Description
After graduating high school, Shinobu hasn't been able get a job. One day, he wins a lottery. He uses the prize he wins to move to another world and starts a new life.
Using his cheat skill with plants, he'll enjoy a relaxing, slow life!
Anyway, as long as he won't have problems with food, he's not going to complain.
Associated Names
Fukubiki de Atatta node Isekai ni Ijuu Shi, Koi wo Shimashita (LN)
Fukubiki de Atatta node Isekai ni Ijuu Shite Mimashita
198… 678…The total amount comes to 3,992 yen."
"Okaay. Oh, I should have some loose change."
I was currently at the shopping district near my home, buying a week's worth of groceries. I opened my wallet and frowned. There was only 5,092 yen inside. Once I pay for these items, there'd only be 1,100 yen left.
It had been 8 months since my super hands-off parents divorced 'to find true love'. I've been living on my own since then. But this month, they didn't send me an allowance.
It was probably that. Now that I've graduated high school, they wanted me to support myself. Maybe they thought I'd found a job because I said I wasn't smart enough for university.
I did plan to do that, but I couldn't get one!
Even university students have a hard time finding jobs, so of course someone like me who was dumb and physically weak couldn't find a place to take me.
I thought about getting a part-time job so I could at least have something to eat, but when I went to the interview for a well-paying graveyard shift job, I was rejected because of my babyface.
I can't believe they mistook me for a junior high student. I was already 18 years old!
I'd been too shocked then so I just quietly went home afterwards, but ever since then it's been bothering me. What year in junior high did they think I was in?
No way, right… No, of course not. There's no way they thought I was in my first year. Right?
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"Dear customer, these are some tickets for our spring lottery. For every ten tickets you can draw once. We encourage you to participate."
"Okaay, thaanks."
The cashier lady gave me three tickets. And I had seven tickets in my wallet.
I could draw, but the shopping district lottery didn't really give any good prizes. …Well, that was what I thought but when I looked at the back of the ticket…
"The first prize is 300,000?!"
300,000 yen, if I budgeted it, it would last me two whole months. I had to get it!
I exhaled heavily through my nose, exited the store and headed for the lottery area.
It was the last day, so there was a long line. It seems the first prize hadn't been won yet. Lottery tickets in hand, I recited Buddhist chants as I waited for my turn.
"That's 10 lottery can draw once."
There was only one chance. I had to put my all into this draw.
I drew deep breaths thrice then rolled.
Getitgetitgetitgetit
I rolled with all my might. Finally, a ball dropped. It was yellow.
Yellow! Yes, I won!
'Clang, clang'
The happi-wearing auntie energetically rang the bell in her hand. "Congratulations! You've won the special prize!"
Huh? Special prize? Not first prize?
I hurriedly looked at the poster. There was indeed a special prize written above the first prize. It was called 'Choose your own prize'.
It's over. What the hell was a 'choose your own prize'? I wanted the money.
"This is our catalogue. There's a deadline so please make sure to redeem your prize on time."
"….Thank you."
I took the catalogue. Amidst the applause from the people around me, I headed home with slumped shoulders.
Well, a loss was a loss. Nothing to it. I was the type who recovered fast. It wasn't like I was gonna get richer if I got depressed. Maybe I could choose something expensive and sell it off. With that in mind, I started to peruse the catalogue.
There really seemed to be a lot of good stuff. It was worthy of being called a special prize. Seeing a perfectly marbled Matsuzaka beef on the list, I couldn't help gulping.
Ever since I lost access to more money, I'd only been able to eat chicken breasts. The thought of such delicious red meat…saliva pooled in my mouth.
No, no, I can't. Don't give in. Once you eat the meat, it'll all be gone. I needed something that'll make me money.
I read the catalogue page by page so seriously I forgot to blink. On the last page, there was a very unusual item.
"'Migration to the other world'? Hmm, they've even got something like this here."
It'd been ten years since the entrance to another world was found. Going on a tour in the other world has become a popular vacation activity. It was even more popular than traveling to another country.
"Let's see, 'Wouldn't you like to be the first Japanese to settle in such an undeveloped area? It's a must for people who'd like to live a slow life in the countryside! We'll give you a farmhouse and various livestock as a bonus! If you avail of this service during the campaign period, you'll get to choose one cheat skill as well.' These are some pretty favorable terms."
They could arrange for a migration so it was probably perfectly safe. It was perfect for people who wanted to try living in the other world.
Besides, if it didn't work out you could just go through the gate again and you'd easily be able to return here.
While I was immersed in reading the catalogue, the sun had completely set and it'd gotten dark out. For now, I should turn on the lights and eat dinner.
"…Huh? It won't turn on?"
I flicked the switch numerous times but nothing happened. Then I realized. Today was the cutoff date for paying the electricity bill.
"Uwah, the power got cut off?"
This was bad. Really bad. Without power I can't do anything.
"Ugh. Dad, Mom. I wish you'd contacted me before you cut off my allowance…"
They were wandering around who-knows-where abroad, so I couldn't exactly write them a letter. They had a PO Box here, but I didn't know when they'd come back to Japan.
Worst case scenario, this house might even get repossessed.
Then I was struck with a thought. If I moved to the other world, at least I'd have a house for sure. And with livestock there'd be eggs and milk so I wouldn't starve.
"I've decided. I'll apply for it tomorrow."
If I sold all of the furniture and stuff in the house I'd be able to get some money. Then I could buy a survival book and I'd be set!
Like this, my decision to move to the other world was set.
Moving day. I stood in front of the gate to the other world, rucksack on my back. Just as I'd planned, inside the bag was a survival book, a knife and a change of clothes.
I didn't know what to get for the chosen cheat skill so I just put in 'plants'.
There was no point in me getting a combat skill since I was a coward and wouldn't be able to fight anyway. And though I think having magic would be pretty cool, when I asked, they said to be able to use magic you'd have to memorize long spell chants. That was obviously impossible for me.
In that case, it was better to have a skill that could help me grow plants. That way I'd be a better farmer.
"We will now be opening the gate. Please enjoy life in the other world."
Once the announcement aired, the gate opened.
Matsumoto Shinobu, 18 years old, now leaving for the other world!
I felt my body get pulled into the gate. In a space where I couldn't tell up from down, waves of light floating and bending swept me forward.
It was the first time I was passing through the gate and I was so tossed around I felt like vomiting. I should've taken some motion sickness medicine.
I didn't know if it took only a moment or several hours, but in this space where time felt distorted, I finally saw the shining exit. Once I go through that, my new life will start!
"Blergh. I don't feel good."
That last jolt was something. Nobody told me the ride was going to be that bumpy!
"Welcome to Agram, Shinobu-sama."
As I was sitting on the ground with my head in my hands, I heard a gentle-sounding voice come from above me. Desperately trying to stop from vomiting everything up, I managed to nod my head in reply.
I definitely didn't want to start my other world life with such a grand reversal!
"Excuse me, Shinobu-sama. Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
I grasped the hand he extended and somehow got up. The man guided me into a small room.
Antique furniture and stone walls. It had a similar feeling to the medieval times of my previous world.
By the way…
It's hot.
It was the end of April in Japan. The past few days have been cold so I've been layering clothes. Now it was too hot.
"Um, so it's summer here, right?"
"What is summer?"
"Well, do you know the four seasons? The temperature changes throughout the year, turning hot, then turning cold. Where I was, it was spring, the season where it's a little cold. But when I came here it suddenly became hot so I was surprised."
"Hoh, so something like that happens in the other world. How interesting. That kind of change in temperature doesn't happen here. There's a little change here and there, but generally the weather is like this all throughout the year."
Wow! This world was amazing!
I wasn't good with the cold, so having summer all year long was really a blessing for me.
"I love this kind of climate."
"That's good. Since you're immigrating here, I'm glad you're coming to like this world. That's right, I haven't introduced myself. I'm your guide to this world, Norn. If you have any concerns, please don't hesitate to come to me."
Now that I looked at him, the smiling Norn-san was actually pretty good-looking. He was wearing glasses, and when he was silent he looked a little cold, but he spoke warmly and had a kind smile. He was so handsome that even a man like myself could fall for him.
He was like a handsome school doctor character.
"Thank you."
"By the way, Shinobu-sama is still so young, why are you moving to this world by yourself?"
"Eh?"
"You're still at an age when your parents should be taking care of you. Do people in the other world become independent this young?"
I'd gotten happy thinking that I'd found a reliable ally, but Norn-san's words really had quite the destructive power. He was able to depress me in just an instant.
'So young'…just how old did Norn-san think I was?
"How old do I look?"
"Let's see, maybe 10 or 11 years old. Did I get it right?"
G-grade schooler…! I looked like a grade schooler?!
"I'll be 19 this year."
"Eh, you're the same age as me?! You're an adult?!"
So you were the same age as me, Norn-san. You're so tall and mature-looking I thought you were older.
And I looked like a kid even in this world. What's more, I looked even younger here.
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"I-I'm so sorry. I treated an adult like you as a 10-year old. You have such an adorable height, I thought you were a child. The people of the other world really look young."
Yeah, I know. I know that I'm short!
I'm happy you're trying to make me feel better, but 'adorable height' doesn't make me feel better at all!
"Err, I'm sorry."
"It's fine. I'm used to it."
I didn't have what I didn't have. It couldn't be helped. I didn't want for things to sour just because of this, so I tried my best to smile.
Being charming was important. Smiling would give others a better impression of me.
Norn-san read the atmosphere and quickly changed the topic. "Then, I'll lead you to your new home. I'm sure you want to get some rest soon."
Right, let's go. Go immediately! I've been looking forward to my farmhouse.
On the way to the house, I was able to ride a wagon pulled by an animal called a mooc. It looked a bit like an elephant. It had such long fur all over its body that I thought it would be hot in this weather, but I was told the fur actually protected it from the sun.
It was powerful and could walk great distances, so it was very popularly used to pull wagons more than horses. However, it was too big for personal use, so most farmers used horses.
It looked like the mammoth on display in museums, so I was pretty excited.
Even its cry was exactly like that of an elephant's.
The road was wide enough for two moocs to walk through it side by side. Though there was a bit of shaking from the wagon, overall it was a pleasant ride.
I'd realized this when I first went outside but, the people of this world were all really tall. Or more like, their bodies were huge.
It seems it wasn't a case of Norn-san just being abnormally tall.
In that case, of course I was going to be mistaken as a kid. It was shocking and weird to see a snotty kid running around who was the same height as me.
Was this what culture shock was? I wondered if my babyface was gonna get in the way of me living my life.
I might be taken lightly so that when I try to sell my crops I wouldn't get a fair price for them, or maybe I might directly be extorted.
It wasn't only because of cowardice that I was scared. Look, our physiques were completely different! What if I get kicked by their long legs, or easily picked up and punched in the face? For someone like me who'd never gotten into a single fight in my entire life, I wouldn't be able to take such abuse.
Well, that was what I'd thought at first. But it seems this world was kind to children, and all of Norn-san's acquaintances who passed by all gave me candy.
In no time at all, my pockets were full of candy.
I tried one that had the same color as a tortoiseshell candy. Oh, this might be honey flavored. The simple sweetness filled my mouth.
The people around me all looked like they were trying not to smile when they saw me with my right cheek bulging with candy. They probably had no idea that I was actually a full-grown man.
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It seems that in this world, you were considered an adult at the age of 17. So I was already a full-fledged adult.
I heard Norn-san's worked for a company for two years now. Compared to the full-fledged employee Norn-san, of course I'd be seen as childlike.
…Sorry. I was being pretentious. It wasn't 'childlike', I was completely seen as a child.
I was like a certain detective who had the body of a child but the brains of an adult. Well, in my case it wasn't so much brains, but my mind was that of an adult. My brains were only middle school-level.
It was fine. I was sure this height of mine was to my advantage. It was a bit sketchy that I'd be receiving kindness from people because they'd think I was a child, but it wasn't like I was pretending to be one.
I didn't think I was out of line if I used my appearance to my advantage to live a better life in this unfamiliar world.
I wasn't a pure child, but a dirty adult, so I should use whatever I can to my advantage.
So please, Norn-san. Stop looking at me being patted on the head with pity!
Even if you voice encouragements, that expression puts all that effort into waste. It bursts all my illusions.
Another piece of candy was thrown into my wagon. At this rate, by the time I got to the house, this wagon was gonna be buried in candy.
"Hahahaha, the people of this world are too nice. They're giving so much candy to an adult they don't know. I might not have to worry about food for a while. Though if all I eat is candy I'll get fat." As I laughed without blinking, pupils dilating, Norn-san awkwardly averted his eyes. He looked panicked, as if trying to find words to comfort me.
It'd only been a short while since I met him, but I felt like I'd gotten to know Norn-san a little better. When he didn't open his mouth, he looked like a cool guy who could do anything, but once he panicked, he couldn't find the right words to say. He came up with something like 'adorable height' instead.
I was the one who was getting mental damage from this, so I wish he'd just keep quiet.
"P-please eat more and grow taller."
"…Yeah, I'll do my best."
I heard that males could still grow until they were 24. Let's believe that I was gonna get a third growth spurt.
I was sure that Norn-san's thoughtless remark had a hidden wish of me growing taller.
It's definitely not that he was dissing me. Probably.
An hour away from town, there was a house in the middle of a wide grassland. This was my new home in this world.
It was a two-storey wooden house with a red roof, big enough for a family of four. There was a crude-looking barn a ways away from the house. Beside it was a tool shed.
But I didn't see the farm field. I thought a farm field was part of the package?
I looked around and only saw a land full of grass and weeds. I didn't see any bare soil anywhere.
"Norn-san, where's the field?"
"This whole area is Shinobu-sama's field."
What! So these green and lively weed-looking things were some kind of crop? The ones with long, thin leaves looked like the rice or wheat I saw on TV, so maybe they were some kind of grain crops.
"I see. I thought they were weeds."
"They are."
Huh?
"Didn't you say this was a field?"
"Yes, this was a proper field about a year ago."
Well now. I smell trouble.
So they meant, 'this land is suitable for crops, so go ahead and till to your heart's content'?
And it was huge, too. I'd been imagining a plot of land just enough to grow some vegetables; I didn't think it was a proper farm field.
This was a big job. There was no way I could till this whole field all by myself.
"I'll show you all the livestock you're going to live with. Over here."
Perhaps noticing my feelings of dissatisfaction, Norn-san led me to the barn with a nice smile.
I thought it was a huge barn even from afar. The catalogue said 'various livestock' so I understood that they would need a big space, but the livestock I saw were even bigger than what I'd imagined.
First, there were six chickens. They were as big as the peacocks I once saw in a zoo with my family back in elementary school. Their beaks and claws were sharp, and when I got closer their eyes looked scary. I felt like they were glaring at me.
Next, a horse and two cows. The cows didn't have a white and black pattern, but were brown all over. Unlike the chickens, their black eyes looked gentle and it looked like I could get along with them, but they were huge too.
I had to stretch my arms up to the limit before I was able to touch their backs. And the horse was even larger than them. I'd have to take care not to be trampled by it.
There were three sheeps. They looked different than the sheep I knew, all round like a furball. They were covered in hair all around, I couldn't even see where the eyes were. Norn-san said that half of their size were all just wool.
And that the wool would just fall off when the time came so there was no need to shear them. How convenient.
The rabbit…was it a pet? That twitching nose was cute, but it was the size of a dog.
Lastly, there was a dog. It was a guard dog, but it greeted me with an enthusiastically wagging tail, all friendly. I wondered if it could actually fulfill its purpose.
Its size was about that of a lion or a tiger.
Aside from the dog, all the other animals could eat the grass and insects outside so there was no need for feed, Norn-san said.
Of course the dog couldn't eat grass, but it could eat vegetables. So if I fed it vegetables I grew myself, then there was no need to buy dog food either.
The important point was to clean the barn every day. True enough, I wouldn't want pests and diseases to break out.
All of these explanations by Norn-san, I listened to from behind him.
That's because I was scared!
All the animals were looking at me like, 'Who the hell is this?'
"You don't have to be so scared. Once they recognize you as their owner, they won't bite or kick you. Feed them by hand. That way, they'll recognize you by scent." Norn-san skillfully pulled up some grass and gave it to me. As if recognizing food, all the animals came closer.
"Eek! Don't bite me, okay?"
I heard Norn-san burst into laughter at my weak-kneed posture of feeding them, but I didn't have any attention to spare him.
"Haah, I'm exhausted…"
After Norn-san explained the interior of the barn and the house, he left. He said he was going to drop by in a few days to check up on me.
He wanted to ask me how I felt about this world once I got used to life here.
He said it would be good reference for enticing tourists from the other world.
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Fortunately, the house had all the usual furniture. Thanks to that, I could sleep on a bed on the first night.
The bed was harder than the one I used to have, but the sheets were soft and comfortable.
All the furniture were big. Even the bed was king-size. But well, all the people here were so huge they were like a different race altogether, so that was understandable.
I'll just conveniently forget that I was small in my previous world too.
"I'm starving."
I'd brought some ready-made meals, but I wanted to set them aside for emergencies, so I ate the mountain of candy I was given.
There was a small pond behind the house. I drew some water from it and chewed on a hard biscuit.
The water was unlike tap water, and had a faint taste of sweetness. It was really delicious.
I only ate some candy and biscuits on the way here. All the food I'd been eating had been sweet, and now I wanted to eat something sour.
If the chickens laid some eggs, maybe I could eat some tamagoyaki or fried eggs.
The ever-capable Norn had given me some seasonings and cookware. He was really good. I guess that was how he was able to get so many tourists to come again and again.
Since he'd helped me so much and even gave me a lot of info on this world, I'll fully cooperate with him.
Once I've gotten everything on track, maybe we'd go eat some food that Norn recommended, and participate in a festival or something. Since we've become buddies now.
We'd been calling each other 'Shinobu-sama' and 'Norn-san' but since we were the same age, I suggested we drop the honorifics to get along better. Now I've made my first friend of this world!
The growling of my stomach finally settled down, and I dropped down on the bed, satisfied. I covered myself with a thin comforter and soon my eyelids grew heavier.
It's only been a day, but I think I can do this.
I woke to the sun shining on my face. Because I didn't have a curtain, the sunshine streamed steadily through the window to my bed.
In my original world, even if I didn't have anything to do, I would stay up late watching TV. Here, there wasn't that kind of entertainment, so it was likely I'd be able to live an early-to-bed, early-to-rise, healthy lifestyle.
It was completely the epitome of 'the slow life', and it felt pretty good!
I washed my face with cold water and brushed my teeth. Then I took a peek in the barn, and saw that the animals had already been awake for a while.
"Good morning! Here's your water!"
I poured out the water I had drawn into the hollowed out log that served as a watering trough. All the animals hurried to come closer and drink from the trough, as if they had been impatiently waiting.
Soon all the water had been drunk up. I hurriedly refilled the trough.
Due to their huge size, the amount of water they drank was also sizable. But the watering trough had been empty when I first walked in.
Maybe they'd been thirsty since there was no water last night. Just thinking of it made me feel bad.
It must have been tough not having water to drink in this world that had a warm climate.
I breathed heavily as I brought over and poured more water into the watering trough. Having to do physically intense work with an empty stomach was tough!
I wasn't strong so I could only fill up half of the bucket, and in the end had to make five trips back and forth.
Though exhausted, I went to the nests to check for eggs while the chickens were drinking water. I found five of them. That meant one of them was a rooster.
"Wow, these eggs are huge!"
They were twice the size of my fist. And they were pretty heavy. I laboriously carried them into the house. I wanted to drink some cow's milk too, but then I realized something important.
How did you milk a cow?
I should've asked Norn about it yesterday.
"Right. I'll give up for now."
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After they finished drinking, I left the barn doors open so the animals could go and graze freely. Then I got ready to make my own breakfast.
The shells of the chicken eggs were hard. I tried cracking them against the edge of a wooden bowl, but it didn't do anything. So I took a hammer from the shed and whacked the egg with it. Finally, there was a hole.
The elasticity of the yolk of a fresh egg was really different. I wanted to try picking up the yolk with chopsticks the way I'd seen in a commercial once, but unfortunately I didn't have any chopsticks.
Maybe I should try making a pair from some twigs.
I put some salt and sugar and beat the egg with a fork. Then I heated up a frying pan and poured the eggs in. Soon, the fragrant smell of cooking filled the room.
I usually loved eating my tamagoyaki sweet, but for today I felt like eating them salty so I didn't put in much sugar.
The moment I saw the cookware, I'd wondered why there weren't any smaller-sized pots and pans, but thinking of the size of the ingredients, I realized that the size of them were just right. Otherwise it'd be hard to cook with them.
"Hmmm, it smells good."
As I was rolling up the egg, I heard a pitiful-sounding whine and the sound of scratching from the front door.
"Oh right, I haven't fed the dog yet. I wonder if he can eat eggs?"
I opened the door, and there the dog was, with drool dribbling out of his mouth and nose twitching. He looked really hungry.
But, maybe because he had been scolded for it before, he didn't enter the house.
"Good boy, good boy. Can you eat tamagoyaki?"
I put some on a plate and placed it on the floor. The dog devoured it in the blink of an eye.
He licked his lips and sniffed at the floor as if looking for more food. Then with a wagging tail, he licked my hand.
"Oh, it wasn't enough? You want more?"
"Woof!"
I smiled at his timely bark, as if he were really answering my question. I head back to the kitchen to cook some more. This time I tried frying a sunny-side up egg.
I glanced at the dog. He was pacing as if he couldn't wait.
I served up the finished fried egg. The dog ate the runny yolk in one bite. It seemed even dogs found egg yolks more delicious.
Afterwards, he ate the white of the egg slowly as if his hunger had already been pacified.
From behind the dog, a chicken poked its head out.
Is it mad that its egg had been eaten? I watched it nervously, but I was surprised when it pecked at the remains of the egg.
"Heey, do you realize? That might've been an egg you laid, y'know?"
The chicken was unconcerned and just continued pecking. They say that chickens forget things within three steps, so it might have already forgotten it had laid an egg in the first place.
"I should eat, too."
The tamagoyaki was too much for me to finish by myself, so I gave the rest to the dog, and he ate the leftovers with relish.
Yup, you shouldn't waste food.
After breakfast I cleaned up the barn. It was noon before I knew it. I was still full from breakfast, so I skipped lunch and took the sickle from the shed and headed to the field. I drew myself up in front of the overgrown weeds.
"Alright, let's do it!"
My goal was to weed a part of the field the size of three tatami mats.
Because right now even if I planted seeds they'd be choked out by the weeds and wouldn't be able to grow.
I wielded the sickle in one hand and slashed at the weeds with a battle cry. The blade cut through so shockingly easy that the excess force I exerted had me falling to my butt.
"What's with this blade's sharpness! Scary!"
If I messed up I might end up cuting off my foot.
Looking at the edge of the blade stuck in the earth, I felt cold sweat dripping down my spine.
"I wonder what the state of medical care in this world is."
I didn't think it was more advanced than in my previous world. I'd have to take care not to get injured or sick or it might cost me my life.
Did they even have bandaids?
This time I cautiously put the blade to the weeds. It still cut through so easily. Like a hot knife through butter.
"This is kinda fun!"
I crouched and enthusiastically started cutting weeds, but soon my legs grew tired. I tried stretching one leg while crouched with the other, switching legs once in a while, like some calisthenics exercise I did back in PE class. It worked, but then it was my waist that started hurting.
"Owowow. Farming sure is hard."
I stood up and gently pounded at my back. I turned around to look at the weeds I had cut, only to see the horse and cows digging up the roots of the weeds with their front hooves and eating them up.
The chickens then pecked at the insects exposed in the overturned earth.
"Are you guys helping me?"
Maybe they just wanted to eat the roots, but their actions were really a big help to me. Now I didn't have to dig up the roots myself.
"Thanks."
I patted the horse's and cows' muzzles in turn. Then the dog who had been sleeping on the ground stood up. "Woof!"
He barked as if to say, 'Watch me!' Then he started digging at the spot where the horse had overturned the earth.
This act of barking then digging, it reminded me of a story. Was it Hanasaka Jiisan?
In that story, the dog dug up treasure, but this dog aerated the soil.
"You're amazing! Now I won't have to till the soil! Alright, I'll name you Pochi. Pochi, if you want to eat delicious vegetables you better do your best and keep tilling."
I couldn't lose to Pochi. I had to do my best too. The goal was three tatami mats!
"Behind the fields, Pochi barks~"
I didn't know the rest of the lyrics, so I just repeated the same line over and over as I weeded.
The cows, chickens, horse and Pochi were all following behind me in a row. It made me think of the Town Musicians of Bremen. I laughed at the thought, all the while weeding an area the size of one tatami mat.
By the way, the sheep and the rabbit were all taking a nap under the shade.
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"Oiii, the kid over there!"
"Hm?"
Just as I was taking a water break, I heard someone calling for me from the road leading to the house. A bearded old man was waving his arm.
Calling me 'kid'… So I really did look like a child.
"Sorry, but can you give my horse a drink?"
I looked over, and the horse pulling his wagon was drooping with exhaustion. How pitiful. The heat must've gotten to it.
"Sure! You should get some rest too, uncle."
"Thank you."
Just as the old man was about to go in so he could park the wagon, Pochi, who had been busy digging at the earth, suddenly whipped his head up, bared his teeth and started growling at the old man.
"Grrrrrrr…"
"Pochi! What's wrong with you all of a sudden?"
He was baring his teeth so much his gums were showing. What intensity. He was really showing his animal side.
He lowered his stance as if ready to pounce. I quickly grabbed him by the ruff and pulled him back. Geez, this wasn't the time to be admiring how scary he looked.
I heard back in my previous world that dogs who'd bitten other people were sent to the pound. I didn't want that to happen, so I tried hard to stop Pochi.
"Hey, stop it. Geez, what's wrong? You were so happy digging just a while ago."
Pochi was already a part of my family. As Pochi's owner, I'd be responsible for everything he did.
If one of my animals was about to do something bad, as the owner, I had to stop them even at the cost of my body.
"Oh, what a good dog. You're protecting your owner, huh? Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt your owner. Look, I just want to let this one have some water."
The man patted his horse's behind. The horse neighed, sounding quite pitiful.
Hearing the horse, Pochi's growling gradually quietened. He was still tense, but he stopped baring his teeth too.
"Pochi, you're really smart. Did you understand uncle's words just now? Or did you understand the horse?"
Though he'd stopped baring his teeth, his nose was still all wrinkled. I placed my hands on his muzzle and rubbed.
I kinda felt bad. I'd actually been doubtful if he'd be a proper guard dog when we first met.
But now I see that he was a proper guardian of the house. He was so protective I bet he wouldn't lose to a professional security firm.
"What a good boy. Thank you."
It looked like my feelings had gotten through to him. Though he was still a bit stiff with tension, his tail started wagging a little.
"Uncle, it's alright now. Looks like Pochi understands."
I patted the horse's behind to get it moving and led it to the watering trough.
"Here, uncle, have some water too," I said as I poured some freshly drawn spring water into a glass and gave it to him. "I'm sorry, I would serve you some tea if I had some, but I only have water."
"No, no, this is fine. Thank you." The old man took a sip. His eyes widened. "Haah, this water is delicious."
"Right? I thought so too."
Drinking cold water during a hot day was the best.
"In our house, we get water from a river, but it definitely doesn't taste like this."
"Is that so? I thought that everyone in this world could drink water this delicious."
"This world?"
"Yes. I moved here from another world."
I was pretty lucky getting a house with a pond of delicious spring water behind it.
Norn really did a great job.
If I made barley tea with this water, it would be delicious. Next time, I'll ask Norn if they had something similar to barley tea.
"Ahh, now that you mention it, I think I've heard about you. You came from a pretty long way away. Did you move here with your parents?"
So this uncle still thought I was a child, huh. I thought he would realize I wasn't after speaking with me, but it looked like that didn't happen.
"I moved here on my own. So I live in this house by myself."
"You're still so small but you moved here alone? How admirable! But you shouldn't tell people that you live here alone. Though everyone treats children well because there's not a lot of you, there are still some bad people out there."
Hmm, so even in this world, the birthrate was declining?
I felt bad for making him seriously worry for me, but even though I looked like this, I was already an adult. I wondered what kind of face he would make if he knew.
"Uncle, even though I look like this, I'll be 19 this year. In my previous world, 20 was the age of majority, but in this world it's 17, right? So now that I'm a resident of this world, I'm already a full-fledged adult."
Uncle, your jaw, your jaw! If you kept your mouth gaping like that, your jaw's gonna fall off!
"Well now, that blew my mind. The world is really a big place. Are you that? Like a dwarf or some other race?"
A small person = dwarf, huh. That's… I felt like it was loads better to be mistaken as a child.
"No, this height is normal in my world. I've never thought of dwarves before."
People really couldn't live without making small, white lies like this.
What little was left of my pride wouldn't allow me to confess that, 'even in my previous world, I was often mistaken for a middle schooler'.
Though I didn't think people here would understand what a middle schooler was.
Even this little lie would probably be blown soon. Once a lot of people from that world come over here as tourists, it would be pretty obvious that I wasn't exactly of average height.
"Hello, Shinobu. Are you doing well?"
Norn came to visit. It's been five days since we first met. There was something I wanted to show Norn so I'd been waiting impatiently to see him.
"Welcome, Norn. I've been working hard."
"I brought a present for you today, Shinobu."
Norn gave me a small horse-drawn wagon. With this I could bring my homegrown vegetables to sell at the market, and bring the things I bought back easily.
"It's only been five days so it might be a little too hasty of me," he said.
Well yeah, there was no vegetable that'd be ready for harvest in just five days. But it was actually good timing.
"Norn, come here!"
I couldn't wait any longer and pulled Norn by the arm towards the field that I had cleared an 8-tatami mat area of.
Actually, I wanted to make it bigger, but I couldn't with just my level of strength. But it was already amazing enough for me. Anyway, it was amazing.
"Tada! Look, Norn. Can you believe this?"
In the small area of cleared field, the tomatoes I had planted on the first day were already sporting some ripe red fruits. The cucumber plants I had planted on the second day already had several cucumbers growing on the vine. The daikon I had planted even later already had thick green leaves and the cabbages were already round and juicy-looking.
All of these vegetables were grown from seeds in the past five days.
I did plant them while chanting 'grow big quickly~' but I really didn't expect for the tomatoes I had just planted to grow up to my waist on the next day. When I saw it, I truly doubted my eyes.
The next day, flowers had bloomed, and on the next day, fruits started to grow. When I woke up today, there were tons of beautifully red, ripe tomatoes.
'So this was the plant ability cheat! It was really amazing!' I'd thought. Man, I was really excited.
But then I thought, maybe this was normal plant growth for this world. So I'd planned to ask Norn about it. That was why I'd been waiting for him.
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"Oh wow, this is amazing. It really looks like a farm now."
Ahh, this reaction. So that meant, this was just normal plant growth for this world and not because of my ability.
I had had my suspicions. I'd tried shouting 'Grow!' with my hands over the plants but nothing had happened.
I was so glad that I didn't show off and brag that this was because of my cheat ability. Otherwise I'd be so embarrassed right now.
"Where did you transplant these vegetables from?"
Oh, he got the wrong idea. He didn't think these were recently grown from seeds. The anticipation inside me that had cooled down began to heat up again.
"Hey, hey. How many days does it take for tomatoes to grow from seeds and bear fruit?"
"Let's see. I'm not an expert, but I've heard it takes a week for the plant to grow. Then I think it takes about 1-2 months for it to grow fruits."
Then, does that mean…
"These tomatoes, they grew from the seeds I planted 5 days ago. Do you think they grew fast because of the cheat ability I got when I moved here?" I asked full of excitement.
Norn tapped his fist on his palm and had a look of understanding. "That's right, Shinobu's cheat ability was called 'plants'. I thought it was an extremely plain ability, but looks like it's quite handy."
I'd only been imagining being able to make plants strong against bugs and diseases, or making vegetables taste delicious, though.
It looks like the company that handled my immigration to this world did a pretty good job.
"Norn, come eat lunch with me. I'll let you taste the vegetables I grew."
"I look forward to it. By the way, you didn't eat the ravi?"
Norn's gaze was on Pyonkichi who was once again relaxing in the shade eating a dandelion-like yellow flower, nose a-twitching.
"Huh? So the rabbit was food?"
"Ravi meat is very soft and delicious. It was supposed to be your emergency food supply, but I suppose I didn't explain it clearly. If you want, I could catch it and…"
My scalp tingled and I abruptly grew goosebumps. If I were a cat, I was sure my fur would be standing on end right now.
"Y-you can't! Pyonkichi is my pet, you can't eat him!"
He was the size of a dog, but Pyonkichi was really cute. Recently I'd been looking forward to petting him whenever I was taking a break from farmwork. I definitely couldn't eat him!
"Is that so? But it's so delicious."
Norn looked really disappointed as I blocked his gaze from Pyonkichi. I'll protect Pyonkichi!
Right, I should change the topic.
"So if I want meat, I have to hunt it? I can fish, but I've only ever dealt with cut and processed meat before. Isn't there anywhere I can buy meat?"
"There's a market that sells meat. People who live in town don't have the space to have their own livestock, so everyone buys meat from the market. This really is a lack of foresight on my part. Tomorrow, I'll show you the market. While we're there you can sell your vegetables too."
"Really? Alright!"
Actually, I'd been really hankering for some grains. The eggs that the chickens lay and the milk that Hanayo and Hanako give were of course delicious, but as a Japanese, I really had to have some rice!
Or at least some bread. Anyway, I just wanted to eat some staples.
Once I buy some chicken meat and rice from the market, I'll be able to make some oyakodon. Just thinking about how delicious that would be, my stomach started growling.
With anticipation growing in my heart, Norn and I brought in some vegetables I harvested so I could get started with lunch.
We even made a deal to see how much the carrots I had just planted today would grow overnight.
It was only noon and I already couldn't wait for tomorrow to come.
"Then I'll be making our lunch. Norn, you just go sit and wait."
I rolled up my sleeves and washed the vegetables clean.
Today's menu was omelette, salad and tomato soup.
All of the ingredients were from my farm.
I didn't have a lot of ingredients so the food was pretty simple, but they were all fresh so I was sure it would come out delicious.
Besides, I had a secret weapon.
The tomato soup was already done. I only boiled together some tomatoes and cabbage though. If I had some onions and bacon it would taste even better, but I guess that's something I'd have to look forward to next time.
For the salad, I used homemade mayonnaise for the dressing. I'd made it with fresh eggs so it was more delicious than store-bought mayonnaise. I always put a lot whenever I ate salad.
Lastly, the omelette. The omelette has had a dramatic transformation from the tamagoyaki I made on the first day.
With a grin, I took out a small bottle I had hidden in a cool place inside a cupboard. This was a favorite of mine.
Using it to make omelettes really gave it an amazing taste. And it was also tasty with potatoes or cooked with carrots.
This was butter made from Hanako and Hanayo's milk. The old man with the horse taught me how to milk cows as thanks for the water.
He said I had to milk them everyday or the cows would be in pain.
When he showed me the ropes, it looked like he was wringing them easily but when I tried it, I didn't get even a single drop of milk. The old man told me I had to squeeze tighter or milk wouldn't come out.
I thought it would hurt the cow if I gripped the teats hard, so at first I didn't put much strength into it. But once I gathered my courage and squeezed, a spurt of milk flew out.
Hanako didn't even react, so maybe cows didn't feel any pain from their udder?
So afterwards I didn't hold back anymore and used all my strength, but after milking both cows my arms were killing me, and the next day the muscle pain was ridiculous.
Thinking back on it, I feel like all I've been doing since arriving here were all physically taxing work.
If this went on, maybe a few years later I'd be all muscle-y like a hollywood action star.
Getting to bulk up without ever going to a sports gym, what a bargain!
So anyway, the milk was too rich and was a bit tedious for me to drink. What's more, I milked two big bucketfuls of it. I definitely couldn't finish all of it by myself.
While I was worrying over what to do, I suddenly recalled my memories of when I was in elementary and used to spend my summers with my grandma. There was this group that organized various activities for children on their summer vacations.
There were a lot of dairy farms in the region where my grandma's house was so they planned a family activity for parents and their children to make their own butter.
My parents were busy with work so I participated with my grandma.
Using those memories, I tried turning the milk into butter. It came out pretty soft, but I was still able to make delicious butter. Honestly I'd felt a little moved.
Unfortunately, it took my all to churn the butter and it was really a pain. On top of that, I could only make a little bit.
Therefore I've only made butter once.
So the two bucketfuls of milk that I milked everyday, I drank with everyone. Pochi and my horse Brian loved it so much, honestly it almost wasn't enough milk for them.
I put butter into the heated up frying pan. A sizzling sound and a delicious smell spread throughout the room.
Omelettes were actually my specialty. There were a lot of times I ate alone so I used to just make omelettes and put them on some toast before going to school.
"Norn, it's done! Eat it while it's hot."
Hot foods should be eaten while they were still hot.
"Thank you. It's quite fragrant. It really whets the appetite."
"Right? Omelettes really should be made with butter."
"Butter…? I've never heard of it before. Is that a seasoning?"
"Eh, you don't know what it is? You make it from cow's milk."
Norn shook his head. No way! I was really shocked.
They have such rich milk, but they don't have butter? What a waste.
But since it was his first time, was he going to be alright? I had a friend who didn't like the smell of butter. What about Norn?
Norn daintily cut up a portion of omelette with a fork and took a bite. His eyes widened and a smile stretched from his mouth. Seeing that, I unconsciously clenched my fist in triumph.
"It's very delicious. There's a distinct flavor of richness coming through. I've never tasted it before but it's delicious."
Alright! I received the word 'delicious' twice!
With that, I could now relax and eat.
I took a big portion of the omelette and gobbled it up. Then I poured my homemade mayonnaise on the salad and gobbled it up.
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It had been a while since I ate with someone else. Just the fact that Norn was in front of me made the food taste more delicious.
You could clearly taste the cabbage in the tomato soup too, and it was quite flavorful. But I still thought it would be more delicious if it had some bacon or wiener.
"The vegetables are also delicious. Not only because of this white sauce, but the flavor of the vegetables itself is quite strong. This is the first time I've tasted tomatoes this sweet. They're usually sour and watery."
"Maybe because they weren't ripe? They probably harvested them before they'd turned red so they could last longer."
Norn inspected the tomato on his fork carefully. Then he closed his eyes, as if in deep thought. "Shinobu, I have a favor to ask of you."
Norn put down his fork and straightened up. I unconsciously mimicked him and sat up straight too. He continued, "Could you share your butter, white sauce and vegetables with someone I know? His family runs a restaurant, but ever since he took over from the previous owner who died two months ago, the quality of the food has gone down and he doesn't get many customers. Well, it was inevitable since he didn't have much experience. But he's not getting any business and he's on the verge of closing up shop. I wanted to do something to help him."
Oh, so it was like that. He had such a serious expression on, I thought he was going to give me some bad news. "Sure."
Relieved, I returned to eating. Looking perplexed with my anticlimactic response, Norn asked once more. "Eh, are you alright with agreeing so easily?"
"But it's not a big deal. The white sauce is called mayonnaise and it's easy to make. But butter, on the other hand, needs time, effort and a lot of milk to make. It's fine if you're only making it for use at home, but if you're making it for business you'd need the milk of more than two cows. I can teach you how to make it, but maybe you should ask a farmer who has lots of cows to supply the milk?" I replied while I chewed.
Norn bowed so lowly his face was almost touching the table. "Thank you very much."
"You're exaggerating. It's not like you're asking a ramen shop to divulge their secret soup recipe. Anyway, I'll bring some butter with me tomorrow. Norn, you help too."
"I don't know what a ramen shop is, but I'll gladly help!"
So there was no ramen here. Too bad. It seemed the cooking level of this world was no match for the 4000 years of history of China.
With that reply worthy of an employee of an izakaya, Norn went back to eating energetically.
He looked like he wanted to quickly finish eating so he could learn how to make butter. His impatience was making me feel a bit hurried.
Slow down. Slow down, okay? I'm still only halfway through my meal, y'know.
I woke up hours earlier than usual, hurriedly drew water and quickly cleaned the barn. It was because today was going to be busy.
Harvesting the vegetables was easy, but with how big they were, moving them to the wagon was going to be troublesome.
I couldn't move the wagon Norn brought back to the fields so I had to bring the vegetables to the front of the house. Even that small distance was pretty hard on me.
The cabbages were twice the size of my head, so I could only bring two at a time, and that's with me pushing myself. The cucumbers were the size of my arms, and the tomatoes were three times the size of regular ones.
The daikon were actually half my height. Thankfully the soil was soft so it hadn't been hard to pull them out, but they were heavy.
I wanted to wash off the dirt, but whether it was carrying the daikon to the pond or carrying water from the pond to the daikon, they were all too troublesome so in the end I decided not to.
I thought back to when I sold the dirt-covered daikon to the nearby grocer.
'That way guarantees freshness,' the old lady taught me.
It saved time and effort and guaranteed freshness, it was really killing two birds with one stone.
I definitely wasn't just being lazy. I wasn't, okay?
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Fortunately, halfway through Norn arrived with a mooc-pulled wagon and helped out. Otherwise, if I'd had to do all the work alone I wouldn't have finished until noon.
Watching Norn easily carry the vegetables made me determined once again to one day be able to do the same.
"Oh, I forgot. Norn, look at my carrots. They've all grown this much."
Norn sighed in awe. "They really have. It's quite moving."
The carrots I'd just planted yesterday already had thick leaves, and when I pulled one out to see, it already had a finger-length fruit growing. Wait, it's not called fruit. Root?
The point is, there was already a cute little carrot growing.
That carrot was, of course, for Pyonkichi.
I hurriedly washed off the dirt and went to feed the carrot to Pyonkichi.
Pyonkichi didn't show any enthusiasm and calmly sniffed at it, but soon the sound of crunching filled the air. He ate everything, even the leaves, not leaving any trace left.
Sigh, how cute. From now on, I was going to plant a lot of carrots for Pyonkichi. Anyway, I loved carrots too. I wanted to make some pickles and eat it together with Pyonkichi.
"Argh, h-heavy…"
As I was crouching, absorbed in watching Pyonkichi, a heavy thing slumped on my back.
I could hear the sound of panting tickling my ear.
And drool dripped on my shoulder.
"Pochi, how many times have I told you not to drape yourself on me? You're too heavy."
Whenever I paid attention to Pyonkichi and Hanako and the others, Pochi would come and interrupt. He'd hop on my back just like this or bump his head to my back.
My family's Pochi sure was clingy.
"Good boy, I'll give you some daikon."
When I grasped the daikon leaves, Pochi's tail wagged furiously and he danced around. It was strange, but it really seemed like he could understand my words.
He'd learned from the first day I fed him tamagoyaki and now whenever I said the word 'egg' his ears would straighten up and he would look at me.
As soon as I pulled out the daikon, Pochi started eating it, dirt and all.
Hanako and the others also came closer so I fed them one each too.
"Shinobu, we're going to be late…"
Oops, that's right. We were going into town. It wasn't the time to play around.
"Pochi, I'm counting on you. Protect everyone while I'm gone, okay?" I rubbed his head as I asked.
Pochi answered with a snort. Maybe he couldn't understand words after all.
Norn said, "You don't have to worry so much. Horses are smart so we'll be in town in no time. Besides, there's only one road. We won't get lost."
"O-okay."
I sat on the wagon Brian was pulling, Norn beside me. The driver today was me.
Seeing my slouch and the tight grip I had on the reins, Norn chuckled and started up a conversation.
Look, it was my first time. Of course I was nervous.
What's more, I had to get back home on my own. I couldn't help my shoulders tightening at the thought.
"Good morning. Are you helping out? What a good kid."
"G-good, morning."
From time to time, the people we passed by called out to us. It took my all just replying to them; I couldn't spare any attention to looking at them at all.
WIth Norn by my side, I wondered how the friendly people saw us.
Brothers? There's no way they saw us as father and son, right?
At that irritating thought, I unconsciously pulled at the reins too much and Brian's hooves stopped.
"Come on, Shinobu. If you pull too much, Brain will think you're telling him to stop."
"I am deeply ashamed."
My nervousness didn't last long. I was too tired from having to wake up early and carrying the vegetables.
Besides, the rocking of the wagon felt pleasant. Before I knew it, I was dozing off.
"See? It was fine. Even when you dozed off, we still arrived in town."
"You're right. Brian, you're so smart. I'll be counting on you for the ride home, too."
Once we'd arrived in front of Norn's friend's shop, I looked back at the wagon. The sight that greeted me had me jumping in surprise.
In the wagon, between the vegetables, it was full of candy.
It seems that while I was dozing, people on the road gave them as a reward for the hardworking child (me).
"…Yaay, it's a mountain of candy."
"…"
Even when I did my best to act like a child, Norn still gave me a pitying look.
"Couge, are you here?"
"Yep. Over here."
When Norn called out from the front of the shop, a deep-voiced male answered from inside. If girls from my previous world heard this voice, I think they'd scream about how 'sexy' it was.
I wanted my voice to be that deep too. I think my voice was also a factor to me being seen as a child.
Though even if I didn't speak I'd still be mistaken for a child.
Norn headed in and exchanged hugs with the owner of that deep voice. Just like his voice, his looks also gave off a sexy feel.
He was so handsome, he looked like he'd feature in a girl's magazine with a half-naked photo. As I gaped, he kissed Norn on the cheek.
Ohh, what a foreign greeting. Having two good-looking guys doing such a thing was really a sight to behold.
"Couge, I brought the one I talked about yesterday, Shinobu. He worked hard early in the morning to bring you delicious vegetables."
"Welcome to this world. Call me Couge."
Couge probably heard about me from Norn, so he didn't talk to me like I was a kid. With just that, my impression of him rose, and I happily shook his hand and smiled.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Shinobu."
Couge's hand was large. It reminded me of holding hands with my grandpa while we walked back when I was in elementary. The memory made me happier and I enthusiastically shook his hand up and down.
"So let's start immediately. Shinobu's butter…"
"Sorry, Norn. I made you come all this way, but I can't pay for it. I had to pay back my debt earlier and now I don't have any money." Couge lips quirked up in a bitter smile.
Looks like the situation was worse than Norn had told me.
It reminded me of my situation back in my previous world of only having 1,100 yen left. I couldn't think of this as none of my business.
I'd been really worried about what I'd do the next day. Couge was smiling, but behind that smile maybe he was so sad he felt like crying.
"Couge, have you had breakfast?" I asked.
He replied, "No. Just as you see, I don't have anything."
We were in a restaurant, but there wasn't any food in the kitchen. There were no working stoves. It was almost noon and the cookware were all pristine. Honestly, it made the whole kitchen look lonely.
This was the so-called 'a cuckoo is singing'. I'd never seen or heard a cuckoo, but I'm guessing its cry sounded sad.
What's more, Couge hasn't had breakfast yet.
An empty stomach was no good. It makes you sad and irritated, and you lose all motivation.
I said, "I brought a lot of eggs and vegetables. We might as well use the butter and eat lunch together. Can I use the kitchen?"
"Y-yeah, sure."
That's good. The kitchen was a sacred place for housewives and chefs, so some people didn't like others intruding.
My grandma had been like that. She'd taught me a lot of recipes but whenever my grandpa came, she'd shoo him out with a "Go sit over there."
"Then I'll bring in the vegetables," Norn said.
"Ah, I'll help!" Couge followed Norn, wanting to help, but when he saw the mountain of candy in the wagon, his eyes widened.
He glanced at me and nodded in understanding. It was really embarrassing.
We brought the food ingredients to the kitchen. I rolled up my sleeves in preparation. Thankfully, Couge's shop was worthy of being a restaurant and had all the seasonings lined up.
"Erm, do you have a hammer?" I asked.
"A hammer? What are you going to use it for?" Couge wondered.
"To break the eggshell."
With my strength, I wouldn't be able to crack the eggs without a hammer.
"You just need them cracked, right?"
Couge grabbed an egg with his big hand and cracked it on the edge of the counter. The egg easily broke open, and he dropped the contents into the bowl.
"Wow, amazing! Then please crack two more eggs."
"Roger."
"I'd like to help, too," Norn interjected.
"Then, cut the tomato into thin slices, and the cabbage into strips. Can you do it?"
"That's easy."
Norn was someone who said he could handle a rabbit, so his skills weren't just for show. It seems he knew his way around a cutting board. Maybe he often helped Couge out.
Meanwhile, I was going to make a salad with some cucumber and daikon. Mayonnaise would be a delicious dressing, but earlier I'd seen something that looked like sesame oil. So I was going to make a Chinese-style dressing with sesame oil, salt and vinegar.
With daikon, Chinese-style dressing was better than mayonnaise.
"Are you using shee oil?"
Couge was a cook, after all. It looked like he was interested in what I was making.
"Want a taste?"
I put some of the dressing onto his palm. His eyes widened when he gave a lick. "It's delicious."
"I'd like to try, too."
I gave some to Norn, too. This one actually gave a review.
"Yes, this is delicious. The mayonnaise was delicious too. I can't choose which one is better."
"Right? I like this too," I replied.
It was really fun making a meal together. It was like cooking practice.
The salad was soon done. While Norn was busy making the tomato soup, I brought out the long-awaited butter.
Since I'd brought the butter I was keeping at home, there were two bottles of them.
"Erm, after the pan heats up, you put the butter in," I explained.
Couge was the one holding the pan. A frying pan made for chefs was too heavy for me.
Even the pot that Norn was making soup in was as big as those used in ramen shops. There weren't any other pots so we'd end up with a lot of soup, but the rest could be eaten for dinner, and if it wasn't finished then you could have it the next day too. That'd make the flavors deepen and make it more delicious.
The cabbage in the soup would taste more delicious that way too.
The melting butter in the pan made Couge's eyes brighten. He looked so handsome breathing in the scent of the butter. Truly, no matter what a good-looking person did, it was picturesque. It was really impressive.
When I do it, my nostrils flare and I end up making a weird face.
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"I want to eat soon, so I'll just make three servings at once."
I poured in the eggs and that lovely scent spread out. Couge shook the pan while scrambling the eggs. He really looked like a professional. The food looked better than when I cooked the same recipe.
I mused, "I wish we had some bread. I could make some garlic toast."
"Bread? Then, I'll buy some as thanks for today," Norn said.
Since all that was left for the soup was to simmer, Norn had nothing else to do. He left before I could stop him and was soon back with bread.
He'd bought it from the bakery next door.
It was a huge loaf of bread that looked like a monster baguette.
"Sorry about that, Norn," Couge said.
"It was nothing. I can do this much."
The relationship between them was really good. It's only been six days since Norn and I first got to know each other, and we've only met three times. Our friendship has just started, but Couge and Norn were already so in sync. The trust between them was like that of an old married couple.
I understood being serious because you wanted to help.
"Alright, I'll make some delicious garlic toast! …Sorry, can you slice up this bread, Norn?"
The monster baguette was really hard.