I got so carried away that we ended up spending more time on indecent things than on magic practice.

Not wanting it to end with only me feeling good, I made sure to return the favor to Minori too, just like I had with Chiyu and Shouko.

But she got so shy that it was adorable, and that made me hard again.

Minori noticed, reached out again... and we repeated that cycle until the time just melted away.

Still, we both have our limits.

Eventually, we ran out of stamina, and the whole thing came to an end.

After wiping ourselves down with wet towels and finishing the cleanup with Storage & Replacement on our clothes,

Minori stood up, her face still flushed.

“Sh-shall we head back soon?”

“Y-yeah. Before we knew it, the sun’s already setting...”

“S-sorry. It’s my fault...”

“No, no, that’s not it at all...”

Both of us embarrassed, we started back toward the base.

Which means...

I’ve now done something naughty with all four of my companions.

Back in Japan, I’d probably get stabbed for that,

but here, somehow, everyone’s agreed to it.

It’s like some kind of dream situation.

At least for me, this deserted-island transfer might have brought more good than bad.

“K-Kuno...?”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“Um... if you don’t mind... would it be okay if we held hands?”

The way she asked, like she was afraid I might refuse, made my answer immediate.

“Y-yeah. Of course.”

Come to think of it, this was the first time anyone had asked that.

I gently took her hand.

We’d been doing far more intense things just a little while ago,

and yet this made me weirdly nervous.

Our relationship’s progression is completely out of order.

Getting serviced before holding hands.

“Thank you... I know it doesn’t really suit me, but... I always kind of admired this.”

“There’s no such thing as it not suiting you.

I’ve seen couples walking home holding hands before, and I used to feel jealous too.”

“...You never did that with Chiyu?”

Minori looked surprised.

“Maybe back in elementary school... but after middle school started, not really.”

“I-I see...”

Her voice sounded... oddly happy.

“H-hey, Kuno.”

“Yeah?”

“Before, I couldn’t quite do it... but... would it be okay if I called you by your name?”

So that’s what it was.

“Sure. Call me whatever you like.”

“Th-then... can I call you Sousuke...?”

“That’s fine. You can even drop the honorific if you want.”

“No... Sousuke is fine.”

“Got it. Is Minori okay for me?”

“Yes.

Let’s get along, Sousuke.”

She smiled, her face softening.

“Yeah. Let’s.”

“Um... if you ever feel the urge, you can call me anytime.”

“Minori... if you say things like that, a guy might get carried away.”

“Hehe. Maybe that would be good for you.

You’re usually too kind.”

“O-okay. Then I won’t hold back.”

“Yes. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

“I might end up asking so much you get sick of me.”

“If I truly didn’t want it, you’d stop, wouldn’t you...?

So don’t worry. I won’t ever hate being wanted by you.”

She leaned her head lightly against my shoulder as she said that.

This is bad...

Minori is way too cute.

Actually... all four of them are way too charming.

Still holding hands, the two of us walked home.

Eventually we reached the base.

Without saying anything, we let go of each other at the entrance and went inside.

“I’m back.”

“Welcome back! Shion, they’re back!”

Shouko’s voice came from the living room.

“Sousuke—sorry to ask right after you got back, but can I get your help?”

“Sure.”

“Hehe, Sousuke, you’re popular.”

“Well, Crafting Ability is convenient.”

“Don’t say that.

It’s because it’s you that we can rely on like this.”

As I passed through the living room,

Chiyu cast Basic Heal on me with a cheerful, “Welcome back—Basic Heal.”

Then Chiyu and Shouko moved to either side of Minori.

“Minorin, you were late today. Looks like you had fun, huh?”

“Mm. You’re telling us everything. Information sharing is important.”

“W-wait, I get it! I was going to explain properly!”

Hearing the Class Rep’s flustered voice being dragged away,

I headed into the kitchen.

“Shion, what should I make?”

“Oh, welcome back, Sousuke.

I was wondering if you could make balsamic vinegar from these wild grapes.”

There was a basket full of wild grapes and sugar beets on the counter, so I stored them.

“...I’ve heard the name before, but that’s about it.”

“Sorry. Um, it’s a kind of vinegar made by aging concentrated grape juice for a long time.”

“Got it. So first we make juice from the wild grapes, then generate balsamic vinegar from that...

Oh, a recipe popped up.”

Looks like seasonings can be generated too.

Skipping the aging process is probably one of the perks of Crafting Ability.

“As expected of you, Sousuke...!”

Shion looked delighted.

Apparently it normally takes at least twelve years to age, so her reaction made sense.

“What are you using it for?”

“Hehe... that’s a surprise until it’s done!”

Ever since she became our head cook, Shion had been full of energy.

Part of it was that she liked cooking,

but it also felt like she was happy to have found her role in this situation.

“Your cooking’s always good, Shion. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Yeah...! Oh, and—”

“What?”

“Tell Minori I want to hear the story later too, okay?”

All I could do was nod at Shion’s bright smile.

“...Y-yeah. Got it.”

We might have been a little late,

but all three of them picking up on it that fast...

their instincts are scary.

Leaving the kitchen, I hesitated for a moment, then headed to the bath.

Partly because I wanted to get my bath out of the way first,

and partly for another reason.

Passing through the changing room, I opened the door to the open-air bath area.

We’d placed a large stone tub, with a roof built over it.

I avoided burying the foundation in the ground, since anything embedded too deeply couldn’t be stored.

But the roof couldn’t be allowed to fall, either.

So it just needed to be fixed in place with enough stability to match that.

My solution was [N O V E L I G H T] simple.

I placed huge rocks with holes in them at the four corners of the bath,

and fitted the pillars into those holes.

More precisely, I placed the entire roof structure at once, with the pillars perfectly fitted.

It’s basically the same idea as those banner stands you see outside convenience stores.

They don’t get buried in the ground—they’re just weighted down.

Thanks to Crafting Ability, I could drill clean holes in the stone,

and place the roof already assembled.

That way I can still store everything,

but it won’t fall over easily.

Since I was at it, I stored all the wooden folding screens

and replaced them with tall stone walls.

Stone walls won’t fall over in normal wind.

Now it really feels like an open-air bath.

I filled the tub, diluted the hot water with some cool water, and washed up.

“Come to think of it... body soap and shampoo are separate, so there must be some difference...”

I should ask the girls later.

If it’s craftable, I’ll try making it.

Probably something to do with skin irritation, or moisturizing ingredients...

That’s my guess.

While soaking lightly, I generated some scented soap for the girls.

“Whew... I kind of want something sweet... but plain sugar isn’t very exciting...”

I tried to make cotton candy, but failed.

Sweets must count as cooking, not crafting.

Even with this cheat-level Crafting Ability,

I can’t make absolutely anything.

“...Oh, what about rock candy?”

That’s just crystallized sugar,

so maybe it won’t count as cooking.

“Oh, it worked.”

I took a piece and put it in my mouth.

“Whoa... that’s sweet...!”

Maybe because it’s been so long since I had real sugar,

the sweetness hit my brain like a punch.

“Yeah... I’ll tell everyone about this later.”

Shion might know recipes that use it,

and even just sucking on a piece would be a treat.

After the sugar dissolved,

I got out of the bath, stored the big tub,

wiped myself down, and went back inside.

And then—

A really good smell drifted into my nose.