Male Idol V13c144

Volume 13 Chapter 144 Shirogane Aqua, Each Of Our Worries？

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Edited by: Kanaa-senpai

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 When we enter the soba shop, we order a tempura set and enough zaru soba for everyone.

 When it’s hot, zaru is the best. And tempura with zaru is a classic combo.

 ”Lazuli, you have to eat your vegetable tempura too.”

 ”Ew.”

 Lazuli makes a face because she hates vegetables.

 I guess I have to deal with it.

 ”Come on, Lazuli. I’ll give you my shrimp tempura. In exchange, you give me your vegetable tempura.”

 ”Yay! Aqua-niisama, I love you!!”

 I don’t force her to eat things she doesn’t like. That’s my rule.

 Kids and adults have totally different tastes, and sometimes things you hated as a kid taste really good when you’re older.

 So, to avoid making her dislike things, forcing her to eat what she doesn’t like is a bad idea.

 ”Hmm… You’re too soft on Lazuli, Nii-sama.”

 ”Haha, sorry, sorry. Lapis, you’re great for not being picky.”

 I gently pat Lapis on the head.

 Feeling better, Lapis reaches for the local green bean tempura.

 Oh, nice choice. I like green bean tempura too.

 ”Mm, Nii-sama, this is really delicious.”

 ”Then I’ll try it too.”

 I pick up a piece of green bean tempura with my chopsticks, dip it in the soba sauce for just a moment, and then put it in my mouth.

 Yum. The light crunch of the tempura coating, followed by the fresh taste and nice texture of the green beans, is amazing!

 Next, I reach for the pumpkin tempura.

 The completely different soft texture and the sweet, creamy taste of the pumpkin make me smile.

 ”Lapis, this is delicious too!”

 ”Really? I love sweet tempura like sweet potato and pumpkin tempura!”

 I pick up another piece of pumpkin tempura and dip it straight into the soba sauce.

 The rich soba sauce made from bonito flakes goes perfectly with the sweet pumpkin.

 The second piece is meant to soak up the soba sauce well, that’s the Shirogane Aqua way.

 ”The soba is so good!”

 ”Yeah. I wasn’t very hungry, but with this, I could eat forever.”

 ”Zaru soba and zaru udon are a must in summer!”

 Seeing my mother and the others eating soba, I reach for some too.

 Wow… Along with the rich aroma of the soba, the wasabi from Azumino has a nice kick.

 I see, this is Shinshu soba.

 Usually, I only eat Sarashina soba from Nagano, but the texture, firmness, flavor, and smoothness are all different.

 The soba sauce for Sarashina is lightly flavored, but Shinshu has a stronger taste.

 ”That was delicious, wasn’t it, Nii-sama?”

 ”Yeah, it really was.”

 We leave the soba shop feeling very satisfied.

 I should buy some soba as a souvenir to take back and share with Victoria-sama, Agewa-san, Natalia-san, and Kukuri-chan. I hope everyone in the palace from other countries will come to love soba too.

 ”Well then, see you later!”

 The 5 of them said they would relax at the hotel for a bit, so I decide to go my own way.

 Since I came all the way to Nagano, I want to eat some fruit or something sweet, but it seems there aren’t any such places near this soba shop.

 I catch a taxi that happens to pass by.

 ”Oh, Aqua-sama!?”

 ”Excuse me. Is there anywhere nearby to eat something sweet?”

 ”There is!! Please, hop in!!”

 Phew. It was a bit hot outside. But the air conditioning in the taxi is nice and cool.

 ”Thank you, this really helps.”

 ”No problem. Are you on vacation today?”

 ”Yes. I’m here with my family.”

 ”Family vacation!? Not Karuizawa?”

 ”Oh, yes. I thought this place would be more relaxing for everyone.”

 ”Good choice. Recently, Karuizawa has become really popular again, so it’s quite crowded.”

 Ah, I see.

 I heard from the travel agent I consulted that places like Karuizawa, Atami, and Hakone are becoming popular summer spots again.

 ”What kind of sweets do you like? Japanese sweets or Western sweets?”

 ”Since I’m here, I’d like something with fruit. I often buy peaches, apples, pears, and grapes at the department store, and they’re really delicious.”

 ”Thank you! How about a parfait then? You know, those parfaits with lots of fruit on top are really popular right now.”

 Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

 By the way, Rin-chan and the others said they were going to eat something sweet, so maybe I can meet up with them.

 ”Driver, that sounds great! Let’s go for the parfait!!”

 ”Okay, I’ll take you straight to a cafe that serves delicious parfaits!”

 ”Thank you!”

 During the ride, I listen to the taxi driver talk about various local things.

 This time makes me feel like I’m really on vacation.

 ”Thank you, driver.”

 ”Thank you as well!”

 When I get out of the taxi, I enter the shop.

 I chose this café because it has a farm attached.

 ”A-Aqua-sama!”

 ”Rin-chan (kunoichi), you’re here too?”

 I sit down with everyone.

 ”What is everyone eating?”

 ”I’m having fruit pancakes. Pancakes are the best!”

 Rin-chan really loves pancakes.

 Having a lot of fruit on them is a nice treat.

 ”I’m having a whole peach parfait. It’s sweet and delicious!”

 Ruuna-senpai is having a peach parfait.

 Maybe I should get that too.

 ”I’m having grape jelly. It has real grapes in it, and it’s tasty!”

 Rinon-san is having grape jelly.

 That looks refreshing and delicious.

 ”I’m having pudding à la mode. You can’t go wrong with pudding when I’m feeling overheated!”

 Mikoto-chan is having pudding à la mode with lots of fruit…

 I don’t really get what’s overheating, but I guess it means it’s really good.

 ”What about you, Aqua-sama?”

 ”Hmm, let me think…”

 The whole peach parfait isn’t bad, but everything looks so good.

 After thinking for a bit, I decided to just get a fruit platter.

 ”This is delicious!”

 The apples are sweet and refreshing, the pears are crunchy and juicy, the peaches are full of juice, and the grapes from Nagano are really tasty.

 Now I understand why Congressman Toyoshima loves fruit platters so much when he’s on business trips.

 ”So, how’s everyone’s work as maids?”

 I casually ask everyone about their recent experiences to see if they have any complaints about work.

 Even though Kanon and Pegonia-san are the ones managing the maids, I can’t just ignore it as their employer.

 ”I’ve gotten used to it quite a bit. But the long skirt of a classic maid outfit has a lot of places to hide things, while I’m worried about mobility~de gozaru.”

 I wonder what Rin-chan is hiding inside her long skirt.

 And does a maid outfit really need mobility? I guess that means she’s really busy moving around, huh?

 ”Mobility, mobility… oh! Rin-chan, how about a mini skirt maid outfit?”

 It’s summer, it’s hot, and I think that would be cooler and easier to move in.

 I’m definitely not saying this because I want to see a mini skirt sexy maid outfit!! I make excuses in my mind while Kanon gave a side-eye.

 ”That would be helpful~de gozaru.”

 ”Okay, I’ll tell Pegonia-san.”

 I’ll also let Mikoto-chan and Ruuna-senpai know that they can wear the mini skirt version too.

 Alright, now everyone can enjoy the mini skirt maid outfits legally!!

 ”How about Ruuna-senpai?”

 ”A workplace with nap time is the best.”

 Come to think of it, only Ruuna-senpai’s shift schedule has nap time.

 I once saw Ruuna-senpai hugging my body pillow while napping.

 ”I see. Then, should we take a nap together next time?”

 ”…Yeah!”

 Ruuna-senpai leaned close to my ear and whispered, “It’s okay to mess with me while I’m sleeping.”

 Wait, is it okay for me to get a reward instead?

 ”How about Rinon-san?”

 ”Aqua-sama, Emily-sama, and Kaede-san’s actions are always unpredictable, so I feel a sense of purpose every day as the security guard.”

 I’m really sorry! I instantly bowed my head in apology.

 I never expected to have a victim so close to me.

 It should have been Rinon-san, not Kohina-senpai, who should attend the victim’s meeting.

 ”Please don’t apologize. I really do feel fulfilled.”

 I’m really glad Rinon-san is in charge of security.

 I’ll ask Pegonia-san and Kanon later to increase the bonuses for the security team.

 ”How about Mikoto-chan?”

 ”Um… isn’t my electricity bill a bit high?”

 Electricity bill? Oh, I remember Pegonia-san suddenly mentioned that the electricity costs went up.

 Recently, the news said that electricity usage is under pressure, so it probably went up because of that. It’s not something Mikoto-chan should worry about.

 ”Mikoto-chan, you can use as much electricity as you want without worrying.”

 ”Thank you so much!!”

 Honestly, Kanon and I have been using a lot of electricity playing games on our computers too.

 I want Mikoto-chan to use a lot of electricity without worrying.

 ”Well then, everyone. See you later.”

 After saying goodbye to Rin-chan, Ruuna-senpai, Rinon-san, and Mikoto-chan, I wander around the city a bit before heading back to the hotel.

 People who notice me glance over, but no one approaches me or takes pictures. Everyone is really considerate. Thank you all.

 ”Aqua-kun!”

 I hear a familiar voice from behind, and someone bumps into me with a lot of energy.

 ”Kokona? What’s up?”

 ”Right now, I’m shopping with Lisa-chan and Uruha-chan, and I just happened to spot Aqua-kun from behind.”

 Oh, really?

 When I turned my gaze toward where Kokona was looking, I saw Lisa and Uruha in their yukatas, smiling at us.

 ”What are you 3 buying? Did you find any good souvenirs?”

 ”Yeah. We were thinking of getting some snacks for everyone in our class.”

 ”I see. If that’s the case, I’ll pay for mine too, so please include it with yours.”

 ”OK!”

 As I entered the souvenir shop, I was drawn to the T-shirt section.

 Oh, they have a Bocchi Mountain T-shirt! This will be a good souvenir for Kohina-senpai.

 I’ll buy one for myself too!!

 ”Who do you think buys these weird, ugly T-shirts in the souvenir section?”

 ”Hmm, maybe some people buy them on a whim while traveling?”

 ”Still, they’re not cheap… I’ve never seen anyone actually buy one, so it’s a mystery~desuwa.”

 No way…

 I felt despair at the 3 of them chatting.

 Hiding, I secretly took a picture of the T-shirt and sent it to Kohina-senpai.

 Shirogane Aqua:

 ”Senpai, is this ugly?”

 Kohina Yukari:

 ”It’s actually cute and nice! If you think this is ugly, your eyes must be messed up! Did your taste get worse or something?”

 Seeing Kohina-senpai’s message, I let out a sigh of relief.

 Right! I thought this drawing of Bocchi Mountain was nice too!!

 ”Please wrap this up as a souvenir!”

 The shopkeeper made a strange face but still rang me up.

 ”Are you really going to buy that? Two of them?” I was asked, but it must be that they were sold out because they were too popular.

 Yeah, that must be it!!

 After secretly finishing my shopping away from the 3 of them, I approached Kokona, who was wearing a yukata.

 ”Kokona. How are you feeling? Don’t push yourself too hard.”

 ”I’m fine, I’m fine. But thanks for worrying about me!”

 Kokona hugged me tightly.

 Kokona, who openly relies on me, might be the best at being cute among the girls around me.

 Everyone else seems a bit reserved or holds back, but I actually appreciate it when Kokona is so straightforward and affectionate.

 ”Okay. That’s good, but don’t overdo it. The trip has just started.”

 ”Yeah!”

 I gently patted Kokona’s head and then approached Uruha, who was seriously picking out souvenirs.

 ”Oh, Aqua-kun.”

 Looking at her again, it’s amazing.

 Uruha in her school uniform is already something, but standing next to Uruha in a yukata makes it look like I’m on a secret trip with a married woman.

 If she’s this charming as a high school girl, what will she be like when she grows up…

 ”What’s up?”

 ”I was just mesmerized by how beautiful you look in your yukata.”

 ”Oh, thank you.”

 Uruha, who turned her gaze away from me, blushed pink on her cheeks.

 ”Hey, Aqua-kun, don’t you wear yukatas?”

 ”If you want me to wear one, I will.”

 ”Yay! Then, please wear one later and show everyone!”

 ”Sure.”

 Uruha is the type who observes everyone from a distance, unlike Kokona.

 I feel like she’s the closest in personality to Yui among my girls.

 With a girl like her, I need to approach her and say, “Come closer.”

 Fortunately, having Kokona and Lisa, who watch over Uruha more than I do, by her side makes me feel really reassured.

 I step away from Uruha and move closer to Lisa.

 ”Lisa, are you tired?”

 ”I’m fine~desuwa. Aqua-sama, you should take it easy since it’s a vacation.”

 Haha, that’s true.

 I came here to relax, but it feels like I’m wandering around more than anyone else because the trip is just too fun.

 ”I’ll do that. Lisa, if you want to talk about anything, just let me know anytime.”

 ”Something to talk about…”

 Lisa looks like she’s thinking hard.

 It seems she has something she wants to tell me.

 ”Lisa. It’s okay if it’s not now, really. I’ll listen to anything, and I’m always on your side.”

 ”Y-yes! Then, um, could you make a little time for me?”

 ”Of course!”

 I give Lisa a light hug.

 Kokona notices this.

 ”Ah, Uruha-chan. Now’s the time! Now, hug!”

 ”U-um. Got it.”

 Whoa, I’m being hugged from all sides by the 3 of them in their yukatas.

 ”Lisa-chan, you have to hug him at the same time Kokona does. That way, if Aqua-kun tries to escape, we can catch him right away.”

 ”Haha, I wouldn’t run away or anything.”

 ”Really? What if you suddenly disappear?”

 ”I won’t, I won’t.”

 Kokona is surprisingly worried. I hug each of them again.

 Along the way, I also hug the waitresses and customers who are looking at me with sad eyes.

 This is also fan service.

 So please, don’t look at me like that, all 3 of you!

 I separated from Lisa, Uruha, and Kokona, and headed to a nearby shrine before returning to the hotel.

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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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