NOVEL WEB Fortunately, my slip of the tongue only drew light laughter from everyone, and we brushed it off. The atmosphere seemed to view it as just a joke leveraging my recently revealed near-narcissism.
Honestly, I was thankful that everyone took it lightly… I was really embarrassed.
After that, we changed locations and began our proper street stall exploration.
But as we wandered around, one thing caught my attention.
Why is it that all four of us are wearing swimsuits in shades of white?
Nagisa, dressed in a bikini with a suspender skirt and a slightly eye-catching monokini, was actually coordinated that way from the start.
In Noah’s case, she was wearing a rather provocative ring bikini, perfectly white. And then there was Haruna, who, while wearing a relatively simple design monokini similar to mine, had a flowy wing-like outfit draped over her arms, also in white.
Ah, I take back saying Haruna’s monokini design is simple. Right away, there were several cheeky parts along her side shaped like rhombs.
Seriously, how can it be so sultry? Her shy yet tantalizingly exposed skin teases primal human desires. I had an urge to poke at it with my finger.
Anyway, somehow, the four of us, showcasing distinct personalities in our white swimsuits with pearly skin, began wandering the stalls, which was bound to attract attention.
Moreover, two of them were the president and vice president of the Trinity Student Council, one was clearly a student from Gehenna, and the last one was an unusual combination of being Millennium Student Council’s secretary, all of which made it impossible to ignore our striking appearances, even without considering our looks.
As the gazes increased, Nagisa began to restrain herself from rising against Haruna. Such was an unavoidable choice for someone who had to maintain the dignity befitting a student council president.
“Ooh, this yakitori… it’s the same one from yesterday’s eating competition. How does everyone feel about it?”
“…Oh my, I’ve heard about it from Akari and Izumi. Though it may not be top-notch, the savory and sweet flavors intertwine to captivate the taste buds, so I’ve been told. Truly, seeing it is worth a thousand hearsay. Let’s give it a try!”
Haruna naturally opened her wallet and handed each of us a skewer. In truth, with this group, it didn’t matter who bought what, yet everyone still expressed their thanks, even Nagisa, who wore a slightly reluctant expression.
Well, there was no need to mention Nagisa and Nana. As for Haruna, she was a wealthy girl who enjoyed fine dining, and given that Noah was part of Millennium’s student council, we were certainly not lacking financially. It was just a matter of who pulls out their card first to swipe.
In that respect, it seems like we should ensure Haruna doesn’t swipe her card any more than this for the sake of Nagisa’s mental health.
“Well then, let’s eat.”
The yakitori that entered my mouth, how should I put it? It was just the flavor I expected.
While it wasn’t particularly special or outstanding, it was sufficient to be considered simply delicious. The price wasn’t excessively high for festival food, and the three flavors blending in my mouth were decent enough.
Thus, my evaluation fell into the category of being tolerable.
“It proved the saying that higher expectations lead to bigger disappointments. For those who love yakitori and expect the level of a specialist shop in Millennium when they seek this out, the meat quality and seasoning might be a letdown. However, if that’s not the case, I would say it’s a passable taste overall. Total score: 2.5 stars.”
But then, what’s this? After taking a bite of yakitori, Noah pulled out a notebook and began scribbling something earnestly.
“…Ushio, what’s that?”
“Oh… this is a column that Haruna and I are planning to upload about the festival food for Millennium Glade. I thought reactions would be good when it features Haruna’s reviews, as part of the Millennium Idol Project and someone with strict standards on gourmet food… Hehe, I might have picked the wrong partner.”
Noah, with her pen tucked into her notebook, smiled pleasantly, glancing at Haruna, who was busy savoring her yakitori.
For someone like Haruna, whose enjoyment of food depends more on the surrounding atmosphere than the food itself, having me around significantly impacts her experience. So, although the yakitori wasn’t that great, she was still enjoying it, but then again, maybe Noah’s judgment was a bit hasty.
“You don’t have to worry, Noah. Even if she looks like this now, she’s not going to drop the ball on the gourmet aspects. I’m sure it’s fine☆”
I can assure you, even if she looks like this right now, when asked for her evaluation, she would definitely share her thoughts.
Sure enough.
“Ah, that was delicious… Now then, Noah? Let me share my evaluation. The chicken didn’t seem great due to being outdoor stall food in the summer, which was disappointing. The seasoning and salt didn’t blend together cleanly, leading to some regret. If the yakitori had been served without seasoning, it might have been better, but that’s because the meat quality fell short of standards. Still, I can say it exceeded the minimum line expected in festival food. Overall score: 2 stars.”
“…Wow, Haruna, you really don’t hold back. If the shop owner heard that, they’d be heartbroken.”
“If I’d come here without Mika, I would have definitely tampered with the explosive device at that stall.”
Fortunately, the stall owner robot was rummaging around inside, so he couldn’t hear her.
By the way, those two discovered an unexpected hobby together. It somewhat seemed like something Noah and Haruna would typically do together.
They felt like culinary critics wandering in search of gourmet food… Hmm, it sounds fun. If simply my presence could keep Haruna from blowing up the shop, would it be worth hanging out with them?
“Ahaha! What’s that? It looks fun. Hey, Noah! Can I write a line in there too?”
“Huh? I think that would be fine if it’s you, Mika. I’ve heard you’re the vice president of the Gourmet Research Club…”
“No, that… that’s just a rumor! Don’t be fooled by Haruna.”
Pointing to Haruna with the pen I received from Noah, Haruna gave a naive smile as if she knew nothing. It’s annoying how she confidently backs herself up with that face.
“Nagisa too—— Hmm…”
After taking the notebook, I jotted down a pretty three-star rating under Noah’s beautiful handwriting before turning to ask Nagisa if she wanted to write a line. But for some reason, after taking a bite of the skewer, she looked at me with a hard-to-describe expression, not touching the skewers.
Her expression reflected envy mixed with jealousy, and she seemed to be upset while wearing a smile that was somehow joyful, making it hard to read.
“I’m sorry, Nagisa. I really should have paid more attention to you, huh…?”
“What? No, it’s not your fault at all. You don’t have to worry about me, just enjoy yourself.”
Well, even if she says she’s fine, it’s clearly a situation where I should be attentive.
Nagisa saying she’d prefer for me to enjoy myself feels so genuine, and it’s even more unsettling. It’s like she’s saying she wouldn’t resent me even if I treated her poorly, and I couldn’t just leave her be.
“Ahaha… If you didn’t like the yakitori, let’s find something you want to eat next. Yes, that sounds good. Is everyone okay with that?”
With earnest thoughts in my eyes, I shot glances at Haruna and Noah. They both returned smiles as if they were invited to agree.
“Yes, that sounds great♪”
“Fufu, as long as it doesn’t have mint in it, I’m good with anything.”
“…Thank you, Ushio… and Kurodate, too.”
Although it seemed that those two aimed to explore every street stall, I was just glad they were well-intentioned.
Nagisa still appeared reluctant to get close to Haruna, but expecting them to get along after having just growled at each other could seem odd.
Nevertheless, I hadn’t intended to take the reins on Haruna, but somehow it ended up looking like I was her restrainer…
*
After that, Nagisa strongly insisted that too much consideration for her made her uncomfortable and urged me to relax and enjoy myself without worrying about her.
While she mentioned that her presence at this event was to worry about the relationship developing between Haruna and me, rather than being anxious with Noah around, it felt odd.
So far, it had become clear that Noah had come with the intent of observing the progress between Haruna and me while also working on the culinary critique column; yet, there seemed to be more to it.
The occasionally sly glances Noah cast my way only reinforced that feeling.
Could it really be that Nagisa, who had managed a T-party single-handedly while handling three tasks, hadn’t noticed any of this?
That also suggested that her statement about being reassured with Noah around could likely be a lie. Instead, it was probably a tactical move on Nagisa’s part to gauge Noah’s reaction subtly.
As a first-year representative in the seminar of the student council, Noah wasn’t a force to be underestimated, so I didn’t give in easily; however, it was clear another rivalry was quietly forming.
“This yakisoba has quite a bit of meat in it… In fact, those who seek out yakisoba tend to have a liking for its unique flavor that divides opinions, so having plenty of ingredients to mitigate that isn’t a bad thing. The more cabbage and meat, the greater the satisfaction of chewing. I think this recipe showcases a lot of effort. Hehe, I’d say this warrants about 4 stars.”
After sharing a serving of yakisoba, Haruna’s evaluation that followed was spot-on. Considering my own tastes, which still carried traces of Korean flavors, I found this version much more to my liking compared to the commonly available yakisoba in Japan.
We continued to munch on various festival treats like chocolate bananas, ika-yaki, and grilled corn, while continuing our column writing.
In the meantime, as I persistently fed Nagisa one bite at a time, Haruna unexpectedly offered me a bite of her chocolate banana, which initiated a subtle tension between her and Nagisa. Noah, with a mischievous grin, also popped up from somewhere with a ringo ame—apple candy.
“The beach, festival, and grilled corn. Each is splendid on its own, but combined, is there really a better duo? I’m telling you it’s a loss not to eat it here. Total score: 5 stars.”
With Haruna’s tastes generously reflected, we finished with the grilled corn stall and were left with just one last stall.
With the finals of the water skiing competition about to start soon, it felt rewarding to have moved around efficiently.
The last stall was a takoyaki stand. Watching Savannah, a feline beastfolk, skillfully prepare takoyaki using skewers filled me with anticipation. After placing each takoyaki in a paper box, she drizzled it with Worcester sauce, mayonnaise, and bonito flakes, creating an irresistible takoyaki.
Since I quite liked takoyaki, I had some expectations, but first, I took a skewer to feed Nagisa. Now that we had become sufficiently familiar, it was somewhat bittersweet, yet fulfilling, to feed her without hesitation.
“…Haa.”
Just as I was about to take one for myself, I heard a troubling sigh nearby.
For some reason, Haruna’s gaze had a deep, troubled look. No, it could practically be described as dead.
The familiar gaze invoked memories buried deep, leading me to a somewhat forgotten memory.
Haruna’s New Year EX skill animation.
In other words, she was just seconds away from detonating a certain shop.
“Uh, um… Haruna? I don’t know what’s wrong, but let’s calm down first…”
“…It’s squid.”
“Huh?”
“It’s not octopus; they used squid. How dare they, in takoyaki.”
The moment I saw Haruna reach for the detonator, my body instinctively moved before I could even think.