I gave scarves to everyone besides Chiyu too.

“Yay! Thanks, Sousuke! It’s so warm!”

“Wow, thank you. So what the four of you were doing earlier was collecting cashmere. Hehe, it feels wonderful too.”

“When I’m riding on Mashiro’s back, it can feel almost chilly, so I’m glad to have a scarf.”

The three of them seemed happy with them.

Roa, who was taking turns with Shion watching the boar-bone soup, smiled happily too and said, “I will be sure to wear mine whenever I go outside.”

Seeing them pleased made me think Chiyu had been right. I was glad I had given one to everyone.

As expected, the one who did not accept hers right away was Yumekai.

“...No, I’m good.”

She held back.

I had anticipated that, so I had a reply ready.

“Think of it as issued equipment and take it.”

“...Kuno, what are you going to do if you create a ton of debts for me and I can’t pay them all back?”

Yumekai looked a little troubled.

“I don’t plan to collect on them, so don’t worry about it.”

“...I’m definitely paying you back.”

With that, Yumekai accepted the scarf.

“Sure, sure.”

“And... thanks. I’m bad with the cold, so this helps.”

“Serina gets all bundled up in heavy gear in winter, after all.”

“...Shouko, don’t say unnecessary things. If you say that, Kuno will just—”

“Make cold-weather goods out of wool?”

I had given everyone a basic set of clothes, but it would probably be good to make items tailored to each person too.

I had given Roa a maid outfit, and I was planning to give Chiyu a cashmere virgin-killer sweater.

“See? We haven’t known each other long, but I’m starting to read your behavior.”

“Sousuke, Sousuke! Then I’ll help too, so can you make cashmere inner leggings?”

“Leggings are those tight things women wear when they exercise, right?”

When dramas had yoga scenes, everyone wore those things, if I remembered right.

“Yeah, yeah. Inner leggings are more for wearing at home, I guess? Like something you can layer under other clothes no problem.”

So it was more for warmth than fashion.

“Yeah. I was thinking I’d generate various things this afternoon anyway, so let’s do that.”

“As expected of Sousuke! Serina, you’ll do it too, right?”

“...Well, yes. At the very least, I should cut the materials myself.”

“But I’m the one summoning them, so does that mean you’ll owe me too?”

“It does, but I owe you plenty from Japan, so those get paid off first.”

“Whaaat?”

Shouko laughed brightly.

Their personalities were complete opposites, but they seemed to get along well.

And so, we all spent the afternoon however we liked.

Then evening came.

Before the sun fully set, we prepared a bonfire.

Shion was using several stoves and preparing all sorts of things.

Roa was providing overall support, and Chiyu was working hard on seasoned boiled eggs, saying, “Leave the eggs to me.”

“Hmm... Oh, right.”

Something occurred to me, and I thought it through in my head.

“It looks about ready to eat.”

Shion called out, so I placed it near where the three of them were moving around, being careful not to get in their way.

“Wah, Sousuke? ...Is this...”

“As expected of So-kun. It gives the right atmosphere.”

“Lady Shion is both head chef and shop owner, I see.”

What I had made was a ramen stall.

It was on the larger side, with a U-shaped counter, so even if everyone sat down, there was plenty of space.

I had even prepared a hanging shop curtain.

Written on it were the words: Boar-Bone Ramen Shion.

“Oh, it’s the kind you see in dramas!”

“...Yeah, you don’t actually get many chances to see them in real life.”

Shouko and Yumekai were both looking a little excited.

I had never been to a real ramen stall either, so I understood how they felt.

For people with no experience of one, it was almost like a kind of fantasy.

I hung lanterns from the stall’s ceiling to secure light as well.

Steam drifted through the air, along with a delicious scent that stirred up my hunger.

We all filed into our seats.

“Hehehe. Um, welcome in? Today’s menu is soy sauce or miso.”

Shion, looking a little embarrassed, slipped into the role.

It seemed she had given up on salt ramen because we lacked seasonings related to rice.

Everyone ordered whichever flavor they liked.

I liked both, but today I went with soy sauce.

I had imagined the smell would be as strong as pork-bone broth, or maybe stronger, but it was surprisingly clean.

“Here you go. One soy sauce ramen.”

I accepted the ramen from Shion.

“Thanks. Oooh, this looks seriously authentic!”

On top of the ramen were roasted meat, a seasoned boiled egg, and seaweed.

It could not be helped that there were no bamboo shoots or dried seaweed sheets, but the bowl looked so vivid that I did not even care.

First, I took one sip of the soup.

“――――!”

Compared to how clean the aroma was, the depth of flavor was incredible.

After that, I was absorbed.

I gathered up the noodles with my chopsticks, slurping them down as I savored the chewy texture and the rich soup clinging to them. Before I knew it, the noodles were gone.

“This is delicious...!”

“Wow, that was really fast. Hehe, would you like extra noodles?”

“...Please.”

“Okay.”

For now, it seemed Shion and Roa were in charge of the kitchen, but I would offer to switch with them later.

They needed time to eat too, and more than anything, I wanted them to taste this for themselves.

Incidentally, Chiyu had finished her role as the seasoned-egg person and was now sitting beside me.

“Shii-chan, this is amazing! You could open a shop with this!”

“...I mean, making ramen from the soup up is beyond the level of a girl in high school who’s good at cooking, isn’t it? ...Slurp.”

“I was nervous because it was my first time, but I’m glad everyone likes it.”

“When I saw ramen shops in town, I always just walked past them... But ramen you eat with friends is this delicious?”

Minori murmured it with deep feeling.

Serious as she was, it seemed Minori had never stopped somewhere on the way home to eat ramen before.

“Minorin! When we get back to Japan, let’s go eat lots of ramen! Not just ramen, let’s go out and have fun lots of places!”

“Y-yes, thank you. I have studying to do too, so I might not be the most available person, but I’m happy.”

In the end, I ordered extra noodles three times, and Shouko ordered them twice.

“Whew, I’m stuffed. Chiyu, your seasoned eggs were great too. The flavor soaked in perfectly.”

“Mm. ...I’m gradually becoming an egg specialist. Shio-chan’s cooking skill is too high, so there aren’t many areas where I can keep up.”

Chiyu’s face was expressionless, but she seemed a little down.

“Shion’s cooking is incredibly good, but I like your cooking too, Chiyu.”

“...I know.”

She said that, but she did not look displeased, so apparently I had managed to cover for it well.

“Sousuke, if there’s anything else you want to eat, tell me anytime, okay?”

Shion entered the conversation with a smile.

“No matter what you make, I still hold the egg portion of So-kun’s stomach.”

“H-hehe.”

“Mm. I won’t lose.”

As was becoming customary, sparks flew once again between my childhood friend and the head chef.

◇

Then night came.

During my bath, I tried using the portable shower too, and it had plenty of water flow and was easy to use.

If we prepared enough for everyone and ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) I filled them with hot water ahead of time, multiple people could wash themselves at once, like in the washing area of a public bath or a hot-spring inn.

It might be worth putting on the list of candidates for future bonus-area purchases.

As I was thinking about that, someone knocked softly on the door.

“Ah, yeah.”

“...I-I’m coming in, okay?”

The door slowly opened, and Shouko appeared in her school uniform.

Her face was bright red, and she was looking downward as she held her right hand to her left elbow.

The pose made her chest press in a way that was devastatingly distracting, but it was probably unconscious.

Tonight’s turn belonged to Shouko, the blond side-ponytail gal.

The gal who was kind to everyone, regardless of whether they were an otaku or not.

And the fact that she had come to my room tonight meant...

Like Chiyu and Shion, she had accepted taking one more step forward with me.

“U-um, then... p-please be gentle with me...”

After saying that, Shouko looked at me.