Thump, thump.
I woke up to a vibration coming from my stomach.
"......"
I was wondering why I felt such pressure in my gut, but it turned out White Arus was bouncing around on top of me with great enthusiasm.
Only when she noticed me looking at her did White Arus finally stop moving.
"Arus, what exactly are you doing...?"
"I was performing exercises such as jumping on Higakieta Hai's body."
"That wasn't what I was asking... You looked like you were having a great time, though."
"Yes. How is it?"
"How is it, she says..."
What was I supposed to say to that?
Was I supposed to say it felt good to have her bouncing on my stomach?
I am not some pervert like Kannazuki.
"Why on earth are you doing this...?"
"I am using the method Kotori Itsuka uses to wake Itsuka Shido."
Damn it, commander mode.
"Anyway, please get down quickly. Staying up there is dangerous."
"Yes. Understood."
White Arus climbed down from my stomach, and I stretched before getting up.
"......Did I perhaps make a mistake?"
"Huh?"
At White Arus's question, asked just as I got out of bed, I froze for a second.
"If it made you feel bad—"
Seeing that I wasn't saying anything, White Arus mistook my silence for displeasure and lowered her head, but I stopped her.
"Ah, no. Don't bow your head. You didn't know any better, did you? I'm not some bad guy who'd get upset over something like this."
"......Thank you for forgiving me."
"It wasn't forgiveness or anything."
Her dejected expression returned to normal.
Seeing that, I let out a quiet sigh of relief inside.
"Anyway. Day two, huh? Just in case, let me ask—this isn't over yet, right?"
"Yes. I still do not know what love is. I want to know love."
"Well, let's take it step by step. Time is... probably plentiful."
In the real world, school would probably be handled somehow by [Ratatoskr].
Besides, the flow of time here and outside was different anyway.
So there was no real need to worry.
"Yes. I have obtained several new pieces of information. I would like to perform feedback."
"Feedback...?"
"Hieta! Come out! Time for breakfast!"
"Ah, yes!"
For a moment I was confused by White Arus's words, but I quickly changed clothes after hearing Mayuri's voice from beyond the door...
"Arus, could you turn around for a second?"
"Understood."
I made Arus, who had been staring straight at me, turn around and changed clothes.
Then it suddenly occurred to me to wonder what White Arus wanted to eat.
"Arus. Is there anything you want to eat?"
"Something I want to eat...? I do not particularly have such a thing."
"Hmm. Then is it okay if I make the same thing as yesterday?"
Yesterday, I made toast for something simple.
I didn't know what everyone liked, and more than anything, I was lazy, so I made toast because it was easy.
"If you get tired of toast, I also have pineapple pizza."
"......If I had to choose, I would like toast."
There seemed to be a slight look of disgust in White Arus's eyes, but maybe that was just my imagination?
"Come to think of it, you had another one yesterday too. Did you like the toast?"
"Liked it...... Perhaps. I would like to eat it again."
"Then choose between pizza toast, cheese toast, or bacon toast."
All of the ingredients were there.
I had bought them to make pineapple pizza in the first place.
Yesterday I held back because I was at Itsuka-kun's house, but this was the spirit mansion, so I wasn't going to hold back here.
"Either one is deeply interesting."
"Hmm. Then I'll make pizza toast and add cheese and bacon on top."
"Yes. Then, please do that."
As she said that, a faint smile appeared at the corners of White Arus's mouth.
"As expected, Arus looks better when she's smiling."
"......Thank you for the compliment."
"That wasn't really a compliment, just my honest opinion, so you don't need to thank me. Now then, shall we go?"
I never thought I'd be thanked for something like this.
*******
When I went out to the living room, everyone except Itsuka-kun, the commander, Rinne, and Tohka was already gathered.
"Hieta! You're late!"
"Ahaha, sorry."
I brushed off Mayuri's scolding and went into the kitchen to start making toast.
For the record, what people in Japan call toast and what people in Korea call toast are quite different.
In Japan, toast usually refers to plain sliced bread that has been toasted, which is the original meaning.
In Korea, on the other hand, toast means a hot sandwich made by putting ham, vegetables, eggs, and so on between two pieces of bread.
What I was making was the Korean kind of toast.
Everyone had tried it yesterday and been satisfied.
"How many do you want, everyone?"
At my question, each person said how many they wanted.
Most of them chose one, but Mana, Arus, and Miku chose two.
The latter two, excluding Arus, didn't have to worry about getting fat no matter how much they ate, so they were just eating what they wanted right now.
That reason was pretty realistic too.
"All right, everyone, come eat."
While everyone sat down and ate toast, I worked on making pineapple pizza in my own way.
"Hmm-hmm-hmm~"
While I waited, humming to myself until it finished baking in the oven, Mana came over beside me.
"Aren't you going to eat, Hieta?"
"Ah, I'm planning to eat pizza."
"Pizza?"
"Yes."
At my answer, Mana looked closely at the oven and asked if she could have some too.
I readily agreed and waited for the pizza to finish baking. After a little while, I took it out.
"Mmm~ smell~"
Breathing in the sweet aroma rising from the baked pineapple, I cut off a slice and put it in my mouth.
"Yeah, this is it!"
As expected, the person who made this pineapple pizza was definitely a genius.
"Then I'll have a bite too!"
Mana also boldly tore off a slice and went for a one-bite kill.
"Ghk...!"
And then she fell heroically in battle.
"Mana?! Mana?!"
"U, ugh..."
"What happened?"
Hearing the commotion, everyone in the living room ran over and checked the situation.
"H-hiiik!"
"I-is this... pineapple pizza...?"
"W-wait!"
"Darling, don't tell me you gave Mana..."
"Pineapple pizza?"
"I didn't give it to her! She said she wanted some and took a slice herself!"
After roughly hearing what happened, everyone nodded and said,
"She fainted from self-inflicted consequences."
Hey, a person just collapsed, what are you all doing?
"Arus! What's Mana's condition right now?"
"Analysis... complete. Takamiya Mana is in a simple fainting state. She likely received a strong shock after eating the pineapple pizza made by Higakieta Hai and fainted as a result."
"Does that even make sense!? Fainting from just eating one pizza slice!?"
At my words, the others nodded.
"Quite enough."
"If it's pineapple pizza."
"I-it might be possible..."
"Hieta-kun! Pineapple pizza isn't fit for human consumption!"
"That's garbage food, you know~"
"Kihihit. I think the same thing~"
"No, why is pineapple pizza garbage food!?"
This is ridiculous!
What kind of delicious food are they calling garbage?
"Ahh, I pity you people for not knowing the greatness of pineapple pizza..."
As I said that, I took another slice of pineapple pizza and ate it.
As expected, this was truly the food of a great god.
How could anyone call this garbage food?
Anyone who did clearly had no taste.
"Hah!"
"Huh? She's awake."
While I was eating pineapple pizza, Mana woke up.
"S-someone was waving from across the river..."
As she muttered that, Mana looked at the pineapple pizza I was eating, grimaced, and backed away.
"T-that thing is the food of the devil! It's on the same level as mint chocolate!"
What?
How dare she put this divine food on the same level as that kind of thing?
This was not something I could let slide.
Absolutely not.
"Even if it's Mana, Itsuka-kun's little sister, I can't let that one go."
"Huh?"
"How can you put mint chocolate and pineapple pizza on the same level?"
"Hieta. You might be the only one here who thinks that."
"No way! Everyone must think the same as me—"
After denying Mayuri's words, I looked around, only to find everyone shaking their heads.
Unbelievable!
"This is... this is impossible..."
"It is possible."
"You know, even for you, that last comment crossed the line."
I felt the bitter taste of betrayal first thing in the morning.
"Is Higakieta Hai always like this?"
At White Arus's question, Kaguya answered in a bored voice.
"Sometimes."
"That's too much!?"
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