time. Even under normal circumstances, buying their own cloth was already a high hurdle for these men, so they were to receive the guidance from the women. They were aware of their (lack of) communication power. However, there was just one, just one foreign contaminant mixed with them.
When they arrived at the parking lot, the Clothes Purchasing group disembarked from the car. Two of the men let out a relieved sigh. Finally, they were liberated from the airtight space. However, one of the men had entered his own world that he didn’t mind it at all.
They reached the intended clothing store and Emi quickly located her friend that she had requested before.
Emi once again ordered, “please recommend some clothes that suit them, they wouldn’t mind unusual design or color, just that the estimate cost for these two men are no more than 20,000 yen for 2 sets.” “Leave it to us”, while they replied like this, the two female shop clerk were guiding both if the men. Sakura and Emi could entrust these men to the clerks.
Then, Sakura and Emi at last noticed. The Clothes Purchasing Group should be only the two men who were asking for a guidance in purchasing clothes. But there was another man in this place.
Though they should have realized it before entering the car, the women had not met with each other for a long time. Since they were busy with their chat, they didn’t realize it.
?Ano…… Sorry, but do you also wish to purchase some clothes??
As a leader, Emi called out to him.
?Yes! But please don’t worry about me. I am alright by myself!?
“Is that so?” Emi nodded in relief.
“Then, should we wait while having a coffee”, “Ah, but perhaps we should buy girl accessory for Alice-chan”, was what they had in mind.
But at that time.
Sakura and Emi heard the man’s muttering.
?Alice-chan’s clothes?
A chill ran through their back.
Both of them suddenly turned their body around, but that man was nowhere to be found.
Sakura and Emi looked at each other.
?I-it’s alright, Sakura. S-see, I think he is surely only a father that came here to buy clothes for his daughter.?
?T-that’s true, right? T-then let’s have a tea while waiting for them.?
“Ahahaha”, both of them made a dry laugh.
It could also be called as escaping. Escaping from the reality.
But surely, the shop would be happy with a large amount of purchase. They surely would.
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?Alright, we have arrived!?
Two rental station wagon, each with 10 men, the Camera Ossan’s car, the Verification Thread’s Images Detective’s car and one Anonymous’ car. The 26 members of the Home Center Group and its leader Infrastructure worker, the total was 27 people. It was a large group.
?Wuooooo, what with this huge place!?
?Holy! You really can’t underestimate the Home Center in the rural!?
The men, who disembarked from the cars in groups, couldn’t hide their unanimous surprise. But then, the American duo, George and Louis, didn’t get surprised at all.5
The place that Infrastructure Worker had led the group into was a place 30 minutes away by car east from Utsunomiya Station. It was a super large Home Center, at the intersection of Bypass Route 4 and the Kita-Kanto Expressway.6
Surrounded by a vast parking lot, there was a big building at the northern and the western side. Beside the vastness of the area, the big black colored building had an impressive presence.7
The group of 27 men was heading towards the entrance in succession. Since there were foreigners mixed in them, the surrounding were looking at them with curious eyes. The group stopped at the entrance sandwiched between the north and the west building.
?Alright, everyone is here. Then the meeting place was just like what I had explained before in the car. Since this place is huge if you got lost then call out to the employees. Then I will be heading to the second floor of the west building, the food corner at the outdoor terrace, ah you could see it from this place, I will be waiting at that place, so if something happens you can call on me. First, decide on what you want to buy beforehand and keep it in your mind! Since in one hour, my friend would take his shift as the clerk, so buy to your heart content!?
Infrastructure Worker shouted his explanation. The 26 men were hearing the important points docilely. It was a strange seriousness. If they could do this in the school or workplace, what would happen…….
?Alright, just like what we discussed inside the car, we would move out as the Assarting8 and Agriculture team, the Architecture team, the Weapon team, and the Daily Life & Pet team. Since filming is prohibited inside the store, please heed it the Camera team. If the price is expensive, you might pick it up first then we will discuss it when we have gathered later. Then since we will buy the groceries after Sakura’s group has arrived, for now, other than the things related to the BBQ, the rest is excluded. Then people, move out!?
After they heard the calm order from Cool NEET, the group immediately raised an “OU!” shout. The other shoppers were startled and opened their eyes to them. The people, who brought their family with them, kept a distance from the group. It was a group that was a nuisance for the others. However, for the super large Home Center, they warmly welcomed the group.
During their travel to this place, they utilized the free video call to hold group video conference and divide themselves into smaller teams.
First, each team selected the important goods. Then Infrastructure Worker and Gunji-sensei who managed the group’s fund would decide who will become the team leader and how many members the team will be to buy the goods. When they had finishing buying, then Infrastructure Worker will ask his friend to arrange a special forwarding service to transport the goods to Yuuji’s house site. He was a man with splendid preparation.
Afterward, they would merge with Yuuji’s imouto – Sakura –, Emi, and the Clothes Purchasing group in this place. Then they would purchase the groceries at the supermarket on the first floor at the western building.
By the way, as the result of their preliminary investigation, Verification Thread’s Images Detective had rented balloon lights9 and portable electricity generator. The rental fee would be paid fully by Gunji-sensei, but what would happen if they really did get transported to another world? Wouldn’t it be a renting without returning? Of course, if this didn’t happen, they would return the goods.
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At the northern building of the super large Home Center, the Assarting and Agriculture team was heading towards the western section. The center of the team were Cool NEET and Gunji-sensei.
Their main objective was chainsaw, farm tractor, and brush cutter. Hence, why they were the member. Of course, they couldn’t say “It was for our trip to another world”. So they need to deceive the sales clerk while consulting the specification at the same time, hence the member with a good sense of mind.
?Gunji-sensei, do you have any experience in assarting or agriculture??
?I don’t have any experience with it. Our family had always taken formal occupation from generation to generation.?
While they were conversing like this, they had arrived at the sales counter. The Anonymous were, just like the Anonymous they are, raising great ruckus as they let out their surprise at the huge size of the goods placed at the sales counter.
While exchanging question with the sales clerk, the group choose their good.
In the end, they decided to purchase chainsaw, farm tractor and both of the gasoline-engine type and electric type brush cutter
If they had gasoline then the gasoline-engine type will have more power, but when the gasoline had run out then they would use the electric type, or so what they had planned. As expected, if one have money, anything goes.
Then the group also picked agriculture materials starting from plastic greenhouse parts and shade net10, to animal-proof netting and electric fence.
“Next thing are farming tools, fertilizer, soils, tree seeds, compost and the likes, right?” After saying these, they walked towards the Garden Center on the eastern side of the northern building.
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The Weapon team. This team was a chaotic one.
In the first place, their member composition was a strange one.
Not only the Bulletin Board’s lively duo, Anonymous ETNE and MEAT, but also the Americans, George and Louis, were in the team. Rather than hoping for their knowledge, perhaps it might be better to rephrase it as: the only thing that was expected from these people was their ideas.
Compared with the calm Assarting and Agriculture team, this team was a noisy one.
?George! George! They got chainsaw! Don’t you think we need this for anti-zombie duty??
?Calm down, Louis. But certainly, chainsaws are important…… But isn’t this thing too small??
Chainsaw and zombies were a work of art combination. However, it was a mystery whether the chainsaw will be able to cut so cleanly like that. Perhaps they didn’t think too deeply about it.
Then, although it was a huge Home Center replete with large sets of inventory, this was a store in Japan. They didn’t sell industrial chainsaw for huge trees with big diameters.
In contrast with the American duo who had disappointed expression, the Japanese duo was rather hectic.
?Hey,hey,hey! What with this crowbar! It’s freaking long!?
?H-heavy…… Is this thing really what they called as a crowbar!??
The one who made the clamor were Anonymous ETNE and MEAT. In their hand, they were holding an 180 cm long iron pole. It was a crowbar. No matter how long or how heavy it was, a crowbar is still a crowbar.11
The scattered members gathered. Each member tried to hold the bar and commented, “This thing really is a crowbar”, “The one used by criminals”, “This is a must have”, “But, if it this heavy, it will be hard to swing it around, right?” and many others.
They raised hue and cry when they see a shovel, they were in great jubilation when they saw a pitchfork, they raised uproar of “Whoa, a wooden hammer!” when they found a wooden hammer12, when they found wooden stakes they started to suggest it was necessary for anti-vampire, when they found bamboo they went, “let’s cut it and turn it into spear!”, and many other foolishness.
What a dangerous group.
The sales clerks were watching over them from a distance.
Though they didn’t realize it at all.
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The goods that they had purchased were unloaded one after another into a 4-ton truck.
Farming tools, soil, fertilizers, seeds, seedlings, lumbers, plywood panel, steel, construction material like concrete, pet food and medicine for Kotarou, medicine for Yuuji and Alice, pelt and fabrics, every manner of manufacturing tools, technical books, large scale cold storage cabinets, portable consumables, sleeping bag and canned food, tents and portable toilet, barbecue and smoking grill, numerous other camping equipments, et cetera, et cetera.
It was a gigantic amount of goods.
The total cost was a bit under 2 million yen.
Since Yuuji only had limited means to use the money, he didn’t mind it.
It was a rich guy’s treat.
Infrastructure Worker could be said to have an amazing insight to even arrange a truck to transport the goods.
By the way, the most expensive good was unexpectedly the firewood stove.
Excluding the chimney, it was a very expensive goods with a price exceeding 400 thousand yen. If they were transported to another world, then they need to build a house to ensure a place to reside. Though they thought that it would be necessary, they could only buy 1 piece. If they need another one, then perhaps they would request it to the dwarves. “Since there was an example, they should be able to make it”. With this strange slogan, they gave up buying a second piece.
?What’s wrong Infrastructure Worker? Somehow, you look very exhausted??
?Ah, Emi-chan and Sakura-chan…… Our side had trouble with everyone doing as they please…… Or rather, the guys there have a refreshing feeling!?
The two men in the Clothes Purchasing group were wearing a jersey and had unkempt hair at the time of the first meeting, but now they looked a bit like college students who took great care to look stylish.
It seems that after purchasing clothes they were taken to a beauty salon and have a haircut. Perhaps they had regained confidence that their slouching back was now straightly upright, too.
However, unfortunately, there were still some remnants of their unrefined nature. But this couldn’t be helped. This place was not Harajuku. In the first place, if they suddenly have the mysterious Harajuku’s fashion, people might back off from them.13
?Well, if you pay attention to their clothes and hair a bit more, you would turn out like this. You guys just worried too much!?(Emi)
“Uuu”, several of the men flinched, they couldn’t even deliver any reply. Infrastructure Worker averted his eyes while continued the conversation.
?Then, what’s the story with that guy who carried large amount of bags??
?Ah, that guy, right…… That is… Alice-chan’s clothes, or so he said. I leave him to you next……?
It seems that her side too was exhausted.
With Sakura calming George and Louis who reckoned that there should be one pound of meat for each of the 30 people in place14, the group finally finished purchasing the groceries.
By the way, they also purchased unpolished rice and rice mill for home use at the southern side supermarket at the western building. Since it was in the countryside, even a supermarket will sell unpolished rice normally. In the first place, in a more rural area, they wouldn’t buy unpolished rice from supermarket, but either procured it from the fields by themselves or buy it from an acquaintance.
At last, the group was heading towards today’s main dish, barbecue, & camping, and so they left the super large Home Center behind.
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_National_Route_4
2Also known as New National Route 4 https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%96%B04%E5%8F%B7%E5%9B%BD%E9%81%93
3I had tried to search GMaps for the place, but my knowledge about Utsunomiya is practically zero. I mean I can only find Panasonic Plant near the intersection…
4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specialist_store
5Huge Retail Store or Big-Box Store is a norm in USA. For more info
6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kita-Kant%C5%8D_Expressway
7I think the store they visited is the Joyful Honda Utsunomiya. See the similarity?
8 Assarting is the act of clearing forested lands for use in agriculture or other purposes. Assarting involves completely rooting up all trees — the total extirpation of the forested area. Which suits what was Yuuji had been doing.
9 Never know this thing exist before
10 This thing. You know the clothes/netting they put atop the plant so it won’t receive direct sunlight.
11From my Amazon search, a 180 cm crowbar weights about 10 kg.
12Ranma and City Hunter reference.
13Eh……? But I think goth-loli fashion is kinda okay…… I don’t really follow the male Harajuku’s fashion, though.
14Silly American, Japanese didn’t consume that much of meat, you know.