Chapter 505 - That Too Is Another World
'Soryy'
"I'm going to assume you meant to say 'sorry,' so I'll respond to that—don't worry about it."
As soon as Ashe led her to a private room, Nia collapsed onto the bed and, with a shaky hand, typed a message onto the smartphone she'd tossed by her pillow.
She was probably feeling bad about causing trouble, which was understandable, but her physically and mentally weakened state was pitiful, so I tried to keep my reply light.
Man, severe motion sickness is rough. I had a bad experience with it on a bus when I was little, so I know exactly how it feels. It's no laughing matter when you can barely move.
"—I brought a few things. I'll leave them here, so try them if you feel up to it."
Just then, Ashe, who had gone off somewhere, returned carrying 'a few things' just as she'd said. On the bedside rack, she placed some snacks generally said to help with motion sickness, like hard candies and chocolates, along with a single mug.
From the cool, refreshing aroma wafting from it, I guessed it was mint tea.
'Thnks'
"You're welcome. If you're not nauseous and it's just a headache or dizziness, you should feel better soon if you just lie down. You can come down when you're feeling settled."
Nia tried to nod while lying face down, her head sinking deeper into the pillow. Ashe let out a faint smile, and for some reason, she gently stroked Nia's hair once before quietly leaving.
She really is smiling a lot today.
It makes sense, since she's on a trip she herself wanted to go on, but there's no doubt she's in a very good mood.
"Alright... well, take your time and rest. I'll get lunch ready."
When you're not feeling well, having someone by your side can make it hard to fully relax, which can be tiring. If it's just a minor ailment and not a serious illness, there's no need to make a big deal out of it.
With that in mind, I tried to slip out of the room after Ashe—
"...Um?"
A sudden tug on my sleeve stopped me in my tracks. I turned my gaze to the culprit, who was supposed to be unwell. I questioned her with my voice and eyes, but unfortunately, there was no reply.
Instead, the only clue I was given was the direction her hand, which was pulling on my sleeve, seemed to be aiming for... however,
"...Alright, alright, I get it. Just three times, then."
All things considered, it was a remarkably easy request to understand. I gave a wry smile, flicked away the selfish hand pulling at my sleeve, and placed my palm on its intended destination: her head.
Alright, one, two, three.
"Okay, all done. See ya."
I quickly and lightly ran my fingers through her hair, trying not to think about it too much.
Even without seeing her face, I could feel an intense aura of dissatisfaction, but if I gave in to every single appeal, there'd be no end to it. I had to draw the line somewhere.
Leaving behind a Nia who seemed on the verge of launching a barrage of complaints with groans and other noises, I slipped out of the room for real this time. It's a week-long trip; I have to pace myself.
And that's why...
I must quickly suppress the idiotic string of thoughts like it was so fluffy and silky and amazing and just... wow and regain my composure.
◇◆◇◆◇
"—Okay, what is this? The kitchen of some huge restaurant?"
Downstairs from the second floor, which seemed to be mostly guest rooms, I found myself in the first-floor kitchen. Ashe had led me here, and the first words out of my mouth were a hundred-percent pure sigh of exasperation.
True to the building's exterior, every nook and cranny was sparkling clean, but the sheer scale of the facilities far surpassed my expectations. The cooking space, laid with what looked like professional-grade flooring, was enormous, and the equipment was so comprehensive it was clearly 'commercial' grade.
You could probably run a restaurant with over a hundred seats from here. Even if you threw in a dozen chefs, they'd have plenty of room to move around without getting in each other's way.
"Apparently, it was originally designed so we could host large parties for friends and family."
Ashe answered my question, but that wasn't the point. Or maybe it was, but the difference in our worlds was so vast I couldn't quite wrap my head around it.
"Even so, do you really build something of this scale directly into a party venue?"
"My family is a lineage of hobbyists."
"Ah... I see. So there are plenty of cooking enthusiasts among them."
"Exactly. Although, in the end, it doesn't get used very often."
"Yikes, the maintenance costs..."
If I think about it too much, my commoner mentality is going to run wild. Best to just switch my brain off. I'll just think of it as an ultra-amenity and make the most of it.
"Alright, I'm going to go check on the rest of the facilities... I'll be looking forward to lunch."
"Leave it to me—though, seeing her in that state, it looks like I'll be playing the role of assistant."
"That's fine, too," Ashe said, leaving another smile behind as she briskly walked off somewhere. Given the considerable size of the building, both inside and out, it would probably take her a while to do a full walkthrough. And so, that means...
"You seem to be in a great mood. Did you like cooking even more than I heard?"
"Ah, um, ehehe..."
I called out to Sora, who, after a quick survey of the kitchen, was now engrossed in peering into one of the five large refrigerators lined up in a row.
She usually helps out with all sorts of housework, but she's particularly passionate about cooking, treating it like a beloved hobby—or so I'd heard from her at some point. Judging by her reaction just now, her 'fondness' for it was even greater than I had imagined.
From the way she was zeroing in on the key features of the kitchen, it was clear she was on a completely different level from someone who was just 'a little experienced.'
"It's so much more amazing than I expected... I, um, got a little carried away."
She must have been completely lost in her own world. The girl jumped in surprise when I spoke, then turned around, closing the refrigerator door with an embarrassed smile.
"Well, I can see why."
It wasn't like I was staring, but I had seen the kitchen at the Yotsuya residence when I visited before. While it was larger and more comfortable than a typical home's, the kitchen, attached to the living room, was still within the 'realm of common sense.'
That being the case, her reaction made perfect sense. Anyone who loves to cook gets excited about a spacious, easy-to-work-in kitchen.
"The contents of the refrigerators are amazing, too."
"Oh? Let's see..."
It wasn't just Ashe; Sora-san had been in high spirits since this morning, too. Her eyes were sparkling as if it were her default state. Finding that endearing, I opened the refrigerator she pointed to and casually peered inside—
"—..."
I slowly backed away and carefully closed the door to the treasure vault.
"I wonder if my eyes are playing tricks on me..."
"This is the real world, you know. Though I understand how you feel."
I've had more opportunities to eat high-end food lately, but I still pride myself on barely staying within the bounds of a normal person.
The Ristorante Chitose, where I eat almost daily, doesn't focus on ridiculously luxurious ingredients but rather on 'skill.'
And for that very reason—
"I think I saw a whole bunch of meat, all in boxes so nice they looked like display items."
I was completely unaccustomed to seeing over-the-top luxury ingredients.
"The one Haru opened was the 'meat area.' This one has seafood, this one has vegetables, and this one has fruit... um, they all have a pretty similar view, though."
"...I don't know if I'm worthy enough to cook with this stuff."
"Oh. And I took a peek before you came down, but..."
As she spoke, Sora's index finger guided my gaze, which was fixed on my twitching face. She pointed to a heavy-looking, sealed door on the wall.
"The walk-in freezer is in a pretty incredible state, too."
"A walk-in freezer... You mean in terms of quality?"
"Um, both, actually. Quality and quantity."
..................
"Um, we're here for a week, right? And from what I heard, there should be less than ten of us staying here, including us..."
"That's right... I don't think there's any way we can use all of this..."
"..."
"..."
Yeah.
Yeah, well, you know.
"Alright, let's make lunch."
"Ah, haha... Right, let's do that."
Thinking about it any further was pointless. If I reacted to every little thing, the sun would set.
I decided to ignore all the things I wanted to comment on. When I said that with a straight face, my partner beside me agreed with an indescribable expression and threw open the refrigerator with a little "hup!"
I wish my kitchen was three times bigger, too.
This is unrelated to the main story, but as you may have guessed from my recent erratic posting times, I'm a bit busy with various things. It's not ideal, but for the time being, I expect posts will be irregular, around noon JST. Thank you for your understanding.