I Wasn’t Summoned to Another World, So I Built a Real World Dungeon and Did Whatever I Wanted

Tasuke Yamada was standing in his apartment, at a total loss.

In front of him, an extraordinarily beautiful goddess with impossible pink hair was bowing deeply.

Yes, a goddess.

I-I'm truly, truly sorry . . . !

Tasuke had never seen such a perfect bow before.

Well, of course a goddess would pull that off—though this really wasn't the time for such random thoughts.

To understand, let's rewind the clock to a week earlier.

Tasuke had come home exhausted from the office, slipped out of his suit into everyday clothes, and was just about to blow off his pent-up stress by reading the web novels on his phone he'd recently gotten hooked on.

There was a knock at the door. Wondering what the hell this was about, Tasuke opened it—only for an unfamiliar beauty to barge straight in without hesitation.

By any definition, this was trespassing.

Just as Tasuke was about to point this out, she spoke up.

I’m a goddess! One week from today, you will be summoned to an isekai—another world! You know—the whole otherworld transfer thing that's been so common lately!

Her pink hair had been loosely braided, twisted into a coil at the left side of her head, and fastened so that the ends spilled down across her chest, where they fluttered in soft waves.

Her eyes, framed by long lashes, were azure blue.

Her smooth, porcelain skin had an almost translucent quality.

She wore a fluttering, almost-sheer dress that revealed nothing yet hinted at everything, and she had adorned herself with earrings, necklaces, and rings.

By any normal measure, this was bad. Pointing out that she was trespassing quietly was the least of his worries.

Tasuke quickly pulled out his phone.

. . . Hello, is this the police? Yes, that's right. There's a mentally disturbed person at my place who claims to be a goddess—

Stop it! I'm not mentally disturbed! I'm normal! Super normal! I'm a totally normal goddess no matter how you look at it!

What's a 'normal goddess'? Tasuke thought as he put his phone away for the moment.

Well, fine. So are you really a goddess?

Hmph, you can tell just by looking at this beauty, can't you!

. . . You're certainly incredibly beautiful, I'll give you that. But just because you're gorgeous doesn't mean I can readily believe you're a goddess.

Then how about this?

The self-proclaimed goddess held out a business card.

True to the flashy look of the so-called goddess, the font had been the kind you'd expect from a nightclub hostess—gaudy, maybe even garish. Anyway, something like that.

This is what the card said:

I'm the goddess Sharhalat. But for you, darling, Shar will do.

Right, so this was her evidence, though it didn't prove anything at all.

Hey, Hara.

Hara?! Hey, that's not cute at all! The business card says to call me Shar!

Someone this ridiculous deserved nothing better than "Hara."

You can't be serious about this being evidence, right?

He saw no reason to be polite to her.

When Tasuke gave her a skeptical look, Sharhalat started sweating nervously.

A-anyway, the fact that I'm a goddess is certain, and you'll be summoned to another world in one week!

Hey, don't try to bluff your way through this! If you really are a goddess, then hurry up and show me some actual proof—

You will be summoned as a hero . . . !

I humbly accept . . . !

. . . Huh?

. . . Hmm?

Tasuke and Sharhalat stared at each other for a moment.

Hey, wait a minute.

What is it, Lady Sharhalat?

Isn't that a little too much of a turnaround?! If you're going to doubt that I'm a goddess, then you should doubt the hero summoning story too! That's more logical!

Don't be silly, I believed you from the very beginning. That you are the ultimate, supreme, absolutely gorgeous goddess Lady Sharhalat!

Ultimate and supreme?! Absolutely gorgeous goddess?!

Sharhalat's face turned bright red.

R-really? Then I'll forgive you this time! Consider yourself lucky!

This girl's so easy to manipulate, Tasuke thought.

Yeah, yeah, thanks.

Huh? Isn't that a weird way to show gratitude?

Don't be silly, you're just imagining things.

Really?

That's right.

Well, if you say so.

She really is easy to manipulate, Tasuke thought.

After that, Tasuke served Sharhalat some tea.

The tea had already been steeped dry, but when he claimed it was top-quality, she took him at his word and beamed with joy.

Needless to say, this convinced Tasuke that she was incredibly gullible.

Anyway, back to the hero summoning business.

Lady Sharhalat, can I ask you something about this world where I'll be summoned as a hero?

Huh? What a pai—well, fine, I can tell you, but are you sure you actually want to know?

He thought, Did she just nearly say I was a pain?! But since he wanted to hear the answer, Tasuke nodded anyway.

Fine, fine. I'll touch your head, okay? It's faster to show you than explain it.

Before he could ask what she meant, Sharhalat placed her hand on Tasuke's head, and suddenly scenes from what looked like a fantasy world flooded his mind.

It was a town lined with stone buildings. Alongside humans were beastfolk with twitching ears and swishing tails, and the blonde beauty with pointed ears could only have been an elf. Then there was the bearded man built like a barrel of ale—surely a dwarf. The scene shifted: across grasslands, forests, even deserts, men and women dressed like the adventurers Tasuke had often read about in web novels were locked in battle with monsters, wielding swords and casting spells.

Okay, that's it.

When Sharhalat removed her hand, the visions in his head vanished.

Wh-what was that?!

I used my goddess power to show you images of the world where you'll be summoned as a hero. Pretty amazing, right? Go ahead, you can praise me!

Amazing, Lady Sharhalat! You're like a real goddess!

Hmph, of course, of course! . . . Wait, hold on. What do you mean like a real goddess . . . ?

I didn't say anything like that, did I? You must have misheard, Lady Sharhalat.

R-really . . . is that so?

To be fooled by something so simple—Tasuke was actually impressed by how gullible she was.

In any case, if Sharhalat was a real goddess, then the story about being summoned to isekai as a hero must also be true.

Tasuke, who was employed at an exploitative company, loved to spend his downtime reading light novels and web fiction.

He often fantasized about what he would do if he were the protagonist of a story—all sorts of scenarios.

And now those fantasies were actually going to become reality.

It was good to be alive.

But Lady Sharhalat, aren't those isekai summons usually done without asking first?

We certainly used to do it without asking. But lately, there have been more and more industry groups making a fuss about the human rights of the people being summoned. That's why advance notification has become mandatory. It's such a pain.

Industry groups . . . ?

I could tell you more if you really want to know, but it's as long as the history of the gods themselves . . . Oh, I know! Should I transmit it to you like I did earlier?

You can do that? Then please, by all means. I'm a bit curious.

Fine . . . Just know, the load of information might be so heavy your brain won't keep up—it could even blow a fuse.

Hey, Hara! What do you mean my brain could blow a fuse?! That's terrifying!

You called me Hara again?! Come on, hurry up and stick your head out!

I humbly decline!

You're the one who said you wanted to know?! . . . Well, whatever. I'm a goddess, after all. I'll forgive you with my magnanimous heart.

Sharhalat said this imperiously before continuing.

Anyway, that's how it is. Think about what skills you'd like to get when you're summoned to isekai!

Understood.

Oh, and thanks for the tea! It was really delicious!

Well then!

Sharhalat headed for the front door to leave, but . . .

Oh, that's right, I almost forgot to mention something. You should settle your affairs. In one week, you'll be summoned to an isekai and won't be able to return to this world.

Roger that.

This time, Sharhalat really did leave.

Tasuke thought that leaving through the front door like a regular person wasn't very goddess-like.

And now we return to one week later, which is today.

Ah, Lady Sharhalat, I've been waiting for you! I'm all set. Now please summon me to an isekai!

But despite Tasuke's enthusiastic welcome, Sharhalat refused to make eye contact with him.

When Tasuke tried to peer at Sharhalat's face, she would quickly look away.

. . . Something's wrong. Something's definitely going on.

Just as Tasuke was thinking this, Sharhalat dropped a bombshell.

A-ah, you see . . . the person actually meant to be summoned wasn't you, Tasuke Yamada, but rather Tasuku Yamada.

I see. And that means?

Your being summoned to an isekai was my mistake!

Sharhalat prostrated herself, lowering her head to the floor in apology.

I-I'm truly, truly sorry . . . !

For a moment, Tasuke's mind went completely blank, but then he snapped back to reality.

Hey! What do you mean it was a mistake?! I did exactly what you told me and settled all my affairs because I was going to be summoned to an isekai!

He slapped his resignation down in front of the boss who saw him as nothing more than a convenient pawn, brushed off the coworkers and juniors who only ever dumped overtime and troublesome work on him, and quit the company for good.

He had canceled his current apartment, along with the contracts for electricity, gas, water, and even his phone, all set to end within the month.

Since he still had to get through daily life until today, he had kept only the bare essentials—like the refrigerator and cooking utensils—and sold off everything else.

Naturally, he'd already made sure that even the basics would be cleared out after he was summoned to an isekai.

And then, after parting with his family and the few friends he had as though it were a farewell for this life, one of those friends had made a surprising remark.

All right, got it! So basically what you're saying is this, right? You want me to get rid of your stash of adult magazines and all that other stuff in your room!

Not even close. Stuff like that was the very first thing he'd tossed out.

Y-y-you! What are you going to do about this?!

Tasuke’s voice trembled because he was so shaken.

I-it's not my fault! You're the one to blame for having such a confusing name! I got demoted two ranks because of you! You should be apologizing to me!

Sharhalat showed absolutely no remorse.

Apparently, the prostration she had performed earlier had been only in form, a hollow gesture.

A two-rank demotion?! You should be demoted all the way to the bottom! Even that's too good for you! You useless goddess!

Hey! What did you just say?! Take back that 'useless goddess' comment!

Like hell I will! At this point, I'm posting online about what a useless goddess you are and spreading it everywhere!

Wh-what are you saying . . . ? You wouldn't do that, right . . . ? You wouldn't really do something so terrible, right . . . ? Tell me you won't do it!

Hey, don't grab my collar and shake me like that! It hurts! And you're way too worked up over just having mean things posted about you online! . . . Wait! Could there be some deeper reason tied to the existence of gods—

When people try to search my name online, autocomplete will go and do its unnecessary job, suggesting “Sharhalat the Useless Goddess”! I don’t want that!

It wasn't deep at all—it was a completely trivial reason.

I can't believe you'd do something so awful—you're the worst!

That was the last thing he wanted to hear from the person who had ruined his life.

Fine, fine, I get it! I'll give you compensation since I have no choice! Be grateful!

. . . All right. I'm going to spread the word online that you're a useless goddess.

Tasuke pulled out his phone.

Why?! I said I'd give you compensation!

Give me compensation? Do you understand your position here? Is that condescending attitude really appropriate?

When Tasuke started using his phone, Sharhalat began to panic.

S-sorry, sorry! I'll do it for you! So please! Don't post it online! Don't spread it around!

With no other choice, Tasuke slipped his phone back into his pocket.

Sharhalat let out a sigh of relief, but Tasuke kept his hand on his phone, ready to use it at any moment. After all, when dealing with a useless goddess, that was only natural.

So, what's this compensation?

I told you to think about what skills you'd want if you got summoned to an isekai, remember? What skills did you want? Just say them out loud and picture exactly how they'd work.

Isekai Store.

It was a cheat skill that had become popular in web novels—one that let you purchase items from this world even after going to an isekai.

With that skill, he could eat food from this world whenever he wanted, and most importantly, various light novels and web novels had proven that items from this world sold for high prices in an isekai.

He had planned to make a fortune with it and live it up in an iseka.

He had believed it was only a dream—until his body suddenly shone with an intense light, the kind you'd expect when a hero awakens to new power.

What was that?

Proof that you received a skill!

Huh?

What other skills do you want? Come on, hurry up and tell me! Come on, come on!

An Item Box with infinite storage and no time passage.

Piiing! Flash!

Appraisal . . .

Piiing! Flash!

. . .

Tasuke fell silent.

Okay, that's all for the compensation!

Sharhalat said this and started to leave in a hurry. Tasuke grabbed her head to stop her.

He made her turn toward him.

Wh-what is it . . . ?

Give me a proper explanation.

He let go of her and glared.

I made it so skills that could only be used over there now work in this world too! And it was supposed to be just one skill, but I gave you three! You should be grateful!

He could now use skills in this world too.

I see. That's certainly something to be happy about—something wonderful, even, Tasuke thought to himself.

But getting a skill that let him buy things from this world while in this world wasn't exciting at all.

Appraisal wasn't necessary either.

Well, Item Box seemed useful, but . . .

Still, he wished she had told him earlier. He could have thought of skills that would actually be convenient for living in this world! That was how Tasuke honestly felt.

As it happened, the skills that instantly popped into Tasuke's mind as convenient for living in this world were things like X-ray vision and the ability to stop time.

As for why it had crossed his mind, that was a question that must never be pursued. Not under any circumstance.

But any man would understand. Probably.

Well, that's that!

While Tasuke was lost in thought, Sharhalat quietly tried to slip out.

Hey!

Tasuke noticed and called out to stop her, but Sharhalat did not halt.

For a while he stood there in stunned silence, and then at last he pulled out his phone.

Sharhalat is a useless goddess.

He created multiple social media accounts and posted that message.

Using the auto-repeat posting feature on some of them, he spread the message around the world.

And just like that, Tasuke Yamada became unemployed at the age of thirty.

After using multiple social media accounts to spread the word about what a useless goddess Sharhalat was, Tasuke wore the satisfied expression of someone who'd finished a job well done, then mimed wiping away nonexistent sweat.

Well then, let's try out these skills!

There were many other things he needed to deal with.

For example, work.

For example, the bonds with his family and the few friends with whom he had parted as if it were a farewell for this life.

For example, housing issues.

He wasn't going to think about any of that stuff right now.

In other words, he was resorting to escapism.

But this wasn't Tasuke's fault.

It was the fault of that useless goddess—Sharhalat—who had screwed up his life.

Heh, even I've got to admit, that's a flawless piece of reasoning . . . !

And so, as the first step of his escape from reality, he began checking his skills.

First, let's see . . . All right, let's go with the classic web novel staple, the most standard of standards—Appraisal! Appraisal!

Swept up in the moment, Tasuke couldn’t stop himself from striking an edgelord pose.

He suddenly snapped out of it, his face burning with embarrassment, but thankfully he was alone so no one had witnessed his humiliation.

Apparently, he could use skills just by willing them to activate—no shouting or dramatic poses required.

How did he know this? He couldn't explain it—it was just an instinctive understanding.

In any case, Tasuke tried using Appraisal on himself for the first time.

A familiar semi-transparent window, just like in video games, appeared before him.

Whoa! This is it!

When he tried to touch it, his hand passed right through—he couldn't actually touch it.

Incidentally, the contents looked something like this:

I see . . . ?

It made sense if you thought of it like a video game, but with nothing to compare it to, he had no idea if these numbers were good or bad.

But even Tasuke understood at least this much.

What do you mean my Luck is zero?! That's the worst possible! Give me a break!

The situation Tasuke now found himself in had to be the result of that Luck value.

How utterly infuriating.

Still, I have MP too. Maybe I can use magic or something?

He tried chanting several spells from games he knew, but no magic activated.

Thinking maybe he needed gestures too, he added hand movements to his chanting, but still nothing happened.

In the end, it was just plain cringey.

Thank goodness no one was watching. He would have died of embarrassment.

Being unemployed meant he didn't have much social standing left to lose, but that was beside the point.

In any case, since he was able to use Appraisal like this, Tasuke was satisfied that his skills were working properly.

All right, next let's try using Item Box.

This was another useful skill that was standard in web novels.

He could try storing something, but if he couldn't get it back out, that would be a disaster. Better not risk his phone.

Instead, there was a half-empty plastic bottle nearby, so he decided to try storing that.

The moment he focused on storing the plastic bottle in his hand, it suddenly vanished.

Then, somewhere in the back of Tasuke's mind, he felt something like a notification appear.

When he focused his attention there, he could sense the plastic bottle stored in the space called Item Box.

What is this? Such a strange feeling!

When he thought about taking it out, the plastic bottle appeared in his hand. When he focused on storing it again, the bottle returned to the Item Box.

There was no noticeable change in the plastic bottle when he retrieved it.

It retained the same lukewarm temperature as before he'd stored it.

He couldn't say for certain yet, but since he could successfully use Item Box, it probably had infinite storage with time frozen inside. That had been his assumption when he received the skill, and it seemed to be correct.

Next, he tried to see what would happen if he stored other things while keeping the plastic bottle in storage.

When he picked up some nearby trash and stored it, he could sense it occupying a different space from the plastic bottle.

Now then . . . how about this?

Up until now he had been storing things he was holding, but could he store things he wasn't touching?

Without touching the plastic bottle, he concentrated on storing it.

Whoa, it worked!

Testing the range further, he discovered he could store anything within a one-meter radius of himself.

This was actually getting fun, and as he randomly stored and retrieved everything that caught his eye, Tasuke's stomach growled.

W-wait . . . did my HP drop from using too many skills?!

But when he checked the clock, it was simply his usual dinner time.

I'll go buy something at a convenience store . . . no, wait. While I'm at it, maybe I should try the last skill too.

Isekai Store—a skill that would show its true worth after being summoned to an isekai.

It was a cheat skill that allowed you to purchase items from this world while in an isekai.

He'd originally planned to use this skill to buy seasonings like pepper, salt, and sugar cheaply, then sell them at high prices in an isekai to get rich.

That useless goddess . . .

Just thinking about it made him angry.

But right now, food came first.

Isekai Store!

Even though he knew there was no need to shout, Tasuke called out with enthusiasm anyway.

As with the use of Appraisal, a translucent window—so familiar from countless games—materialized before his eyes.

Unlike Appraisal though, this window looked like the online shopping sites Tasuke normally used.

Man . . . if I'd been summoned to an isekai, I could've been rolling in money with this thing.

With that thought in mind, he tried searching for products to purchase, but . . .

Huh? Something's not right.

He noticed something was off.

But he couldn't figure out what was wrong.

So this time, he took a closer look.

That was when he figured it out.

I got it—it's the product lineup!

It was completely different from the online shopping sites Tasuke normally used.

Wooden stick, copper sword, leather armor . . .

It wasn't just weapons and armor.

There were potions and medicinal herbs, and even goblin and orc meat, slime cores, dragon scales, and other fantasy items for sale.

They were products from an isekai.

The isekai Tasuke had always dreamed of was right there.

But wait, what's going on? Wasn't Isekai Store supposed to be a skill for purchasing things from my own world?

To investigate further, Tasuke tried using Appraisal on Isekai Store.

This was the result.

──────────────────────────────────────────

Isekai Store: Allows purchase of anything sold in an isekai. An original skill that can only be used by Tasuke Yamada.

──────────────────────────────────────────

If Tasuke had been summoned to another world, this world would have been considered the "isekai," allowing him to purchase things from here.

But in reality, Tasuke wasn't summoned to an isekai.

Therefore, he could now purchase things from a different world altogether—the fantasy world Tasuke had always desired.

Wait, wait, wait—could it be that maybe, just maybe, my luck is finally turning around?!

Tasuke still felt bitter about not being summoned to an isekai, and he couldn't help but remain furious at that useless goddess.

But if he could use this skill, couldn't he turn things around completely even in this world?

He could take an elixir, for example.

The item description that showed up in the search read as follows.

[A sacred medicine that can heal any and all injuries and illnesses (including lost body parts)]

If he could sell this to someone who needed it, he could easily become a millionaire.

Whoa, hold on—I need to calm down. I'm getting way ahead of myself here.

How would he get people to believe in the elixir?

People might think he was just another con artist selling fake miracle cures and report him to the police.

It might be better to sell weapons and armor to collectors and enthusiasts instead.

He'd need to think about his approach, but either way, he could see a glimmer of hope.

But before that . . . I need to actually try buying something first!

He needed to test whether he could really purchase things from an isekai.

Tasuke decided to carefully consider what he should buy.

The Isekai Store's product lineup was truly diverse.

Just as the appraisal had revealed, he really could purchase everything that was sold and traded in an isekai.

Honestly, it was exciting.

Since this was his first purchase, he wanted something that really screamed "isekai."

A copper sword? No, a potion's pretty tempting too. But . . .

His eyes kept wandering from one option to the next, and he just couldn't decide.

Time kept passing by.

At some point, his stomach rumbled loudly, and Tasuke remembered that he hadn't eaten anything.

Wasn't that the reason he wanted to use the Isekai Store in the first place—to buy something to eat?

. . . Alright, I've decided. I'm buying orc meat!

The thought had come to him while he was reading a cooking-themed web novel.

Monster meat always looked so delicious.

It was the same feeling as wanting to try the food depicted in anime.

A famous example would be those cartoon meat-on-the-bone dishes.

Tasuke immediately began the purchase process.

There was nothing confusing about it.

It was almost identical to the online shopping sites he usually used.

Because of this familiar interface, he was able to proceed smoothly.

However, the payment method was different.

Normal online shopping sites offered options like convenience store payment, bank transfers, cash on delivery, and credit cards, but the Isekai Store only accepted cash.

A separate semi-transparent window popped up alongside the Isekai Store window.

[Please insert cash here.]

That was what popped up on the window.

Here means . . . into this window, right?

He hesitantly tried inserting the required amount of cash.

Amazing . . . !

Instead of falling to the floor, the cash was swallowed by the window.

So the purchase is complete, but how will it be delivered . . . ? Don't tell me it's FedEx? Or maybe UPS will deliver it—there's no way that's actually happening, right?

Ding-dong.

With a chime like a doorbell, light pooled in front of him and slowly formed into a cardboard box.

Maybe it was some kind of otherworldly script, with symbols scribbled all over it like runes.

I don't really understand it, but it definitely feels like it's from an isekai! And the orc meat should be inside this, right?

When he opened the cardboard box, he found a chunk of meat wrapped in some kind of plant leaves.

Since the minimum order was one kilogram, that's exactly what he got.

According to the appraisal, the mysterious leaves were from a plant called banbulb and apparently had antibacterial and preservative properties.

And the meat itself—

[Orc Meat]

It was displayed as such.

Oh, I actually bought it! Amazing!

Now it was time to start cooking right away.

Judging from the color of the lean meat and the marbling of fat, orc meat looked a lot like pork, so he decided to make ginger pork stir-fry with it.

It was a simple dish—just fry it and coat it with store-bought sauce. Fortunately, he still had seasonings and other ingredients left.

Having never bought meat in large chunks before, he wasn't sure what to expect, but the orc meat proved surprisingly tough to cut with a knife.

He wondered if something was wrong, but as soon as he started cooking it and the fat began to render, it gave off a wonderfully appetizing aroma that was completely different from pork.

When he coated it with store-bought ginger pork sauce, the aroma became even more intense and greatly stimulated Tasuke's appetite.

And when he actually tried eating it . . .

Oh wow! What is this?! This is way too good . . . !

The taste was beyond anything he'd imagined.

The rich fat and savory meat had a completely different flavor profile from pork.

The meat that had seemed so tough to cut now had a perfect chewy texture with a satisfying bite.

Meow!

While he was devouring his meal, he heard a cat's meow from the window.

It was a stray cat.

It showed up every so often, so he fed it.

You want some orc meat too?

Mrow!

It seemed like it wanted some—probably, anyway.

Still, he couldn't just give it ginger pork.

Boiling would be better than frying, right? That way the excess fat would drain off too.

Telling the cat to wait just a moment, Tasuke quickly prepared something.

Here, you can eat this.

When he placed boiled orc meat on a plate and offered it, the cat sniffed it curiously before digging in with incredible enthusiasm.

Watching the cat devour its meal was quite entertaining.

How is it? Good?

He reached out to touch its head.

Normally it would run if he tried to pet it, but perhaps because it was absorbed in the taste of the orc meat, he was able to stroke it.

Wow, you're so fluffy. You've got such a nice coat for a stray.

It was soothing.

After finishing the orc meat, it even rubbed against him affectionately.

Whoa! No way! Is this your sweet side coming out?!

It licked Tasuke's outstretched hand.

It was probably asking for more orc meat, but that didn't bother him.

Tasuke was happy.

After thoroughly savoring the orc meat, the stray cat slipped out without a second thought.

It seemed it had only wanted the orc meat and hadn't truly opened its heart to Tasuke.

Still, he'd been able to pet it for the first time and receive its affection.

So he felt good.

Well then.

He quickly finished cleaning up and used the Isekai Store again.

The semi-transparent window appeared.

Actually, while he'd been wondering what to buy, he'd discovered something interesting.

An item straight out of an isekai, with that unmistakably otherworldly feel, stirred his heart with excitement.

This is it! Dungeon core . . . !

Looking at the product description, it seemed he could create a dungeon by setting this up.

In the world of isekai, dungeons were absolutely essential—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say so.

By purchasing this and creating a dungeon in this world, he'd be able to live out his own isekai fantasy.

But there was a reason he hadn't bought this earlier.

First, he hadn't known whether the Isekai Store would actually work properly, but buying the orc meat had confirmed its functionality, so that concern was resolved.

However, there was another major problem.

The price.

It would cost his entire life savings—seven million yen—and even then, he could just barely afford it.