Kyoto was getting dangerously close.
So naturally, being the highly efficient man that I am, I left packing to the last possible moment.
Two bags lay open on the floor: mine and Eri's.
'This should be enough clothes.'
I tossed another shirt into mine.
Once everything was packed, I could just dump the bags into my inventory and save us the trouble of carrying them around.
As I stood there wondering what else I'd forgotten, Eri walked in wearing the kind of cheer that usually meant trouble.
'Are you excited for tomorrow, my servant?'
'I don't know.'
'What do you mean, you don't know?'
'It depends on what kind of nonsense you and Saki get up to.'
'Huh?! That's outrageous.'
Eri immediately began arguing for her own innocence with the confidence of someone who had set my house on fire more than once.
*Ding. Dong.*
I was about to get it, but Eri darted off before I could move.
'This lord shall get it.'
A moment later, Saki burst into the house with her bag in hand.
'Who's excited for tomorrow?!' She raised her hand. 'I know I am.'
'Do you ever run out of battery?'
She dropped her bag beside ours.
'Isn't it normal to be full of energy after waking up?'
'No.'
'Huh? Then maybe I'm built different.'
Eri returned, vanished into her room, then came back a few seconds later with more clothes in her arms.
At the same time, Saki perked up like she'd just had a terrible idea.
'Hey, what did you pack?'
Without waiting for permission, she leaned over both open bags. One look into mine and she stared at it like I'd declared war on folding.
'Master,' she said, pointing into my bag. 'What is this?'
'Clothes. What else can it be?'
'I know they're clothes. I mean, why are they all scrunched up like that?'
'Isn't this how it works?'
She stared at me for a moment, then slowly smiled.
'Don't tell me Master doesn't know how to fold clothes?'
'I know how. I just don't see the point when it's going in my inventory anyway.'
Still giggling, Saki turned to Eri.
'Hey, Dark Lord, what about yours?'
Eri placed her clothes into her bag, then rose to her feet with a smug smile.
'Do you truly wish to know, knight?'
Saki didn't need permission. From where I stood, I could already see half her bag.
'Show me yours and I'll show you mine,' Saki said.
'Hmm…' Eri rubbed her chin. 'That is a tempting offer. Very well. This lord accepts.'
Saki dropped to her knees and unzipped her bag while Eri remained standing over her, as if opening a bag required proper ceremony.
'Okay. Ready,' Saki said with a grin. 'Welcome to my armoury.'
Inside her bag were training gear, several hats, and enough snacks to survive a minor apocalypse.
While Saki proudly displayed her collection to Eri, I walked over and peered into the bag.
'Where are your clothes?'
'Clothes?' She rummaged around for a moment, then pulled out a single set of activewear. 'Here.'
I stared at it.
'That's it?'
'Yep.' She pulled out a hat, put it on, and struck a pose. 'I gotta stay stylish while flexible. The yin and yang of fashion.'
'Why had this lord never considered such wisdom?' Eri rubbed her chin.
Apparently satisfied by Saki's philosophy, Eri opened her own bag.
'Welcome,' she announced, 'to this lord's treasure vault.'
She pointed proudly at the clothes inside.
'These are the lord's disguises for blending into human civilisation.'
Eri continued presenting each outfit like a sacred relic until the doorbell rang again.
'I'll get it!'
Saki sprinted out of the house.
A moment later, her voice rang through the house.
'Welcome, everyone.'
Saki greeted them as she helped them in, almost as if she were the homeowner.
Soon Hina and Kasumi stepped inside, each carrying their bags.
They set their bags down beside ours and noticed the state of our mess.
'Saki, I thought I helped you pack your bag.' Hina crossed her arms.
'Umm… you see…' Saki scratched her cheek. 'I thought it wasn't practical so I… took all of them out.'
'I spent hours helping you pack, and you lost to snacks.'
She shook her head in disappointment.
Kasumi stepped over to me and looked into my bag.
'Di-ran… why does your bag look like that?'
'Because I threw everything in.'
'Please tell me you were planning to fold them.'
'Hmm…' I looked off toward a wall. 'I think I saw an insect. Let me go check.'
'Di-ran.'
I walked away, leaving behind an unconvinced Kasumi.
As I stood there pretending to inspect the wall, I could hear Hina steadily losing her grip on sanity behind me.
In one corner, Hina was pulling out all of Saki's belongings from her bag while Saki clung to them like a dragon protecting treasure.
In another, Eri was sitting neatly beside Kasumi, trying very hard to fold clothes with proper dark lord dignity.
I smiled and finally stopped pretending to inspect the wall.
Once Kasumi was done with mine, she looked up at me.
'Di-ran, I sorted them.'
'Thanks, Kasumi.'
She lowered her eyes and fidgeted with the hem of her shirt.
'Is there something you want to say, Kasumi?'
She looked up, hesitated, then asked quietly, 'Umm… Di-ran… is my bag too heavy for your inventory thing?'
'Of course not, my inventory can hold plenty.'
The tension left her face.
'That's good…' she said softly. 'I just didn't want to be a burden.'
'Kasumi, you're not a burden.'
She gave me a small smile and returned to helping Eri pack. It was around then that my phone buzzed.
[Marie: I'm leaving for Kyoto today, darling.]
I looked at the message for a moment, then typed back.
[Dylan: Are you prepared?]
[Marie: Of course, darling. When are you going?]
[Dylan: Tomorrow.]
[Marie: Then I hope our paths cross in Kyoto.]
[Marie: Bye for now, darling.]
She sounded oddly certain we would, which made me smile.
I pocketed my phone and went back.
After Hina had finished dealing with the disaster that was Saki's bag, I set some snacks on the table for everyone.
Once Eri and Kasumi finished sorting everything, they joined us at the table.
Hina reached into her bag and pulled out train tickets.
'Okay, everyone. Be here at eight sharp tomorrow morning.'
She handed them out one by one.
'These are the bullet train tickets. One for the trip there, one for the trip back. Don't lose them.'
I looked at mine.
Platform number. Departure time. Carriage. Seat.
A simple piece of paper, but it made tomorrow feel strangely real.
Then Hina turned to Saki.
'I'm sleeping over at your place tonight.'
'Huh? Why?'
'Because I don't trust you to wake up on time.'
'That's mean.'
'I just don't want to be late because of you.'
I glanced around the room.
Bags were lined up against the wall. Snacks were scattered across the table. Everyone was talking over each other in that familiar, chaotic way that somehow felt natural now.
'To think,' I muttered, 'I'd end up living like this.'
I was going to Kyoto with all of them. Even now, it didn't feel real.