Volume 7.5, Me and Lottery and The Pot of Darkness(3/4)
Pata (the sound as ane-san got up from her seat)
Tatatatata (the sound as ane-san walked over to me)
Oumph (the sound of ane-san hugging me)
“““..”””
Everyone gave me cold observing looks.
Not good.. from tomorrow onwards, my nickname will become 'siscon'.
“Sorry, I'm late—Akihisa..kun?”
“I'm sorry, Himeji-san. I understand that you may have lots of things to say, but please just imagine that you didn't see anything.”
Himeji-san brought the cassette gas stove back, and widened her eyes in shock the moment she saw me being hugged by ane-san.
In the end, until ane-san slept, everyone continued to watch me, not looking away from me at all.
☆
“Alright, it's about time to prepare the ingredients for the hotpot.”
Himeji-san put the cassette gas stove she brought from home onto the table.
After keeping aside the appetiser, it's now time for the main course of tonight's dinner—the dark hotpot.
Like usual, allow me to explain the rules of this dark hotpot.
1.The ingredients must be edible.
2.Any food that's taken with the chopsticks must be eaten down.
3.Everyone can choose a food to put into the hotpot (except for the kelp that's used for the soup base).
Normally, we should prepare our own ingredients and thrown them in, but we didn't have much time today. Thus, we'll use all the ingredients we have at my house. At least there won't be anything deadly inside.
In other words, the only thing that will endanger our lives is—
“Oh yes, I brought some hotpot ingredients besides the gas stove☆”
—The terrifying thing that will endanger our lives is right in front of us.
Don't be careless, concentrate hard. This game is a matter of our own lives!
Himeji-san smiled as she opened a 10cm sq rectangular box. Is that the ingredient (?) she brought..
“Everyone has to choose an ingredient and put inside the hotpot. We just need to make sure not to let others see what we put in. Understand?”
“..Un, it won't be interesting if someone sees it.”
“Understood. I'll start then~”
After saying that, Kudou-san, who's the first one to put the ingredient into the hotpot, walked into the kitchen. After her were Minami and Kirishima-san.
“I'm next then.”
Hideyoshi looked somewhat nervous as he got up. After a while, he brought something back as well.
“..My turn.”
Next would be Muttsurini and Yuuji. They chose their ingredients before returning to the seat.
And now, it's my turn.
“..What kind of flavor will it turn out to be?”
“It seems a little scary.”
“Really? I'm rather looking forward to it~”
As the girls continued to talk happily without understanding the situation, I turn my back on the guys who are feeling abnormally tense, and walked towards the kitchen.
“Let's see. What should I choose..?”
Standing in front of the basin, I pondered alone for a while.
Right now, we have to face the dark hotpot, and the action I should choose is way too simple. That's to find a way to dump the ingredient (?) Himeji-san throws in into Yuuji or Muttsurini's stomachs, that's all. Once I do this, I can let everyone else survive.
“But they must be feeling the same way as me.”
No matter whether it's Yuuji or Muttsurini or even Hideyoshi, they will think of sacrificing others to protect their own lives. They won't feel regret over protecting their own lives even if it means sacrificing their friends. That's an important lesson we learnt as we went through this path.
“Okay, first..I should check what everyone choose.”
Even though it's almost a secret as to what everyone chose, but if the stuff that was here yesterday disappeared, I will know what everyone chose. Anyway, let's start from the shelves.
—After checking through the shelves, below the basin, the seasoning rack..hmm, I got it.
The things that disappeared were—
1.Tabasco (New and completely untouched).
2.Tabasco (Opened)
3.Tabasco (Seasoning powder pack that came with pizza delivery)
“THEY'RE ALL A BUNCH OF IDIOTS!!!”
Unexpectedly, everyone loved chilli so much, and I couldn't help but cover my head and shout.
Why did everyone choose Tabasco!? Aren't there any other ingredients to choose from!? What sort of weird interest is it to boil some big red soup!!!
“Akihisa-kun, what's wrong?”
On hearing my horrific cry, Himeji-san called out from the living room. This is bad, if I panic now, I'll be checkmated by them.
“Nothing. I'm alright.”
After recovering, I regain my thoughts and stood in front of the fridge.
“Yuuji and the rest must have chosen stuff from the fridge..”
I guess the people who chose Tabasco were Minami, Kirishima-san and Kudou-san. Putting Tabasco into a dark hotpot will make it some spicy and horrifying food. They chose such a shocking ingredient..most likely, they don't understand that this dark hotpot concerns life and death, and made this peaceful and casual choice. As for people like Yuuji and me, who often had to endure classes of killer cooking in our everyday lives, we wouldn't do that. As for why, that's because even if we added Tabasco, we can't save our own lives. These guys must have made this decision with the intent to make someone else other than themselves eat the ingredient Himeji-san put in. If I don't consider that, I definitely won't be able to survive after eating this dark hotpot.
I took a deep breath and reached for the handle of the fridge, opening it at one go. Let's see, what ingredients are less than before?
“—Spring onion, radish and tofu.”
In terms of ingredients, these will look like a logical choice, but there's an intent to harm others.
As for spring onion..I remember that there's a medicinal effect. In other words, the person wants to use spring onions as defense to protect his own life. Even if it's to play safe, if something really happened, he would only hope for the anti-toxin effects the spring onion brings. I see. This choice shows that even if it's only a 1% chance, he will try his best to increase his chances of surviving. From this choice that's not offensive at all, I guess Hideyoshi chose spring onion.
And now, let's think of the radish that other person took away. Looking at the state of the vegetable knife and the basin, it doesn't seem like they were touched. In other words, the radish that were taken away will be thrown in with it's original triangular shape. I have two less radishes in my house. What's the situation? How can I use radish to let myself live if I choose it?
“Radish..not sliced..triangular-shaped..if I use it..”
I got it! He wants to use the triangular side of the radish to send the ingredient Himeji-san puts in to someone else! Considering that the hotpot's located in the middle of the table and everyone's seats, Himeji-san can't possibly reach out too far, but put the ingredient in front of her. Now the ingredient will slide to someone because of the triangular shape. He probably thought that us members of the killer cooking class would try our best not to touch such dangerous ingredients and choose to pick our own ingredient—things in our area, only for us not to notice that the dangerous ingredient Himeji-san puts in will roll into our areas. Rule two clearly states that anything we pick up with our chopsticks has to be eaten. In that case, this guy just wants the dangerous stuff to be handled by others. This guy..how did he come up with such a dangerous and offensive strategy? This method will only endanger us, who know of the terror of Himeji-san's cooking, and allow him to survive. That guy who thought of this plan must be laughing inside.
Unfortunately,
“This thinking's way too na?ve..”
Thinking of such a method is too na?ve, and overly stupid. As for why it's stupid, that's because this strategy only considers that what Himeji-san will put into the hotpot is a ball-shaped item.
But I'm doubting whether that's even a solid object. Didn't Himeji-san just say that before she went to get the gas stove? 'The most important thing about the hotpot's the soup base'. Based on Himeji-san's insistent personality, it's more likely that she would add some fluid that will mix the flavors in the soup base up instead of something that won't affect the hotpot. In other words, what Himeji-san will put in may be some basic ingredient like kelp that can be used for a soup base. I can understand that from the preservative container she brought from her house. The person who thought of such a surface-deep situation is way too na?ve..so the radish shouldn't be taken by Yuuji. My guess is that Muttsurini chose it.
“In that case, Yuuji chose tofu.”
In that case, I know the ingredient my greatest enemy Yuuji chose. Once I know this, I can sort of understand his strategy, and I can guess what that guy's thinking.
“In that case, I'll choose this.”
I took out that thing from the fridge and sliced it a few times with a vegetable knife.
Next, I just need to find a good place to put this thing in.
☆
The hotpot let out a 'psst psst' sound that sounded appetizing.
The gas stove that's set right in the middle of the table had a large claypot on it. There's nothing inside the pot besides the kelp that's used as the base of the soup. I guess..the most wonderful taste of this pot will be at this moment.
“I'm turning off the lights now~”
As Himeji-san said that, pak, the room became dark. Inside the living room that had the curtains drawn, only the flames of the gas stove was swaying gently. A war is about to break loose.
“I'll put my ingredient in first~”
Kudou-san said in a cheery voice, and at the same time, she dropped something into the pot that let out a 'plop plop' sound that echoed throughout the room. Normally, I should be thinking worriedly “did she put some mochi inside. No , it sounded like a fluid, so it's something else..” but I don't mind today. Besides, I'll be really happy if it was mochi.
“My turn next.”
“..Me too..”
Then, it's Minami and Kirishima-san's turn. Looking at the current situation, there wasn't anything strange inside the claypot. Tabasco? That's not scary no matter how many times I see it added in!
“It's my turn to add it in next.”
“..I'm next.”
After that, Hideyoshi and Muttsurini took action. It seemed that Hideyoshi was holding onto chopsticks as he added one thing after another, and Muttsurini stealthily added something else into the pot. I was right!
“I'm next.”
Yuuji then took out something. It seemed that he was arranging them in a line with his hands. Since he put it in with his hands, it's likely that what he chose was tofu. I'll win this time!
“I'll put mine next.”
After checking that Yuuji put in all his ingredients and retracted his hand back, I put what I chose into the pot. The reason I waited for Yuuji to stop completely was so that I can make sure that the positioning of the ingredients can't be changed through human means.
“I'm last.”
If possible, I really want to cover the pot up and treat it as if it never happened. I guess the members of the killer cooking class must be thinking the same way. But no matter how we cried or begged in our hearts, Himeji-san put what she chose into the claypot mercilessly.
Ploop, ploop..
On hearing that sound, Himeji-san probably chose something that's more like a liquid or jelly.
“..Uu!”
I could feel Muttsurini freeze for a moment. It's too late to regret it now! Go to hell for doing something so reckless without thinking it through!
“Okay. Now, let's turn the fire on and let it simmer.”
Yuuji turned the switched of the gas stove.
There's only a small light in the room, and the silent time came again.
Like what I expected, Hideyoshi cared about defending himself. Muttsurini failed. Thus, Yuuji's the only enemy left.
I watch the flame of the claypot and repeated my battle strategy inside my head.
~Akihisa's side~
Yuuji probably thought this way as he chose the tofu. Once the ingredient Himeji-san throws in dissolves into the soup, it will threaten our lives. In that case, he just needs to block the soup off and let someone be the victim. To complete this mission, he needs to use the tofu and block my and Himeji-san's ingredient off his food, forming a sealed reservoir. His plan must be to push the poison over to me. The reason why he insisted on not putting too much soup inside the claypot is because he's afraid that the cooked tofu will float and form gaps.
In that case, I'll just use Yuuji's strategy against him!
Yuuji will use the tofu to seal Himeji-san and me off. Using that, once I put this ingredient X outside this area, I can be assured of my safety. Also, I'll use konjac and tofu (what Yuuji put) in front of him to form another reservoir. This is another measure for Yuuji.
Of course, if I do this, the soup that flows into Yuuji's area will just be normal soup, and it will be meaningless. It'll be over once the dangerous ingredient flows over to my side.
At this point, I have to make use of the rules of the dark hotpot. Though everyone can choose only one ingredient, there's another ingredient inside the claypot—the kelp that's used to boil the soup.
To let the dangerous ingredient fall into Yuuji's area, I will take the kelp that's heated and curled up and put it in front of Himeji-san's area. With that, the ingredient X (jelly-shaped) will all flow into Yuuji's area, and can prevent everyone else from getting hurt! Yuuji you idiot! Enjoy being trapped in the defense you created!
In this fight for survival, the last one who'll survive is—
~Yuuji's side~
Fooled ya, idiot! Damned Akihisa, so he actually created a sealed off area with the konjac like what I expected. He didn't even think why I chose the konjac without choosing the tofu that will crumble easily, and why I remained silent even though the kelp's all cooked? It's because Akihisa didn't think about this at all that I called him an idiot!
Akihisa's in charge of the kitchen, so he will know what I choose no matter what. Since he knows, that guy will do something to me, and because of that, I must checkmate him back.
First, I left the konjac behind, chose tofu, and poked a few holes in it. These tofu blocks are to separate Akihisa and me. Akihisa must be thinking that the tofu's out of the safe zone and lower his guard. He will naturally reach his chopsticks out and pick the stuff in front of him without know that the tofu wall has a few holes, and I just need to pick food from outside Akihisa and my area.
In this battle of survival, the last one standing will be—
“—ME!”
“—ME!”
☆
As we waited for the hotpot to boil, time gradually passed.
“It's about time. Turn off the fire.”
After a while, as Yuuji said this, the flame of the gas stove shut off, and the living room descended into darkness again.
“It's finally time..”
“..I'm so nervous.”
“I don't know what kind of taste will it be~”
Though nervous, the girls voices were still full of expectations.
“Then let's open it.”
Minami reached out to grab the cover of the pot and opened it. At that moment, the spicy flavor of Tabasco scattered through the air and reached our noses.
“““Ugh..”””
The girls frowned as they seemed to smell it. This should be their just desserts.
“Then, the dark hotpot game begins officially now!”
“OKAY! LET'S EAT!”
To motivate ourselves,we deliberately increased our volume. I poked my chopsticks inside to grab the food. Now's the important part. I have to be careful not to poke the tofu and konjac that's used as the protective wall.
“Humph, Akihisa, we're facing a dark hotpot, but you're looking rather relaxed.”
“Speaking of which, aren't you the same, Yuuji? It doesn't seem like you know what tragic fate will befall you?”
I continued to search for the food inside the hotpot as I jostled with Yuuji. Fufufu, you big idiot. Did you think that you could use the tofu wall to protect your measly life? In front of this konjac wall I created, you can only feel endless bounds of despair!
Thinking through the painful look Yuuji will soon show, the tip of my chopsticks seem to touch something. This should be a safe zone, so let's take this.
“Akihisa, are you really going to eat that?”
“You too, Yuuji. Don't regret once you pick it up.”
As we decided on our food, Yuuji and I jabbed at each other again. I have to hold my chopsticks tight to prevent the food from dropping back into the pot.
Watching myself so as not to let the food fall, I intend to pick it into my mouth at one go. Ready—
Dloop ← Corroded konjac.
““..””
......................................................What?
My thinking process was short-circuited.
No no no, that's impossible. Something must have gone wrong. Maybe it's because the living room was too dark that I couldn't see clearly. Besides, no matter what, such a thing is impossible!
I decided to pretend that nothing happened and put the piece of konjac back into the claypot.
Fuu..I took a deep breath and again grabbed the thing into my bowl with my chopsticks.
Dloop ← Corroded konjac.
““THE IMPORTANT WALL OF DEFENSE WAS ACTUALLY..!””
“Wha, what's going on? Aki, Sakamoto? Why are you shouting!?”
In the midst of the darkness, the scream Minami made scared Yuuji and me.
Why did the konjac melt? What kind of chemical reaction is that? It's just a hotpot. Why is there a chemical reaction!?
“That Himeji's really scary! So our little tricks couldn't win her..”
The defense wall was actually destroyed. Her thinking can't be put on the same level as our childish tricks of trying to survive! She wasn't someone we could deal with right from the beginning!
“Aki, what happened?”
“No..Minami, don't think too much about it..we're already the side who's going to be taken away..”
“I'm serious! What happened?”
There's no need for Minami to know this. At this point, it's too late to understand.
“F, fine, if you don't want to say it, then I'll..
Just when Minami was about to reach her chopsticks at the claypot—
“Shimada, hold on for a moment.”
Yuuji spoke to stop Minami, and then clasped his fingers together and said with an extremely stern voice,
“Our Father in Heaven..”
“What kind of joke are you pulling, Sakamoto!”
“Minami! You have to pray earnestly too! I don't want to see my friend die at all!”
Hideyoshi and Muttsurini seemed to have clasped their hands together as they prayed silently. We're all feeling the same way.
“--Amen.”
“““--Amen.”””
Everyone drew a cross in front of their chest. It's now the time of judgement.
Gradually getting used to the darkness in front of me, I took up my bowl and chopsticks and looked through the darkness.
A strong pungent smell could be smelled through the hot air that's floating. What's going on? My eyes seem to hurt the moment they touch the hot air that's coming out from the pot. I can't even stop my tears.
“A, Akihisa! Why do I feel that the hot air that came out from the hotpot seem to be purple!?”
“UWOOOAAHHH!! MY EYES! MY EEEYYYYEESSS!!”
“Calm down, Akihisa! You'll create a huge tragedy if you accidentally flip the claypot!”
Yuuji exclaimed as he grabbed my wrist.
It's true that if I flip the claypot accidentally, the terror inside it may spill on the human body or even cause some irreversible and terrifying consequence. Yuuji's right. The thing that shouldn't exist is this hotpot.
“Really, what are you playing around with, Aki?”
“..You're too noisy.”
“Why are you often so cheery, Yoshii-kun and the rest~”
The girls at our table didn't seem to notice the abnormal situation that's happening at the table. No, that shouldn't be the case..
“If you find that it's tough to pick them up with chopsticks, why don't we use a scoop?”
Perhaps knowing that there's tofu and konjac amongst the food, Himeji-san suggested using a scoop, and so, everyone ended up having a scoop to pick the food out from the claypot, and we start to walk up the stairway to heaven one step at a time.
“..I'm tucking in.”
Kirishima-san raised her bowl and took a sip. Now, what sort of reaction will she have?
“..It doesn't taste as weird as how it smells.”
“SHOUKO! YOUR VOICE'S ENTERING MY BRAIN DIRECTLY! IS YOUR SOUL IN YOUR OWN BODY!?”
I seemed to see something white behind Kirishima-san. That's way too dangerous!
“Stop fooling around, Aki! It's better to eat now, right? I'm tucking in.”
“Me too~”
This time, Minami and Kudou-san put the chemical weapons into their mouths.
““AARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!””
“Eh!? Isn't it strange to scream once you put the food in! Wouldn't people normally think that it's either 'good' or 'bad'?”
Both of them collapsed onto the table, not moving at all. Not good, they lost consciousness!
“Mi, Minami-chan!? Shouko-chan!? Aiko-chan!? Wake up!”
Himeji-san frantically called them.
“Ugh..wha, what the heck. This taste is too..”
“..Doesn't taste like food at all.”
“Even, even I can't de..”
The three girls shook their heads and slowly got off. Great, it seem that they're still alive.
“Ugh..really, this terrifying experience actually happened to me..”
“..This is a near death experience.”
“This is the first time I tried this flavor~”
Minami and the rest took their drinks and washed away the taste of death in their mouths.
Once they calmed down slightly—
“Okay, now it's your turn to eat now, Muttsurini-kun~”
Kudou-san said.
“..Uu (Shakes head violently)!”
Seeing that the topic suddenly switched to him, Muttsurini immediately panicked. It's obvious that he would be so terrified after seeing three friends lose consciousness at the same time.
“Ahaha, you don't have to be so scared, Muttsurini-kun. This is nothing.”
“..It's not nothing!”
“If there's really a need too, I'll help you do CPR☆!”
“..Uu!”
“So hurry up and eat up. Ah~”
“..Uu (Shakes head violently)!”
Kudou-san was about to send the bowl of soup to Muttsurini's mouth, and beside me--
“..Yuuji, ah~”
“STOP JOKING AROUND! I'M NOT EATING THERE! AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO DO CPR ON ME EVEN IF I'M UNCONSCIOUS!”
“..There's no need to be ashamed, we kissed before.”
“WHA, WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!? THAT WAS ON THE FOREHEAD, IT DOESN'T COUNT! AND THAT'S BECAUSE YOU MADE ME DO THAT AS PROOF OF APOLOGY!”
“..Don't say anymore, ah~”
Sitting beside me, Yuuji was trying his best to resist Kirishima-san. Anyway, as for the kissing incident I just heard, I'll ask more about it during our FFF court.
“Hey, Aki..”
Because I need to focus on the messenger of death that's slowly approaching me.
“Ah~”
Minami brought the bowl to my mouth. Damn it..she wants me to fall unconscious because she tasted that terrifying feeling of hell!
“Do, don't say that, Minami! I don't want to die yet!”
“What are you saying! Hoping that you won't be involved in this? I won't allow that to happen!”
“Even if you say that, I..”
“Stop yapping and open your mouth!”
I tried to wrestle with Minami. Seeing her like this..did she think that the ones who put that disgusting ingredient into the hotpot was us guys? That's a grave mistake! We're the one protecting everyone!
“Okay. Here, ahh~”
The terrifying and dangerous food is slowly approaching my mouth. It'll be bad if this keeps up!
“No, wait, if I fall unconscious, will you do CPR on me, Minami?”
I wasn’t careful and let such ridiculous words slip out of my mouth. I’m doomed! Everyone was spouting gibberish, and even I..
I got into a position as I got ready for Minami’s attack (or rather, humiliation), but what I got was an unexpected response.
“Eh? We, well, that, how, how should I put it.”
That’s strange? Minami looks rather panicky. Ah, I know! There was a little misunderstanding between Minami and me before.
Thinking that this is way too awkward, I just couldn’t say anything as I just remained there silently and blankly.
At this moment, Minami said shyly,
“..We, well..if..if Aki wishes for it..”
Hm? If I wish for it?
“—E, even if you’re not knocked unconscious, I can..”
“Ehhh!? Minami, what are you saying?”
Wait a second! Let me calm down first. If I feel all elated here, maybe I will lose all important clues. CPR..that’s right. Minami never said she would do it mouth-to-mouth. Maybe she will flip my body when I’m unconscious and stamp hard on my back..
“M, Minami-chan’s too sneaky! You’re cheating!”
“Here, Aki, open wide. Ahh!”
“UGH!”
Just when I was thinking, Minami quickly dumped the hotpot soup into my mouth at lightning speed. Damn it, she got me!
“Here, Muttsurini-kun, have some.”
“..U..gu..!”
“..Yuuji, open wide.”
“UGH!”
My friends who were not far away seem like they were forced to open their mouths, and they had something stuffed into their mouths.
She got me..my, my consciousness..
“Well..Minami-chan, let’s play janken. The winner will do CPR on Akihisa-kun..”
“Tha, that can’t do. Aki only asked me. You heard that.”
“Too sneaky..Minami-chan, didn’t you kiss Akihisa-kun before..”
Not good..my consciousness..
“..Yuuji, it’s now my turn to save you.”
“Muttsurini-kun. How does the dark hotpot taste?”
My consciousness..
--Didn’t fade.
“That’s strange? I’m completely alright.”
“What the heck. We’re all fine.”
“..I feel fine too.”
“Hm? That’s true. This hotpot’s spicy, but even I feel that this isn’t lethal.”
Yuuji and Muttsurini, who were forced to eat this dark hotpot, and Hideyoshi, who ate some on his own, seemed to be all fine without any abnormalities. What the heck. We were scared for nothing then?
<-->>