“There is nothing to worry about when you have Kanbi Itsukushima!” Episode 1 [Creative Award 2024, Manga Original Story Category Entry]

Synopsis
Kanbi Itsukushima, a super-rich young lady, is outwardly a cheerful college student enjoying campus life. Kanbi Itsukushima She acts alongside Utsutsu Okinoshima, a shrine maiden who exudes a dark atmosphere.
Utsutsu Okinoshima She acts alongside Utsutsu Okinoshima, a shrine maiden who exudes a dark atmosphere. Such Kanbi and Utsutsu have a face in the hidden world that no one knows about...!
Take a look at the mysterious dungeon live tour unfolding in Hiroshima and the Chugoku region!

Main Story
0
Two young women walk down a dimly lit path surrounded by brick walls.
“There’s nothing particularly unusual so far... I suppose it was just my imagination?”
A woman with long, beautiful blonde hair speaks. She is wearing a white jacket over a black shirt and pants. Elegance and confidence coexist in her beautiful, dignified expression.
“...Caution is advised.”
A woman with a black short bob, walking slightly behind the blonde woman, mutters. She is wearing an outfit like a shrine maiden’s dance costume and has something strapped to her back. She also has refined features, but exudes a somewhat dark atmosphere. The blonde woman reacts with a slightly fed-up face.
“...I am well aware of that.”
“Better safe than sorry...”
“Can’t you do something about the extreme scarcity of that phrase?”
“You were the one who complained that I talk too much...!”
“Grrr!”
A bipedal, white crocodile-like monster breaks through the brick wall and attacks the women.
“You’ve finally shown yourself! Here we go!”
“I’ll provide support... ~~♪”
The black-haired woman plays a sound from what she has strapped to her back. The white crocodile stops moving instantly.
“It’s time for punishment! Hah!”
“Groo!?”
When the blonde woman shouts, the white crocodile is blown away and vanishes. The blonde woman’s eyes widen.
“Oh my? Is that it? Even though the intro hasn’t even finished yet...”
The dimly lit path suddenly brightens. The black-haired woman checks various things and mutters while nodding.
“I see, a white crocodile right before the deadline... The problem seems to have been cleared... Let’s return.”
“U... um...?”
In a room in a dilapidated office building, a middle-aged man wakes up. The blonde woman peeks in and asks.
“You’ve woken up. How is it? Did you have a good dream?”
“...Y-yes, strangely, my heart feels clear and refreshed!”
“That is the best thing to hear! Please feel free to consult us again if anything else comes up!”
The blonde woman replies in a cheerful voice. The middle-aged man thanks her, pays, and leaves the scene.
“Phew, as expected of a popular manga artist... He pays well... This is quite a profit for this month...”
The black-haired woman smiles. The blonde woman mutters with a sigh while looking out the window.
“This is just a ‘side job’, I want to earn money from my ‘main job’ soon...”
“The road ahead is difficult...”
“This Kanbi Itsukushima doesn’t want to be a ‘Dream World (Dungeon)’ conqueror, I want to be a superstar...!”

1
“Phew...”
Kanbi Itsukushima walks briskly through a certain women’s university in Hiroshima City. This university falls into the category of what is generally known as a “young lady’s university,” but among them, the presence of Kanbi, the daughter of the “Itsukushima Group,” one of Japan’s leading corporate groups, is stronger than anyone else’s. Just walking through the university campus immediately draws everyone’s attention.
“Look, it’s Itsukushima-senpai...”
(Phew, I’m the target of rumors again...)
“She’s beautiful today too...”
(I’ll be beautiful tomorrow and the day after too)
“But, did you know? Apparently she’s in a band.”
(Yes, I am)
“Could she be... a delinquent?”
(What era’s values are those?)
“Apparently she failed all her credits last year...”
(How rude, I took them properly. Although it was barely enough with make-up exams and report submissions...)
“Her way of life is rock...”
(I’m not really a rock ’n’ roller...)
“That part of her is also lovely~”
(O-oh, I appreciate the sentiment, but are you okay with that?)
“...I’m thirsty.”
Kanbi notices a nearby vending machine and tries to buy a drink.
“I wonder what she’s going to buy?”
“Strawberry cafe au lait? Orange juice?”
“She wouldn’t drink such childish drinks.”
“That’s true~”
(Guh, it’s become hard to buy melon soda... Argh!)
“B-black coffee!”
“As expected, she’s a mature woman...”
“Phew...”
Kanbi sits on a nearby bench and takes a sip of black coffee.
“She’s like a picture~”
(The surrounding gazes... being popular is tough... bitter...)
“E-excuse me, Itsukushima-senpai? I have something to talk to you about...”
A quiet-looking girl speaks to her. Kanbi changes her expression, which had been slightly grimaced by the bitterness of the coffee, into a smile.
“A photo to upload to SNS? That’s fine.”
“N-no...”
“An autograph? Please don’t resell it. I don’t think you would, though...”
“U-um...”
“Ah, a handshake? If you’re the same gender, a hug is also okay?”
“S-sorry, that’s not it...”
“Eh?”
Kanbi spreads her hands and tilts her head.
“There is something else I would like to ask...”
“...”
“...”
An awkward silence flows.
“...You should just talk to her directly.”
While walking down the hallway, Kanbi speaks to the quiet girl.
“N-no, well, that senpai is a bit hard to talk to, you could say...”
“Is that so?”
“Y-yes...”
“Are you scared?”
“S-scared, or rather, how should I put it, she exudes a unique aura...”
“Hmm...”
Kanbi stops and holds her forehead. The quiet girl asks.
“A-are you okay?”
“If it’s an aura...”
“Eh?”
“If it’s an aura, I think I’m also emitting quite a significant one?”
Kanbi looks at the quiet girl from between the fingers holding her forehead.
“E-eh?”
The quiet girl is bewildered.
“How is it?”
“N-no, even if you say that...”
The quiet girl is at a loss for words. Kanbi smiles.
“Phew, were you overwhelmed by my aura...”
“Ah, yes, I’m sorry...”
“There is no need to apologize... We’ve just arrived.”
Kanbi points to a room. A sign with “Fortune-telling” written in large letters is hanging.
“Ah...”
“You have a customer, you fake fortune teller...”
“You mean intellectual fortune teller.”
The woman with a short bob in a shrine maiden dance outfit replies to Kanbi who entered the room.
“...Honestly, to openly set up such a suspicious space inside the university... What is the university thinking...”
“Respect for student autonomy...”
“Don’t say things that sound good.”
“In fact, there hasn’t been a single complaint.”
“Hmm...”
“Because it’s accurate.”
“You’re just saying things that apply to anyone in a plausible way.”
“That is one way of thinking.”
“Hmph...”
“E-excuse me...”
The quiet girl speaks up hesitantly.
“Ah, excuse me. Please don’t mind the current conversation. It’s just idle talk.”
“O-oh, okay...”
“Once again, you have a customer.”
“...Please, have a seat.”
The woman with the short bob points to the seat in front of her.
“Y-yes, excuse me...”
The quiet girl sits in the seat. The woman with the short bob bows her head slightly.
“I am Utsutsu Okinoshima... What is your name?”
“S-Satou Haruko.”
“Satou-san, what brings you here today?”
“Um...”
“Wait a moment!”
Utsutsu thrusts her palm in front of Satou.
“E-eh?”
“...I understand.”
“E-eh?”
“You want me to tell your fortune regarding a certain worry, am I wrong?”
“A-amazing, you’re right!”
“That’s to be expected. I wonder if this university is really okay...”
Kanbi mutters in a small voice, looking fed up.
“Actually...”
Satou hesitates. Utsutsu tilts her head.
“What’s wrong?”
“No, um...”
Satou looks at Kanbi, who is standing in the corner of the room.
“Ah, you can think of her as a burdock or something...”
“What do you mean by burdock?”
“A figure of speech...”
“A figure of speech!”
Utsutsu turns back to Satou.
“That was just a little joke.”
“Oh...”
“Actually, you see... come here, come here...”
Utsutsu beckons. Kanbi tilts her head.
“Huh?”
“Just sit here.”
Utsutsu urges Kanbi to sit in the seat next to her.
“Why?”
“Just because.”
“Yes, yes...”
Kanbi sits next to Utsutsu. Utsutsu points to Kanbi.
“She is doing something like my assistant.”
“I-is that so?”
“Yes, she respects me very much...”
“Could you not fabricate the story?”
Kanbi stares at Utsutsu with a deadpan look. Utsutsu mutters in a small voice.
“Play along...”
“Eh?”
Satou tilts her head.
“No, it’s nothing. Anyway, she won’t go around blabbing about what is said here. Please rest assured about that.”
“Yes...”
“Then, once again, may I ask?”
“Yes... actually... I’m worried about my friendship...”
“Friendship?”
“Yes.”
“You had a fight recently, right?”
“No...”
“You’re wrong, I know.”
“Y-yes...”
“You were competing for a man you like, right?”
“N-no...”
“That’s also wrong, I know.”
“Y-yes...”
“You’re worried about whether you should continue your friendship with that friend as it is, right?”
“A-amazing, you’re right!”
Satou is surprised. Kanbi mutters while looking fed up.
“Well, eventually you’ll be right... Ouch!?”
When Kanbi looks at her feet, Utsutsu’s left foot was stepping on her own right foot.
“That friend’s spending habits are wild...!”
“Hmm, I don’t think so much...”
“Right, I know.”
“Um...”
“That friend’s violence is terrible!”
“No, that’s...”
“That’s also right, I know.”
“U-um...”
“That friend’s language is terrible!”
“! Y-yes, that’s it!”
“See!”
Utsutsu shows a triumphant face to Kanbi next to her.
“That’s also just a shot in the dark... Ouch!?”
Utsutsu kicks Kanbi’s shin with all her might.
“Utsutsu...!”
Kanbi glares at Utsutsu while holding her shin, so that Satou doesn’t notice.
“...Just be quiet.”
“Be quiet, you say...”
“For reference, what kind of terrible language is it?”
“Maybe something like ‘idiot’?”
“No.”
“Maybe something like ‘dummy’?”
“N-no.”
“Don’t tell me... ‘ugly’!?”
“No, it’s not such a simple insult.”
Satou shakes her head from side to side.
“A-ah, is that so...”
Kanbi goes silent. Utsutsu turns to Kanbi with a smile.
“Kanbi-san...?”
“Eh? Ouch, ouch!”
When Kanbi looks at her feet, Utsutsu was kicking her again and again.
“Don’t proceed with the conversation on your own?”
“I was just trying to fulfill my role as an assistant!”
“E-excuse me...”
“Excuse me, I understand the situation generally.”
“R-really?”
“Yes, of course...”
“I wonder if that’s true...”
Beside Kanbi, who is resting her cheek on her hand, Utsutsu speaks again.
“You started associating with people by ranking them... Am I wrong?”
“! Y-yes, that’s it, that’s it!”
“Even if the rank is only one different, the difference in how you associate is too conspicuous...”
“Yes...”
“Satou-san is completely exhausted from dealing with that...”
“Yes, that’s right...”
“As a fortune-telling, keeping your distance is lucky, but... that’s not good, right?”
“Yes, because we’ve been together since junior high and high school...”
“You have no choice but to have her change...”
“Well, if possible, I would like that to happen... but is such a thing possible?”
“Please fill in some necessary items here.”
Utsutsu hands over a paper. Satou fills it in while bewildered.
“I’m done filling it out...”
“Good, you will have a good result within a few days, so please look forward to it.”
“A-y-yes...”
“Then, goodbye.”
Satou left the room looking confused. Kanbi tilts her head.
“Aren’t you going to conquer Satou-san’s dream world?”
“No, the one to conquer is... the friend.”
Utsutsu thrusts the paper at Kanbi.
“Excuse me...”
Kanbi calls out to a flashy-looking girl who came to the back of an empty classroom.
“Y-yes...”
“Suzuki Akiko-san?”
“Y-yes, that’s me, but?”
“Do you know who I am?”
“Of course, Itsukushima Kanbi-senpai... I’m honored to meet you.”
“Ah, thank you very much.”
Kanbi bows respectfully.
“E-excuse me...”
“Yes?”
“How did you know my contact information, senpai?”
Suzuki asks Kanbi, who raised her head, looking puzzled.
“Let’s see... I wanted to talk to you at least once.”
“Eh...”
“So when I checked around, I was able to find your contact information.”
“W-was that so?”
“Since it’s not good to talk standing up, please have a seat.”
“Y-yes... Yay♪”
Suzuki sits in the seat next to Kanbi, leaving one seat empty, while muttering in a small voice. Kanbi asks.
“Just now...”
“Yes.”
“Did you say ‘Yay♪’?”
“Yes...”
“Why is that?”
“Because, speaking of Itsukushima Kanbi-senpai, you’re one of the VIPs in the university, right? To be spoken to by someone like you... man, friends are important~”
“Friends, you mean Satou Haruko-san?”
“Eh? Haruko? That girl is, for the time being, a friend, or rather...”
“Is her rank low?”
“! W-well, something like that...”
“Is it thanks to a higher-ranked friend that I can talk to you like this?”
“Let’s see... A-rank girls? Or maybe S-rank girls after all?”
Suzuki mutters to herself. Kanbi, who didn’t miss that, spreads her hands.
“!”
Before she knew it, Utsutsu, who approached from behind, puts Suzuki to sleep.
“Ranking friendships to add value to oneself... That’s a bad trend.”
“To the dream world?”
“Yeah.”
Utsutsu nods at Kanbi’s question. Utsutsu and Kanbi sit sandwiching Akiko.
“I’m not really in the mood...”
“If nothing happens, that’s fine... Let’s go.”
Utsutsu rings the bell. Kanbi and Utsutsu also head to the dream world.
“It’s a very ordinary dream world...”
Kanbi walks down a dimly lit path surrounded by bricks. Utsutsu, walking diagonally behind her, mutters.
“Caution is the parent of safety...”
“Yes, yes...”
“One second of carelessness, a lifetime of injury...”
“I understand.”
“No, you don’t understand...”
“Eh?”
Kanbi stops and looks at Utsutsu’s face.
“There is a possibility that injuries in this dream world will be brought into the real world...”
“First time I’ve heard that.”
“I’ve said it many times.”
“Was that so?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm... now that you mention it, I feel like I’ve heard it, or maybe not...”
Kanbi mutters while tilting her head. Utsutsu sighs.
“Phew... you’re quite carefree.”
“That’s just a story of possibility, right?”
“Well, yeah.”
“There’s no need to be so afraid.”
“But...”
“The point is!”
Kanbi holds up one index finger sharply.
“Hmm...”
“You just have to not make any blunders that would get you hurt.”
Kanbi starts walking again.
“Excessive confidence leads to carelessness and openings.”
“Solid confidence leads to peace of mind.”
“...Honestly, you always have a comeback.”
“That’s just my nature...!”
Several human-shaped shadows appear in front of Kanbi and the others.
“Hmm? Who are you guys? Are you going to a party?”
“Won’t you stop getting in the way of us and Akiko-chan~?”
“...You guys are kind of flashy...”
“As her social circle changed, her associations with flashy men also increased...”
“That’s certainly not a good trend...”
Kanbi slowly steps forward.
“Hmm?”
“What is it, miss? Do you want to play with us~”
“I mean, you’re pretty cute!”
“It’s not ‘pretty’, it’s super cute...”
“Is that what you’re hung up on...”
Utsutsu smiles bitterly in spite of herself.
“I’m joking.”
“I’ll provide support...”
“That’s unnecessary...”
Kanbi takes a microphone out of her pocket.
“Hmm?”
“What?”
“Mic test, mic test... Ah! Ah! Ah~!”
“Whoa!?”
“Gwah!?”
“Bwah!?”
Overwhelmed by the sound pressure of Kanbi’s voice, several flashy men vanish easily.
“Hmph, is this it... It’s not even a vocal exercise...”
“Don’t underestimate us!”
The remaining flashy man goes around behind Kanbi.
“~~♪”
“W-what is this sound... I-I’m getting sleepy...”
The flashy man lies down and vanishes as is. It’s due to Utsutsu’s keyboard performance.
“Just as I said, your back is full of openings...”
“Have you already forgotten what I said before? I leave the back to you... The vocalist trusts the backing performance and just faces forward.”
“! You really always have a comeback...”
Kanbi and the others proceed ahead.
“We’ve been walking for a while, but the fact that it’s still dimly lit means...?”
“It means the problem hasn’t been cleared.”
Utsutsu answers Kanbi’s question.
“We defeated several flashy men and such...”
“Those are so-called small fry”
“S-small fry...”
“That’s right, even considering the scale of the dream world...”
“Considering it?”
“Boss”
“It’s safe to assume there is a
“Ha~ dealing with bosses is tiring, isn’t it~”
Kanbi drops her shoulders.
“Wait, Kanbi...”
“Yes?”
“Around that corner... it’s there.”
“! ...”
Kanbi and Utsutsu carefully peek around the corner.
“Nom... nom... I have to eat more, men... doctor’s son, lawyer’s nephew, politician’s grandson... in this world, connections are more important than anything... to find better connections, more group dates, more dinner parties, more parties... for that, I have to gather high-ranked friends...”
There was a shadow of a plump woman there.
“W-what is that...?”
“The manifestation of Suzuki Akiko-san’s subconscious...”
“She was too obsessed with her own ambition...”
“Something like that...”
“Now then...”
“W-wait a minute!”
Utsutsu grabs Kanbi’s arm. Kanbi tilts her head.
“What is it? Utsutsu?”
“Don’t rush in without any thought...!”
“How rude, I have a thought.”
“...Let’s hear it.”
“I’m going to beat that boss!”
Kanbi clenches her right hand tightly.
“That’s what you call without thought...!”
“Eh?”
“‘Eh?’ is not the answer! Have you already forgotten what I said earlier!?”
“What you said earlier?”
Kanbi twists her head.
“There is a possibility that injuries in this dream world will be brought into the real world...!”
“Ah...”
“Do you understand what that means?”
“Vaguely.”
“That means you don’t understand, I see.”
Utsutsu nods.
“So? What is it?”
“That plump woman’s shadow, if you look closely, has Suzuki-san’s features...”
“!”
“In other words, if you hurt the shadow carelessly, there is a possibility that it will have a bad influence on the real Suzuki-san!”
“...What do you mean by bad influence?”
“Physical or psychological damage... I don’t know.”
“As for that hypothesis you’re stating so plausibly...”
“Hmm?”
“The sample size is absolutely small. As a theory, it’s a bit weak...”
Kanbi spreads her hands deliberately. Utsutsu clicks her tongue.
“Tch, suddenly saying something sensible...!”
“With that said, let’s go...”
“N-no, let’s be a bit more cautious.”
“I have more experience in this dream world than you. It was fine that time too, right?”
“! T-that time was that time...”
“I believe in Suzuki-san’s strength of heart...!”
“Ah! W-wait!”
Kanbi steps forward and calls out.
“Excuse me, I’m sorry to interrupt your meal.”
“Hmm?”
“It seems you are taking in nutrition in a not-so-good way... so I have come to correct it.”
“Y-you guys! Where did you come from!?”
“Who knows? Anywhere is fine, right?”
“H-how!?”
“That’s also ‘who knows?’. Since it has already happened, it can’t be helped, right?”
“Kuh, I will eliminate foreign objects!”
The plump woman takes out a large hammer. Kanbi points.
“Oh, do you intend to flatten us with that?”
“What else is there!”
The plump woman swings the hammer. Utsutsu raises her voice.
“Kanbi!”
Kanbi raises her hand to stop her.
“I have something I want to try, and besides...”
“Uooo!”
The plump woman swings the hammer down.
“Uaaah!!”
Kanbi shouts with the microphone. The hammer stops.
“I-impossible, the hammer won’t move!?” “She is pushing it back with sound pressure
...”
“S-such a thing...!?”
The plump woman is surprised by Utsutsu’s words. Kanbi smiles.
“Haaah!”
“!?”
The plump woman withers like a balloon with the air let out and vanishes. The brick-built path becomes bright. Kanbi nods.
“The problem is cleared.”
“...You changed your voice in the middle?”
Kanbi turns around and points to Utsutsu.
“Did you notice? I thought a sharp and piercing singing voice would be effective for a plump body...”
“Is that what you wanted to try... you didn’t have to try it on a boss...”
“Because it’s a valuable place for practical experience.”
“You have guts. Let’s return...”
“U, um...”
“Oh, Suzuki-san, you’re awake. Did you have a good dream?”
“Eh!? I-Itsukushima Kanbi-senpai!? W-why am I in a place like this... and what is this flashy outfit!?”
“Is something the matter?”
“N-no, it seems I’ve caused you some trouble... excuse me!”
Suzuki leaves the scene in a hurry. Kanbi winks at Utsutsu.
“It seems she has safely regained herself.”
“It seems so... what were you about to say earlier?”
“Eh? Ah, I wanted to say that support is unnecessary. I wanted to say that your performance with the accompaniment should be shown in a more appropriate place or depending on the conditions...” “Conditions... depending on the pay
... you’re a sensible person.” Utsutsu smiles bitterly.