When I opened my eyes, I was standing in the atrium of a shopping mall, wearing a school uniform.

Since it's only my second time, that overwhelming sense of Japan-ness—or rather, Earth-ness—still makes my heart skip a beat.

One might hope we've finally made it back to Japan.

Unfortunately, the answer is no.

This is a bonus area that has been unlocked as a result of me holding off on using my "Return Rights."

My party and I are summoned here every night, where we are permitted to select and take home one item each from what is being sold.

"W-Well...! Y-you really were summoned to that shopping mall after all..."

The one surprised was Roa.

Since this was a dream state, she too was wearing a school uniform.

Given the nature of this bonus area, it’s advantageous for every member added, so I had them join the party for now.

Since it is a local facility, it seems Roa recognizes the place.

However, the other three girls besides Roa were constantly glancing between me and Chi-iyu rather than looking around the facility.

And in response to their gazes, Chi-iyu gave a firm thumbs-up.

"Mission accomplished."

She wanted to say that I had handled things smoothly.

Hearing that, the three girls turned red-faced.

«I— the night of the seventh day will be mine, right…»

«M—mhm. And I’ll do the eighth day…»

«Then I’m on for the ninth day… but, well, everything is up to Sousuke-kun.»

The three of them were whispering among themselves.

Loa watched the trio with a fond smile.

For some reason, I began to feel deeply out of place.

«Ah—um. You’re probably tense since this is your first time too, but do you understand how things operate here?»

While noticing my attempt to change the subject, Loa smiled brightly and answered me.

«Yes. Thank you for explaining. We will discuss things in advance within the party and pick out the goods we want to take home, so that we don’t waste any of the three-hour time limit in the Bonus Area.»

The explanation of the Bonus Area was already covered, and everyone had decided on what to buy before sleeping.

«That’s right. Since you have more companions, the amount you can bring back is '6 items.'»

«But truly, Master is the greatest. Of course, you possessed the 'Return Right,' yet you overcame the temptation to return to Japan and decided to stay alongside your comrades.»

"That’s the promise we made, so I’m not about to leave everyone behind."

"You have a truly rare quality. In extreme situations, some might prioritize their own safety over their partner, and while I wouldn't call that emotion particularly shameful or ugly, I believe staying for someone else is undoubtedly a noble act."

Luo’s expression was so serious that I couldn’t brush it off with a joke.

"...Thanks."

"No, please. It is because our master is such a person that everyone trusts you completely. As a maid, I am proud of that."

Even in her school uniform, she looked so perfectly suited to the role that I momentarily hallucinated seeing her in a maid outfit. Luo’s maid-like aura had truly come into its own. "Mm. My pride and joy childhood friend."

"Exactly. 'Truer than true for Sōsuke.' You can't shorten it anymore."

"Fufu, I’m glad Luo-chan has noticed Sōsuke-kun’s wonderful qualities too."

"Yes. If it weren’t for Mr. Sōsuke, I don’t think this group could have been kept together so smoothly."

I ended up being smothered in praise and felt my cheeks heat up.

I cleared my throat and forcibly steered the conversation back on track to avoid wasting time. "Let’s not waste any more time...!"

Everyone wore warm, satisfied smiles but refused to let the moment pass.

"Then, let’s do that. Um, one thing is the hair dryer.

Since Luo-chan has joined us, and our ranks might grow further—" Shion said.

With two hair dryers, they could dry their hair in pairs of two, but Roa joined in as well.

For now, Roa is just a provisional member, but judging by her earnestness and how quickly she’s fit into the group, she’ll likely become an official member soon enough.

"One thing would be additional solar panels.

We've confirmed they work perfectly fine in our environment, and we can use them when purchasing electrical appliances going forward," Fushin said, which was exactly right.

"And the other is a big-screen TV! If it gets dark, there's nothing to do at all!"

Shouko exclaimed.

On this point, everyone agreed.

Well, I had no complaints myself since the girls assigned to night watch would come to my room... but still.

Setting that aside, it’s dangerous outside after sunset so we can't explore, and there's only so much you can do indoors, which leaves me feeling a bit bored and underoccupied.

I’ve heard stories from back in the day about how once it got dark, there was only moonlight, so using candles would be a waste and everyone just had to sleep—it felt exactly like that.

I understand why that’s tough for modern kids, which is why this was an item chosen by the entire team.

And from here on, it's verification time.

"Question for the Mystery Blackboard: If we tried to set up facilities requiring a net environment on that island, what would happen?"

Chiyu’s question.

『Connection to the Internet is impossible.

I cannot answer whether it will be implemented in the future.』 The text flowed across the monitor.

"Too bad. If it were possible, just plugging in a video output device would mean we could watch all sorts of things infinitely."

There are devices that, once connected to Wi-Fi and subscribed to video streaming services, allow you to browse those platforms simply by plugging them into a TV.

If internet access is one of the prohibited features in the first place, buying such a device would be pointless.

"If so, we have no choice but to steadily buy software discs."

"Buy the complete box sets so we can watch as many episodes as possible."

Shouko reacted to my words.

It wouldn't be possible for everyone to go home tomorrow or the day after, so there would likely be plenty of opportunities to return here in the future.

My 'Craft Ability' couldn't generate movies or anime, so relying on this place was the best way to get those kinds of things.

A total of four points for one video work.

"Next up... textbooks."

"Are you really sure that's a good idea?"

Fuka said this with a look of anxiety, but everyone else had bright expressions.

"Definitely! Plus, it’s not just Minori who can use them; everyone can, so honestly, we’d all love if you taught us."

"We carry our memories back with us when we leave, right? So if we study here now, it might really help when we get back to Japan."

"Mm. Eventually, let's get all the subjects covered. Once that’s done, we’ll buy reference books and aim to boost everyone's academic skills together."

"This is a unique way of utilizing life on a desert island, made possible only because your master has established a stable livelihood for the party, isn't it?"

"Everyone... ah, thank you. Well, let's start study sessions anytime from now on."

Fuka looked delighted.

The last item was a home game console.

I couldn't use it right away even if I took it home today since I didn't have any software, but this is for the days ahead.

This is what I ended up answering when everyone pressured me to name something I wanted.

It seemed like a thoughtful gesture; having already given everyone gifts, they said that because I only ever worried about what the girls wanted, I should ask for something for myself.

Given that reasoning, I allowed myself to make my request.

As long as I could buy software later or purchase additional controllers, the number of games and players available would increase.

For a gamer like me, it’s definitely a relief.

So, with that, it came to a total of 'six items'.

While securing our desired items, we spent a good three hours exploring the mall.

We looked for other things we might want, or researched raw materials and crafting methods to attempt generation using the 'Crafting ability'.

After all that, three hours had passed.

We completed the 'Selection' of all our items.

My vision flooded with white, and I was transported to the familiar white void.

The binary choice after the end of Day Six began.

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When I woke up, I was in a shopping mall's hall in my school uniform.

This is the second time, so I still get a thrill from the overwhelming sense of "Japan" or "Earth."

I wonder if I've come back to Japan. But unfortunately, that's not the case.

This is a bonus area that was released because I, who had obtained the "right of return," decided to postpone its use.

Every night, me and my companions are summoned here and allowed to take home one item each from what's being sold.

"Wow...! Y-You're really being summoned to that shopping mall..." Roa is surprised. She's in her school uniform because this is a dream.

Considering the nature of the bonus area, it's better to have more people, so I asked them to join the party for now.

Since it's a local facility, Loa seems to know it.

But the other three girls are glancing at me and Senyuu rather than the facility.

And Senyuu responded by giving a thumbs up. "Mission accomplished."

She probably wants to say that she got along well with me.

The three girls turned red when they heard that.

「Y-You’re supposed to be with me on the seventh night, right...?」

「Y-Yeah. And I’m supposed to be with you on the eighth...」

「So I’m with you on the ninth...? Well, it’s all up to you, I guess...」

The three of them were whispering to each other.

Loa was watching them with a gentle smile.

I felt uneasy.

「Ah, well. Loa, you’re probably nervous too, but you know what to do here, right?」

Loa smiled and nodded, understanding my intention to change the flow.

「Yes. You explained it to me. We discussed beforehand within the party and decided on the items to buy, so we can make the most of the three-hour limit in the bonus area.」

We had already explained the bonus area and decided on what to buy before going to bed.

「Right. With a new member, we can take home six points now.」

「But of course, you’re the master. You’ve already obtained the ‘Return Right,’ yet you’ve resisted the temptation to return to Japan and decided to stay with your companions.」

「That's the agreement, so there's no way I can leave everyone behind.」

「That's a special sentiment. In extreme situations, there are those who would prioritize their own safety over leaving their lover behind, and they wouldn't be considered particularly ugly for it. But to be able to stay for someone else's sake is, without a doubt, a noble act.」

Since Roa's expression is serious, I can't brush it off as a joke. "…Thanks."

"No need to thank me. Because of who you are, Master, everyone places their full trust in you. As a maid, I am proud."

Even though she's in a uniform, for a moment, I see her in a maid outfit. Roa's maid persona is so ingrained. "Hmm. My pride and joy."

"That's right. 'As expected of Sugatsubo.' You can't call me that anymore."

"Hehe, I'm glad Roa-chan noticed my wonderful side."

"That's true. I don't think anyone else could have brought this group together like you did."

I feel flattered to the point of embarrassment.

I cleared my throat and said, "Let's not waste time...!" and changed the subject.

Everyone smiled warmly but didn't back down.

"Alright then. One of them should be a hair dryer. Roa-chan's here now, and we might get more members in the future." Shion said.

With two hairdryers, they could now dry two people's hair at a time, and Loa had joined them.

Loa was still a temporary member, but given her seriousness and how well she fit in, it was likely she would become a full member soon.

"First, an additional solar panel. We found out that it works perfectly in our environment, and we can use it for future electronic purchases." Shinpo was right.

"And then there's the big-screen TV! We'll have nothing to do once it gets dark!" Shouji shouted.

Everyone agreed with this.

Well, I didn't mind since the girls on night duty would come to the room, but...

Anyway, once it got dark, it was too dangerous to explore, and there was only so much we could do at home, so I was feeling a bit bored.

I had heard stories about how in the past, with only moonlight at night, candles were too precious to use, so everyone would just go to sleep... It was exactly like that.

I understood why modern kids would find that tough, so this was something we had all chosen together. And now it was time to test it.

"Question for the mysterious blackboard: What would happen if we tried to set up equipment that required a network connection on that island?" Chie asked.

'Internet connection is impossible. We cannot answer whether it will be implemented in the future.' The monitor displayed the message.

"Too bad. If it were possible, we could plug in a video output device and see endless possibilities."

There are devices that, if connected to Wi-Fi and subscribed to video streaming sites, allow you to watch them by simply plugging the device into the TV.

If the internet is disabled, buying such a device would be pointless.

"Then we'll have to buy the software one by one."

"Buy as many as possible, so get the complete box sets," Shouko responded to my words.

We won't all be able to go home today or tomorrow, so we'll have plenty of opportunities to come here in the future.

Even with my 'Crafting Ability', I can't generate movies or anime, so I'll have to rely on this place for those. Each visual work is worth a total of '4 points'. "The rest... are textbooks." "Are you sure about that?"

Deepo said worriedly, but everyone's faces were bright.

"Of course! I mean, not just Minori, everyone can use them, and I'd love to be taught."

"We're going to inherit our memories and go back, right? Indeed, studying here will definitely be helpful when we return to Japan."

"Right. We'll get all the subjects, and once we're done, we'll buy reference books and aim to boost everyone's academic performance."

"This is the way to utilize life on an desert island that only a party with a stable lifestyle can do."

"Everyone... ah, thank you. We should always have study sessions whenever we want." Deepo looked happy.

The last one was the console for a home gaming system.

I can't use it right away since I don't have any games, but it's for tomorrow and beyond.

It was the item I answered to when everyone pressured me to say what I wanted.

It seems like they wanted me to think about myself since I've been worrying about the girls all this time.

If that's the case, then I'll accept it.

If I can buy more games and controllers in the future, the number of games I can play and the number of people who can play them will increase.

As a gamer, I'm happy about that.

So, in total, six items.

We spent three hours thoroughly exploring the mall while securing the items we wanted.

Next, we looked for things we wanted, researched ingredients and manufacturing methods, and aimed to generate items with our 'Crafting Ability'.

After three hours had passed,

we finished selecting all the items.

The view turns white, and I am transferred to the usual white space.

The two choices after the sixth day begin.

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