「 Let’s do our best today again!! 」
「 「 「 Ooh!! 」 」 」
Once breakfast was over, our work began.
「 Karin-dono, would you prefer to get a new gourd or make charcoal? 」
「 Charcoal, maybe? With all the extra processing, we’re getting more firewood 」
「 Certainly! 」
「 Prez! I’ll help out too! 」
「 Your feelings are enough, Kageyama-dono. Charcoal is basically just steaming wood. I’m enough for that 」
「 As expected of Pres! Amazing! You’re already a pro! 」
「 That’s right, yes! I’m already a master of survival! Guahah! 」
Everyone’s doing tasks depending on their judgment.
Today’s instructions were simple, get ready for winter.
Therefore, it’s left to the individual to decide how they will act.
It’s not different from a holiday.
The instructions are sketchy because the time limit for getting out is approaching.
Temperatures are dropping every day, foreshadowing the arrival of a reclusive lifestyle.
To avoid regrets when that happens, I just let everyone do what they want.
We can move around like this because we have prepared well.
I assume that it’s no longer a problem if we start living like Hermits tomorrow.
Well, it’ll be after the new year that our reclusive life begins in reality.
「 Hokage-kun, would you like to come with me to pick up some ingredients? 」
Eri talked to me.
Then, most of them stopped moving and started listening.
The presence of women in particular was piercing from all directions.
「 I don’t mind, but what’s this atmosphere? 」
I look around.
I saw Tanaka’s e yes.
「 Work! Work! I’m working! 」
Tanaka looked away and went deep into the hideout.
The others also resumed working.
「 Let’s go then 」
Eri invites me outside the hideout.
「 Sure 」
I nodded. But then…
「 Wait, you two 」
Karin stopped us.
In front of her is the bonfire, making modest heat.
「 It’s going to be cold outside, bring some heaters 」
Karin used a bamboo stick to remove stones from the campfire.
A stone the size of a palm, and it’s hot.
I taught her the idea of using heated stones.
「 I’ll need a bag for that warmer then 」
Meiko approached and pulled a cloth bag from her pocket.
「 Is it good, Karin? 」
「 It’s good, it’s cooled down a bit. 」
Meiko and Karin put the stone inside the bag.
When the warmer was complete, Meiko handed it to me.
The bag felt warm, not hot.
「 Thanks, girls 」
I gave Eri one of the warmers I received.
「 Warm~ 」
Eri put the warmer on her cheeks and smiled.
I was worried that she might burn herself when I saw that.
Unlike commercial warmers, homemade warmers are dangerous when placed on the face.
Eri seemed to know that so she removed it from her face.
「 Let’s go then 」
Karin smiled and said “Take care”
Meiko next to her, didn’t say anything.
(What’s with this weird mood?)
With an indescribable eeriness in my heart, I left the hideout with Eri.
「 Can Eri-san keep her word? 」
Hinako speaks up.
Despite hearing her name, Eri didn’t stop.
「 It’s fine 」
Karin replies shortly.
「 I see. It’s got to be safe 」 Meiko
I hear Hinako groaning.
Seems like she didn’t like Meiko’s “safe” comment
「 Hey Eri, are the girls talking about us? 」
I whispered to Eri
「 Maybe 」
Eri just slips out
Then she changes the topic.
(Wait, is there some discord between the girls?)
I’m filled with anxiety now.
◇
Eri and I walked around the area of the hideout and gathered ingredients.
「 Been a while since we had an ingredient gathering 」
「 It’s usually Tanaka-kun who comes with me 」
Chatting while working.
「 Eri, do you think about the menu and procure the ingredients? Or do you plan the menu depending on the ingredients you get? 」
「 There are times when I do either. Recently, I have been thinking more about the meal while gathering the ingredients 」
「 I see. 」
「 Now, I’m thinking about dishes that go well with rice It’s about to be done after all 」
「 Don’t rush it. There are still ten days before that 」
「 That’s just right around the corner! By the way, do you think that our rice will taste good? 」
「 I’m sure of it. I mean, I’d rather not have it go bad. We worked our best to make it 」
「 You could choose not to make it, but you decided to do it 」
「 That’s right 」
Rice is native to this island.
Therefore, we could just harvest rice if we’re into it.
Despite that, we took the troublesome path and grew it ourselves.
I want to I even wanted to start selective breeding as soon as possible.
The reason is that we just want to eat good rice.
Usually, we compromise on the quality in favor of speed, not for rice.
It’s the staple food for the Japanese, and so we want it to be delicious.
Japanese rice is high-quality even if it’s cheap, so we’re particular about it.
「 The rice that grows on this island is poor compared to the rice we worked so hard to cultivate 」
「 So Hokage-kun says, But how is it really? 」
「 Once the rice is done, we can compare 」
「 Let’s do that! I mean the rice we harvested from the native rice plants was great as seasoning 」
There are two seasonings we can make from rice
Sake, and Vinegar
Both contribute greatly to the quality of the food.
「 Talking about flavoring, do you want to try making mayonnaise? 」
「 Mayo?! 」
Eri’s expression changed.
It’s almost like a predator who found her prey.
She looks at me with a sharp glaring eye.
「 Mayonnaise is easy. You just need vinegar, egg yolks, salt, nutmeg, and oil. You blend them and it’s done. I don’t know the measurements, but Eri can put them together with intuition I believe 」
「 Is Olive oil okay for that? 」
「 Of course. The book I read said that the type of oil you mix in will change the flavor Olive oil would give it a subdued taste Meanwhile, salad oil would be best for our environment, but cottonseed oil would be best 」
「 I see! Ah, but it’s hard to make a lot of cottonseed oil so maybe I’ll go with olive oil. 」
「 That’s fine. Also, I heard that you can add lemon to taste. I’m unsure if that’s real though 」
「 Lemon! I think that’s nice! Let’s give it a try! 」
「 Let’s go back and make mayonnaise 」
「 Okay 」
She nodded, but Eri noticed.
「 Wait, we don’t have nutmeg! 」
「 You don’t have to worry about that 」
I smiled and showed her a huge tree in front
「 Fortunately, we get nutmeg from this tree 」
「 Really?! I didn’t know that nutmegs are a huge tree 」
「 This tree’s a common nutmeg tree, and the nutmeg we get is the finely ground seeds are 」
「 Ooh 」
「 I never mentioned it before, but nutmeg trees are amazing. Apart from nutmegs, it also gives you a spice called mace 」
「 Nutmegs and Mace! I never knew that they came from the same plant 」
「 While we’re at it, let’s go grab both 」
「 Okay! We can make mayonnaise now! And nutmeg is also an easy-to-use spice! You should’ve told me sooner, Hokage-kun! 」
「 Sorry 」
And so, we started gathering the seeds.
「 What’s next? We still have time 」
I asked Eri.
「 We already gathered ingredients, let’s go back 」
「 Okay 」
「 Man, I’m looking forward to the mayonnaise 」
Eri’s skipping her steps in excitement.
Her ass shakes as if inviting me.
Mana just rejected me earlier so I’m horny
「 Hey, Eri 」
「 Hmm? 」
Eri turned back.
I suddenly embraced her.
「 Can we do it before going back? 」
I tried to kiss Eri’s lips.
Then, she’ll look up, close her eyes, and accept it it—or she should’ve
「 Not today 」
What, another rejection?
She forcibly takes off my arm and steps back.
「 S-Sorry, so you didn’t like that 」
It’s a first, Eri rejecting my advances.
Even I could sense that my voice was shaking.
「 That’s not it! No! Just…not today 」
「 What do you mean… 」
「 I-I mean, not today…Sorry, I’m going back 」
「 Hey, wai— 」
Eri started running.
I was left dumbfounded.
「 She doesn’t hate it, but not today? What the hell?! 」
Nobody answered.
「 W-Well, she didn’t hate it at least, right? 」
With countless question marks floating above my head, I headed home feeling empty.