Chapter 27: Locked in.

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Translated and Edited by: luccayn.

Common Honorifics:
-san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal.
-kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people.
-chan: A common suffix among people you're close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it's cutesy and childlike.
-senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one's older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club.

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“Hey, Tsukino.”

“What?”

“Why won’t the door open?”

“Because we’re locked in, right?”

“Normally, would someone lock a warehouse without checking inside first? That’s just too stupid, isn’t it?”

“I-I don’t know… Don’t ask me…”

It was the break after PE the next day.

Having been asked by the teacher, I went to the rarely used second warehouse to replenish the lime powder. Obviously, it’s because my PE grades are terrible and I’m trying to earn some points by helping the teacher.

Before entering, I glanced at the overgrown grass where Hareta’s desk had been dumped. Over the summer, it had become completely hidden by weeds and vines. It seemed no one ever came around here.

As I pulled a bag of lime from the humid warehouse, Tsukino showed up. Apparently, she came to replenish the equipment needed for her PE class.

The girls had basketball in the gym, right? Seriously, you always seem to get involved in troublesome situations.

“Do you have any idea who the culprit might be?”

“No idea.”

“Don’t lie, you must have some clue. There aren’t many people who would benefit from making you miserable.”

“…Sorry for dragging you into this.”

As long as you understand. I’m not angry about getting caught up in this. My irritation is directed solely at the idiot who locked us in here.

“Don’t you have your phone with you?”

“Well, it was PE class.”

“Who else knows you were coming here?”

“Probably no one except the culprit. They likely think we’re at the first warehouse. We came here because what we needed wasn’t over there.”

Everything was just like my situation. External help seemed unlikely for a while.

“So, what should we do, Shinji?”

“Of course, we get out. I made a rare effort to pack a lunch today, and I’m not missing out on eating it.”

“Oh, a packed lunch? What did you make?”

“The chef gave me some leftover salmon and vegetables, so I made some chan-chan yakiand packed it with mushroom rice this morning.”

“Sounds delicious, I want some.”

“Sure, but you’ll have to trade me some of your food.”

“Really!? Yay! By the way, what’s chan-chan yaki?”

As I explained chan-chan yaki — or Miso Butter Salmon — to Tsukino, I inspected the layout of the second warehouse.

It was roughly 15 tatami mats in size. The ceiling was relatively high, and the only connection to the outside was a small barred window and a large iron sliding door, with walls made of concrete blocks.

Stored inside were various items used in PE classes, including a large ball and net used for the sports festival.

The iron sliding door seemed to be a later addition. If a door had been installed when the block shed was built, it would likely have been a double wooden door.

“What are you doing?”

“Since it’s an old building, I’m looking for something that can break through the wall.”

“Shouldn’t you be using your deduction skills to find a way out?”

“This is the real world. Convenient solutions don’t just pop up. Deduction won’t break through iron plates.”

“But isn’t making a hole in a stone wall even more unrealistic?”

“There might be cracks or holes. Let’s check behind the shelves and the ceiling.”

So, using a high jump pole, we poked at the ceiling, but found no soft spots. Instead, the weak points were reinforced well, and the plan to break out seemed unlikely. Even if we wanted to dig our way out, the floor was carefully paved. If it was just a warehouse, they wouldn’t need to go to such lengths.

“Man, we’re stuck.”

“Yeah, we’re stuck.”

“Hey, I’ve been wondering, why are you so calm? We’re locked in this hot, dark place and you’re acting so composed,” I asked her.

“Because I’m not alone. It’s not scary at all.”

“Is that so?”

I’m scared, though. Maybe Tsukino is more used to crises than I thought.

“Hey, Shinji-kun.”

“Yeah?”

“What kind of person was Kumoi-san?”

“She wasn’t a particularly bad person, just an ordinary girl. She even made me promise to find her a boyfriend.”

“Heh, I figured.”

Tsukino replied with a meaningful tone and tucked her knees under her.

“You sound like you knew all along.”

“Well, if you outsmart someone, it proves they’re weaker than you, right? So, then they end up becoming someone you feel the need to protect.”

Don’t point out the structural flaws in my life like it’s some casual observation.

“In her case, it’s not about helping, it’s an apology.”

“Same thing. Besides, I’ve always thought your way of helping people never seems to have a clear end goal.”

“And I’m fine with that. I only help those within my reach.”

“I see.”

Her voice was sweet, both in a coddling and indulgent way. It echoed clearly in the quiet, sunless room, amplifying its eerie tranquility.

“So, what if someone smarter than you came along and offered to help you?”

“You already know the answer.”

“I do? What is it?”

“You treated me to a meal, remember? If someone stronger and kinder than me comes along, I’ll gladly accept their help.”

Tsukino’s hair swayed slightly as she gave a gentle smile. She neither seemed eager to help nor upset, just a very realistic reaction.

Well, no wonder. Reacting more would just make it hotter.

“Hey, Shinji-kun.”

“Now what?”

“Do you prefer girls with big boobs?”

“That’s gross. Has the heat gotten to you?”

“Come on, tell me.”

Generally, I don’t like talking about such things with girls. Discussing one’s type can get quite lewd among guys. With a girl, even more so one I have a somewhat reserved relationship with, it’s hard to speak openly.

I can’t really say, but I do owe her from yesterday. Yet, I can’t understand women’s physical insecurities. So, what should I do?

…

“Well, you know. They say guys who like big breasts are momma’s boys,” I broke the silence.

“Yeah.”

“But I don’t have a mom.”

“So?”

“…That’s what I mean.”

“What kind of answer is that? I can’t understand at all.”

We shouldn’t let this topic get too intense. It’s already uncomfortable enough, and making it worse would be a pointless strain.

“Isn’t there anything else? Something you like about a girl’s body?” She insisted.

“Instead of asking me, why don’t you help a little?”

“If it’s locked, there’s nothing we can do. Let’s just sit here together quietly. You only listen to me in situations like this.”

She sounded very mature.

If I were with Tsukino, our chances of survival might increase, even if we had to bivouac¹ on a snowy mountain. At least she wouldn’t be one of those women who panic and cause chaos like in a disaster movie.

“…Well, yeah. Let’s sit down for a bit.”

Maybe it’s because I tried my best at soccer; my gym clothes are pretty damp with sweat. The smell bothers me a little, so I’ll sit across from her to keep some distance.

“It’s less painful to sit on the mat, you know?”

“This is fine. By the way, do you really care about having small breasts?”

“N-no, I don’t care at all.”

“So, do you pad your chest when you’re on your job as a race queen?”

Suddenly, silence enveloped us.

Her beautiful face, frozen like a frog staring at a snake, gradually turned red and teary-eyed. She then opened her lips slightly and muttered in a hoarse voice.

“…Yes.”

It felt like I was bullying her. Let’s drop the topic about her chest.

“…Oh, there’s the chime for third period. If I remember right, the next class is self-study.”

“Yeah, because Mr. Ryan, the part-time teacher, had an urgent matter and is off today. Maybe no one will notice we’re missing.”

“No way that’ll happen.”

As I gazed out through the iron bars, I saw two cargo planes flying high in the sky. They were C-1s from the Self-Defense Forces, leaving long trails of cloud as they headed into an enormous cumulonimbus cloud that seemed big enough to hide a castle. Yup, they wouldn’t even notice we were gone.

We didn’t talk during that time.

I couldn’t think of any good ideas either.

“…By the way, the door is locked with a padlock, right?”

“Is it? I didn’t notice since you were here first.”

“Most school sliding doors are like that. The first warehouse and the gym’s storage room use the same system.”

As I spoke, I showed her the padlock and the small key I had in my tracksuit pocket. She nodded, seemingly understanding, and waited for me to speak.

I wondered how she planned to get inside without me. I borrowed the key directly from Yamamoto in PE.

“So, that means it can’t be opened from the outside either. The culprit must have locked it with the padlock.”

“The teacher would probably break it open for us if necessary.”

“Then we won’t get in trouble for breaking it ourselves.”

I slid the door again. Being an aftermarket addition, it left a small gap for light to seep through. The gap was wide enough for three of my fingers to slip outside, and I could push it to the same extent on the closing side since it wasn’t a perfect fit.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to destroy the latch from the inside. Lend me the high jump pole.”

I tried to poke the latch as hard as I could, but the material’s strength only produced high-pitched noises without any sign of breaking. I thought it was a good idea.

“Tsukino, do you know how to pick locks?”

“Of course not, I’m not a thief.”

“Right.”

The heat was starting to bother me.

Because of it, the sturdy door was getting on my nerves. Why did they install such a robust door on a building with nothing to steal? It only needed to protect against the elements.

Could we die from heatstroke if we don’t get out soon? This is serious.

“…Hey, look at this, Tsukino.”

“What is it this time?”

“The guide and door rail for this door are on the inside.”

“Isn’t that because it’s made of iron? If left out in the rain, it would rust.”

…I’ve got an idea.

“Can’t we just break the door?”

“I told you, that’s impossible. It’s made of iron.”

“No, I mean the whole door, not just the door panel. If the door is this heavy, it must be on wheels.”

“Well, that’s probably true.”

“And since the warehouse floor is paved, we should be able to dislodge the wheels from the track or whatever and pull it inward.”

“Oh, wow!”

Using the high jump pole, I pried off the dirty plastic cover at the bottom edge of the door. Just as I suspected, the door was on several wheels with swivel mounts. Are these even called casters at this size?

The setup was less of a door rail and more of mismatched wheels dropping into a groove between the floor and the ground. I climbed onto a jump box and struck one of the rollers trapped in the guide with the padlock, breaking one after several hits.

With Tsukino sitting on the mat, we used it as a buffer to dislodge the wheel. After sweating and struggling, we managed to get one wheel onto the mat.

“Shinji-kun, you really are amazing.”

“Geez, you’re so carefree.”

“Hehe, I knew we’d be fine. As long as I’m with you, I know everything will be okay.”

“Don’t overestimate me.”

Then, Tsukino and I wedged our fingers into the gap and pulled the door with all our might. It didn’t move on the first or second try, but as we kept at it, the wheels started to budge.

They moved.

And moved.

“…It's not falling over.”

“Sorry, my strength isn’t enough. We might not get out after all.”

“What!? Hey, bring back that hopeful mood! I said some really embarrassing things!”

“Idiot, I’m kidding. If pulling doesn’t work, push it.”

“That’s the opposite!”

I stood to the left of the door and gave the panel a good push. The wheels, now off the rail, made a grating sound as they moved forward. Since it was a sliding door, there wasn’t a wall behind it to stop it from opening.

“In other words, if the wheels are off, the door will open like this. We can use leverage to break the latch.”

“Who would think to open a sliding door forwards and backwards like that!?”

Ignoring Tsukino's loud complaining, I continued to work. Soon, the other wheels were off the track, and the door began to move. However, the area beyond the door had a slope for moving crates in and out.

I didn’t have the strength to support the door once it started moving. The latch weakened, and the door began to move under its own weight. For safety, I stepped back a bit.

“Tsukino, it’s dangerous if you stand there.”

“Why?”

“Because—”

Before I could finish, there was a loud crack as the latch snapped completely. The heavy door, now only held at one point on the right, tipped towards Tsukino at a random angle.

“Ah!”

The door fell with a bang, echoing like a cannon shot in the warehouse. We could finally get out, but instead of seeing the outside, I was faced with Tsukino looking up at me, trembling with her hands clasped to her chest. Whether she opened her eyes before me or was too scared to close them, her face was full of fear.

“What kind of reflexes do you have? You’re terrible at PE, aren’t you?”

“Y-yeah. I always get ‘2’s.”

“You’ve been helping the teacher to make up for it, right?”

“Y-yes. That’s why I was running errands today.”

“Heh, same as me.”

It’s not something to be proud of. I stood up and offered her a hand.

“Get up. That noise might bring someone.”

“…Okay.”

Shortly after, the security guard arrived and contacted the faculty room. The teachers who came later listened as I explained the situation and insisted we did nothing wrong.

The proof was in the padlock. With the broken lock in hand, it was easy to see why there were two of them.

“Tsukino is quite popular at school. So, it’s not surprising that someone might have tried to trouble her out of jealousy. I just got caught up in it.”

“I see.”

“Plus, we weren’t hurt. We don’t want to make a big deal out of it, right, Tsukino?”

“Yes, I agree with Takatsuki-kun.”

“Understood. But still, come to the faculty room after school. We need to file a report.”

“Got it. Excuse us.”

After this exchange, we headed back to our classroom.

“Hey, Shinji-kun. I—”

“I messed up.”

“…Huh?”

“If I’d noticed earlier, this wouldn’t have happened. Sorry.”

“…No, thank you. I’m glad you were here.”

Tsukino didn’t say anything more.

We reached the changing room just as the class was ending. There was no point in trying to make it for self-study.

Might as well wait here until lunch. We worked hard, so a little break should be fine.

“…I’m exhausted.”

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1 — A bivouac shelter or bivvy (alternately bivy, bivi, bivvi) is any of a variety of improvised camp site or shelter that is usually of a temporary nature, used especially by soldiers or people engaged in backpacking, bikepacking, scouting or mountain climbing. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bivouac_shelter)

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