"Sister..."
Sitting at the dining table the next morning, Chisa Kotegawa glanced at Miyazawa Yuu, who, for some unknown reason, was wearing clothes and pretending nothing happened, and poured all her pent-up resentment onto her own sister.
"I had insomnia last night. It sounded like a construction crew was working next door. Do you have any idea why?"
"Eh~ Is that so? That's strange. Let's go out after breakfast and see if we have any new neighbors..."
Guiltily turning her head away, Nanaka Kotegawa held a pancake in her mouth, but her hands secretly crept up to her neck and tightly tied her scarf.
Wearing a scarf in the middle of summer when it's over 30 degrees Celsius, approaching 40, in a hall without the air conditioning running, is somewhat an attempt to cover up the truth!
"No need to go out and wander."
Slamming her head onto the table with a bang, Chisa turned her head, revealing a bright red forehead, and wailed loudly in frustration: "But I think I'll have a neighbor very soon!"
"Indeed..."
"I knew it!"
"You two stop making sarcastic remarks, and Kohei, if you have nothing to do, please go home, okay..."
Placing a plate of freshly baked pancakes on the head of the guy seriously considering the issue of wedding envelopes, Miyazawa Yuu waved his hand dismissively at Kohei, as if shooing away an overly noisy, annoying neighborhood child.
Of course, this wasn't just aimed at Kohei. If Iori didn't have nowhere else to go besides GrandBlue, he would genuinely kick that guy out too!
These two not only do nothing, but they only know how to eat all day long, and in the end, they can't even be put up for sale at the farmers' market!
If he had to describe them, they were probably like some kind of pet pigs with particularly large appetites?
"Huh? How could I go back? My life-sized imōto is still waiting for me!"
"You're still thinking about that, you guy..."
"That's only natural..."
Mid-sentence, Kohei Imamura's eyes suddenly widened as he realized something, and he immediately changed his tone.
"Actually, it wouldn't be impossible for Yuu to clean up first and let the smell dissipate, and then I can come back tomorrow..."
"Nothing you're imagining happened! Please have more respect for the common areas!"
Looking at Kohei's face, which was blushing with shyness, Miyazawa Yuu slowly and trembling raised his fist, seriously considering whether to use physical force to beat him into submission.
This kind of person whose head is full of yellow waste material probably wouldn't even be wanted for three hundred yen per kilogram at a junk collection center!
"Ohayo, you're all up early!"
"Tokita-senpai, Kotobuki-senpai? Why are you here so early today?"
"Toshio-san said he needed help looking after the shop, so we all came..."
Placing the plastic bag on the coffee table, Shinji Tokita pulled out three full rows of beer and nine bottles of Life Water, then gave a thumbs-up and a reliable smile.
"That means as long as a few people stay behind to serve customers, we can party all day long!"
"Starting from the morning?!"
Seeing the increasing number of senpais, Miyazawa Yuu was wrapped in their greedy gazes. Cold sweat instantly trickled down his forehead, and his eyelids twitched. A bad premonition surged in his heart.
"Did you guys eat breakfast before coming?"
"Absolutely not!"
"Arigatou na! Yuu!"
"Don't be so practiced at freeloading on meals at GrandBlue!"
He wished he could just run into the stove and knock himself unconscious. Facing an endless stream of gluttonous fiends, Miyazawa Yuu wouldn't be able to satisfy their huge appetites even if he had eight hands!
Seeing the situation, Iori Kitahara had just finished chewing his pancake, so he raised his hand and suggested: "In that case, I can help too!"
"Eh, Iori's pancakes aren't bad, but Yuu's are still tastier!"
"Well~ since it's a kind gesture, we'll reluctantly accept it..."
"Yosh! Let's decide who doesn't get to drink today and stays behind to serve customers with rock-paper-scissors! Three, two, one! Out! Safe! Rock-paper-scissors!!!"
"..."
Looking unhappily at the senpais who had started playing rock-paper-scissors amongst themselves, Iori Kitahara turned to Nanaka Kotegawa with an expressionless face and asked: "Nanaka-san, I think there's still some laxative at home, right?"
"There is, but..."
Tilting her head hesitantly, Nanaka Kotegawa waved her hand and advised: "But Iori, you can't put that kind of thing in the pancakes!"
"Why! The senpais are going too far! They actually said my pancakes aren't as good as that guy Yuu's..."
"That's a completely fair assessment, isn't it! Sit down quickly, Iori! That's embarrassing!"
"Kohei, are you looking to die?"
Grabbing Kohei's collar, Iori Kitahara stared intently at the latter with terrifying eyes, seemingly trying to use a psychic attack to blow up his head.
However, Kohei Imamura was no pushover. He shook off the restraint with a swift countermove and locked Iori in a chokehold.
"Huh? You're too green to take me out just by yourself, Iori!"
"Sumimasen!"
Just as the Pab duo was about to start their usual fighting and hindering, a delivery guy pushed open the door of GrandBlue, nipping the battle in the bud.
"Mr. Iori Kitahara, I have an expedited package for you. Please sign for it!"
"Coming!"
"Iori's package?"
Leaning his face on his hand and watching Iori run over confusedly to sign for the package, Chisa Kotegawa sighed, got up, walked into the counter, and put on an apron.
"Hmm, Chisa? I'm enough by myself. We can let the senpais starve for a little longer."
"Yuu, you actually have such mean intentions?"
Slightly bending down and looking at Yuu's smiling mouth with her half-moon eyes, Chisa Kotegawa teased him lightheartedly: "Then I'll expose you to the senpais~"
"Hahaha, you'd better not, or I'll be force-fed until I become an alcoholic cream puff..."
Skillfully spreading the pancake batter, Miyazawa Yuu loudly called the senpais to pick up their food, then put down the spatula and watched the chaotic drinking party to take a short break.
The feeling of being needed, being valued, and everyone mixing together is really nice!
Even while working, as long as he can watch the senpais' monkey show, he feels it's worthwhile. This might be what's called complementarity...
"Nani!!!"
Of course, that's assuming no one like Iori ruins the atmosphere!
"What are you screaming about! Bastard Iori! You interrupted the passionate scene!"
"Go to hell, Yuu! My little sister! My little sister wrote to me! What should I do!"
"Eh? Little sister?"
His chewing motion paused slightly. Kohei Imamura suddenly turned to Iori, shaking his head with a somewhat pitiful look, "Ah, an imaginary friend, right? I understand, I understand!"
"No! She's a real, flesh-and-blood little sister!"
"Eh, is that so..."
Lowering his head and placing a hand on Iori's shoulder, Kohei Imamura stared at the former with the eyes of a zombie looking at a living person, the fork in his mouth making a crunching sound.
"You'd better think carefully before answering!"
"...I, I don't have one..."
"She's a girl named Shiori-chan, she's very cute!"
Instantly delivering a blow, Chisa Kotegawa touched her lip and recalled: "By age, she should be in her third year of middle school now, right?"
"Third year of middle school, that's about the same age as my sister. You're very lucky, Iori."
The corners of his mouth curved into an arc that disregarded the survival of others. Miyazawa Yuu sinisterly guessed loudly: "You've been hiding her, so your relationship must be very good, right?"
"Very good relationship?!"
The dark aura instantly intensified. Kohei Imamura twisted his neck with a crack, and the veins on his hands bulged. He was clearly preparing to choke the latter to death.
"Not only that, after being separated for so long, she must miss her Onii-chan very much. When she sees you again, she'll probably jump up and hug you, shouting Onii-chan, welcome back, right?"
"Hoo-hoo! Then let's make sure Iori never gets to hear that sentence!"
Biting the fork clean off with a crunch, the fight to the death with no winner has begun! The combatants are Iori Kitahara and Kohei Imamura!
One side has physical advantage, but the other side has clearly entered a berserk state. It's impossible to tell who will win or lose!
"Yuu, you're too mean..."
"It's just a necessary means to reduce household expenses. I'm sure they'll understand!"
Nodding in satisfaction, Miyazawa Yuu had already figured it out: if Iori and Kohei fought hard enough tonight, he could make one less serving for dinner. What a gain!
Bending down to grab the cabbage to continue solving the food problem for the gluttonous fiends in the Pab Club, his hand met empty air this time.
Looking down, the basket where the vegetables were kept beneath the stove was completely empty.
"Out of ingredients?"
Poking her small head out from behind Miyazawa Yuu, Chisa Kotegawa remembered that he had just bought a whole basket of cabbage a few days ago. It was consumed so quickly!
"Mhm, it looks like I need to order a batch again. The price of vegetables in Japan has been rising sharply these past few months..."
Showing the phone to Chisa with a troubled expression, Miyazawa Yuu wasn't lying when he said he was saving money.
Because of the continuous high temperatures in Japan over the past few months, the price of vegetables has been soaring without any sign of falling, plus various tax issues...
In short, he must find a supplier that is fast, good, and cheap!
"What's wrong? Are you having a headache over the cabbage?"
Toshio Kotegawa walked out from the back room. Since Yuu arrived, his life has become incredibly comfortable, and he even subtly seemed to be on the verge of handing over all authority and entering retirement.
But young people are still young, and there are many things they can't handle. That's when an old-timer like him needs to step in!
"Toshio-san! Yes, the prices at the state-run supermarket keep rising, so I was planning to check the wholesale market to see if I could get a small bulk order."
"I thought so... It's truly a bother that you have to worry about this."
"Not at all, not at all!"
Approved by his future father-in-law, Miyazawa Yuu awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, a blush spreading across his face. He looked proud, no matter how you saw it.
Seeing this, Toshio Kotegawa didn't hide anything and directly changed the subject: "But there's no need for the wholesale market. Do you remember Kenji-san?"
"The Mr. Fukui who often delivers fish? Of course I remember!"
Miyazawa Yuu recalled the very kind old man after a brief moment and nodded, indicating that he certainly hadn't forgotten him, especially since he had eaten a lot of the man's free sashimi...
"That's right. Kenji-san's family not only owns fishing boats but also runs a vegetable patch. However, since Fukui's youngest son went to Tokyo for work, there's been no one to help manage it."
Clutching his chest and lamenting his old friend's stubbornness, Toshio shook his head and explained, "Even so, he refuses to give up that land, but the work can be done slowly. The harvest, however, can't be delayed in this heat!"
"I see, so you want us to help?"
"Exactly! What do you say?"
"Of course we'll go! And if it's a private transaction between neighbors..."
Slamming the apron onto the table, Miyazawa Yuu muttered sinisterly under his breath: "It's not regulated by the association. It's practically a cheap direct-sale shop!"
"Direct-sale shop?"
Not understanding what Yuu was doing, Chisa Kotegawa only felt that his aura was terrifying! So she turned to her father for an explanation.
"A direct-sale shop is a stall run by the farmers themselves. There's no standardized inspection, so the prices are cheaper, but the quality isn't guaranteed."
Holding up one finger, Toshio Kotegawa gave a reliable smile.
"But if it's a trustworthy acquaintance or neighbor, it's a perfect transaction where everyone benefits!"
"I see, then I'll go help too..."
Since it concerned the shop, Chisa Kotegawa certainly didn't want to be left out!
As for Iori, that guy was struggling with how to explain things to his little sister. It was highly unlikely he would write the reply letter today.
It couldn't be helped. After all, his university life had been all about being naked and drinking. Neither of those things was something he could write to his sister about.
"In that case, I will also..."
"Kohei and Chisa, don't bother. If too many people go, they won't be able to host easily!"
Kohei was about to say he could help too, but the next second he was interrupted by Azusa Hamaoka, who had just arrived, "Nanaka and I can just go with Yuu, right, Yuu?"
"Mhm. You guys, respect the movie room's usage. Otherwise, I'll install surveillance cameras!"
Poking his eyes with two fingers, and then pointing to the most suspicious Iori and Kohei, Miyazawa Yuu changed into his going-out clothes and jogged off with his future father-in-law to the car.
Cheap vegetables! I'm coming for you!