Micron and I got back at almost the exact same time as Mashiro, Shouko, and Chiyu.

Just as I climbed down from Micron and she swept back up onto the roof of the Fenrir hut, Mashiro’s team came in too.

“Yo. Welcome back.”

“Oh, Sousuke... yeah, I’m back...”

“...Looks like your search went well, So-kun. I can tell just by looking at your face.”

Judging by their expressions, though, Shouko and Chiyu hadn’t had much luck.

Mashiro was great at tracking scents he’d smelled before and finding animals, but when it came to plants, maybe because of how humans had to describe them to him, pinpointing exactly what we wanted seemed a lot harder.

Even so, his nose was more than helpful enough.

“It’s not like you found nothing, right?”

“Mmm. I dunno what some of it is, but we picked it anyway.”

“I found blueberries instead of strawberries... I don’t dislike them, but they’re the wrong kind of berry...”

I wasn’t happy they’d failed, exactly, but at least it meant my own search hadn’t been wasted.

“For now, mind if I store everything?”

“Yeah. Just tell us whether it’s edible or not.”

“I’m sure Shii-chan can turn the blueberries into jam or muffins.”

I stored the whole basket still attached to Mashiro.

Apparently, the two of them had brought back makuwa melon, blueberries, and nectarines.

“They all seem safe to eat, but let’s ask Minori or Shion for details.”

“Yay. Thanks, Mashiro too.”

“Yeah. We’re grateful for all the work you did.”

Mashiro looked a little dejected himself, probably because he felt responsible for their disappointing search, but the second the two girls hugged him and comforted him, he started snorting proudly again.

He really was an easy-to-read Fenrir.

“Welcome back, Master. Lady Chiyu. Lady Shouko.”

The front door opened, and Roa came out to greet us.

“Yeah, we’re back. ...Hm? Something smells sweet.”

“Yes. Head Chef Shion has made cookies—”

“Cookies!? I want some, I want some!”

“My body craves sugar...”

Whoosh...!

Shouko and Chiyu bolted inside with the speed of a gust of wind.

“Ah—please try not to run in the hallway...!”

They probably didn’t even hear Roa’s warning.

Smiling wryly at the two of them, I stepped through the entrance.

“How did the search go?”

“A success. Thanks to you, I think I’ll be able to give everyone the things they want.”

“I’m simply glad I could be of use.”

“Yeah. And that includes your shoes too.”

“...! Y-yes. Thank you very much.”

Roa smiled, looking both shy and delighted.

“So good!”

Shouko’s voice came from the living room.

Roa and I looked at each other and laughed.

“Let’s go have some cookies too.”

“At once.”

Drawn along by the sweet smell, we headed into the living room, where Shouko and Chiyu were already shoveling cookies off a plate piled high with them.

Minori, by contrast, was eating hers one at a time, with proper restraint.

“Oh, welcome back, Sousuke-kun. Try one if you want.”

“Thanks.”

I picked one up and popped it into my mouth.

“Mnh... It just melts. Fresh-baked cookies are amazing...!”

The cookie crumbled softly across my tongue. The smell of butter and the sweetness of sugar burst through my mouth, and immediately made me want another.

“Sousuke! If you store them while they’re fresh out of the oven, wouldn’t we be able to eat crispy, melty cookies anytime!?”

“Yeah, that might actually be a great idea.”

“Hehe. It is a great idea, but I think today’s batch is going to disappear way too fast for that. So maybe starting with the next one?”

Watching the cookies get devoured so enthusiastically, Shion smiled to herself.

Chiyu’s cheeks were puffed out like a squirrel’s.

At that point I started wondering if the cookies had stripped every last bit of moisture from her mouth, but then she washed them all down at once with sheep’s milk.

“Bliss.”

“Lady Chiyu... do you always eat like that? I’m jealous you don’t gain weight.”

At Minori’s comment, Shouko’s hand froze in midair.

“Ah, I-I think I’ll stop here. Y-you know, we’ve still got dinner later!?”

Shouko said it like she was covering for herself, but there was no doubt she’d reacted to the gaining-weight part.

“I’m fine. All nutrients go straight to my chest.”

That really didn’t sound like a line someone should say about herself...

Wasn’t that usually the kind of thing a busty character got told by somebody else in manga?

But Chiyu really was petite, slender, and stacked, so nobody could even argue with her.

“A-ahaha. Anyway, I should probably start getting dinner ready. Sousuke-kun, if there are any cookies left over, could you store them for us?”

“Yeah. But before that, there’s something I want to give everybody.”

I had everyone take a seat, then cleared my throat to settle my nerves. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

“I took the liberty of using Roa’s ability to find out what everyone wanted.”

I placed small vine-woven boxes in front of everyone. The sizes were different depending on the person, but so were the contents.

The only one blushing bright red at hearing I’d investigated what they wanted was Minori, who’d been wishing for underwear.

I did feel a little bad about that, honestly.

I hoped she’d forgive me.

“Is there a Condom inside if we open them?”

“...No. Yours is the thing you wanted second most, Chiyu.”

“Sousuke-kun, can we open them now?”

“Sure. You can open them now or later. Show everyone what’s inside or keep it private. Do whatever you want with them.”

Chiyu immediately took the lid off her box, then blinked.

“...! You found strawberries for me? So-kun, I love you.”

Shouko opened hers right after and her eyes lit up.

“Ooh! Melon! You found one for me, Sousuke!? Thanks!”

Shion opened her box too.

“Wow, there’s a lot in here. ...Huh? Ginger, and this is... garlic?”

“Sorry. I didn’t think it exactly made for a great present, but... I figured it matched what you wanted.”

“What are you talking about? I’m really happy! This means I can make more kinds of food and do even more for everyone! Hey, Sousuke-kun, there’s all kinds of other stuff in here too... for example, what’s this?”

What Shion picked up looked, at first glance, like a walnut-shaped fruit about the size of an egg.

“Uh... that’s listed as nutmeg. I think it’s a spice—”

“This is nutmeg!? That’s amazing, Sousuke-kun! It’s one of the four major spices!”

Shion was absolutely thrilled.

Apparently it paired well with meat dishes, potatoes, dairy, and even sweets.

“I’m glad you like it. The rest are cinnamon and—”

“Cinnamon!? Wait, are these cinnamon sticks!?”

She’d probably always been good at cooking, but ever since taking over as head chef, she’d been like a fish in water.

It felt like her interest in ingredients had only accelerated.

While Shion was getting so excited she was practically breaking character—“Whoaa... th-that’s way too amazing, Sousuke-kun!”—

Minori cracked her box open just a sliver, instantly flushed bright red, and slammed it shut again.

Inside was underwear.

There was no wire, and the bra tied on with strings, but it should still work fine.

I walked over to her and spoke in a low voice.

“If you didn’t want anyone knowing, I’m sorry. But... um... I’d be happy if I got to see you wear different kinds of things too, Minori.”

It was embarrassing to say out loud, but I figured hearing it directly would make her happier.

“S-s-so that’s... It’s fine, really, you don’t have to apologize. And, um... it makes me happy too.”

Still looking down, Minori smiled to herself.

“Good. Then... show me next time you get the chance.”

“...! Y-yes. Of course. I’d like you to... to see a lot of them.”

Hearing her say something that sweet made my heart pound.

Now then, the last one was Roa.

She was staring dreamily down at her box.

“Roa? I think the size should be right.”

“Ah—yes. It’s just... I was admiring them. Master, how in the world did you make these?”

“The leather we had that seemed best for shoes was deer hide, so I used that. Then I dyed them with soot, and the soles are rubber. I couldn’t add any proper metal decorations, so forgive me for that.”

“...No. They’re beautifully made. Thank you very much.”

I wasn’t the kind of guy who cared much about fashion, but I understood that for the people who did, it mattered a lot.

Maybe it could lift your spirits. Maybe it could make you feel sharper. Maybe it could give you confidence.

Or maybe it could let you become someone completely different.

We’d all been dumped onto this deserted island in our school uniforms.

And this was already ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) our sixth day living like that.

It wasn’t exactly a situation where people could afford to care about fashion, but for someone who loved it, I couldn’t imagine these days had been easy.

Getting that maid outfit might have meant more to Roa than I’d realized.

Watching her cradle those shoes so carefully, that was what I thought.

“Master, may I try on the shoes you gave me?”

“Yeah, of course.”

Roa slipped out of her slippers and changed into the shoes.

If she was going to be moving around the house as a maid, shoes probably suited the role better than slippers.

From a Japanese point of view, it felt a little strange, but I was sure I’d get used to it soon enough.

“They fit perfectly.”

“And they look really good on you too.”

“You’ve given me something so lovely... I hardly know how I should thank you...”

Seeing Roa look both delighted and overwhelmed, Chiyu and the others reacted immediately.

“...Damn it. I should’ve wanted something lasting and shown off the childhood friend who cherishes what So-kun gave her. That would’ve been the better move for raising affection.”

“...! H-hey, should we change what we want too, even now? But asking again might be kind of pushy...”

“Yeah. We already haven’t come close to repaying everything we owe him. I’d feel bad piling on even more.”

“R-right. Exactly.”

Minori agreed while averting her eyes, but the women didn’t miss how flustered she was.

“...Mino-chan got something that lasts too, didn’t she?”

“Oh really? Tell us what you got, Minorin.”

“While the rest of us were asking for things that disappear into our stomachs, I wonder what lovely present Sousuke-kun gave you, Minori-chan?”

“N-no, um. Even if we are a party, I think we still need privacy.”

Minori clutched her box and tried to flee to her room, but the three of them slowly closed in on her.

“Information-sharing is a basic rule of the harem.”

“Yeah, yeah, information-sharing, Minorin!”

“Ugh...”

Minori’s face was bright red.

Having it exposed that she alone had gotten underwear was obviously mortifying.

“Come on, everyone. It’s not like this is the only time. I’ll get what you want too whenever I can. So cut Minori a break.”

When I stepped in, the three of them reluctantly stopped.

Using that opening, Minori hurried upstairs.

Well, since it was underwear, the truth would probably come out sooner or later once she started wearing it regularly anyway...

Still, everyone had been happy with what they got, so that was what mattered.