Are you two having fun
He had been a little worried ever since they had decided to do barbecue He especially thought
Machina would be hesitant about all the meat when she normally only ate apples
Of course
It’s always fun with you around Mutsuki
He had been worried for nothing Lucia had been chowing down from the beginning
I have never eaten like this before
Machina was more reserved but she was eating the meat little by little
She always munched on an apple during lunch and this seemed to be her first time eating a wild meal from skewers The way she started eating from the bottom of the skewer was awkward and cute
Mutsuki was glad that everyone was enjoying themselves As he ate his own portion he wrapped some apples in aluminum foil and placed them on the grill They were having roast apples for dessert
Then Saya spoke up while wiping off her mouth which had grown black from eating the burnt parts
Heh heh heh heh I think it’s time for my secret weapon
She smiled boldly and reached into a bag she had brought
Everyone else exchanged a glance as she showed off what she pulled out
Look It’s the ultimate camp condiment that can make any food taste good I call it
It’s mayonnaise right
Tah dah Mayonnaise Wait how did you know
Sakae and the other four had expected this
Of course we knew Saya Your lunches at school are always slathered in mayo
Ange shrugged because she saw it every day when eating lunch with the girl
Uuh But I like it
That’s why you’re so fa-ohh that was a close one Don’t throw skewers You’ll skewer someone Like me
The girl violently answered Sakae’s comment and turned around to sulk She also grabbed some more meat and added mayonnaise
She frowned so Mutsuki approached with a bitter smile
But I understand Mayonnaise is delicious And it’s nutritious
You understand I know right Mayonnaise goes great with everything
She cheerfully held out the bottle so Mutsuki accepted his initiation into the mayo-lovers club
She slathered a light yellow cream across the full length of his skewer
He took a bite and the bit that got on his lips brought an unexpected aroma to his nose
Huh Does this have mustard in it
Yeah it’s mustard mayo I’ve been hooked on the stuff lately
It had such a powerful flavor that he could no longer taste the meat
He avoided complaining to be nice but he could not enjoy this clump of mayonnaise when they were cooking out like this
Sakae we had some white rice didn’t we
He decided to dilute the flavor
Sakae rummaged through the bag of cup noodles and handed over a pack of instant rice If hot water was added the rice would be ready in three minutes
Which meant
The management lodge was surprisingly far from the cabin
Mutsuki walked down the dark path with Saya
They had the fire and kettle needed to boil water but they lacked the crucial drinking water They were on their way to buy some at the lodge
Munch munch Hm maybe normal mayo is better for barbecue
The mustard kind is pretty strong
Saya walked alongside him with a skewer in each hand He had said she did not need to come with him but she seemed to feel responsible as the one to flavor the skewer
The evening wind felt nice on his heated skin after the fatty meal
Oh there’s some smoke over there Maybe that’s the hot spring
Probably
Saya pointed down at a facility near the lodge that was surrounded with trees and had steam rather than smoke rising from it
Heh heh heh I’ve really been looking forward to that I love big baths
This was another thing Hi-no-Hoka City was known for volcanic hot springs connected to hot spring inns in the opposite direction from Karuizawa
No peeping Mutsuki
You say that but don’t you want to see Machi-nyan’s boobs I can only describe them as ‘boing boing’
O-oh Really I wouldn’t know anything about Ibekusa ’s chest
Saya lightly slashed at some nearby grass with her empty skewers
The twilight mountain path felt like a dimly-lit dream that made him forget he was even awake
His exhaustion from the day came rushing in
Oh mock strawberries
Mutsuki spotted something growing near a stream
Mock strawberries were plants that grew in places like this and were known for their jagged leaves
Maybe we should pick some Sakae didn’t bring any vegetables
Hm You can eat those
Yeah They’re fairly nutritious too I hear they help with digestion
They were small but he picked two or three of the red fruits
Strawberries huh
Saya took one They sounded good to her so she picked a few like the boy had
They rinsed them off in the stream and ate them together
Yeah they’re just ripe enough
Mutsuki was fine but Saya was suffering
However she was a girl She could not spit something out in front of a boy from her class
W-water I’ll go buy some Wait here
She tearfully ran toward the lodge
”What was that about ” wondered Mutsuki
But she had told him to wait so he decided to gather some more wild plants from the area He started to stick the rest of the red fruits in his pocket and
Tee hee
A girl stood where there had been nothing but darkness a moment before