Regret

After the house tour, we returned to the club room and had to sit on the sofa to listen to Aria’s travel plan explanation.

“Okay, since vacation started today. I’m going to review the travel plan one more time. First, the destination is Bold Mountain. Everyone takes the portal….”

Lakar and Kane listened intently to Aria’s passionate explanation. Luna also seemed happy to be traveling with her friends, listening attentively with a pretty smile.

Since most of the plans for the trip were decided when I was unconscious, there was no need to offer my opinion separately.

I didn’t have any good memories of traveling, so I wasn’t very interested, but I pretended to listen hard anyway.

Aria’s eyes, as she enthusiastically explained the plan, were different from usual, and I was a little scared that I would get scolded if I did something else.

“Then, everyone will meet in front of the Bold Mountain portal at 11 a.m. on Saturday, a week before the end of the vacation! If you break the promise, I’ll torment you hard during the second semester!”

Everyone nodded diligently at Aria, who was making threats. Kane mumbled something, but of course, Aria ignored it.

Since the atmosphere was that everyone was doing their own thing after Aria’s explanation, I was going to sneakily have some time alone with Luna. But Kane immediately spoke to me.

“Let’s go, we have to prepare dinner. I’ll help you get the ingredients.”

Unlike his usual lazy self, Kane lightly lifted his heavy butt, and I answered with a sullen expression.

“It’s only 3 o’clock now…. And we haven’t decided on a menu yet.”

Despite my grumpy voice, Kane smiled as if it was nothing.

“Then shall we decide on the menu first?”

At Kane’s words, Aria, who had brought snacks from somewhere, raised her hand.

“Meat!”

“Okay, Aria wants meat. Lakar, what about you?”

Kane, who took out a small notebook from his pocket, wrote down the meat Aria said like a waiter taking an order, and asked Lakar.

“Um, I like anything with seafood.”

Watching Kane write down Lakar’s request, I suddenly found a commonality between Aria and Kane.

They are both very passionate about their interests. The usually lively Aria becomes enthusiastic, and the usually lazy Kane’s heavy butt becomes light.

Now that Kane was interested in cooking, I had to postpone being alone with Luna for a while. I could force them apart, but considering Kane’s efforts to build me a house, I had no choice but to be patient.

With a regretful sigh, I turned to Luna and asked.

“What do you want to eat? Just say anything.”

“I like anything Ross-nim makes. It’s all delicious.”

Luna smiled lovingly as she said that, and I smiled and nodded. Cute Luna gets the most delicious thing, no matter what…!

“Okay. Luna is Ross’s love.”

I felt embarrassed at the sight of Kane jokingly writing “Ross’s love” in his notebook, so I glared at him and hit him on the back.

“Let’s go. It’s roughly decided.”

I headed to the dining hall with Kane. It was late for dinner, so there was no one inside.

Everyone might have gone home for vacation. Whatever the reason, it was better than being crowded.

The reason I came to the dining hall was to find the maid I had become close to, thanks to asking for food ingredients several times.

Perhaps because there were no people, it was easy to find the maid I was looking for.

“Jane-ssi.”

At my call, the maid who was wiping the tables in the dining hall turned around and approached us.

She smiled happily at me.

“Oh my, Ross-ssi. It’s been a while.”

Jane said that and scanned Kane, who was next to me.

“Looks like you’re with a friend today?”

“Hello. I’m Kane, a first-year alchemy student.”

Kane bowed his head in greeting, and Jane greeted him back.

When the greetings were over, I immediately stated the purpose of my visit.

Kane showed Jane what he had written in his notebook.

“Meat, seafood… Oh my, love?!”

It seemed he hadn’t erased what he had jokingly written earlier. Jane chuckled as she looked at our flustered faces and asked mischievously.

“I don’t really know what ingredients go into love~?”

“I-I’m sorry.”

As Kane apologized in embarrassment, Jane asked me with a happy expression.

“Have you decided what to cook?”

“Seafood tomato pasta and sirloin steak. And a simple salad?”

After hearing my answer, Jane told me to wait a moment and headed to the food storage.

A moment later, Jane returned and handed me a basket filled with various ingredients.

“Thank you always.”

As I put the basket into the space storage and thanked her, Jane smiled with her eyes.

“You’re welcome~”

As we said goodbye to Jane and left the dining hall, Kane smiled and said.

“Only Luna knows about Ross’s love~”

“Shut up.”

I ignored Kane, who was giggling and laughing, and moved on with a sigh.

***

The dinner I prepared after returning home was seafood tomato pasta, sirloin steak, and a salad with lime dressing.

Luna said she would help me by my side, but I shook my head.

I wanted to cook and treat the club members who had worked hard to build me a house while I was away, by myself this time.

Without me explaining, the smart Luna understood my heart and silently watched me cook with Kane, with a smile.

A few hours later, when I put out the food at dinner time, Lakar and Aria, who had been watching since when, quickly took the plates and moved them to the table.

“Wow! The shrimp is huge!”

Aria said in a surprised voice after seeing the shrimp on top of the pasta.

“The steak is medium. Only Aria’s is well-done.”

Aria always ate well-done, so I had set aside a separate plate especially for her.

While I was moving the plates of pasta, steak, and salad to the table, Aria, who couldn’t stand the wait and was sneaking glances, secretly cut a piece of steak and put it in her mouth.

As I sat down and prepared to eat, Aria, who was munching on the steak, smiled brightly and said.

“It’s delicious…! I should marry Ross after all…!”

I laughed at Aria’s reaction, who was trembling and making a fuss. There was nothing that made the cook happier than someone enjoying the food they made.

“I, I also really like it. It’s the most delicious steak I’ve ever eaten. It’s well-cooked… and, and….”

Luna, as if she had an obsession with giving compliments, stammered and struggled to continue praising me, so I smiled and thanked her.

For some reason, Luna pouted slightly as if she was complaining.

Did I do something wrong…? As I was scratching the back of my head, Lakar, who was eating pasta, nodded repeatedly and moved his fork non-stop.

“Amazing, club president. I think you have enough potential to succeed as a chef.”

At Lakar’s words, Kane also admired and added praise.

“Wow, it’s really delicious. Let’s cook together next time. Eating Ross’s cooking makes me want to cook too.”

“I’m the one who’s grateful that you guys are enjoying it.”

In particular, Aria’s appearance, with tomato sauce all over her mouth, was an unadorned, wild sight.

Oh my, how lovely….

After some time passed and we were full, we focused more on conversation than eating.

I was listening to what had happened during the week I was unconscious when I suddenly had a thought and waited for Aria’s bragging to end before asking.

“When are you guys planning to go home?”

Most of the students went home as soon as the vacation ceremony ended. Just last week, the club members were planning to take the portal after the vacation ceremony.

“Everyone was going to leave after seeing the club president wake up. I didn’t know it would be today…. Now that the club president has woken up, we should each go home around lunchtime tomorrow.”

At Lakar’s words, Aria, who had been happily munching on meat, suddenly made a gloomy expression.

“Ross woke up late, so we didn’t even get to play properly!”

“I think you’ve played enough.”

At my careless retort, Aria aimed her greasy fork at me and slightly lowered her gaze.

After the meal, we all went outside and set off fireworks at Aria’s strong request.

Everyone was embarrassed when Aria suddenly burst into tears after all the fireworks were over, but we could feel Aria’s sincerity in regretting the farewell.

“There’s still so much to eat in the capital!!”

It seems that there are some other reasons mixed in with Aria’s tears… but we were able to enjoy the last night before the club members left.

***

It was late, so after the club members returned to the dormitory, I was rolling around in my new bed to get used to it.

Saying goodbye always leaves a lingering feeling of regret, and after talking with the club members until late, I didn’t have any time alone with Luna after all.

As I was tormenting the innocent pillow with a regretful heart, I suddenly heard a knock on the door.

Knock knock-

It was late for someone to visit. Moreover, the only club members who knew this place had left earlier.

As I was nervous about the unknown visitor, I heard a small voice from behind the door.

“Ross… are you asleep?”

I finally relaxed and sighed when I realized that the owner of the voice was Luna.

I don’t know what’s going on, but I happily got out of bed and opened the door, and Luna hugged me as if she had been waiting.

“Ross…!”

A weight that fills my chest. A deep sense of satisfaction, as if an old thirst had been quenched by the good scent and warm temperature, made me smile deeply.

“Weren’t you going back to the dormitory?”

I asked with a happy heart, but for some reason, Luna flinched greatly in my arms.

“Umm… well….”

As I was wondering at Luna’s hesitant appearance.

Luna took something out of her pocket and put it in my hand.

“What is this…?”

I reflexively hugged Luna, who was burrowing deeper into my arms, and read the paper Luna gave me with one hand.

[Off-Campus Stay Pass]

[First Year Department of Magic Engineering – Luna Grace]

[Permission is granted for the above student to stay off-campus – Pabenel, Dormitory Supervisor of the Department of Magic Engineering]

“J-Just in case… I got an off-campus stay pass earlier…. So I pretended to go back to the dormitory… and secretly came back….”

Luna’s voice, as she said that, made me feel strange. I swallowed hard without realizing it.