I gave scarves to everyone else besides Chiyu as well.
“Yay! Thanks, Sousuke! It’s nice and warm~”
“Oh, thank you. So that’s why the four of you were doing something earlier—you were gathering cashmere, weren’t you? Hehe, it feels wonderful to the touch.”
“It’s usually cold enough to get a chill being on top of Mashiro-san’s back, so the muffles are really welcome.”
And so, all three of them gave it their approval.
Loa, the maid who was relieving Shiine to take charge of watching the pork bone soup, also smiled with delight and said, “I will definitely wear it whenever I go outside.”
Seeing everyone so happy, I thought giving them ones too had been a good call, just like Chiyu said.
As expected, or rather as anticipated, the one who didn’t take it immediately was Yumegai.
”……No, I’ll be fine, really.”
She declined politely.
That was something I had anticipated, so I had prepared a response.
“Just consider it a work-issued item and accept it.”
”…Kunou, if you keep doing me favors like this, what’s going to happen when I can’t ever pay the debt back?”
Yumegai looked somewhat troubled.
“I’m not here to collect debts, so don’t worry about it.”
”…I’ll definitely pay you back.”
With that, Yumekai accepted the muffler.
“Got it, got it.”
“And thanks. I hate being cold, so this really helps.”
“Seina, you end up looking like a puffy bear even in full winter gear~”
”…Yoko, don’t say unnecessary things. If you keep talking like that, Takano will start…”
“I wonder if I should make some wool cold-weather gear.”
I had handed over a complete change of clothes just in case, but it might be good to craft specific items tailored to each person.
I gave Roa a maid outfit, and I plan to gift Chiyu with “Cashmere Socks That Kill Your Virginity.”
“Look, we haven’t been together for long, but I’m starting to read Takano’s moves.”
“Sojusuke~ Sojusuke~. Then let me help too. Can’t you make cashmere inner legwarmers or something?”
“By ‘leggings,’ do you mean the tight kind that women who exercise wear?”
Is that right? The ones everyone wears in yoga scenes in dramas and stuff.
“Right, right. The inner leg warmers are meant to be worn at home, right? Like, the kind where you can easily layer them on top of other clothes.”
So it’s not about fashion; it’s strictly for warmth.
“That makes sense. I was planning to generate a few things this afternoon anyway. Let’s get to it.”
“World-class, Sōsuke! You’re doing it too, Seina, right?”
”…I suppose. At the very least, I should harvest my own materials.”
“But since I’m the one summoning them, does that mean I get to build up some credit too?”
“You do, but Shōko has a lot of debts on her back from various things in Japan, so those will be paid off first.”
“Huh~?”
Shōko burst into a bright laugh.
Despite having completely opposite personalities, they seemed to get along well.
They spent the afternoon doing whatever they pleased— and then it was evening.
Before the sun fully set, they prepared for campfires.
Shion was using multiple stoves to prep various things.
Roa provided general support, while Chiyu worked diligently on making boiled eggs, declaring, “Leave the nikotama to me.” “Hmm… Oh, that’s right.”
It struck me that I should do something, and my mind started racing with all sorts of ideas.
“I think I’m ready to eat now.”
Hearing Shion’s voice, I moved the item into place near where the three of them were bustling around, being careful not to get in their way.
“Wha— Sousuke? …Is this…”
“As expected of you, Sou-kun. It really has that vibe going for it.”
“I suppose we have both the Head Chef and the Manager here, Miss Shion.”
What I had made was a ramen stall.
It was built on a fairly large scale, with a U-shaped counter so that there was plenty of space even when everyone sat down.
I had also prepared a noren curtain for it.
Written on it was “Boar Bone Ramen - Shion.”
“Ahh~! The kind you see in dramas!”
”…Yeah, we don’t really get to see them much in real life, do we?”
Mousuko and Muikai were also getting a little fidgety.
I’ve never been to a real ramen stall either, so I get it.
For those who haven’t experienced it, it’s a bit of a fantasy in itself.
Lanterns hang from the stall’s ceiling, providing ample light.
Steam drifts through the air, carrying an aroma that whets their hunger.
We shuffle into our seats.
“Hehehe. Uh… welcome! Our menu features soy sauce and miso flavors.”
Shion slips into character with a slightly bashful look.
It seems she decided to skip the shio flavor due to a lack of rice-seasoning ingredients.
We each order our preferred flavor.
I like both, but today I went with the soy sauce.
I had imagined the smell would be just as strong, if not stronger, than tonkotsu broth… but it was surprisingly light.
“Here you go. One soy sauce.”
Shion hands me the ramen.
“Thanks. Whoa, this looks incredibly authentic!”
Sliced pork, a boiled egg, and wakame seaweed sat atop the ramen.
The absence of bamboo shoots or nori was forgivable, but the dish’s vibrant presentation made it impossible to worry about such details.
He took his first sip of the soup.
”—!”
Despite the clean finish of its aroma, the flavor was incredibly deep.
Then he lost himself in the bowl, slurping up the noodles with his chopsticks. Slurp, slurp, slurp—he savored the chewy texture of the noodles and the rich, thick soup clinging to them, only for the noodles to disappear in an instant.
“It’s delicious…”
“Wow, that was fast! Hehe, want some refills?”
”…Please.”
“Right away!”
Shion and Roa were handling the kitchen duties for now, but I’d offer to switch shifts later.
They needed their time to eat too, but more importantly, I wanted them to know how this food tasted.
Incidentally, Chiyu, who had been in charge of the boiled eggs, was seated next to me once she’d finished her duty.
“Whoa, Sis! This is actually restaurant quality!”
”…And making ramen soup from scratch isn’t beyond the realm of a skilled high school girl cook? …Slurp slurp.”
“I was nervous since it was my first time, but I’m glad you liked it.”
“I usually just walked past ramen shops in town, but… wow, there’s really nothing like having a bowl of ramen with a friend.”
Fukaho murmured, struck by the realization.
Shinpou, ever the serious one, seemed to have no prior experience detouring off to eat ramen.
“Minorin! Once we get back to Japan, let’s go to a ton of ramen shops! And it’s not just ramen—we’ll go out and have fun tons of times too!”
“Eh, um, thank you. I do have studies to attend to, so I might not be the best company, but… I’m happy.”
In the end, I ended up ordering extra toppings three times, and Moyo twice.
“Haaah, full, so full. Chiyu’s soft-boiled egg had amazing flavor absorption too, it was really tasty.”
“Mm. …I’m slowly becoming someone who only orders eggs. Shion’s cooking skills are just too high-level; there’s barely any ground I can keep up with her on.”
Chiyu’s expression remained blank, but she looked a little downcast.
“Shion’s cooking is incredibly delicious, but I like your cooking too, Chiyu.”
”……I know.”
Saying that, though she didn’t look entirely convinced, it seemed my attempt to smooth things over had worked well enough.
“Sou-suke-kun, if there’s anything else you’d like to eat, just say the word, okay?”
Shion chimed in with a smile.
“No matter what I make, I’m the one who controls the egg portion of your stomach capacity.”
“P-Please don’t…”
“Mm, I won’t lose to you.”
It was becoming a tradition, the childhood friend and the head chef sparking another flare-up.
◇
And then, night fell.
I tried using the portable shower for my bath as well, but the water pressure was sufficient and it was quite user-friendly.
If I prepared enough units and pre-filled them with hot water, it seemed like we could wash our bodies simultaneously, similar to the washing areas in public bathhouses or hot spring resorts.
It would be a good candidate for purchase in the bonus area too.
As I was thinking about that, there was a timid knock on the door.
“Ah, ah…”
”…I’m c-cooming i-in.”
The door opened slowly, revealing Shousou in her uniform.
Her face was bright red and she kept her head down, adopting a pose where she pressed her right hand against her left elbow.
This gesture caused her ample breasts to deform mugyutto, generating a destructive force that was violently intense, though it was likely an unconscious habit.
Today’s duty was Shousou, the blonde side-tail gyaru girl.
She’s a gyaru who is kind to everyone, regardless of whether they are otaku or not.
The fact that she came to my room tonight meant…
Like Chiyu and Shiine, she had accepted moving one step closer with me as well.
“I-I, that then, um, take care of me……”
So saying, Moyo looked at me.
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