I feel significantly lighter after having Shion handle things for me several times.

Even after calming down and reflecting on it, I realize I’ve done something outrageous. To think that just the day after confirming my feelings with my childhood friend of ten years, I had one of the most popular girls in school take care of me with her hands.

And since this was done with my childhood friend’s official blessing, it scares me how convenient everything is for me. I even found myself pinching my cheek, half-doubting that this was all just a long dream.

Well, as we discussed before, me dating Chiyu exclusively might cause friction within the group, so I can at least somewhat understand her reasoning regarding this "harem" responsibility.

I was contemplating these things while sitting at the wooden crafting table. I’m alone for the moment.

Shion got so... "messy" that she had to go take a bath. Of course, I used the Inventory re-deployment trick to clean her clothes, including the bra I had soiled.

Since I didn’t want to just sit around, I decided to try making something through trial and error.

Moisturizer. Apparently, all you need is water, oil, and an emulsifier. Chiyu had suggested that an emulsifier could probably be produced from fats and oils.

"...Is it a matter of visualization? The Recipe isn't unlocking."

I’ve noticed a trend where tools that seem directly helpful for survival—like the Stone Knife or blankets—tend to unlock as soon as the materials are gathered.

The Stove required a mental image to unlock its Recipe... perhaps because a simple bonfire is technically sufficient for survival. It feels like items that step into the realm of "a better life" are harder to manifest unless accompanied by a clear mental image.

"Kuno-kun?"

The door creaked open, and Shijo peered out from the Hut, spotting me.

"Oh, Shijo. Are you done resting?"

It was only a little past noon.

"Yes. I managed to find a large hollow in a tree yesterday and crawled in to sleep a bit, so I'm alright."

Her adaptability is impressive, but she couldn't have been very comfortable. It isn't hard to imagine that her sleep efficiency was terrible.

"I see. You can sleep more if you want. Shouko and Chiyu haven't come back from exploring yet, and Shion is bathing, so there isn't much to do."

"Ah, I wondered where everyone was. So that's it."

"Well, the sheep are here, at least."

The two sheep were grazing on the grass nearby. Unlike Mashiro, who is a phantasmal beast, it seems normal animals require food once summoned. It’s obvious when you think about it, but it still feels strange.

"Y-You're right... Is this the 'meat' that was added after the dream vote last night?"

"No, these are the sheep summoned by Shouko’s Fluffy Summoning Ability. Apparently, according to the ability's rules, they can't be used for meat."

Since I was struggling to make the moisturizer and was bored while Shion was in the bath, I had sheared them. They look a whole size smaller now.

"I see... Oh, wait. Does that mean the wool for the carpet and blankets came from...?"

"Exactly. It seems we can harvest their wool. We also got some milk. Let's all have some later."

"Kanna-san’s ability is quite versatile and useful as well," Shijo noted with a thoughtful expression.

"So is yours, Shijo. You aren't limited to one attribute; you can use four."

"T-That's true. Thank you... I'll do my best to actually hit what I'm aiming at."

She did miss quite a lot when the wild boar was chasing her. I understand how difficult it is to stay calm and react when being hunted by a beast, so it can't be helped.

The conversation lulled for a moment. Shijo remained standing there, looking somewhat out of place.

"...Uh, do you want to sit down?"

I placed a log chair opposite me, and she sat, saying, "Yes, thank you."

"Were you trying to Craft something, Kuno-kun?"

"I was, but how could you tell?"

"You had a very contemplative look on your face."

"Actually, I’m trying to make moisturizer."

At those words, Shijo’s eyes twitched in reaction.

"Y-You can make cosmetics too?"

A light of expectation sparked in her eyes.

"I think so, but I can't seem to get it right."

I explained the current situation to her.

"Ah, I see. So the Recipe won't unlock if there's a lack of materials or a clear image."

"That's the gist of it."

"Then let's supplement your mental image first. Simply put, moisturizer is for hydration. Even boys use things like lip balm, right?"

"Yeah, I use it in the winter. It hurts when your lips get dry and cracked."

"Lip balm itself doesn't actually have moisturizing properties; it creates a film using oils like petrolatum to prevent moisture from evaporating from the skin."

"I see. It's like how a layer of oil on ramen soup keeps the heat from escaping."

Thinking about it made me crave ramen.

"Hehe, yes, exactly. It's easier to remember things when you relate them to something familiar, isn't it?"

"So, the oil in the moisturizer is for the film, and the water is for the hydration itself."

"Precisely. But water and oil don't mix, right? An emulsifier is what allows them to coexist and turns them into a cream that's easy to apply."

"Huh. And that can be made from fats?"

"Yes. It contains glycerol fatty acid esters, so you should be able to make it, Kuno-kun."

"Hmm... I have boar fat, so it seems doable."

"Oh, and regarding the oil part—how about using lanolin?"

"La... lanolin?"

"You sheared the wool yesterday and just now, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"It's a substance secreted by the sebaceous glands of sheep, and it stays attached to the wool when it's sheared. It's often used in making moisturizers."

"You sure know a lot about this, Shijo."

"It's something I put on my own skin, so don't you usually check the ingredient list and look things up?"

"...I'll make sure to do that if we ever get back to Earth."

Man... she really is a serious girl.

Anyway, lanolin, lanolin... I searched through the Item list.

Ah, there it is. It’s listed as "Lanolin (Sheep Wax)."

...Was this there yesterday?

Wait.

Could it be that the Inventory doesn't just show everything I’ve obtained, but only the items I actually understand?

Does that mean the reason I couldn't get "nigari" from the seawater on the first day was due to my lack of understanding? If I had thought deeply about the components of nigari back then, would it have appeared?

Well, is it too late now?

I’ll verify that later. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Kuno-kun? I'm sorry, did I sound too bossy? I apologize if I made you uncomfortable."

"Eh? Oh, no. I was just checking the stored items to see if I could find the lanolin."

Shijo looked relieved at my words.

"I-I see. Good."

"Besides, you're the one helping me out. I have no reason to be angry."

"No, it's just... I'm not very good at communicating. Even when I mean to be kind, people often get angry, saying things like 'don't lecture me' or 'you're looking down on me'..."

I feel like I’ve seen scenes like that back in class.

"Hmm. While the way you say things is important, I think in most cases, they're just lashing out because they can't talk back to you."

"Do you think so?"

"At the very least, you're helping me out, so keep the lessons coming."

Shijo’s face brightened slightly at my words.

"Y-Yes, leave it to me!"

After that, she taught me a wealth of knowledge about emulsions and micelles and such.

I understood some of it and was confused by the rest, but in short, it seems moisturizer is something like mayonnaise. It went from being a distant feminine cosmetic to something that felt very familiar all at once.

"Oh! I did it, Shijo! The Recipe unlocked!"

"Really? That's amazing! You did it, Kuno-kun!"

In a rare display for her, Shijo clapped her hands in delight.

It seems that, as a girl, she really is concerned about skin hydration after all.

Apparently, it can be crafted using a combination of Purified Water, Lanolin, and Emulsifier. I’ll try producing it immediately.