Dinner consisted of venison katsu-ni (braised cutlet), tofu, and a seaweed miso soup, accompanied by a salad and bread.
I still found myself craving rice, but I felt like I was finally getting used to having bread with Japanese food.
Besides, Shiin’s cooking is simply delicious.
“Mmph, uhh… yum…”
Ukita-chu’s eyes glistened with emotion as he eagerly stuffed the food into his stomach.
True to her reputation as a member of the sports club, she took big bites and ate quickly.
“Fufu, thank you. There’s more if you want seconds.”
“You’re like my mom.”
“Wouldn’t you say I’m Mia-chan’s mom?”
Shiin said with a wry smile.
“Ahh, right. But it’s clear that your cooking has a certain ‘mommy’ quality to it. I didn’t realize it when we were in Japan, but you’re really quite domesticated, aren’t you?”
Shoubu laughed along as she praised Shiin.
“Is it though? It’s nice to think you feel a motherly sense of acceptance from me, I suppose.”
As she spoke, Shiin gave me a meaningful look.
That gaze was so lewd that I realized she was remembering the breastfeeding handjob we’d done the other day.
Shion seems to display her maternal side not only in a domestic sense, but also in intimate special plays with men.
Recalling the moment, I felt my cheeks heat up as I quietly continued eating my meal.
“You’re truly impressive, Dokkai-sama. The teacher is grown up too, so we really need to try harder.”
Teacher Luminas seemed a bit down in the dumps, but I was thoroughly satisfied with today’s dinner as well.
After the meal, when I tidied up the table using storage, Genchu expressed surprise. “Huh? You don’t have to wash them?”
“My ‘Inventory’ can also decompose stored items at will. In this case, you could imagine it as separating the ‘dirt’ from the dishes to return them to a clean state. By the same principle, I use it as a substitute for a washing machine.”
“Th-that’s amazing…”
“It is pretty convenient, isn’t it?”
Since hand-washing laundry is such a hassle, being able to save that effort is a huge help.
“Speaking of convenience, Professor Danbi’s illumination magic is extremely bright and truly a godsend.”
Shinhou said.
“I know! Candles and lanterns were nice too, but it was still a little scary when it got dark. Especially when I was alone… it was pretty intense…”
Shouko continued, seemingly reflecting on their days up until now.
I hadn’t known she felt that way, but seeing several of the girls nod in agreement, it seemed they all had felt it to some degree.
…Were they too embarrassed to say it? Or did they not voice it because there was nothing they could do about it anyway?
“Mostly, we can handle things on our own, but it was nice that there were still ways Teacher could be of use to us.”
Maybe because Luminus-sensei was the only adult around, he tried to lend a hand to help us out as our teacher.
But since our daily life was already well-established, there probably wasn’t much room for him to step in, which might have been frustrating.
“Since the lights will go out at curfew, I suppose we’ll have opportunities to use the lanterns Master gave us going forward.”
The maid, Roha, chimed in to smooth things over.
“Heh, don’t worry about it. If there’s a part where being handy is useful, we should just go ahead and do that.”
We were chatting amicably with both the old and new members of the group when the conversation turned to whether anyone was ready for a bath.
According to the digital clock we’d brought back from the Bonus Area, it had just passed seven in the evening.
The arrangement is for me to take the first dip.
“Can I jump in for another round too? Since we went exploring this afternoon~”
Perhaps because she’d be bathing twice in a day, Shoubu checked with everyone.
“Of course. It’s not like we’re gonna leave Inuka out of it.”
”……Ha, sounds like it’s going to get loud.”
Shouko welcomes him with open arms, while Yume-kyō lets out a weary sigh.
“Serin! Want to wash up together?”
“No way.”
Yume-kyō pulls the clung-upon Maebushi away with an annoyed expression, but she doesn’t seem genuinely repulsed by it.
“Ojou-sama. Well then, may I scrub your back for you?”
”……Why?”
“Because I am a maid.”
”……No, it’s fine, don’t worry about it.”
Loa answers with a sharp, resolute face, while Yume-kyō declines with a look of mild bewilderment.
“Oh, everyone is together. It feels like a retreat or a school field trip.”
“I-I can’t keep putting Mr. Kuno to so much trouble, after all……”
Genchu and Teacher Luminas look embarrassed.
However, the thought of nine beautiful women joining me in the same bath feels strangely off.
“Sou-kun, I’ll allow you to peek.”
“C-Cruse-sensei, is that really okay?……Well, if it’s Cruse-sensei, I suppose……”
Chiyu once again let slip something absurd, and Fupou, taking it completely at face value, blushed but accepted it.
“Hey, Boss, are you different from the Japanese time? Or is it just your character?”
Come to think of it, the early version of Fupou would have surely said something like, “Doing lewd things is no good.”
Having witnessed her change, I didn’t mind, but I could understand why Shoubu was confused.
“I-is that really so? No… well, yes… it is a fact that my way of thinking has changed.”
“Heheh~? Ah, by the way, I’m okay with it too, Kuno.”
Shoubu smiled mischievously.
“Is having that kind of hobby really you, Kuno? …Well, if this pays off even a little bit of what I owe you…”
“W-we’re all opening up to Sougo-kun. It’s a bit embarrassing, but… I’m fine with it too…”
“Of course, there is no problem for me either. But I will deal with any lecherous person other than Master.”
“Eh? Seriously… Can I at least wrap myself in a towel?”
Bold when left alone, Shiko seemed to feel shy in front of her friends.
”…No. Everyone, don’t worry; it’s not like I have that kind of hobby. And Chiyu, please keep your jokes to people who can tell you’re being sarcastic.”
“Mm. I underestimated how well we’re getting along. I didn’t think anyone would object.”
Yeah, I get that feeling.
The dirty joke, which was supposed to function as a gag relying on my deadpan reaction, had been accepted by the girls before I could even get in my snark. Chiyu must have been at a loss for what to do.
“N-no way, that was just a joke… Izumi-san, your heart is really bad…”
“I’m still frozen solid…”
Professor Lumines and Genchu, who hadn’t reacted before, spoke with visibly exhausted sighs.
It seemed they were baffled by the bizarre scene of everyone else tolerating the male peer’s voyeurism.
“Anyway, I’m heading to the bath, but there are a few things I need to hand over first.”
I distributed soap, lotion, and emulsion to Shobei, Professor Lumines, and Genchu.
“Huh? You made this too…?”
Genchu was surprised.
“Well, with everyone’s help, we’ve been working on various things. By the way, if there are any specific scents you prefer, let me know by tomorrow and I’ll make scented soap for you. Also, here is your change of clothes.”
I was used to this sort of thing by now; I had already created change-of-clothes sets tailored to the three of them’s sizes.
“Thanks. Ah, Izumi, maybe shorts are better for my pajamas.” “Huh?
Aren’t you cold?”
“Nope.”
“Got it.”
It wasn’t that hard to make, so I generated a pair of short pants cut above the knee and handed them over.
“Ah. Thanks! Looks warm!”
“You’re welcome.”
“While Ryoukai-san handles the cooking itself, since you can process ingredients, you’ve essentially chosen a ability that covers all aspects of survival: food, clothing, and shelter. And being willing to use that power so generously for your friends? That’s truly admirable as well.”
As the group grew and our needs expanded, the 【Craft】 ability proved increasingly useful.
Consumables and food require constant generation, and even if there were nothing left to create, abilities like 【Inventory】 and storage rearrangement don’t become obsolete. I really thought I’d drawn a jackpot with such an all-around skill. “Mm.
That’s so Sou-kun of you.”
“Please shorten it to ‘Sasou’.”
Chiyu and Moyoko offered their customary words of praise, which made me feel shy, so I headed toward the bathhouse as if trying to escape.
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