Ch.120Afterparty (2)

Sizzle-!!

The basics of grilling meat was that you had to time it perfectly.

The optimal timing for grilled meat was indicated by sound. Anyone who had played Monster Hunter would know this.

“Now!!!”

As the meat started to crackle and sear, this was my chance. I flipped the meat with all my strength.

Sear-!!

As the light pink side went down, the meat was perfectly flipped.

“That’s it.”

Even though it had been a while since I’d held tongs… my meat grilling talent hadn’t diminished. Yes, this was my innate talent.

“I’ve never seen someone grill meat so enthusiastically before,” Umi said.

“He just enjoys everything. Secretly,” Eri added with an exasperated expression.

Massage-!

Taiga and Tina were busy massaging my shoulders. As a bonus, they were healing themselves by sniffing around my shoulders and behind my ears while massaging.

“Should I flip the meat on Umi’s chest too?” I said, facing Umi.

“Really… every word you say is so vulgar. Hehehe❤”

Yet she still pushed her chest toward me.

Squish-! Squish-!

I patted and caressed the underside of Umi’s breasts. Large breasts… they really do get sweaty underneath. Umi always tells me not to touch them because they’re dirty… but that makes it even better.

——–

Anyway, the meat was completely grilled.

And as soon as it was done, the meat immediately disappeared.

Swish-swish-swish!!!

My classmates, as if they’d been waiting for this moment, instantly snatched the meat.

Damn… it was too fast even for my dynamic vision. If only I could use that dynamic vision in swordsmanship… I would have easily crushed someone like me.

And Gonzaemon wasn’t falling behind either.

Swish-swish-swish!!

Gonzaemon wielded his chopsticks like a sword and snatched the meat.

“Hey! Grabbing five pieces at once is such a dirty—!”

That’s not fair play.

“Asuna, you’re carrying a baby now… you need to eat well.”

However, Gonzaemon was sweetly feeding the meat to Asuna.

“Oh my… you’re something else.”

Asuna blushed and giggled.

I see. The weight of being a family man… I was somewhat moved.

“Waaah… I couldn’t get any,” Umi said.

“It’s okay. There’s plenty of meat,” I said with a smile.

These guys will reach their limit eventually. Look at them now, emptying the meat without eating any wraps or side dishes. They’ll get tired of it quickly and fill up faster. Eventually, it’ll be our turn. That’s the strategy of the one holding the tongs at a Korean BBQ place. Just endure for now.

———

Anyway, I grilled meat almost like a sample food worker at a supermarket. It was a repetitive process of placing and grilling meat.

It reminded me of when I used to grill wild boar meat all day in front of a furnace to raise my cooking skill in an online game.

I was so absorbed in the game that I skipped lectures and lived in seclusion… until my seniors and juniors from the club finally dragged me out and helped me return to society. Good memories.

Sizzle-!

Having grilled about 15 servings, there was eventually enough meat for everyone.

Everyone ate to their satisfaction.

“Shota. Aahn❤”

Eri was considerate enough to feed me meat one by one since I was busy grilling.

“Ah! Me too!!”

Umi also grabbed some meat and stuffed it into my mouth.

“Hey! That’s unfair!! Everyone should take turns!!”

Taiga immediately stopped massaging my shoulders and hurriedly picked up meat with her chopsticks to stuff into my mouth. Hey, didn’t you just say we should take turns? Why are you shoving meat into my mouth first?

“Mmmphhh!!”

My mouth was suddenly filled with meat.

Gulp-!!

Activating my survival instinct to avoid choking, I somehow managed to swallow the meat.

“Here, Shota. Drink some barley tea.”

Tina perceptively brought me barley tea right away.

Gulp-!

After drinking the tea, I felt like I might survive.

“Tina, you’re quite thoughtful,” I said with a smile.

Tina… she might actually be a decent person? Even though she’s a bit trashy, I was increasingly feeling that having a happy affair with Tina wouldn’t be so bad.

“Damn… I lost,” Umi clicked her tongue.

“I was grilling meat for you in a warm atmosphere first… but you guys ruined it by aggressively shoving meat!” Eri exclaimed in an indignant tone.

“Umm… sorry, Shota,” Taiga said in a gloomy voice.

“No, it’s fine. You all did it because you were thinking of me, right? I’m happy,” I said with a smile.

“………”

With that, my girlfriends’ faces immediately turned red.

“Shota! I love you!!”

Umi immediately threw herself at me.

“Really… you always choose the sweetest things to say!”

Eri buried her face in my chest and acted spoiled.

“Shota. I like you.”

Taiga, like a broken cassette radio, repeated that she liked me while sticking to my cheek like a remora. Taiga… she’s really become a normal girl now. She seemed to have no hesitation in showing affection.

“Hehehe. Our hero is so generous, isn’t he?”

Tina laughed and leaned her body against my back.

“Hero… that’s a bit…”

It’s embarrassing.

“No, Shota is definitely a hero. As a princess, I can sense heroes,” Tina said in a heated tone. Do princesses have such special abilities?

“When I see a hero, I can hear it clearly. The genetic command to receive this man’s superior seed…”

Tina said.

“That’s vulgar!!”

I shouted loudly. A combination of fairy tales and evolutionary psychology… that’s too vulgar!

Anyway, everyone was having fun in their own way.

———-

It was around the time we had devoured about 20 servings.

“……….”

Gonzaemon was staring at the receipt with an expression that bordered on terror.

Ah… his wallet must be in crisis now. He had underestimated the appetite of young people in their prime.

“Meat!! Meat!! Meat!!!!”

“Meat!!!! Meat!!!!”

My classmates had already become slaves to their appetites, losing their language abilities.

Gonzaemon wore an expression like a Survey Corps member encountering a Beast Titan for the first time.

“Um… should we all head back soon? It’s getting late, and we need to go home.”

I immediately opened the conversation.

“……!”

Only then did Gonzaemon show an expression of relief.

“Ah… I’m full, but something feels missing,” Umi tactlessly commented. Seriously… Umi!!!!

“Since we didn’t get to eat cuts like pork jowl or tenderloin, it feels like we didn’t really eat beef…”

Umi said.

Well… we only ate the cheaper rib cuts… but what’s wrong with ribs!!

That’s when it happened.

Two people took seats at the next table, or rather, in the private room reserved for VIPs.

An elegant elderly gentleman in a stylish suit and… a beautiful young girl with silver hair. They were a combination that immediately drew attention.

They were people we knew very well.

Yes, it was Saito Tetsu and his granddaughter Saito Kana.

“Hmph. With the financial capacity of a mere countryside kendo instructor, you can’t afford the food here,” Tetsu said with a smile.

“Grr…! That old man… deliberately trying to provoke us…!”

Gonzaemon burned with hostility.

“Look at the difference in wealth.”

After that, Tetsu immediately ordered only the most expensive cuts first.

This old man… is quite childish too. It seems he hasn’t matured with age.

“WOW!!! Beef intestines!!!!! Wow!!! Grade A wagyu!!! Sirloin!! Wow!!! You know wagyu!!! By the way, it’s incredibly tender!!”

My classmates immediately reacted. Honestly, tell me. You guys browse Korean internet, don’t you? IP tracking is necessary.

“Hehehe. Is it because you have such a pathetic master that you can’t eat things like this?”

Tetsu said.

“The bond between me and my disciples isn’t about such—!!”

Gonzaemon was about to protest.

“Meat!!!”

However, everyone was entranced by the meat. What shallow bonds, seriously.

“Well… if you join our table, I might treat you to expensive cuts. And I’ll cover the after-party expenses too.”

Tetsu said.

“Y-you’ll pay for it?”

Gonzaemon seemed intrigued.

“Yes. But in return… call me Lord Saito. From now on, using honorifics when addressing me, that’s the rule. Gonzaemon.”

Tetsu seemed to want to establish a hierarchy with this opportunity.

For someone as proud as Gonzaemon, Tetsu probably thought he wouldn’t do it.

But… Tetsu underestimated him. A man who has become a family head is accustomed to discarding his pride to some extent.

“Lord Saito!!!! I’ve always respected you!!!! Wow!! You haven’t aged at all!!”

Gonzaemon immediately attempted flattery and clung to Tetsu.

“Ack!! Let go!!! You disgusting fellow!!”

Tetsu tried to shake off Gonzaemon in confusion.

Well… in the end, we ended up joining their table.

——

Being able to eat premium cuts for free as much as we wanted. That alone seemed to raise everyone’s spirits.

The lively after-party continued with everyone eating, laughing, and chatting.

Perhaps because they were caught up in the atmosphere, my girlfriends found the timing to have a heart-to-heart girls’ talk. Of course, Tina joined them too.

As a result, I was temporarily left alone.

Whether she was waiting for this chance, Saito Kana approached me.

“Oh, Cyber Psycho Kana.”

I waved at Kana.

“Don’t call me by that weird nickname!!!”

Saito Kana immediately shouted.

Even though she shouted, she didn’t seem to dislike me as she sat right next to me.

“Next year’s Toshin Cup… you’re participating, right?”

Kana asked, brushing her straight hair.

“Yeah!! I have to beat you!!!”

I nodded and replied immediately.

“Hmph. You’re harboring an impossible goal. Good luck with that.”

Kana smirked and said. Yet, she looked at me as if she found it amusing. She seemed to have enjoyed our match. That makes me happy, but…

But why is there suddenly a sweet atmosphere? Kana was mysteriously blushing, tapping my fingertips with her own.

Well… given Kana’s personality, she probably doesn’t have many friends. She must be feeling friendship toward me. What a cute kid.

Anyway.

“And I want to face Thumbs-up Man too.”

I wanted to meet at the arena and exchange thumbs-ups. That was my wish.

“That damn Thumbs-up Man!!!!! Why are you so obsessed with that bald guy?!!”

Kana immediately got angry. She seemed upset that the sweet atmosphere had been shattered.

“The next Toshin Cup is next year… so we won’t meet for another year.”

Kana said in a tone suggesting she didn’t like that.

“Then you can just visit regularly. Emoshita Shiro.”

I said.

Kana… you didn’t get to play our dojo’s famous game of tag last time. I wanted to show you how fun it is.

“Then… should I just transfer to your school?”

Kana suddenly made a shocking proposal.

“T-transfer?!”

I immediately turned my head to look at Kana.

This… this flow doesn’t exist in the original game, does it?

I thought it might be a joke, but Kana’s expression was serious.