kscans

Chapter 505 - That Too Is Another World

"Sry."

"Assuming you mean 'sorry,' don't worry about it."

Nia, who had collapsed onto the bed the moment Ashe showed us to a private room, typed out a message on the phone she'd tossed onto her pillow, her hands unsteady.

She probably felt bad for causing trouble, which was understandable, but she looked so weak and pitiful that I tried to respond with a lighthearted tone.

Man, severe motion sickness is rough. I had a bad experience with it on a bus when I was little, so I know how it feels. It's no joke 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 somewhere for a moment, returned with, just as she'd said, 'a few things.' On the bedside rack, she placed some snacks generally said to help with motion sickness, like candy and chocolate, as well as a single mug.

From the cool, refreshing scent that wafted over, I guessed it was mint tea.

"Thx."

"You're welcome. If you're not nauseous and it's just a headache or dizziness, you should feel better soon if you lie down. You can come down when you've settled."

As Nia tried to nod while lying face down, she sank deeper into the pillow. Ashe let out a faint smile, and for some reason, gently stroked her hair once before quietly leaving.

She really is smiling a lot today.

It's natural since she's on a trip she herself wanted to go on, but it seems she's definitely in a very good mood.

"Well then… get some rest. I'll get lunch ready."

When you're not feeling well, having someone around can sometimes make it harder to fully relax and just make you more tired. If it's just a mild illness, there's no need to make a big fuss.

So, I tried to slip out of the room after Ashe—

"…………Huh?"

A tug on my sleeve stopped me in my tracks. I turned my eyes to the culprit, who was supposed to be feeling unwell. I questioned her with my voice and gaze, but unfortunately, there was no reply.

Instead, the only hint I was given was the direction her hand, pulling on my sleeve, seemed to be aiming for… however,

"……………Alright, alright. Just three times, then."

All things considered, it was a very easy request to understand. I chuckled, shook off the selfish hand pulling at my sleeve, and placed my palm on her head, which had been the destination.

Alright, one, two, three.

"Okay, that's it. See ya."

I quickly and lightly ran my fingers through her hair, trying not to think too much about it.

I could feel an intense sense of dissatisfaction from her even without looking at her face, but if I responded to every one of her appeals with full force, there would be no end to it, so I needed to draw a line.

Leaving behind a Nia who seemed on the verge of barraging me with groans and other complaints, I finally slipped out of the room. We have a whole week; I need to pace myself.

So, yes.

My brain's idiotic chorus of it was so fluffy and silky and amazing and oh god amazing needed to be swiftly suppressed so I could regain my composure.

◇◆◇◆◇

"—So, what is this? The kitchen of a huge restaurant?"

Down from the second floor, which seemed to be mostly guest rooms, and into the first-floor kitchen. Led there by Ashe, the first words out of my mouth were a hundred percent pure astonishment.

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 extensive it was undoubtedly 'commercial-grade.'

You could probably serve a few hundred seats from here. You could throw in a dozen chefs and they'd still have plenty of room to move around without getting in each other's way.

"Apparently, it was originally designed to host large parties for family and friends."

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. Though, in the end, it's not used very often."

"Ugh, the maintenance costs…"

If I start thinking about it, my commoner mentality is going to run wild. It's best to just shut down that line of thought. I'll just treat it as an ultra-amenity and make the most of it.

"Well then, I'm going to go check on the facilities… I'll be looking forward to lunch."

"Leave it to me—though, seeing that, I think I'll be more of a helper."

"That's fine too," she said, leaving behind another smile 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 look everything over—which means.

"You seem to be in a great mood. Are you more of a cooking enthusiast than I heard?"

"Ah, um, ehehe…"

After a quick inspection of the kitchen, Sora had been intently peering into one of the five large refrigerators lined up in a row. I called out to her.

I had heard from her at some point that while she willingly helps with all household chores, she particularly enjoys cooking as a hobby. Seeing her just now, it seemed her 'enjoyment' was on a level far beyond what I had imagined.

From the way she was precisely checking all the important points in the kitchen, it was clear her skills were on a different level than someone who was just 'a little experienced.'

"It's much more amazing than I expected… so, I got a little carried away."

She must have been completely absorbed. The girl jumped in surprise when I called out to her, then turned from the closing refrigerator with an embarrassed smile.

"Well, I can understand how you feel."

I hadn't stared, but I had seen the kitchen in the Yotsuya residence when I visited before. While it was larger and more comfortable than an average home's, the one attached to the living room was still within the 'realm of common sense.'

So her reaction made sense. Cooking enthusiasts generally get excited about spacious, easy-to-work-in kitchens.

"The contents of the refrigerators are amazing, too."

"Oh? Let's see…"

Not just Ashe, but Sora-san had also been in incredibly high spirits since the morning. Finding her sparkling eyes, which seemed to be her default state, endearing, I casually opened the refrigerator she pointed to and peeked inside—

"—…………"

I quietly pulled back and carefully closed the door to the 'treasure vault.'

"Did my eyes just bug out…"

"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 being just barely outside the realm of a commoner.

Even Ristorante Chitose, where I eat almost every day, focuses on 'skill' rather than being a parade of ridiculously expensive ingredients.

Which is why—

"I think I saw a ton of meat in beautiful, display-case-like boxes."

I am not at all used to seeing excessively luxurious ingredients.

"The one you opened was the 'meat area.' This one has seafood, this one has vegetables, this one has fruit… um, they all have a pretty similar view, though."

"…I might be too intimidated to cook anything."

"Oh. And I took a peek before you came, but…"

As she spoke, Sora's index finger guided my gaze, my face twitching. On the wall she pointed to was a heavy-looking, sealed door.

"The inside of the walk-in freezer is also in a crazy state."

"Walk-in freezer… you mean, in terms of quality?"

"Um, both, actually. Quality and quantity."

………………………

"Um, it's for a week, right? From what I heard, there should be less than ten of us staying here, including ourselves…"

"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."

It was pointless to think about it anymore; if I reacted to every little thing, the sun would set.

Deciding to just ignore all the things I wanted to point out, I said it with a straight face. My partner next to me agreed with an indescribable expression and threw open the refrigerator with a little "hup."