Mountain, I Bought It – Living in Another World Isn’t Bad Either

Chapter 9. Decided to Escape to a Solo Camp

With Golden Week just around the corner, I received another unpleasant phone call.

It was from my mother.

“‘Cause, you know, she wants to come over and play.”

“I have travel plans, though.”

“Then just leave the key or something.”

“Are you kidding me?”

Just as I was relaxing after getting home, this happens. Why, after years of no contact, would she reach out now?

On top of that, my stepsister wants to come over again. Why does she always want to come to my place? It’s scary—she might end up staying for good.

“Anyway, even if you come while I’m away, it’ll just be trouble. You’ll probably get reported as a suspicious person.”

I guess it was a mistake to give her my address, since she’s my mother and all.

Last time, my stepsister apparently came all the way to my apartment. Unfortunately, my old building doesn’t have an auto-lock, so she could just show up. The old lady next door even complained about the noise. Not my fault!

“But she’s your sister, isn’t she?”

“…Are we done here? Bye.”

“W-Wait!”

In a foul mood, I ended the call, opened my laptop with a canned chu-hai in hand.

At this point, the only option is to go camping again. For the entire Golden Week, no less.

“But everywhere’s probably fully booked by now.”

As I browsed reservation sites, I couldn’t find anything that stood out.

I absentmindedly checked my emails. Most were ads, but one sender’s name caught my eye. It was from the campsite where I went on my first solo camping trip. I opened the email without thinking.

“Wait, half off?”

Apparently, they were offering a 50% discount for Golden Week. While I was surprised by the last-minute deal, I also remembered how inconvenient that campsite was. Maybe they’re struggling to fill reservations?

Tempted by the discount and the fact that I’d been there before, I quickly made a reservation. For the entire Golden Week. Maybe I could explore the area and do some sightseeing while I’m at it. I’d need to rent a car for a longer period, though. It’s a bit of a hit to my wallet, but I’ve got some savings set aside for marriage.

“Come to think of it, that’s where I had that weird dream, wasn’t it?”

It left a strangely strong impression on me. If I go back there, will I have that dream again?

But more importantly, escaping from my family is my top priority right now.

I started checking the contents of my fridge and got to work preparing for the camp.