Post Office Visit [Part 2]

"They definitely invested a lot in the postal service industry, huh?" I muttered.

"First time seeing the shipping hub?" the employee that was accompanying us saw our stunned expressions and asked.

"Yep! I'm surprised that a post office could have such advanced technology," Saki answered with enthusiasm.

"You're not the only ones that have said that. Many young fellas came here today and were astonished as well."

I would guess that those people were students trying to send packages to HRA also. If so, this situation could have happened every other year. I was curious so I posed a question to the employee.

"Does this happen every year in this month? People coming in without any knowledge about the interior of the post office, or newcomers in general?"

"Hmm, I have only been working in this subdivision for six months so I don't know the details. But during my time here, my co-workers have vaguely gossiped about many teenagers coming here in April of every year to deliver packages. The interesting part is that they never once use the service again," the employee explained her side of the story passionately as if she had been craving for the answers to the gossip.

"Are you one of those teenagers that are going to send packages?" she continued with an accurate question. Her eyes widened as she leaned in closer to us, expecting us to unravel the mystery that she had been pondering.

I didn't know whether it was safe to talk about the school or not. Having discussions about the school with outsiders wasn't explicitly banned according to its regulations, but most clauses implied that distributing information was not desired. I couldn't possibly entertain her by messing with the academy's confidentiality, in which case, I needed to answer her untruthfully.

I was brainstorming answers to avoid suspicions when Saki suddenly spoke up.

"Crap…" I muttered.

"Oh, we are sending these packages to our parents up in Inazuma! They were conscripted to the army not long ago, so we wanted to send something nice to them."

Wow. To be upfront, I thought she was going to spill the beans. I had known Saki for a long time, she was naive and carefree. Sometimes, she would act without thinking first, which would lead to dire consequences. But this time she handled the situation excellently. She still retained her composure and poise somewhere.

"Really? I hope your family the best of luck then, and your parents should be proud of you," said the employee. Her voice lowered in pitch, her lips shut and forced a smile. She was disheartened that she couldn't confirm the rumors, but she still kept things professional. I appreciated that she didn't interrogate us further.

"Anyway, the DSPs should be to your left. Go to portal number 4 and ask that machinery operator over there for further instructions, okay? You don't need to do anything else once you're done. It was nice seeing you guys. Goodbye."

"Thank you for leading the way!" said Saki.

We waved her goodbye and then proceeded to the DSPs. There were different portals that led to different locations, representing each city. Ours was portal number 4, the Inazuma Portal.

A tall and muscular-looking man was standing at the portal. He looked friendly and easy-going.

"Hello, we are here to deliver packages through the DSP," I spoke politely.

He turned his attention to us, smiled delightedly, and said, "Howdy, nice to meet you lot. Is this your first time using a DSP?"

"Yes. We were told to come to you for instructions on how to use the portal."

"Alright, I see. May I recheck your given cards and packages? We want the shipping process to be as smooth as possible. Of course, I won't check the contents inside."

"Sure."

After some minutes of examining the packages, he returned still with a conspicuous smile on his face, "You're all good to proceed. Follow me to the kiosk so we can begin."

These kiosks were in control of the portal. Somehow an interdimensional wormhole was connected to a neatly standing kiosk.

"It is relatively simple to use the control panel. Firstly, you have to put the packages on the idle platform. Secondly, fill out some basic personal information and answer the key questions that you answered in the entry form. Finally, once you confirm the information shown on the screen, put the card in for verification and completion. Voila! The portal would open and send your packages to your desired location."

We were required to send it separately as our packages didn't register for integration. But it didn't take long for us to finish so there was no need for complaints.

"Thank you for using our service," said the employee with a beaming smile.

We answered back with a smile before exiting the office. It was around 11:00 PM now, I yawned so hard that tears came out. The chilly breeze outside only made me drowsier, so I yawned even more, to the point where I had to stifle them by stretching out my body whenever it came.

"Are you that tired, Hiryu-kun?"

"Not really. This weather makes me more prone to yawning," I responded.

"I'd say that if I had a coat on, but you don't have one. I thought you would be wide awake and shiver from the cold."

"Maybe I have cold resistance, who knows?"

"I doubt it."

We conversed more until we were back at Saki's house, or maze as I would like to call it.

"The school's personal bus would pick us up at 6:00 AM, right? That's super early even for me."

"We are about 150 kilometers away from HRA, and the entrance ceremony starts at 8:00 AM, so it's fairly reasonable. I heard the traffic to mainland Inazuma is said to be quite congested also, especially in the morning when people go to work."

Saki breathed a sigh of resignation, "Fine, I know." I had never woken up that early before also, so a new experience awaited, I figured.

"Anyway, good night, Hiryu-kun! See you at the bus station tomorrow."

"Good night, Saki," standing at the front door, I responded. I immediately walked back to my house after seeing her off.

I walked back home and did my nightly routine before jumping into bed. I covered my upper body with a silk blanket, leaving my legs free. I tossed and turned in bed for 30 minutes, thinking about tomorrow, then I fell asleep without knowing.