Infinite Stratos - Volume 4, page 13
After everyone took all they needed, they started eating slowly.
Cecilia and Laura, who were thinking at the beginning of eating the bitter black coffee jelly[4D 9] tended their hands towards the syrup and the milk.
"Fu, it's pretty good."
"You're clearly a guy, and still can do sweets? That's really surprising."
"Is it possible that Ichika knows how to make cakes?"
"Hn~I only know how to make some easy sponge cake——it's only the type of cake where you mix the fruits and milk."
"It sounds delicious, when can you try making one?"
"When I have the opportunity."
"Instructor eats your handmade food every day, I'm envious."
"This isn't something really impressive. Aah, right, until what time will you girls stay? If you stay until the evening, then if I don't go to buy ingredients right now——"
After hearing Ichika saying those words, the girls' eyes started to sparkle.
"I'll cook the rice for the evening! I'll do this as a special thanks for today's coffee jelly."
"Yeah, I still haven't showed my skills yet!"
"Then, then I'll also help with it."
"I'll also participate. When I was in the army, I learnt how to cook, so look forward to it!"
"By the way, you haven't eaten my cooking in a while, so you should be yearning for that taste, aren't you?"
No, I'm not——thinking of Cecilia's silliness, Ichika looked at the clock.
"Then I'll go out around 5 o'clock. There's a store near here, so I'll go there to buy things."
Everyone started to talk with each other. After eating the jelly they continued on chatting......like this, time passed quickly.
◆
"Sorry for making you wait."
The one who was gasping and arriving at the underground bar between a store and the train station——was Yamada-sensei, Yamada Maya.
That bar's open hours were from four in the afternoon to eight in the morning, and its name was 'Bar Crescendo'. It was a bar full of adults who came in contact with each other, and also where Chifuyu was often welcomed.
"I'm sorry, calling you out in a rush like that."
"It's fine, it's fine. Anyway, if I stay at my room I'll only look at the shopping catalog."
Maya sat near the counter, and Chifuyu immediately asked the owner for a cup of normal beer with black beer mixed together——of course it was for Maya.
"Does Chifuyu-san also want to try something new?"
"Yeah, sorry for bothering you."
"I got it."
That bar was managed by a sole aged owner——with his beard and his white hair pulled back, his appearance was attracting many female customers.
Though Chifuyu didn't really like the owner, but she was more attracted by his soothing voice.
"Please help yourself."
The owner took out Maya's beer and Chifuyu's black beer, and then took out slices of cheese for the clients, but placed them while being at a bit of distance from them——after many years of experience, he knew that there's no way to have a good chat with people who he isn't familiar with.
"Cheers."
The sound of two glass cups coming into contact resounded. Maya took little sips, while Chifuyu was joyfully savoring it slowly, the cup tilted a bit.
After drinking around half of the content, Maya asked a question.
"What is it today? Isn't it vacation time, so why don't you go home?"
"I was thinking of doing so, but there are girls at home right now."
"Girls? Oooh——could they be Ichika's friends?
"Aaah, yes, and also our students——to phrase it another way, they are all familiar faces."
"You mean the six personal machine users? They would all be strong in a war."
"Don't joke with it."
While saying that and smiling, Chifuyu ate a slice of cheese.
"Wouldn't Orimura-sensei be bothered by it? If your little brother has a girlfriend."
"You're kinda right......"
The beer was just finished, so Chifuyu asked for another cup from the owner.
After she finished her fourth in a shot, Chifuyu continued and said,
"Last month, did something happen at the sea-side school?"
"Huhh, yeah, concerning that I still remember that......many things happened."
"Maa, putting aside the Gospel story first......I feel that I said things that I shouldn't have said at that time."
"......What did you say?"
Maya asked her with her interest showing. This was the first time that she had seen her so hesitant, so what could be the reason? She was interested to the maximum.
"I said to those five girls..."
"Yes."
"I said 'I won't let you have Ichika'."
"......What?"
Maya, who had been surprised, asked back, since it was rare that Chifuyu would be embarrassed and have much to say. It was probably because she was drinking.
"It's not......like that......no, didn't I say before that I don't have special feelings towards that guy, but how can I say it......a little brother should belong to his older sister, right?"
"Maybe that is what it feels like this......but I'm an only child."
"A-Anyway, it there's no weird meaning to it. Though......it seems that those girls look at me as a love rival, so I am bothered by it."
At the same time Maya's cup was also empty. As she ordered another, the silence continued.
"That......Orimura-sensei, towards Orimura-kun——Aah, how complicated——towards Ichika-kun going out with a girl, are you for or against it?"
"Of course I would be in favor of it. That guy could learn more about different things——not only about managing with people, but also especially towards girls."
"Isn't it good like this?"
"I-It's not."
Whaat~......thought Maya in her mind.
"It's not good, maybe should I say that I'm scared to see him seduced by another girl. That guy really doesn't have an eye for girls."
"Haa. So Orimura-sensei is concerned about Ichika-kun——"
"It's, it's not concerned, that guy can decide by himself."
Whaat~......Maya though that once again.
"Then what do you mean, in the end? Is it 'You can't go out with a girl that I don't acknowledge!' or something like that?"
"I feel that there's a slight difference......Aaah, I don't know how to say it."
Chifuyu tilted her cup, and drank the strong black beer in large gulps.
"Owner, another cup."
"Yes, just a moment."
The owner gave her another cup of beer, and she drank half of it in one shot.
"Anyways, that's the reason why I went out today. Though they are young maidens in their teens, who took their courage to come to our home, I can't bother them."
"Fufu, Orimura-sensei and Ichika-kun are a lot alike."
——Especially the part where they don't have a limit to their kindness.
"What, which parts are we alike? Maya, you really don't have an eye for guys."
"Maybe so? Fufufu."
"Muu......"
The young Maya looked like a younger sister making fun of her older sister, and that made Chifuyu laugh and angry at the same time, making her mood complex. She ended up drinking the beer left in one shot.
"Then I'll keep you company until morning."
"Fuun, how great would these words sound if you say them to a man."
"Yeah, if there's someone who has more manliness than you, then I'll do that."
Said Maya mischievously while gazing at Chifuyu.
"Then the owner would be good! I recommend him."
"Chifuyu-san, don't make fun of an oldie like me."
While saying that, the owner brought a drink which wasn't black beer——it was a Salty dog cocktail[4D 10], and the glass was rimmed of salt, and it was as beautiful as snow.
"......I haven't ordered anything."
"I thought it was about the time you would like to drink."
"Fuun......there are only noisy people around me."
Chifuyu, despite wanting to insult someone badly and to protest a bit against the fact that her mood has been looked through, took a light sip.
Seeing her behaving like a child throwing a tantrum, Maya and the owner didn't say anything.
"We are also being loved, isn't that right, owner?"
"Yeah."
"Then, I, who seems to be a noisy person, will go do other things"——after saying this, the owner walked to the kitchen.
Still having the expression of a child throwing a tantrum, Chifuyu put all the remaining cheese in her mouth.
"Everyone has grown......many things did, and many things happened too."
"Fuun, speaking like a person well over her years."
"Wh-What? Jeez! How dare you make fun of me, how mean!"
"Sorry, sorry."
Facing Chifuyu, who was bursting out with laugher, Maya puffed up her cheeks.
The ice cubes in the Salty dog cocktail, as if they were watching those two, clattered.
◆
The scene switches to the Orimura household——there, it currently seemed like there were warriors preparing to die on a battlefield, and the battle was becoming even more intense.
"Hn......sho! Aaah, jeeze......that potato is hard to cut."
Though the movements weren't dangerous, when Rin peeled the potato, there was even flesh taken off with the peel.
Beside Rin was the one who 'should' know how to make braised beef, Cecilia, who was bluntly putting tomatoes in the cooking pot.
"How weird, why isn't the color the same as the picture shows? There isn't enough red!"
"H-Hey, don't put that much......Ah! The fire's too strong!"
"Don't worry, Houki, my food is often meant to be ready at the end."
"Food isn't about fighting or winning......"
Houki, who was wearing a hat and an apron, let out a sigh. She was working hard to make her own food——today's dish was curry.
"What is Charlotte doing? Grilled chicken?"
"It isn't Laura, it's fried chicken, I am doing the seasoning now."
"Fumu, so it's like that."
While saying that, Laura was beautifully peeling white daikons. Her manipulation of a knife was near professional level, even the experts would hold their breath......since she was using a sword as a knife.
"Wah, Laura, I feel that you're really good! Where did you learn these knife skills."
"You just need to watch, I'm only copying the tricks in the television."
"Being that great by just copying......"
"Maybe because I've been using knifes for so long; if you are in a jungle and you can't deal with wood, you can't make traps or such."
"Th-That's true......what dish are you making?"
"Oden."[4D 11]
..................
"Oden."
"No, you don't need to repeat twice......but isn't that winter food?"
"It isn't said that you can't eat that in summer."
"You aren't wrong by saying that......ah, Laura, do you have more daikons for me? Ichika said just before that he would like smashed daikons with fried chicken."
".................."
"Laura?"
*Dang!* Laura suddenly cut the radish in half.
"——Aaah, sorry, I was too focused just before, so I didn't hear anything. What did you say?"
"Huh, that......if you have more daikons, I would like......"
"So it's like this, I got it."
*Dong!* Laura precisely cut five inches of the daikon.
"——I cut!"
*Dong!* *Dong!* *Dong!* The way the eye-patched girl with an apron cuts a daikon, gives people a feeling of surrealism.
Looking at the scene of these girls cooking food together, Ichika was worried to death, and frequently looked towards the kitchen.
Though he had been asked to go watch TV, he was worried to death about whether they could really make delicious food......by the way, in that situation, the biggest victim would be Ichika's stomach.
(I-It should be OK......I guess......? They should be able to cook edible food......I guess?)
"Fun~♪Funfu~n♪"
Rin, who finally finished cutting the vegetables was humming while cooking; though after peeling that much flesh with the skin feels like a waste, and Ichika is very mindful of that.
Right, he remembered that a novel author once said this to him on the edge of the sea.
"I'll tell you what's good with time——it's that it'll surely pass."
Then another quote:
"I'll tell you what's bad with time——it's that it'll surely come."
Right, that time has come......
".................."
Seeing those five girls with their hand-made dishes, the ones which stood out the most were as he thought, Cecilia and Laura's dishes.
"How is it, Ichika-san, maybe it should be said like this——that is the result of my confidence."
That braised beef only looks perfect, and from the very beginning there was a really spicy smell.
(Are they Mexican spices? Since you wanted to make it that red, so you added Mexican spices? Cecilia!)
Then, Laura's part......how can I say it......
"That it's Oden, there's only meat in it; it looks like a BBQ."
Though it's only carrots, eggs, bamboo rings and konjac[4D 12] connected, it doesn't look normal——it should be something poached, so why would it have a burnt color......why is it brown-colored?
(This, isn't this......the so-called 'Manga-oden'......?)
Ichika really didn't want to think about how it was made.
Then, beside it was Rin's dish.
"Then, it seems that my Nikujaga[4D 13] looks the most delicious, isn't it?"
Though the one who made it seemed proud of it, the potatoes were cut into really small pieces, and why are they even smaller than the beef cubes? Was it over-cooked......it doesn't seem so.
(No, at least the taste is fine, Rin's dish is only a bit like 'that' in the appearance.)
After encouraging himself, Ichika's eyes turned to the 'safe food' area.
He saw the fried chicken Charlotte made, and also the curry Houki made. At the beginning, he thought that they should eat a bit more, so he asked them to do these dishes, though in fact, he should have only asked those two to cook——Ichika started to regret his decision.
(Aaahm it looks really delicious......Charl cut the fried chicken exactly so it can fit in a mouth, and Houki always knew how to prepare dishes. Yup, I really want to finish these.)
Though I've said that, the result will probably be miserable or cruel, isn't it? Since they already cooked that much, I should be happy from the bottom of my heart.
Though he was thinking that, there was really no way he could say 'It tastes bad' to someone who worked that hard——and that was Ichika's weakness.
"Then, everyone please eat! I'm not used with just sitting beside these dishes and waiting to eat, and I'm pretty hungry."
"You're right, then let's eat supper."
"Ichika, where are the smaller plates? Please bring them."
"Then I'll go fetch the drinks."
"To taste everyone's dishes like that, I think that it's pretty embarrassing......though it's not bad."
"At this time you should say that you're happy, isn't that right? Laura."
Yes, happy, Ichika also feels like that.
When he's preparing dishes for Chifuyu, he also feels really happy, but that happiness and this happiness are different——this happiness is closer to joy.
"So? Let's start eating!"
Facing everyone in front of the table, Ichika took the initiative and said.
"Itadakimasu!"
Compared to the food's taste itself——the feeling of everyone cherishing the warmth of eating everyone's dishes with each other, was present through that summer's evening.
Epilogue: The Phantom Lurking in the Darkness
"——Above is the report about how to deal with Orimura Ichika."
Three girls were gathered around a table in a small, slightly dark room.
Two of them were sitting on chairs, and another person was standing in the center, like subjects to the queen, and a serious tension filled the room.
"It should be time to move on......"
Said the woman standing in the middle, though even with a small, but really clear voice, the words could still arrive to the other two's ears.
"Honestly, concerning that case, I think the response is too slow."
"Since there are people urging from many parties......we can't wait anymore......"
Waiting for the queen's answer, the subjects' attention shifted to the table.
Facing the fact that this year's personal machine users reached an abnormal number, the three of them could not help but to develop serious countermeasures to this.
"......Hn."
The queen who was looking through the window delicately shifted towards them.
"I've decided, it should be time to act, we need to think for ourselves."
"So?"
"I'll find an opportunity to get close to him, and you two will be backups."
"U-Understood!"
"I got it......"
A light smile appeared on the queen's face.
Like a predator who found its prey.
Like the queen of an icy mountain.
——Quietly, without stopping.
That was a smile that would charm you right away.
"Please become aware of me, Orimura Ichika."
With the moon on her back, the woman let out a smile.
*Pa!* The sound of a fan getting folded, quietly but assuredly resounded——
Afterwords
Hello everyone, I'm Yumizuru. I'm sorry for delaying the sales, mainly because I was sick...
Everyone, please take care of your bodies. I may have to write on the hospital bed next time.
So, how does everyone feel about this? The 4th volume 'girls summer vacation' (Girls Side-Summer Vacation) is a short story. Yes, a short-story...a substitute name for hell...
My first published novel (not under the name Yumizuru) was a short story, but it was really tough. I won't do it again! I won't do it again! Even though I thought about that...I still did it, uu.
