“Rumi-chan, I’m here—— Uh?!”
“It’s been a while, Mika. Oh, I just realized you didn’t come with Haruna this time? What a shame. There aren’t many people who react as well as Haruna does.”
Chew chew.
“This taste is…”
“…Is it cream shrimp balls? The harmony of the crispy batter and cream is wonderful.”
“Correct! As the Vice President of the Gourmet Research Club, you figured it out right away. We’ve been bringing in a ton of cream lately, so there’s just too much left… Thanks to that, I’ll have to whip up a ton of dishes using cream for a while.”
“Still, you can’t just pop that in my mouth like that when I’m already full… And please, stop calling me the Vice President of the Gourmet Research Club.”
After being welcomed with a food attack by Akeshiro Rumi, the president of the club, right after being treated at Hyunryongmun, I felt both overwhelmed and slightly amused.
She had a tall, very mature figure, shining blue eyes, and bright orange hair that looked both rich in color and vibrant, unlike any other fox beastman I’d ever seen. Her long, pointy fox ears truly stood out.
The first person who came to mind as a partner for my tteokbokki business was Fuka from Gehenna. However, realizing she was too busy making school lunches every day led me to search for someone more serious, and that’s how I ended up connecting with Rumi.
I’d stake my life on the fact that no one else is as suitable for this venture as Rumi, who has exceptional cooking skills and an intense spirit for culinary exploration that ranks among the top in Kivotos.
Especially since I planned to start the business with tteokbokki based on rice cakes, and there was a need to develop a spicy marinade, it was a given that Rumi from Sanhaegyeong was more competent than Fuka.
“Oh, wait. You had lunch separately? That’s a bit heartbreaking. I was wondering what to make for you when you came.”
“…I left a message on Momotalk saying I’d swing by Hyunryongmun first, didn’t you see it?”
“…Oh my. I totally spaced on that! Haha! I’ve been a bit busy lately developing the spicy marinade.”
“Ugh, Mika. Why on earth did you assign such a recipe research to President Rumi? Thanks to you, I’ve been suffering since a few days ago. I can’t stand the smell of the marinade anymore…!”
In the midst of this, Ryuuge Reijo, who was whining at me, was a student assigned to be Rumi’s bodyguard. Her athletic build was evident even from a glance, with thighs that made Yuuka look dainty.
By the way, she looked pretty serious the last time we met, but now it seems that was somewhat of a concept, right?
Despite her complaining, it was clear that Reijo deeply respected Rumi’s efforts. You could practically call her a follower.
But being a follower and all, doesn’t it also come with limits? The flavor of the marinade can be hit or miss, and anyone who’s had to eat that for days would inevitably complain, even me.
“Wow—oh… Rumi-chan, that was a bit much. Oh right, about the rose marinade recipe you sent before— that was definitely good! Nagisa-chan also had a pretty positive reaction.”
“I’m glad to hear that! That was pretty well-received even within our club, so we could sell it just as it is.”
“Haha, but still, I feel it’s a bit lacking to start a franchise with just one or two menu items. I think it’s a little premature.”
“Well… I can’t argue with that. In that sense…”
“…Huh?”
With a shy smile, Rumi suddenly crossed her arms and pulled me over to a nearby table.
Wait, I remember Nagisa telling me this level of physical contact was rare even among friends. And here I was, experiencing that “rare” occasion firsthand.
“Now that you’re here, Mika, you have to lend a hand… or rather, a bite, right?”
“…Are you talking about that spicy marinade recipe?”
“Yeah. The process of fine-tuning the spiciness levels has proven quite challenging. I’ve grasped levels 1 and 2 to an extent, but after that, there are far fewer people to evaluate the taste, and that’s the issue. You said you can handle spicy food well, right?”
“Well, I can manage it.”
I could eat spicy food fairly well. But…
What’s this chilling sense of foreboding?
“Alright then. Please evaluate levels 3 and 4 for me.”
As I caught sight of Rumi’s sparkling eyes and the grin that hung on her lips, I found myself sinking into doubt about whether returning to Trinity now might be the right choice after all.
*
With a big smile, Rumi served up two plates of tteokbokki made with the distinctive smell of the marinade in front of me. My expression upon seeing it was… well, let’s say…
“Mika, just so you know, I didn’t even attempt level 4.”
“…Thanks for the valuable information, Reijo-chan.”
With Reijo giving me a worried look as she said that, it seemed my expression must have been more than just a little off.
“Hehe. The left one is level 3, and the right one is level 4.”
After casting a glance at Rumi’s beaming face, I picked up the left plate. The color was better than I expected, and the smell was tolerable. Slowly biting into the tteokbokki…
“Hmm. Mmm. It’s edible? It’s not exactly mind-blowing, but it’s a tolerable spiciness.”
“Oh dear, is level 3 still in need of adjustments? That’s disappointing. Take a break, and then I’ll need you to evaluate level 4 too!”
I glanced at the right plate. The color already looked suspicious.
Sure, level 3 might’ve been a tolerable spiciness for me, but for Nagisa, who couldn’t handle spice at all, that would probably leave her gasping for air. Even I suspected level 4 was something else entirely.
“Haha… While we’re resting, how about we talk about something else? Rumi-chan, what do you think about the current situation at Hyunryongmun and Hyeonmusanghoe?”
“Hmm? Did you discuss something with Kisaki regarding that? As for my thoughts… Well, I definitely don’t misunderstand Hyunryongmun’s position. It doesn’t make sense to pursue change without recognizing the importance of tradition, right? However, we can’t consider it desirable to be consumed by tradition. Without accepting new culture, nothing will change, no matter how much time passes.”
“So you’re saying it’s frustrating because the people at Hyunryongmun aren’t willing to accept any change?”
“…Oh, is it a bit too blunt to express it that way? I’ve heard Trinity’s politics are a bit more roundabout.”
“Haha. Should I just call myself the black sheep here☆”
At first, I thought I would never adapt to the upper class of Trinity. However, now I felt like they all hid their true intentions at a deeper level; they’re just kids after all.
I can’t deny there’s a sense of self-interest involved.
“Hehe. To put it delicately, I feel like if Hyunryongmun would just open up a little, we could better understand each other.”
“In that case, if Kisaki-chan intends to pursue changes in this area, can we expect Hyeonmusanghoe’s active cooperation?”
“…Oh? Kisaki expressed that intention? This is… unexpected. I had no idea. I thought she closed her heart off after that mess in the recent competition.”
“As it turns out, the reason Kisaki-chan made me come to Hyunryongmun was for that very purpose. I only learned this after arriving here.”
“Well, I’m more than welcoming. If Kisaki is willing to consider it, I certainly can’t mess that up!”
“…Wait, President Rumi. You’re not seriously thinking of working together again with those stubborn folks at Hyunryongmun, are you? Talking to those cowards who refuse to change in the name of preserving tradition is like beating a dead horse.”
Reijo, who had been looking at something on her phone next to me, abruptly intervened, shocked by the direction the conversation took.
It seemed the people at Hyeonmusanghoe had built up quite a bit of emotion over time.
“Reijo-chan, if we don’t try, nothing will change. Isn’t that right?”
“…Ugh. That’s a fair point, President. You’ve got me there, can’t argue with that.”
“That’s what I said! So, Mika, could you fill me in on what you two talked about?”
As Rumi took a seat across from me, propping her chin up, I couldn’t help but recall the conversation I had shared with Kisaki.
Recalling my ideas for Kisaki, I recounted them to Rumi, who nodded along, looking intrigued, and suddenly shot up with excitement.
“Let’s do both!”
“…Huh?”
“In order to open the hearts at Hyunryongmun, it’s not about having conflicting positions and friction, but creating more productive spaces where we can genuinely clash ideas. We shouldn’t indulge in uncertainty, assuming we can make it work!”
“That… does sound feasible. Though, managing that falls squarely on Sanhaegyeong, so I can’t dictate how it’ll go. I think Kisaki-chan and Rumi-chan should tackle those parts separately.”
“I’ll take care of that somehow. Hehe… even in Hyunryongmun, where they don’t see the first step as taking a walk, once we manage that, everything else will surely fall into place. Don’t you think?”
“If you say so, Rumi-chan, then I guess that’s it…?”
“Haha, today this is truly a happy occasion! Thank you for your insights, Mika.”
“Right. If it helps in some way, I’m more than glad.”
After talking about this for a while, when Rumi suggested I test the tteokbokki before it got cold, I agreed and took both the rice cake and fish cake together, slowly bringing it to my mouth. Maybe I had adapted to the smell of the marinade because it didn’t seem too overpowering.
But the moment I took a big bite out of the rice cake, my eyes widened.
“…?”
“Uh, uh-oh? Mika? Are you… crying…?”
“Hail—— I blanked——?!”
I swear I will curse you, Akeshiro Rumi…
