Volume 1 - CH 23

Episode 23: Shopping at the Supermarket

"Since we're here, let's go to the supermarket and shop for dinner."

On the way home from delivering tomatoes to the farmers' union, I saw a supermarket in my hometown and turned the wheel.

By supermarket, you mean the market, right?"

"I'm telling you, it's not as big as the other day, okay?"

"Mm-hmm. I understand.

Even though the car had air conditioning, it couldn't compare to the cooling power of the supermarket's building.

During this season, the supermarket becomes a haven from the heat.

As we entered the store, Seram eagerly grabbed a basket and placed it in the cart.

It was clear that she enjoyed pushing the cart. I found it amusing as we walked through the store, starting from the vegetable section on the left.

"What are we going to buy today?"

"It will depend on our dinner menu. I'm thinking of making a dish with tomatoes."

We still have some red tomatoes left over from lunch, and while we could eat them as they are, I thought it would be nice to use them for cooking since we're here.

"Oh, a tomato dish! That sounds nice!"

"Do you have any particular preference for a tomato-based dish, Seram?"

"I'm fine with anything, Jin-dono! Why do you look so gloomy!?"

"...It's troublesome when you say anything is fine."

If I were alone, I might be fine with a simple dish, but now that I have Seram with me, I want to introduce her to various foods since she has just arrived here. With so many options available, deciding on my own is overwhelming.

I wish she would tell me what she wants in times like this.

Though whether or not I can actually make it is another matter.

"Somehow, I remember my servants and mother telling me that line. Um, a tomato dish... "

When I express my struggle with deciding on the menu, Seram starts to think in a panic.

"Um, I want a dish like a tomato stew! And maybe something baked with cheese on top!"

Not long after, she expressed her specific wishes, which was more than I had expected.

It seems she may have had similar dishes in her hometown.

"I see. In that case, I'll make chicken tomato stew and tomato falci..."

Fortunately, it is not that difficult to cook.

Based on Seram's wishes, a menu popped up in my mind.

I put the necessary ingredients into the cart, such as onions, ground meat, cheese, and chicken.

"Jin-dono!　A pack of eggs is only a hundred yen per customer!"

"That's cheap!　Put two in the cart!"

"Okay!"

But when we shop together like this, we look like a married couple.

But in reality, we are just an employer and an employee living together. What a silly thought!

As I walked with these thoughts in my mind, Seram suddenly stopped pushing her cart.

She is staring intently at the bread section.

Come to think of it, bread is a common food in Seram's hometown. Understandably, she would be interested in something familiar.

"Do you want to have bread as the main dish for dinner?"

"Is that alright?!"

I asked without thinking, and Seram looked back at me with a big smile.

"We can have bread as the main dish for dinner. You can choose whatever you think would go well with it."

"Got it!"

"When I told her that, Seram stopped pushing the cart and walked to the bread section.

"Should I get a whole loaf of bread, a butter roll, or maybe a baguette... Hmm, there are so many options. It's difficult to choose!"

"If we buy all of them, we won't be able to finish them. Let's just choose two for now."

"Alright! Let's go with a loaf of bread and a buttered roll!"

After thinking for 5 minutes, Seram placed two loaves of bread in the cart.

"If you want something for yourself, buy it with your money."

"Then I'll take this baguette and this anpan!"

I suggested that because Seram seemed indecisive, and she promptly added more bread to the cart.

The quantity of bread kept increasing.

'It's your money. You can spend it as you please, but are you sure you can eat all of it?"

"No problem!"

It's quite a lot of food, but Seram proudly said it's not a problem.

I know she eats more than ordinary people, so there might be no leftover food.

"Alright then. I'll pick up the rest of the items, and if there's anything else you want, feel free to buy it yourself."

"Okay!"

Seram grabbed another basket and started exploring the store.

Since the supermarket is small, I don't think she'll have trouble finding her way around.

A little free time at last. I will buy some daily necessities such as body soap, bath salts, sponges, kitchen detergent, etc., which are just about to run out.

Fifteen minutes had passed when I finished buying all the necessary items.

Before heading to the cashier, let's check on Seram.

With this in mind, I walked through the store and found Seram rummaging in the candy section with a serious expression.

She was emitting a strange aura, causing the children around her wary of her.

What on earth is she doing...?

"Have you decided what you want?"

"Yeah! I'll buy these!"

Seram put many chocolates in the basket as she replied to me.

The basket she holds is full of sweets.

"Are you a kid?..."

No, even a kid nowadays wouldn't be so foolish to buy so much.

"What? It doesn't matter, right? This is just a reward for my hard work, right?"

"Even so, there should be a limit. It's not good for your health if you eat all of it. Reduce the amount."

"Damn! You said I can buy whatever I want. Isn't that unfair...?"

After warning her, Seram reluctantly put some of the sweets back on the shelves.

Once I confirmed that the basket was half full of sweets, Seram walked to the cashier alone to pay for her purchases.

It was terrible, even though she worked and earned the money herself.

Her random selection of items included some expensive ones, and the total purchase amounted to over 5,000 yen.

I wish she would be more mindful of her spending, considering she has no relatives to rely on.

After finishing our grocery shopping, I packed the bags and carried them to my light truck parked in the parking lot.

"...I want to go back to the supermarket."

"I understand your feeling, but let's be patient."

The car's interior was sweltering, likely due to exposure to the sun for a long time.

Since we are coming from the freezing cold supermarket, the heat felt even more oppressive.

I opened the doors and windows wide to let in some air and quickly turned on the air conditioner.

Once the temperature inside the car had cooled down, Seram and I took our seats.

After fastening my seatbelt, I started the car and left the parking lot.

As we drove along the road, Seram sitting beside me, began rummaging through her bag.

It seemed she was concerned about the sweets she had just purchased.

"...... Jin-dono, can I have some of my sweets?"

"You can eat. Just be careful not to make a mess, okay?"

"Thank you!"

With my approval, Seram unwrapped a large piece of chocolate.

She removed the plastic covering from the rectangular chocolate and took a bite.

"Hmmm! This chocolate is delicious, with the perfect balance of sweetness and bitterness!"

"I'm glad you enjoy it."

It must be a delightful experience for her to taste chocolate for the first time.

I wish I could fully share her joy, but I must focus on driving.

"You should try it, Jin-dono."

"No, I can't. I'm driving."

If we were stopped at a traffic light, it would be fine. But since we're currently driving on the main road, it's too dangerous to eat.

"Then, ahh, ahh!"

"Oh, ahh?"

When I firmly declined, Seram extended a piece of chocolate towards my mouth for some reason.

I realized it would be inconvenient to leave it untouched, but I felt puzzled. Eventually, I relented and allowed her to feed me.

The sweetness and distinct bitterness of the chocolate filled my mouth.

Perhaps my body was more exhausted than I had realized as the sweetness of the chocolate seemed to softly spread within me.

It's good to eat this once in a while.

When I glance at her, Seram's face is bright red.

"............"

"Hey, don't do that if you're going to be embarrassed."