Monster no Goshujin-sama - Volume 7 - Chapter SS

Extra Story: Mana’s Home Cooking ~Katou Mana’s POV~

After I saw Majima-senpai and Rose off for their date in town, I lay down in my bed back in the inn. I was listening to the hustle and bustle of the outside leaking in through the window when I heard stark steps walking down the hallway.

“Haah...” I felt slightly nauseous, and my heart felt a little heavy.

As I let out a sigh, a knock came from the door. I jolted on reflex.

“Mana, I brought you food,” a familiar voice said from the other side.

“Thanks, Kei. I’m opening it now,” I replied with relief, getting out of bed.

I pulled back the latch and welcomed her in. She was holding a tray with both hands that had two portions of lunch on it. The inn provided meals, so we could eat in our rooms.

“Sorry for making you bring it all the way here,” I said.

“It’s fine. I don’t mind at all.”

“Anyways, I didn’t think I’d really end up feeling sick...”

“How’s your appetite?”

“It’s not so bad that I can’t eat. I’m not really feeling out of sorts either.”

That was the truth. I actually knew the exact reason for my poor condition. It wasn’t a problem related to my body; it was purely an emotional problem. I had yet to completely overcome my fear of men. Even now, Majima-senpai always paid attention to my needs, and although it was for a short time, even Kaneki-senpai had helped with my rehabilitation. I’d been trying hard on my own as well. As a result, so long as Majima-senpai or Rose was with me, I could somehow go outside among a crowd of people. However, walking around Diospyro had still put a burden on me. Because of that, the moment Majima-senpai and Rose were no longer with me, I had a small relapse.

“I’m okay. I’m just feeling a little sluggish,” I told Kei. I was still in pain, but I didn’t want to worry her too much. “I just need to rest before our journey, and I need nutrition. Come on, let’s eat.”

I walked over to the table. Kei had brought something like vegetables and mincemeat wrapped in spiced bread. This was a common meal in Aker, so it was everywhere, from street stalls to restaurants. The springy texture of the bread somewhat resembled mochi, so I liked it.

As I ate, I recalled the pair I’d sent off earlier in the morning.

“I suppose Rose is enjoying her time alone with Senpai right now.”

“Nom. Nom... She really put in a whole lot of effort, huh?” Kei said after chewing down her mouthful of meat.

The growing little girl really did eat a lot—her meal was about twice the size of mine. Perhaps it was because she often exercised so she could one day become a knight.

“You also helped her out a bunch, right?” she asked.

“I didn’t do much. Besides, I’m only here now because of Rose. This is nothing compared to that.”

Had Rose not given me a push back at Fort Tilia, I probably wouldn’t be accompanying Majima-senpai on his journey. If that had been the case, I would’ve definitely gone with the other students to the imperial capital along with the Imperial Knights.

Crossing the abandoned mountain range, falling off a cliff during Iino’s attack, risking my life in the battle against the Mad Beast—none of that would’ve happened. I would’ve been treated courteously as another savior.

Regardless, I was glad I could accompany Majima-senpai’s group like this. I wanted to be with him, and I didn’t want to be separated from Rose. So long as we could stay like this, I could ask for nothing more.

“The rest is up to Rose,” I stated. “But I think she’ll be fine. I gave her some advice too.”

“Advice... Oh! Operation Lovey-Dovey Cuddle!”

Kei pitched forward in excitement. Curiosity and bashfulness dyed her cheeks pink. Even though she aimed to be a knight dedicated to battle, she was still a growing girl who had an interest in this kind of thing. She was different from Shiran in this sense, even though they both had serious personalities. When I was giving Rose advice for her date, Kei had listened intently off to the side. Incidentally, I didn’t remember giving it that operation name. It did express the plan to the letter, though.

“They really were amazing, huh?” Kei said. “She let me touch them just a bit, but it really had my heart pounding.”

I forced a smile as Kei blushed.

“Well, we did put in a lot of work to get there. Both Rose...and me...” I mumbled.

I felt my hand unconsciously reaching for my chest, but I clenched it and brought it to a stop.

“Oh. Right. She used you as reference, didn’t she?” Kei asked, clapping her hands together.

I nodded ambiguously back to her. “Well, yes. She did.”

I could feel a little prickle of heat in the corner of my eyes. I hadn’t disliked helping Rose with that matter in any way, but it had, in fact, been quite the ordeal. I felt like I had lost something...or was really close to awakening to something. I tried not to think about it too deeply. I gazed off into the distance as Kei’s eyebrows drooped.

“But Rose seemed like she was hesitating a little, didn’t she? I hope it goes well.”

“It’ll be fine,” I told her reassuringly. “When push comes to shove, Rose won’t cower in fear. She was pretty bewildered, though.”

Recalling Rose’s innocent and cute expression as she’d panicked about this made me smile and unintentionally giggle. The fact that I could smile now was also thanks to the conviction she harbored in her strong heart.

“As long as someone gives her a push on the back, I know she’ll manage one way or another,” I said.

“You really do cherish Rose, huh?” Kei replied, looking at me as if I were too dazzling for her eyes. “You’re kind of like her mom.”

“Her mom?”

My eyes went wide at the unexpected statement. To a typical high school student, parenthood was something far in the future. The same applied to me. When I saw such scenes in dramas, books, or manga, I vaguely wondered if I would be like that one day. That was all. That far-off future seemed like somebody else’s problem entirely.

“Me? A mom...?” Even as I said it aloud, it didn’t feel real. I couldn’t even imagine myself becoming one. “I guess I’ll need to polish up my household skills a bit more...” I said, looking down at the meal in front of me and smiling bitterly. “Like, I mean, I’m not really good at cooking or anything.”

I was implicitly denying what Kei had said, but this just excited her more.

“In that case, I’ll teach you!” she exclaimed.

“Kei...?”

“Ooh, why didn’t I ever think of this? We’re finally back in Aker, so I know a few recipes we can use here that my aunty taught me!”

Kei was thirty percent cuter than usual with this sparkle in her eyes. As the youngest member of our group, she was usually the one being taken care of. She looked very happy and excited to be able to teach something to someone else.

“Is that so? That might be nice,” I said.

I’d found it a little questionable at first, but after thinking it over, Kei’s proposal wasn’t a bad idea. During our journey, Lily was in charge of preparing our meals, but I wouldn’t lose anything by learning a little. If we ended up settling down in Aker, we’d have to learn how to cook the local cuisine, so it was also a good plan for the future. Furthermore, I couldn’t bring myself to disappoint Kei when she looked like she was having so much fun.

“Okay then, can you teach me?”

“Yes!” Kei nodded energetically and then hopped up from her chair. “Now that it’s decided, we need ingredients. I’ll be right back!”

“Ah! Wait a sec, Kei! You don’t need to hurry that much!” I yelled quickly, managing to stop her before she ran off. “We’re still in the middle of lunch. Besides, if you’re going to go shopping, we should inform everyone else first.”

“Oh, you’re right. How careless of me,” Kei said with a surprised look, her hand on the doorknob.

Kei grinned, looking embarrassed, and returned to her seat. Her flustered behavior that we got to see every now and then always worried Shiran. In Shiran’s defense, I did find it hard to take my eyes off Kei when she was like this. Still, this was one of her cute points.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” she said after sitting back down, making no attempt to hide her excitement in the least. “I hope Takahiro gets back soon.”

She reached for her meal again, then came to a complete stop.

“Huh? But now that I think of it...” she said, her blue eyes glancing my way awkwardly. “Um, Mana? There’s something I just noticed. About Takahiro...or rather, about Operation Lovey-Dovey Cuddle.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Rose’s breasts are a reproduction of yours, right?”

“They are. What about them?”

“If she cuddles up against him like that, won’t the, um...size...and sensation...and stuff be the same? Wouldn’t it be practically identical to having your breasts pressing against him?”

“Oh...”

The bread in my hand plopped back down onto my plate.

◆ ◆ ◆

Two days later, during the evening, I prepared for cooking lessons from Kei, just as promised. We were in a village close to Diospyro, the same village we’d visited several days ago. This second visit from Shiran, the famous lieutenant of the Alliance Knights, had delighted all the villagers. They’d even gone out of their way to prepare a vacant house for us.

“Okay, Mana. Shall we begin?” Kei asked, clenching her fists.

She had plenty of motivation, and her inspired state made me smile.

Rose then came in with a leather bag. “I’ve brought it, Mana, Kei.”

“Thank you, R-Rose...”

I’d jolted slightly in the middle of speaking, surprised to see that Majima-senpai was behind her.

“Y-You too, Senpai.”

“Don’t thank me. I just came to watch...” he said.

When our eyes met, I suddenly felt restless. I reflexively lowered my eyes as if to run away. My cheeks were hot. My fingers couldn’t keep still, so I interlaced them in front of my chest. Ever since the other day, I couldn’t help but be conscious of him.

I did, of course, know why. Operation Lovey-Dovey Cuddle—that is to say, the plan to link arms with Majima-senpai and press up against him—involved Rose, not me. But even though I knew this, my heart couldn’t keep up. Just the thought that he knew now made me completely restless. Also, Majima-senpai had been acting a little strange ever since we’d come back to this village.

I’d found this weird and had tried asking Rose about it. Apparently, she and Majima-senpai had talked all about it being my idea. The moment she told me that, I had put both my hands to my burning cheeks and squatted down. My plan had blown up in my face. I had meant to make Senpai more conscious of Rose—which did succeed—but what was the point of him becoming conscious of me too?

It was embarrassing. Endlessly embarrassing. But it definitely wasn’t a bad thing. No. To be honest, it made me a little happy. But the fact that I felt that way was even more embarrassing, and somewhat shameful.

“Mana?” Rose called to me.

“It’s nothing... Let’s start.”

I accepted the leather bag from her and decided to focus on the task in front of me. The bag was filled with yellow flour, the staple food of Aker, the raw ingredient that made that hybrid of bread and mochi.

“This is a little surprising,” I said, looking inside the bag. “I imagined something like wheat flour, but this is pretty different. It’s yellow, and the grains are relatively coarse.”

“They sell finer grains too, but this is what’s commonly used in households,” Kei said.

“Is this made from potatoes?”

“Yes. These.”

Kei pointed at one of the other ingredients Rose had carried in for us earlier. They were long and narrow potatoes. They looked similar to yams, but the skin was more whitish.

“Keep in mind that they’re poisonous if eaten raw. At worst, they can be deadly, so please be careful.”

“Huh?!” I dropped the potato I had picked up.

Hearing the word “poison,” Rose was suddenly on guard.

“Kei, do you eat such dangerous foods?” she asked.

“Hm? Yes. Is there something wrong?” Kei said with a cock of the head. She looked rather confused. “These ones are a type that can be eaten as is, so it’s okay. Oh, but please peel the skin off and remove the core. They’re both poisonous.”

“Is this really all right, Mana?” Rose asked me.

“Well...it should be.”

I was getting a little worried myself, but this was cooking even a child like Kei could do, so there wasn’t any need to be so nervous. In short, it was a difference in common sense.

“I’m sure there isn’t a problem if they’re cooked properly,” I added. “Even back in our world, there are foods that can be bad for the body if eaten the wrong way.”

“Now that you mention it, we learned in school that potatoes with green skin and their sprouts are poisonous,” Majima-senpai said.

I was a little flustered, but I still nodded back to him. “Soya beans can’t be eaten raw either, and eating raw fish can lead to parasites. I don’t even really need to mention blowfish. None of them are a problem after they’re cooked.”

“Hmm, so even something poisonous can be rendered edible. Is this human wisdom? How interesting,” Rose said, an air of admiration in her voice.

I thought she was exaggerating, but considering how she couldn’t eat, perhaps she found human customs extremely fascinating. Her honest personality tickled my mischievous heart.

“Hee hee. That’s not even the half of it,” I said. “Back in our country, we dare to eat rotten beans.”

“That must be a joke. Even I know that humans will ruin their stomachs if they eat rotten food.”

“It’s true, I’m telling you. The beans get all sticky and stringy. There’s other stuff too. The way they’re made is different, but we eat daikon, eggplant, cucumber, and other such vegetables in the same way.”

I was of course referring to fermented food. If it was useful to people, we called it fermentation. If it caused harm, then we called it putrefaction. The words were different, but both referred to the decomposition of foodstuffs via the action of microbes.

Rose looked unsettled by this. She was likely having trouble figuring out whether I was serious.

“Is this true, Master...?” she asked, turning around to Majima-senpai for an answer.

“Katou’s joking,” he answered with a smile.

“Wuh?!”

“Oh, so it really was a joke,” Rose said, sighing in relief. She was unbelievably cute, but I still had things to say about this. “Thank goodness. You were giving me the impression that the people of your country are all eccentrics who eat nothing but rotten food.”

“Huh? No, you’ve got it wrong. You’ve got it totally wrong, Rose,” I said in a fluster.

“I’m wrong? About everyone being an eccentric who eats rotten food?”

“N-No. That’s also wrong, but that’s not what I mean.” I didn’t even know what I was saying myself. “H-Hang on a sec. Ummm, Senpai? I’m pretty sure you know, but I’m talking about natto and tsukemono here.”

“Don’t be fooled, Katou. Those aren’t meant for human consumption.”

“Mana was tricked?!” Rose exclaimed. “What craven cur would do such a thing?!”

“Y-You’re wrong! It’s okay! I wasn’t tricked or anything!” I protested.

“You once told me that all people who’ve been tricked say the same thing, Mana,” Rose said in all seriousness.

“I did, but I wasn’t!” I yelled, turning to Majima-senpai. “Actually, Senpai, do you maybe...?”

I glared at him, and he averted his gaze and scratched his cheek. “I’m not good with that stuff...”

“Thought so. Jeez. Please explain it to Rose, okay?”

“I know...”

Majima-senpai obediently complied and gave Rose a simple explanation. She immediately understood since he was the one telling her.

As I watched this, a certain thought came to mind.

“Anyway, that’s a little unexpected. You have food that you’re bad with, Senpai?”

“Well, yeah. I’m still human. If need be, I’ll eat anything, though.”

My association with Majima-senpai had started with a survivalist lifestyle in the Woodlands. Back then, we hadn’t been in a situation to complain about whatever food we could get. Now was a different story, however.

“Oh yeah, what kind of seasoning would you like for tonight’s dinner, Senpai?” I asked.

“Hm? I have a choice?”

“Salty, sweet, or spicy should be manageable. Oh, maybe it’ll be fun to take on the challenge of making natto or tsukemono here.”

“I’d rather you spared me that,” he said in a relatively serious tone, getting a giggle out of me. “Right then... How about spicy? When I had a similar meal in town, I felt like it was lacking a little punch. I think it should work.”

“Understood. I’ll give it a try. Okay then, shall we start?” I said, turning to Kei.

“Yes, if we don’t start soon, dinner will end up being rather late,” she agreed with a nod.

“Is there anything I can help with?” Majima-senpai asked.

Kei and I exchanged glances.

“We should be fine!” she exclaimed.

“You just relax in your room, Senpai.”

“Sure. In that case, call me if anything happens.” With that, he returned to his room.

After he left, I realized something.

“Huh...?”

I had somehow managed to have a normal conversation with him despite how awkward things had been. It seemed his joke was his way of being considerate of me.

“Is something the matter, Mana?” Rose asked curiously.

“No, it’s nothing.” I smiled and got back to cooking, picking up a potato and a knife. “Thanks for waiting. By the way, Kei, how is this cooked?”

“We can boil it. If we boil it too much, it’ll fall apart, so it can’t be used for soup. For today, how about we boil it and use it as a side dish?”

“Okay.”

I did as I was told and peeled the thick skin off. After quartering it, I removed the core and chopped it up into smaller pieces. Before I came to this world, I hadn’t done much cooking, but I’d been helping Lily lately, so I was now somewhat capable with a knife. I finished chopping up the potato into pieces and then added it to the pot of boiling water. The potato heated through easily in small pieces, and I took them out before they crumbled apart. Then I began working on other side dishes.

“Okay. Let’s make the filling next. We’ll go with mincemeat salad today,” Kei said, taking out some strangely discolored meat from another leather bag.

“That looks a little different from the jerky we’ve been eating on our journey,” I commented.

“That’s normally dried until it’s all rigid. This can’t be preserved all that long, but it’s tastier than jerky. If you’re going to eat it right away, then I recommend having it like this.”

“Hmm. There’s a lot of variety, huh?”

I shaved off pieces of meat, then cut them into appropriately sized bits before striking them with a knife to mince it. It sounded simple, but it was rather involving work. I found it tiring, so Rose offered to switch out with me.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t worry about it. I have more strength than you, and I don’t get tired. I don’t understand taste, so nothing can be done about that, but please leave this manner of simple work to me.”

We didn’t have to worry about being watched here, so Rose took off her long gloves that had been hiding her joints and began striking the meat atop the cutting board in a fixed rhythm using the cooking knife. Because of her maid outfit, the scene looked just right.

“Creating something on my own like I usually do is enjoyable, but I see working on something with everyone as a group is also fun in an entirely different way.”

Rose couldn’t discern the difference between crafting and cooking, seeing that she didn’t understand the concept of eating food. Just as she’d said, it really looked like she was having fun.

“We’re in the middle of a journey, so we can’t really spend much time like this...” Rose said, “but if we’re able to settle down in Aker, I wonder if this will become an everyday thing.”

“An everyday thing?”

“Yes. Oh. The other day, I had the opportunity to speak with my master about what we’re to do after all this.”

“With Majima-senpai?” I asked, caught a little off guard by this.

“Yes. Since arriving in Aker, my master has been giving thought to the future.”

In a sense, that was a perfectly natural development. After the huge disaster of being teleported to this world, we had been desperate just trying to resolve what was directly in front of us. He’d had no other choice. However, those times had passed now. Considering that Majima-senpai traveled with monsters, he couldn’t help but think about the future.

I felt hope in that, but also fear. I was happy with my current lifestyle. Even so, nothing remained unchanging in this world. Our journey would one day come to an end. My time with Majima-senpai and Rose couldn’t go on forever.

“What does Senpai...no, not just him, what do all of you intend to do?”

“My master said he would be fine living a quiet life working the fields or something. As for me...I haven’t really given it much consideration until now,” Rose answered thoughtfully without stopping her hands. “But my master suggested I put my skills as a crafter to use and try opening a shop. I also believe it wouldn’t be bad to give it a try.”

“Wow! That’s a great idea!” Kei agreed with a smile. “I’m sure everyone will be crazy for the stuff you make! You’ll be so popular!”

“That would be nice,” Rose said.

“Have you decided what kind of shop you want to open yet?” Kei asked. “The capital is the biggest city in Aker, but even if you don’t settle down there, it’ll be better to open a shop somewhere at least the size of Diospyro.”

“I haven’t thought of the details yet... In truth, there are still many problems.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I still lack a fundamental understanding of human society. I can’t do calculations involving money either. Wouldn’t that be a problem for opening a shop?”

“Oh, is that all?” Kei said, her cheerful expression a complete contrast to Rose’s sullen tone. “You can leave that kind of stuff to Takahiro.”

“To my master?” Rose repeated in astonishment.

Kei nodded. “You mentioned he’d be fine with working the fields or something, but it’s not like he aspires to be a farmer. In that case, this could work too, right? Takahiro can be the manager while you make things. Judging by his personality, he wouldn’t be good at handling the sly merchants of the Empire, but Aker is a small country. To make a steady living, an honest personality is more important than cunning. He’s also got connections to the commander.”

Kei was quite shrewd despite her age. Although, children couldn’t remain children all that long in this world. Perhaps it was only normal she would acquire such knowledge this early.

“I see. I have no intention of parting ways with my master, so that might be a good idea. That is, of course, if my master wishes to. It’s worth speaking to him about it, at least.”

“Oh, right. In that case, how about having Gerbera sell the clothes she makes in the shop too?” Kei added.

“Gerbera?”

“Yup. Everyone can open a store together. Right, Mana? Doesn’t it sound like a good idea?” Kei said, taking a stab at rousing my interest.

Having been unable to participate in their conversation up until now, I smiled in a flustered way.

“Yeah. I think that sounds nice.”

My answer came after a brief pause. I’d been thinking of where I would be at that time.

“Mana? Is something the matter?” Rose asked curiously.

“No, it’s nothing,” I answered with a smile.

“Okay then.”

Fortunately, I managed to dodge the question.

“In that case, Mana will be the clerk,” Rose continued with a nod. “I’ve heard clerks in your world must wear some kind of uniform. Shall we ask Gerbera to make you one?”

“What?” I didn’t expect that at all. “Is it fine for me to be included?”

“Huh? Do you not want to be?” Rose said in astonishment, as if I’d said something strange. “Kei said ‘everyone can open a store together,’ and you said ‘that sounds nice,’ didn’t you?”

“I did, but...”

“Or is there something else you wish to do? In that case, there’s no helping it...”

“N-N-No! No! That’s not the case!”

“That’s good. If we are to sell Gerbera’s clothes, then there will be many different goods to handle. Managing the store is sure to be difficult, but if you are helping us too, Mana, then it will be a relief,” she said with a smile.

Rose had gotten considerably better at smiling naturally. She then held out the chopping board with the mincemeat on it. I took it from her, and a moment later, emotions that had been gradually growing deep within my chest began seeping out. I felt a sudden urge to cry.

“Y-You’ve crushed it up all nicely. Okay then, next we need to cut the vegetables.”

I hurried on to the next task at hand. That was the only way I could hold back my tears.

◆ ◆ ◆

After we finished the mincemeat salad, we moved on to the last part of the meal. It was time for the bag of potato flour that Rose had brought us earlier.

“Okay, Mana,” Kei said. “Please start by spreading the flour over that iron plate.”

“Huh? As it is?”

“Yup.”

“Will that be fine?”

“It will.”

I believed in her confidence and did as I was told. After that, I added a little water, just the tiniest amount. The trick was to not add too much.

“It looks just like flour... Actually, it feels exactly like flour. Is this really going to be okay?” I asked again.

“Yes. That’s just about the right amount.”

I continued to believe in her and put it over the fire. As I did, a change occurred.

“Hmm. As it cooks, it looks less and less like flour, huh?” I commented.

“Keep it up just like that, please.”

“Got it.”

Now all I had to do was wait until it had to be taken off the heat. Shortly after, it finished baking, so I placed some of the mincemeat salad on top of it and folded the bread.

“It’s done, right?” I asked.

“Yes!”

Kei walked up to me, and we joined hands and cheered. While we were at it, we got Rose to join us. Maybe we were exaggerating a little, but this kind of atmosphere was important. All that was left was to make the rest the same way.

As I started baking another one, Shiran came in.

“I’ve returned.”

“Welcome back, Shiran!”

Shiran had just gotten back to the house. She was very popular, so she had gotten held up with the villagers as they all spoke with her. Seeing that she was back, it meant that quite a lot of time had passed.

“Sorry, Shiran,” I said. “Things are going a little slow, but we’re just about done.”

“Huh? Oh, it’s fine. I don’t mind,” she replied. For a moment, she looked like she had no idea what I was saying, but then she shook her head. “Takahiro may be getting hungry, though. Shall we eat right when we can?”

“Right, Senpai is...”

My movements came to a sudden halt.

“Is something the matter?” Shiran asked curiously.

I couldn’t answer. I’d just realized I had completely forgotten about something tremendously important, after all.

◆ ◆ ◆

During our journey, Lily had always been in charge of preparing our meals. It had been a bit of an inevitability. Among our group in the Woodlands, Rose didn’t understand the concept of eating meals, Gerbera couldn’t understand the necessity of cooking, and there was a time where everyone had been suspicious of me, so I hadn’t been in a position to make any of Majima-senpai’s food.

After we reached Fort Tilia, the situation had changed. Shiran, Kei, and I had ended up helping out with the cooking. However, the main chef had always been Lily. Perhaps this was a bit of an exaggeration, but in my heart, this had become something like sacred soil. But tonight, I made dinner. That inevitably meant Majima-senpai would eat it. The thought of him eating something I made felt very special to me. I couldn’t possibly remain calm.

“Just by the fact that you’re bringing this up, doesn’t it mean you already knew this?” Shiran asked.

“Mana has a bad habit of putting others before herself...” Rose replied.

“I was wondering for a bit there whether you noticed it,” Kei added. “So you really didn’t?”

Everyone was trying to say something to me, but I didn’t have the composure to process any of it.

“Wh-What do I do, Rose?” I pleaded with my friend.

“What do you mean? We’re going to have dinner, right?”

“Th-That’s true, but wait a minute. I’m not mentally prepared...”

“We can’t wait, Mana. The food you went out of your way to make will get cold.”

Rose asked Kei and Shiran to help carry the meal over and pushed me from behind. There was a gentleness to it accompanied by a difficult-to-defy strength.

“Come now, Mana. My master is waiting. Let’s go.”

“Huh...? I feel like I’ve seen this scene before,” Kei muttered, putting her finger to her lip and cocking her head.

What a coincidence. I also remembered seeing it before. It had been in Diospyro, on the day of Rose’s date. The actors had been none other than Rose and me, but now our roles were reversed.

By the time we reached Majima-senpai’s room, I was about as nervous as I could be.

“Oh. You’re done. Thanks for the hard work.”

“Ssster.”

He had apparently been playing with Asarina while waiting for us.

As I got pushed into the room, Asarina stretched out to me in high spirits. She peered at my face and cocked her head with a “Sster?” She remained perfectly still for several seconds, but then she went back to Majima-senpai with a “Sssteeer.” Perhaps she was being considerate of me.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Master,” Rose said.

Majima-senpai shook his head. “It’s fine. I had Asarina to keep me company. Besides, it looks like it was worth the wait. It smells great.”

He was probably just making a casual remark, but I felt the hurdle get even higher.

“Mana made it herself. Please look forward to it.”

And then the hurdle went up another notch. Rose had no ill intent, but she lacked restraint in equal measure. Still pushing on my back, she crossed the room and sat me down in a chair. One beat later, I noticed I was seated in front of Majima-senpai. This had surely been Rose’s form of consideration. I was getting dizzy. Just like that, I’d been driven into a corner of my own making.

Kei set the table in front of us. Everything was ready. Well, everything except my heart. Despite what he’d said, Majima-senpai was probably hungry.

“Okay, let’s eat. Thanks for the meal,” he said the moment things were ready.

He reached his hand toward the food. I held my breath and watched him. He took a single bite of the bread in his hands. The seconds he spent chewing felt like eternity. My pounding heart hurt.

“H-H-H-How i-i-is it?” I asked, mustering all of my resolve.

He looked my way and gulped what he had in his mouth.

“Mm. It’s delicious,” he said casually—and in the next instant, a huge sigh of relief filled the room.

It wasn’t just me. Shiran and Kei were also relieved. It didn’t show in Rose’s body language, but she seemed satisfied too. Apparently, my nervousness had influenced everyone. Only Majima-senpai was surprised.

“Huh...? What’s up?” he asked.

“It’s nothing. Nothing at all,” Shiran said.

“Thank goodness...” Kei said with another sigh.

“What’s with all of you...?”

Majima-senpai remained bewildered by the two elves’ reactions.

“Anyway, this really is tasty,” he said, pulling himself back together.

It was his honest opinion. He went right back to eating. That simple action made my heart tighten.

“It’s not like the stuff we got in town was bad, but there were parts of it that were hard to eat. This doesn’t have any of that. Mm, definitely great.”

Majima-senpai reached his hand out for seconds when his eyes stopped on me.

“Are you not having any, Katou?”

“Oh, um, I...”

“Mana sampled it several times to adjust the seasoning, so she’s already full,” Rose said for me, seeing that I was hemming and hawing.

The salad was made up of mincemeat and chopped vegetables. After we mixed in the boiled potatoes, we’d added small amounts of dehydrated herbs and berries. This was a type of spice that Kei and Shiran had laboriously gathered during our journey. In Aker, the type and amount of spice used defined the taste of a household.

Majima-senpai and I came from the same city, so our palates were similar to an extent. At the very least, we weren’t separated by countries or worlds. To us, spices that had a peculiar or even foul scent to them would take us a while to get used to. Hence, I had managed to avoid using them.

“Having said that, it’s not like I was the only one adjusting things by taste,” I said. “Kei was doing it with me. Actually, Kei’s contributions might be far greater...”

“What are you saying?” Kei said. “All I did was help give your opinions shape.”

“Is that so? You really gave it your all for this, huh?” Majima-senpai said, turning my way. “Thank you, Katou. It might be a little shameless, but I’d be happy if you could make this for me again some time.”

“Sure, Senpai... With pleasure.”

My chest felt full to bursting. I cast my eyes down. I felt like I understood a little of what Rose had said. We still didn’t know what the future had in store for us, but if we could spend every day like this, it would be really nice.

“Isn’t this great, Mana?” Rose said with a smile.

“Yes,” I replied with a hearty nod.

After that, all the female members of our group, including Lily, held cooking classes once in a while, but that is a story for another time.