107-Episode 92 Shopping

Before going to Millie's flower shop, I bought some popcorn on the main street. Naturally, it was honey popcorn from the second store of the Sunlit Pavilion.

At first, I was thinking of adding more stalls, but at present, two stalls are enough.

I decided that it was more important to establish a solid foundation and build a solid customer base than to expand our business too quickly. Management should be strategic and resourceful.

However, it seems that popcorn does not sell well on a very hot day.

It makes you thirsty.

I told my sisters who were working as vendors to drink water and take turns to take a break in the shade periodically, and we headed for the flower shop.

'Cooler ......'.

Millie's flower shop was filled with a cool, cool air.

It was like the effect of sprinkling water.

'Hey ......, welcome.'

'Hey. Thanks for yesterday.'

'Yeah. I had a good time, too.

Miri was in the middle of cutting the stems of the flowers diagonally with a large pair of scissors.

She gathered up the flowers, put them on the table, and walked over to us.

The way she moves around, she really looks like a ladybug. No, he's really a ladybug man.

'I'd like to ask you something.

'What is it?

'Do you have any bamboo?I want the thickest, longest, most magnificent one possible.

'Ah ............ ugh ......'

Millie gives me a troubled look.

What is it?I'm not sure what to do.

''Oh, ......Regina's the one. ......''

Regina?

'Ladybug says to be careful when you say 'thick' or 'long' or 'splendid' because that's when you're trying to sekhara ......'

'Sorry, Jeannette. I'm going to go kick Regina's ass now.

'Oh, um, please calm down, Yashiro-san!Millie-san, Regina-san's comment was a joke, so please don't worry about it!

I'm sure you'll be glad to know that I'm not the only one who has a problem with that.

'If it's bamboo,......, just wait a minute and I'll get it ready for you, okay?

'I see. Thick, long and magnificent.'

'Oh ......f,thick and long......'

'You don't have to recite it, Milly!You've just done it for fun, haven't you, Yashiro?

No, because.........

'Jeannette used to be somewhat of an out-of-touch, pouty guy, but ...... she's become sensitive to such things. ...... I'm saddened.'

'Whose fault is it?

'.................. Regina?'

'............It's ............ undeniable, though. ......'

Awareness ............ of me?

.............................. ..................

'...... ladybug-san?'

'Nah, it's nothing!

'Nyet!...... What, what, what?'

'Oh ...... no,............ sorry,nothing.'

'Yeah ............, yeah. Okay.

What the hell are you doing, man?

'So, how long is the bamboo ......?

'Well, I'd say about two meters. It could be longer, though.'

'Okay. I'll bring it next time.

'Thank you.

He took out a sheaf of paper from his apron pocket and wrote on it.

'Thank you very much for your .......'

Millie puts her hands together and bows. A large ladybug hair ornament sways on her head.

You may be happy to see the hair ornament swaying, and when you look up, you will see 'hehehe......', holding the hair ornament with your hand and smiling shyly.

What's this? Can I ask for takeout?

'Um, Miss Milly. What kind of plant is this?'

Ginette says, staring at the long, thin grass on display by the counter.

There are no flowers on it, just grass. Stems and leaves. Do the leaves look like strawberries to you?

'Ah, ...... that's a snow strawberry, ............ if you plant it now, it will bear fruit every morning when the snow falls.'

Snow......

That's not a word you want to hear on a hot day like this .

I wonder how long it'll be before we can harvest them.

'Can we eat strawberries every morning?'

'Hmm. If you grow them well.

'Mr. Yashiro, would you like to buy one?

You mean like an advance investment?

Well, I guess it's not a bad idea to try.

I'm also hoping that the snow will fall soon, as it does in the summer.

''Then deliver that with the bamboo. I have other places to go today.

'Hmm!I'll take it with me.

We paid the bill in advance and left the flower shop.

Millie came to see us off at the front of the store and kept waving at us until we were out of sight.

But she didn't say "endless bye bye" as usual. It seems she doesn't do that when she's seeing us off.

'Well. Shall we go beat up Regina?

'No, that's ............ well, I'd also like to go to the hardware store and buy some pots to plant the snow strawberries I mentioned earlier.'

'Pots...... then, Theron's place.'

'Yes.

The brickworks is farther from here than the hardware store. If you're going to take the long way, it's better to come empty-handed. I sweat just thinking about taking a detour in this heat with my luggage. Let's head for the brickworks first.

'On a day like this, with the sun beating down on us, Wendy might be glowing even in the daytime.

'Uh-huh, ......, no way.

Laughing, we walked along a deserted street and arrived at the brickworks.

'Oh, Hero-sama!

'Whoa!It's too bright!

It was Wendy who greeted us at the brickworks. ......, but when we went into a little shade, she began to emit light as if it were nothing.

It's bad for your eyes,.......

'I'm sorry, sir!

'Are you still working on the glowing flower?

'Yes. But right now, we're mainly developing paints for use on bricks. I want to support that ...... work of Theron's, so I'm going to ............ cackle!

Wow, cute monkey impersonation.

I'm not embarrassed. That was a monkey imitation. I'm not embarrassed, I promise!I won't accept it otherwise!

'Now, I'll use Regina's medicine to suppress the light.

'Did you buy it on purpose?'

'No,......, if you emit too much bright light in front of the heroes,......, that ......, "I can't see anything because I'm blinded~", he said, aiming to rub my chest. I've been told to keep it with me ...... just in case.

'Sorry, Jeannette. I'm going to go kick Regina's ass now.

'Oh, um, please calm down, Yashiro-san!Wendy-san, Regina-san's comment was a joke, so please don't worry about it!

''Yes, sir. Of course. The heroes would never do such a shameful thing.

'...... What about that one?

'Please don't imply anything!

I don't know. Regina's spreading all kinds of weird rumors.

She should just lock herself in her room for the rest of her life.

Well, well, well. Welcome to my workshop.

A freshly sweating Theron emerges from the kiln with a hand towel wrapped around his head like a bandana.

Is he firing bricks in this heat wave?What are you, a dominatrix?

'Theron. You're a pervert, aren't you?'

'I'm sorry, hero, ...... I can't see what you're talking about because it's so sudden. ......?'

Theron looked at Wendy in confusion. Wendy chuckles and smiles back. As their gazes crossed, they both let out a light laugh.

All right!Explode right here!

'Actually, I'd like a potted plant. I'd like to plant some snow strawberries.'

'Oh. If that's the case, I have a recommendation for you.'

Ginette is ordering a potted plant, leaving me to start planning my rear-end explosion.

'Oh, yes, hero.

Theron was about to go get a potted plant, but he turned to me and said this with a confident expression.

'I've completed the thing that Hero-sama taught me before!I'm afraid I'm not the best, but I think it's pretty good.

'...... me, what did you say?'

'I'll bring it with me. If you like it, please have it.

Theron walked back to the grill with a happy face.

'Ahhhh, it's so hot! I wonder if I'll hear a perverted voice. And let your handsomeness plummet.

Of course, such a bizarre thing was not going to happen. Theron came back with a fresh smile as usual, and his glistening sweat added to his manliness. ...... Tsk.

I'm not sure what to say.I'm not sure what to do.

'......Oh wow~......'

'Please take it!

'What, what?Are you asking me to die?

I'm not going to use a shichirin on a hot day like this.

Unlike you, I'm not a pervert who gets excited by hot air.

'Eh, but when you were talking to the guild leader of the ...... Sea Fishing Guild, you said you'd be happy to have a shichirin, didn't you?

''Ah?Ah ............ ah, that time. ......'

A few weeks ago.

There was a time when the wind was blowing so coolly that it made me feel as if autumn was deepening.

Then, Masha of the Sea Fishing Guild brought me some saury and clams.

Then I said, 'I wish I had a shichirin,' and showed Theron, who happened to be there, what a shichirin was.

I showed him what a shichirin was. ...... I didn't expect him to make one for real. And on such a hot day,......

'Could it possibly have been a nuisance ......?'

Theron's complexion instantly turned blue.

'I created this without the permission of the heroes,.................., and I'm sorry for my hasty actions...' ...............That's right, I made the mistake of thinking that I would be allowed to create such a wonderful thing. ...... I'm not sure what to do. ......

I'm not sure what to say.Hero!I'm sorry, sir!If you're going to punish me, please, punish me equally!If you are going to punish me, please punish me equally!

I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea. .........

...... haha.

I just wanted a shichirin.I was just in the market for a shichirin.Ah, if you look closely, you'll see that this is a first-rate shichirin!As expected, the work is meticulous and of high grade!

'Really, Hero-sama?

'Good for you, Theron!

'I owe it to Wendy!You've been so supportive of me!

'No, you didn't!I was just there for Theron. ......'

'That's what's going to help me. ......'

'Theron......'

'Wendy......'

You guys, I'm going to roast it over the seventh ring.

I'll put a dash of soy sauce on it and cook it up nice and fragrant, rear!

'I'm glad you got a good deal, Yashiro.'

In my country, this kind of thing is called a hard sell or a cry-off.

This is a kind of scam, isn't it?

But the quality of the shichirin is really great.

I'm sure you'll enjoy the delicious clams. ...... when it snows.

'Then deliver it to the sunny pavilion along with a bowl of snow strawberries.

'Yes, sir. We have four shichirin in total, how many shall we bring?

Four. ......

She glanced at Jeannette.

Ginette said, 'I'll leave it to you. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this. ...... But please be gentle with me," she said with a troubled smile.

...... d*mn it, these guys. It's a shame that you have to sell to a scammer,.......

I'm going to take four of them. We'll have a shichirin party sometime.'

'That sounds great!We'd love to be there!

'If there's anything we can do to help, we'll do it!

Hmm, something's really making me nervous... ......

'All right!All right, all right!When it snows, come and have a drink with me.

''Yes!

With glowing smiles, Theron and Wendy nodded. ...... Oh, Wendy was really shining a bit, though.

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Strangely enough, the moment we left the brickworks, the temperature seemed to drop by 2 degrees Celsius.

'...... was a hot and stuffy place.'

'You look happy, don't you?

'...... I'll give Theron a foot massage next time.'

'I feel sorry for him. Mmm-hmm.'

Ginette shakes her shoulders and giggles as she walks next to me.

She seems to be in a very good mood.

'Do you enjoy shopping?

'Huh?

'No. Not so much, right?It's not often you get to take your time and store around like this.

Assunto does most of the shopping for me now. I'm grateful for the excellent service, but I still enjoy shopping by walking around on my own.

When I was in Japan, I once spent an entire day wandering around the electronics district looking for PC parts.

It's quite a fun memory.

'You too should take a day off once in a while and enjoy shopping like this. Then you'll be able to see things in a new light.

Well, I'm a little worried that I might get caught in a scam at some shady store if that happens.

'Yes, that's true. ....... The store has become a little more stable.

In fact, if you have Magda and Loretta, you'll be able to run the store. I still need Ginette's preparation and direction, but I may not even need that anymore. And then there are my sisters.

'Maybe it's not a bad idea to make time for that.

Jeannette's smile was very cheerful, and she looked just a little more mature than when we first met.

The man who had only clung to the sunny pavilion was no longer there. Little by little, he is able to keep his distance, and little by little, he is able to look at the world from a macro perspective.

The fact that the Sunlit Pavilion is an important place for Jeannette will never change. But it may become more than that.

No, it has to be.

The Sunlit Pavilion will become a position of "one of the most important things" for Jeannette.

It would be evidence that Jeannette had grown up.

'But ......'

Suddenly ......

As I walked forward, Ginette disappeared from my sight.

She had disappeared as if she had melted into the flowing landscape.

Realizing that Ginette had stopped, I looked back at her.

The landscape was out of focus, like a shaky image, and only Ginette was in focus as she stopped.

'I hope you'll be with us then, Yashiro-san.

The same as always. That smile was there.

'.........'

For a moment.

It was only for a moment, but my mind went blank.

'............ Well, once in a while...'

'Yes.'

What the hell is ............ going on with me?

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.

The flowing scenery looks a little fainter than before ......, but I guess it's just my imagination.

'Come on!The next stop is the hardware store!Let's go see Norma's tits!

'd*mn it, Yashiro-san. Regina-san will say a lot of things about you because you keep saying things like that.

As if to gently scold me, Ginette lightly presses my arm.

What?I don't know if Ginette is the kind of girl who does this kind of body touching!

I wonder if she did ....... What is it then?You're saying I've become conscious of you?

You're kidding me. Why would I be ......

I'm sure she hasn't even seen Norma. She's a reclusive shy girl. She's probably some kind of mushroom.'

'............ is terrible, Yashiro-san.'

It's not very convincing if you say it after you've blown your guts out.

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The street is a gentle uphill slope. Norma's mold shop stands near the entrance.

I'm already familiar with this store, because I order various things from it every time something happens.

'Norma, are you there?

'Oh, Yashiro?I'm here, but I'm not .......'

Norma puffs elegantly on her cigarette at the back of the store. Purple smoke hangs in the dimly lit room. It disappears in a circle near the ceiling.

Norma leans on the counter as if to put her weight on it. Her tits are thumping on it.

'Regina told me to be on the lookout for you when you come in.

'Sorry, Jeannette. I'm going to go kick Regina's ass now.

'Oh, um, please calm down, Yashiro-san!Norma-san, Regina-san's comment was a joke, so please don't worry about it!

'Kufufu ......, you know what I mean. It's cute when you make fun of it, you know. Kufu......'

He spun the flue dexterously to remove the ashes.

'Yes, yes. How's the fridge?If it's useful, I'd like to sell it to someone else.

'Well, it's not so bad. It depends on the weather.

'That can't be helped. We'll just throw them in the well.

I stuff a new leaf into the flue and light it.

A faint, sweet smell of smoke fills the air.

'Mr. Yashiro. What is this 'Reizouko'?'

'Oh. It's the box I used to keep the agar agar in when I made honey beans.

'Oh, so that's your refrigerator?

'No, it's not. ......'

It was not a refrigerator at all.

The well in the sunny pavilion is deep. Therefore, the water near the surface is quite cool.

Or rather, the well water is chilled to the bone.

Then, you throw this "refrigerator," a metal box that is completely waterproof, into the well. That's all there is to it.

Well, it does get cold, doesn't it? It's like chilling summer vegetables in a riverbed, you might imagine.

However, there are too few of them to get through this hot midsummer.

Well, at best, I can make good honey beans.

'So what do you want?What do you want?

'Yes, sir. A couple of shovels.

'A shovel. Wait a minute. I'll pick out a good one for you.'

'Yes, sir. I'll take care of it.

After that, we bought the two shovels Norma had brought with her and returned to the sunny pavilion.

I'm exhausted from walking around in the heat.

But, ...... for some reason, ............ I thought it was a pretty fun day.