Chapter 236: Yurine's Relief
No longer in the mood to tease Jashin-chan, Ryohei Tanaka finalized the design plans with Minos.
"Then it's settled!" Minos placed a hand on her ample chest, the cotton fabric shifting slightly with the movement. "I'll contact the construction team to prepare the materials and tools. I'll bring them back tomorrow when I go to Medusa's to pick up the dessert ingredients."
"Okay, thank you for the trouble," Ryohei Tanaka said with a grateful smile.
"No trouble." Minos gave a cool wave of her hand, said, "I'm heading back to the ranch now," and stepped through Lucoa's spatial portal.
"Tonight, we're eating bamboo-tube rice! It's incredibly fragrant! All made with ingredients from the other world!"
"I guarantee you'll be wanting more!"
Ryohei Tanaka watched Minos leave, then enthusiastically distributed the three flavors of bamboo-tube rice and soup he had taken from his storage.
Yurine Hanazono accepted her portion, glanced at it, and suddenly remarked, "It's so green."
"Er..."
Ryohei was completely thrown by her comment. He froze for a second before replying guiltily, "Well, it was made with fresh bamboo..."
"That's true."
To his surprise, Yurine seemed to accept his explanation, speaking in a light, breezy tone. She took her food and walked into one of the small booths.
After placing the tray on the table, she looked back at him.
"Ryohei-kun, I saw a purse, two outfits, and a face mask I liked today. Can you buy them for me?"
"Done!" Ryohei agreed without a hint of hesitation.
Her request actually made him feel a sense of relief. "Online or in-store?"
"In-store."
"Then I'll take you shopping this weekend."
"Vassal!"
Jashin-chan suddenly leaned her side against Ryohei's back, poking him with her finger. "I saw a limited-time microtransaction event today. Will you pay for it?"
"Go to bed early tonight. You'll have everything in your dreams," Ryohei said, turning around and solemnly pressing a bamboo tube of rice and soup into her hands.
Jashin-chan's face immediately fell.
"Honk honk honk—!" Poporon let out a goose-like laugh. The others also looked amused, and even Yurine, in the booth, had a smile on her face.
"Damn vassal!"
A world where only Jashin-chan was indignant had been achieved!
However, her spirits were quickly soothed by the food.
"Mmm—! This is too good!"
The scummy snake took a few tentative bites and was instantly blown away. "How can anything be this delicious!"
"The beef tenderloin, marinated and braised, is exceptionally tender and juicy! It takes no effort to bite through, yet it still has that beefy texture. The spice of the black pepper and the savory sauce have permeated every fiber of the meat, exploding with flavor on the tongue!"
"The mushrooms have soaked up all the meat juice and sauce! They are thick and rich, bursting with savory juices when chewed, perfectly complementing the beef!"
"The 'rice' at the edge of the bamboo is slightly crispy, while the inside is soft, sticky, and chewy, saturated with the essence of the beef and mushrooms, all with a faint bamboo fragrance. The occasional 'carrot' and 'green bean' bits add a bright, crisp sweetness that lights up the palate!"
"It's so good, I can't stop eating—!"
The carefree scummy demon was a picture of pure bliss.
...
In the small booth.
Yurine Hanazono looked up at Ryohei-kun, who was only drinking his soup, and asked, "Ryohei-kun, why are you only drinking the soup?"
"Mmm... We ate lunch pretty late and had a lot. I'm still not hungry."
Just as he finished speaking, Yurine scooped up a spoonful of rice with meat and held it out to him.
He blinked, then smiled, amused. "I'm really not hungry, it's not that I don't have any to eat." He gestured to the other bamboo tubes he had set aside.
But he opened his mouth and accepted her offering. It was her kind thought, after all, and he couldn't let it go to waste.
Yurine glanced at the extra tubes on the table, then pulled her spoon back. "You need to eat at regular times," she said, her tone calm but serious. "Otherwise, it's bad for your health."
"Yeah, I know," Ryohei nodded, accepting her advice.
Yurine took a bite of her own rice, chewed slowly, and swallowed. She took a sip of soup, then looked at Ryohei. "So, how was your harvest today?"
"The harvest was huge!"
On this topic, Ryohei was brimming with confidence. "We gathered a huge pile of ingredients all unique to that world. Tomorrow, after I get the ingredients Medusa is buying for me, I'm going to do some research. I'm going to see if I can create a dessert that is 'visibly and shockingly' amazing!"
"..."
Yurine watched Ryohei as he talked excitedly, his expression animated. Her gaze softened unconsciously.
Earlier today at the ranch, she had kept thinking about him, wondering what he was doing, wondering if he was... with Lucoa.
Every time she thought about it, she felt an indescribable sense of frustration and unhappiness.
But the moment she saw him walk through the door this afternoon, all those negative emotions had vanished, dissipating like smoke.
Yurine looked at Ryohei and thought to herself:
'I really... am in love with you!'
At this point, she no longer felt the need to investigate what had or hadn't happened between him and Lucoa. She felt a sense of relief.
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