“Well, in that case, I won’t hold back.”
Hoshimori Shion was just about to dig in when she realized she didn’t seem to have any utensils.
Igarashi Rie thoughtfully extended a spoon, but just as Hoshimori Shion reached for it, she noticed Rie didn’t seem to intend to give it to her.
Instead, she cut a piece of tonkatsu (TL Note: A Japanese deep-fried pork cutlet) directly and held it to Hoshimori Shion’s lips.
‘Is this a feeding game?’ Hoshimori Shion felt a surge of nervousness. ‘What should I do? This is so embarrassing! But if I don’t open my mouth, will her affection drop? And besides, a beautiful girl is feeding me; can I really refuse this?’
Internally, Hoshimori Shion wrestled with her thoughts for what felt like a year, though in reality, only about a second had passed.
Nevertheless, she obediently opened her mouth, allowing Igarashi Rie to guide the spoon inside.
“Mmm, it’s really delicious,” she thought. ‘The fried texture is just perfect. It doesn’t taste like a pre-fried cutlet bought from the supermarket; it truly feels like it was freshly fried this morning.’
‘Ah, it’s so wonderful to have a butler at home. Ayane, when will you hurry up and become a butler too, or at least earn enough money to hire one for the shrine!’
“Judging by your expression,” Igarashi Rie said softly, “I suppose I don’t need to ask if it’s tasty.”
“Yes, it’s incredibly delicious!” Hoshimori Shion nodded vigorously.
“Is there anything else you’d like to try?” Igarashi Rie inquired. “Tamagoyaki (TL Note: A Japanese rolled omelet), mentaiko (TL Note: Salt-cured pollock roe), or perhaps takoyaki (TL Note: Ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat-flour-based batter and cooked in a special molded pan)?”
Hoshimori Shion felt a touch of shyness, yet for the sake of her rumbling stomach, she pointed to the takoyaki. “I like these,” she murmured.
“Alright,” Igarashi Rie said with a smile, “Hoshimori-san truly is adorable.” She then scooped up a takoyaki and brought it to Hoshimori Shion’s lips.
Having already eaten the tonkatsu, what reason could there be to refuse the takoyaki? Hoshimori Shion naturally accepted Igarashi Rie’s offering, swallowing the takoyaki in a single bite.
“Be careful not to choke,” Igarashi Rie cautioned, quickly grabbing a bottle of water upon seeing Hoshimori Shion swallow an entire takoyaki whole.
Hoshimori Shion shook her head. “No, no, I’m fine. The takoyaki is delicious too.” She then took a bite of her own onigiri (TL Note: A Japanese rice ball), signaling that she was perfectly alright.
In perhaps just over ten minutes, the bento (TL Note: A Japanese-style packed lunch) Igarashi Rie had brought was completely devoured, and Hoshimori Shion had finished her own onigiri as well.
“Thank you for the meal, Igarashi-senpai!” Hoshimori Shion clasped her hands together. “I’m truly stuffed. The bento you brought was absolutely delicious.”
Igarashi Rie’s face softened into a satisfied smile. “Good, I’m glad you liked it. If you want, I can bring you an extra bento sometime.”
“Oh, no, no, thank you for the kind offer, Senpai,” Hoshimori Shion replied, shaking her head. “But I make my sister’s bento every morning, and it would be too much trouble for you.” She thought to herself, ‘If Igarashi Rie brought me lunch every day, it would feel like I was being taken care of, and I couldn’t possibly accept that. Besides, if I didn’t cook, my sister would starve at lunchtime.’
“It’s no trouble,” Igarashi Rie said, a faint hint of melancholy flickering in her eyes. “After all, it’s just the butler cooking, and anyway… it’s only my father’s money being used.” Hoshimori Shion immediately picked up on the strange undertone in Igarashi Rie’s words.
“Igarashi-senpai…” Hoshimori Shion began, wanting to say something more.
Igarashi Rie suddenly looked up, offering Hoshimori Shion her thanks. “Thank you for helping me this morning.”
Surprised by the abrupt change in topic, Hoshimori Shion quickly responded, “You’re welcome, Senpai. I’m happy I could be of assistance.”
Igarashi Rie forced a slight, somewhat strained smile. “But actually, even if you hadn’t come to help me today, those three delinquents wouldn’t have dared to touch me.”
“Oh? Why not?” Hoshimori Shion asked, a note of curiosity in her voice.
Igarashi Rie turned her head, gazing out from the school’s rooftop. Situated slightly higher than its surroundings, the rooftop offered an excellent vantage point, surpassed only by the Hoshimori Shrine built upon the mountain, allowing one to take in the scenery of half the town.
Extending a hand, Igarashi Rie pointed in one direction. “That’s the hot spring inn my family operates.”
Then, her hand shifted slightly. “Over there, that’s the restaurant my family runs, along with the surrounding shopping mall.”
Next, she gestured towards the sea. “And that’s the pier and fishing grounds my family owns.”
Hoshimori Shion followed Igarashi Rie’s finger, looking in each direction, then mentally retracing the town’s map. As she did, her internal shock grew increasingly profound.
“Besides these, there are a few smaller businesses, all part of the Igarashi family’s holdings. They’re not particularly large,” Igarashi Rie added.
‘Compared to a major conglomerate, perhaps not large, but in this coastal town, they are undeniably the local powerhouse,’ Hoshimori Shion mused.
“There’s no way they don’t know all of this,” Igarashi Rie said, a look of disgust crossing her face. “Who knows if those people were after me or my family’s assets? If they dared to lay a hand on me, they’d have to be careful every time they stepped outside.”
“So, Igarashi-senpai, after graduation, will you continue managing your family’s businesses here in town?” Hoshimori Shion inquired.
Igarashi Rie paused. “Yes… according to my father’s and mother’s expectations, that’s correct. They’ve already started teaching me how to manage things. Most likely, I’ll be staying in this town forever…” As she spoke, an inexpressible sense of melancholy settled upon Igarashi Rie’s face.
“Igarashi-senpai…” Hoshimori Shion wanted to speak, but the words caught in her throat. She found herself at a loss for how to comfort her somewhat despondent senior.
“Oh dear, look at me,” Igarashi Rie said, lightly tapping her head. Her usual gentle smile returned. “Why am I pouring out my troubles to my junior? I came here today to thank Hoshimori-san, not to talk about such things.”
“Senpai, you don’t have to force yourself…” Hoshimori Shion’s voice was barely a whisper, and she wondered if Igarashi Rie had heard her.
Perhaps she hadn’t heard, for Igarashi Rie continued, “When you’re on holiday, Hoshimori-san, you can come eat at my family’s restaurant or relax at our hot spring inn. I’ll personally host you then.”
Hoshimori Shion simply nodded. Unable to think of a suitable reply, she offered a smile in return.
“It’s getting late,” Igarashi Rie said. “I’ll walk you back to your classroom. You still have afternoon classes.”
“Okay, thank you, Senpai!”
****
As Igarashi Rie escorted Hoshimori Shion back to her classroom, she suggested, “Hoshimori-san, let’s exchange contact information. That way, you can reach me anytime if anything comes up.”
With that, Igarashi Rie pulled out her phone. Hoshimori Shion quickly thanked her and retrieved her own phone, only to see…
–”Idiot big sister, where did you go!”
–”Did you ditch me to go eat lunch by yourself, you mean big sister!”
–”I’m breaking up with you! I’m breaking up with my idiot big sister!”
‘Oh no, oh no, I completely forgot about my sister while eating lunch!’
“Hoshimori-san, what’s wrong?” Igarashi Rie asked with concern.
“Nothing, just that my sister’s going to hit me tonight.”
“Huh? (⊙_⊙)?”