Chapter 518: Good Night
After saying “I’m home” and seeing Chris off, I was about to head back to my house.
“Wait. What about the story from earlier?”
“I’m really sleepy, so can we talk later?”
I answered honestly as Haulon tugged at my sleeve.
“I’ll take a little break too.”
I felt bad for making Haulon wait, but it seemed Chris was also quite tired.
“I’ll wake up around dinner time.”
I was exhausted from talking, so I needed a moment to myself.
“Don’t overdo it. It’s fine to take your time and rest.”
Retze, who seemed to have been held back by Haulon in the living room downstairs, poured us water—well, hot water.
“Yeah.”
“There was a lot going on. I want to meet your expectations, but I’ll excuse myself for now.”
With that, I slipped into Kanum’s attic room for a nap, or rather, an evening nap. It was still bright outside, but once I closed the shutters, the house turned dark. A few rays of sunlight peeked through the small gaps.
As I noticed the dust floating in the beams of light, my consciousness faded away.
When I came to, it was pitch black. What time was it? Did I sleep too long?
I groggily got up and peeked out into the alley in front of the house, where light was spilling from the rented house. They were still awake.
Given that the stars were aligned in front of me, it was late for dinner, but not yet time for everyone to settle down for the night.
I gauged the time by the position of the stars in the night sky. At this time of year, after drinking with everyone, the stars I could see when heading home were much lower in the western sky.
“Good evening.”
I knocked on the door and entered without waiting for a reply.
“Oh, you made it? Chris still hasn’t woken up.”
Dean said, holding a mug.
“Chris was a big help.”
He had been talking non-stop on top of the turtle.
“Did you manage to fulfill Seikai’s request?”
“Yeah.”
I replied to Haulon while sitting next to Retze.
In the living room of the rented house on the first floor, everyone else who lived there was gathered, waiting for Chris to wake up while drinking. Karn remained motionless in front of the fireplace.
“Can I have dinner here?”
I woke up feeling hungry.
“Sure, you’ve waited long enough.”
Haulon looked at me, propping her chin on her hand.
It’s hard to eat when I’m being watched. I thought that as I pulled out the food from [Storage].
Steaming rice, miso soup with potatoes and onions, pickled red turnips, a small bowl of meat and potatoes, cold tofu, and half a braised pork egg. The main dish was a thick fried horse mackerel with shredded cabbage and two fried oysters.
I sprinkled bonito flakes on the cold tofu, took a sip of the miso soup, and reached for the fried horse mackerel. Thanks to [Storage], it was still hot and fresh. Dipping it in sauce, I took a bite, and the delicate oil of the fish burst forth, its fluffy flesh melting in my mouth.
“When you eat, it looks delicious.”
“It really is.”
Dean and Retze said while drinking.
“Please, if you have room in your belly.”
I offered the fried mackerel and oysters to the others who had already finished their meals, munching on cheese with a drink in hand.
Small plates with sauce, tartar sauce, and lemon were placed in front of each of them. The fried items were divided into two plates—no, I prepared three plates to include Karn, who wasn’t at the table. I also added some fried octopus balls.
“Ah, I love fried food right after meat and bread.”
Dean declared his preference for fried food. I think he mentioned something similar during curry night, so it seems his top two favorites are set, with the third changing from time to time.
The pickled red turnips had a nice flavor. The red turnips from Kyoto are quite sour, but this one was seasoned in the style of Yamagata. Both are delicious, but today, I preferred this one.
The oysters were plump and crispy, bursting with juice that could burn if you weren’t careful, releasing a briny aroma, and the flavor spread like milk—can I even describe it that way?—it was delightful. People have their preferences, but tartar sauce solves everything.
Haulon and Retze could do without the tartar sauce, but Dean, Karn, and I were fans of it.
“Ah, it smells great. Can I have some food too?”
And then Chris came down from his room, squeezing lemon juice over his food with enthusiasm.
I served Chris the same meal as mine… minus the rice and miso soup. Unlike me, he seemed to be having dinner with his drink.
“Ah~. Eating in a different place is nice, but the comforting, familiar taste of home is truly the best!”
“Even if it’s a rented house.”
Dean chimed in with a laugh.
“You can talk while you eat, you know?”
As Chris enjoyed his drink and fried food, Haulon eagerly encouraged the conversation.
“Of course, I’ll share! That was the most mystical experience I’ve ever had!”
Chris said with a blissful smile.
Mystical…? Riding on that ominous turtle, trying to cure Seikai’s stomach issues, and desperately talking about Van’s love life while munching on Karianto Manju?
If I had to say, Ufu was the most mystical, but Chris didn’t seem to notice that, did he?