'why would it be an oilfield' expression of dismay.

The game still continued and it had already passed the halfway point.

"If there's still no correct answer, the one who made that thing won't have any points either."

By the way, what Charlotte did had been immediately guessed, so she didn't get any points. And on the other hand, the advancing team's model had the Barbarossa characteristic, it was invincible in terms of 'it can be whatever you want'.

In the middle of the explanation, the author and the one answering can get points.

So incidentally, Houki's model is a 'well', and Charlotte answered at the best possible moment.

Then, the last battle opposes two strong people, Laura to Cecilia.

While Laura's is that pyramid, Cecilia's looked like an intriguing cell.

File:IS v04 231.jpg

While Laura's is that pyramid, Cecilia's looked like an intriguing cell.

"This, is it food?"

"It isn't."

"Is that thing really small?"

"No, it's very, very big."

Having their models figured out, Houki and Charlotte violently questioned Laura and Cecilia on their models with deadly intentions, but Laura's model was impossible to solve.

So finally, the game could only end.

"Then, Laura, what is that thing?"

The one questioning was Ichika, who has been holding back for long.

"Huh? Even you do not know? You are really a failure as my bride."

"What, anyways...what is the answer?"

"A mountain."

............

"What?"

"A mountain."

"No, no, wait, WAIT! Is there a mountain that acute?"

"Jeez......how rude. Mount Everest is like that."

"But it only limits to the Mount Everest!"

"Except Mount Everest, there are only mountains like this."

Full of confidence of her modeling, Laura wouldn't let go.

"Fine, fine, since no one answered right to Laura's model, so I'll take points out! Next, what is Cecilia's?"

"Ara. No one got the answer?"

If anyone had got it, he/she would have answered! Though they thought of saying this, they didn't say it loud.

Cecilia started making her show-off posture, lifted her right hand, made a circle in the air and said.

"It's my motherland, the UK!"

"""............"""

Everyone fell into silence. By the way, what everyone guessed before were 'rotten potato', 'unicellular substance', 'decomposed pizza', 'seaweed', 'piece of cloth worn out', 'injured dog' and 'wet cat'.

"Really, I don't need everyone to be touched like this, I recommend you to look at the world map once per day."

'Who would know what UK's form would look like!', was what everyone wanted to answer, but fell into silence. Seeing Cecilia having even more confidence in her modeling than Laura, so it made everyone have a 'want to throw a tsukkomi at her silliness'.?[4D 6]

"A-Anyways, everyone should approximately know what the rules are! Then Ichika and I will enter too, so let's play together!"

The six of them gathered in front of the table, and started modeling once again.

Although the clay model made before needed to be destroyed, Charlotte's horse was so great that destroying it would give a feeling of pity. Ichika took it in his own hands looked at it and said.

"By the way, Charlotte's hands are really skillful......don't you think that at this level, it could be used as an ornament?"

"It-It's nothing. I only added four legs to it."

"No, no. Even though it has been guessed wrongly by some others, this doesn't look like a donkey, neither does it look like a camel! As expected from Charlotte."

"Ah, thank you......"

The other four girls watched the embarrassed Charlotte from the shadows, and thought unconvincingly 'why is Charlotte the only one to be praised'.

Especially Houki, Cecilia and Laura, who were all fully confident about their models, didn't get praised by Ichika, and thus, were so angry that their cheeks were puffing up.

"Rin, since you can't tell if it's a dumpling, a meat bun or a shaomai, it's not allowed."

"Ho-How rude, it's a peach!"

"Huh, it's a peach......doesn't the shape go too much against common sense?"

"How noisy! Don't you know only how to make Dongpo pork."[4D 7]

"Ah......what are you talking about, did you know that I can do three layers properly? Even Dan could see it."

"That is because you always eat Dongpo pork every noon!"

Facing those two having an animated discussion about their days in Junior High, the other people looked at them with envy; but the past is the past, and it cannot be changed, so after reflecting on that point, it was decided that the thoughts should be on the future.

As time passed by, the second round started.

"I know, that's Kamaboko!"[4D 8]

"It is not! Please try harder."

"What Laura made......is it a human......?"

"It's not, why can't you guess right? The model is fantastic."

"I know it this time, Cecilia, what you're modeling is a tomato, isn't it?"

"Houki-san, does it look like a tomato?"

The atmosphere was really lively, so much that time passed quickly.

Though after 4 PM, an unexpected person appeared.

"What, I thought that it was too lively, so it was you guys, huh."

In front of their eyes was Chifuyu-nee.

She was wearing casual clothes, a white shirt and a pair of jeans, and it was showing her personality. The sleeveless black shirt underneath her clothes was covering her voluminous chest.

"Welcome back, Chifuyu-nee."

"Aaah, I'm home."

Ichika immediately stood up, and walked towards Chifuyu-nee, and took the bag on her right shoulder, giving the impression that he's a butler.

"Did you eat at lunch? If you didn't I'll cook some rice, what dishes do you want to eat?"

"Stupid, what time do you think it is? I've already eaten it."

"Is that so......ah, what kind of tea do you want to drink? Hot or iced, which one?"

"You're kind of right......I just came from outside, so I want to drink iced——"

At that point of her sentence, Chifuyu suddenly felt an oppressive aura from the students. It was envy towards Chifuyu on how she gets treated by Ichika.

"......No, there's no need, I'll go outdoors in a moment, I have some work."

"Huh? So it's like that......but the coffee jelly that was frozen in the morning should be eatable, I guess."

"Next time then. So, I'll go change my clothes."

"Ah! The shirt and other clothes are already out. I have taken the autumn clothes in Chifuyu-nee's bag, so don't forget them!"

"I know it."

Oh jeez, this guy seems like a good mother, was what Chifuyu thought, but she didn't say it.

Though the girls felt 'What, they look like a husband and his wife', but no one said it out loud, and even if they commented on it, they would only deepen their trouble.

*Badam!* Following the door sound, Chifuyu left the living room; thinking that they could finally breathe normally, the girls let out a deep breath.

"Just as always, you really like to stick to Chifuyu-san."

"Huh? Is it? Well, it's normal, since we're siblings."

"Is it? Probably only you think like that."

After seeing Chifuyu's appearance——or perhaps rather Ichika's approach towards Chifuyu, Rin's speech was full of sarcasm.

At the same time, Ichika's other childhood friend, Houki, who since long ago thought that they were really close to each other, always felt some things that couldn't be said, swirling around in her mind.

(......Has Ichika's sister complex gone worse......)

Thinking about the matter a month before, Cecilia's and Charlotte's mood got worse.

(Does Orimura-sensei only look at him as a younger brother......?)

(That, that's probably not it, huh? Something like a world by themselves, two people having a crush on each other......there should be none of that, should it?)

Laura, who thought of what happened before and that she could get over it once again, felt an abnormally jealous feeling different from before.

(Muu......that disgraceful Ichika is clearly my wife......but the Instructor——no, even if it's the Instructor, my wife can't be good to anyone, besides me. It's really troublesome, but......Muuu......)

Everyone's thoughts fell silent, and the atmosphere in the living room became heavy.

"Huh? That? What's that! What is it?"

"......Coffee jelly."

"Hn."

"Take out the coffee jelly right now! How troublesome, you didn't take out a snack past 3 O'clock, I'm angry now!"

"Why would you be angry, doesn't Rin technically hate coffee?"

"I love coffee jelly!"

"Huuh? Didn't you say before that you didn't want......"

"I just happened to love it! I started loving it these days, so do you have an objection?"

"No, I don't have any......"

Ichika felt like a gentleman cornered and wanting to escape from Rin, and Houki took this opportunity to speak out.

"Um! That......it happens that, I also like to eat coffee jelly......"

"Wha?"

"P-Please let me taste it!"

Since she was embarrassed of it, Houki let go of Ichika's arm, and Laura took this opportunity to say.

"Taste it......oh yeah, I also need to taste it! You don't want the instructor to eat something strange, do you?"

"Y-Yeah? What is it, Laura?"

"I said that I want to help you taste it, take it out."

Cecilia and Charlotte also expressed themselves.

"R-Right! Please let me taste it......"

"Th-Then me too, I'll......"

"H-Hey, Hey, even Charl too......if it's not good then don't blame me, OK?"

Ichika, who didn't have a choice, could only stand up, and go to the kitchen so that he could take out the coffee jelly from the fridge.

"Since there are exactly six, it's just enough......though that way Chifuyu-nee's part would be gone."

"Didn't Chifuyu-nee say that she would eat it next time?"

"You're not wrong......Ye-ah."

Facing those girls who were prepared to succeed, Ichika, who was still bothered, wanted to say something, but suddenly the door opened.

"So, are you having an argument? As long as you're in this house, then you need to get along."

Chifuyu was wearing a suit——and those of the same gender as her felt that she had a devilish figure, and that they couldn't say anything.

And with that calm expression she went to the front door, ready to go outside.

"Ichika, today I won't get back, so you can do whatever you want! However, the girls can't stay overnight."

And with the explanation that 'There aren't enough beds', she left the living room.

"Is there some important work? Ye-ah......then it can't be helped."

While saying this, Ichika put the coffee jelly on the table, and sat with everyone.

"Since Chifuyu-nee likes it with a strong coffee taste, if you guys need some milk, you can serve yourselves; also I didn't put any sugar in it, so I prepared some syrup."

After everyone took all they needed, they started eating slowly.

Cecilia and Laura, who were thinking at the beginning of eating the bitter black coffee jelly[4D 9]?tended their hands towards the syrup and the milk.

"Fu, it's pretty good."

"You're clearly a guy, and still can do sweets? That's really surprising."

"Is it possible that Ichika knows how to make cakes?"

"Hn~I only know how to make some easy sponge cake——it's only the type of cake where you mix the fruits and milk."

"It sounds delicious, when can you try making one?"

"When I have the opportunity."

"Instructor eats your handmade food every day, I'm envious."

"This isn't something really impressive. Aah, right, until what time will you girls stay? If you stay until the evening, then if I don't go to buy ingredients right now——"

After hearing Ichika saying those words, the girls' eyes started to sparkle.

"I'll cook the rice for the evening! I'll do this as a special thanks for today's coffee jelly."

"Yeah, I still haven't showed my skills yet!"

"Then, then I'll also help with it."

"I'll also participate. When I was in the army, I learnt how to cook, so look forward to it!"

"By the way, you haven't eaten my cooking in a while, so you should be yearning for that taste, aren't you?"

No, I'm not——thinking of Cecilia's silliness, Ichika looked at the clock.

"Then I'll go out around 5 o'clock. There's a store near here, so I'll go there to buy things."

Everyone started to talk with each other. After eating the jelly they continued on chatting......like this, time passed quickly.

◆

"Sorry for making you wait."

The one who was gasping and arriving at the underground bar between a store and the train station——was Yamada-sensei, Yamada Maya.

That bar's open hours were from four in the afternoon to eight in the morning, and its name was 'Bar Crescendo'. It was a bar full of adults who came in contact with each other, and also where Chifuyu was often welcomed.

"I'm sorry, calling you out in a rush like that."

"It's fine, it's fine. Anyway, if I stay at my room I'll only look at the shopping catalog."

Maya sat near the counter, and Chifuyu immediately asked the owner for a cup of normal beer with black beer mixed together——of course it was for Maya.

"Does Chifuyu-san also want to try something new?"

"Yeah, sorry for bothering you."

"I got it."

That bar was managed by a sole aged owner——with his beard and his white hair pulled back, his appearance was attracting many female customers.

Though Chifuyu didn't really like the owner, but she was more attracted by his soothing voice.

"Please help yourself."

The owner took out Maya's beer and Chifuyu's black beer, and then took out slices of cheese for the clients, but placed them while being at a bit of distance from them——after many years of experience, he knew that there's no way to have a good chat with people who he isn't familiar with.

"Cheers."

The sound of two glass cups coming into contact resounded. Maya took little sips, while Chifuyu was joyfully savoring it slowly, the cup tilted a bit.

After drinking around half of the content, Maya asked a question.

"What is it today? Isn't it vacation time, so why don't you go home?"

"I was thinking of doing so, but there are girls at home right now."

"Girls? Oooh——could they be Ichika's friends?

"Aaah, yes, and also our students——to phrase it another way, they are all familiar faces."

"You mean the six personal machine users? They would all be strong in a war."

"Don't joke with it."

While saying that and smiling, Chifuyu ate a slice of cheese.

"Wouldn't Orimura-sensei be bothered by it? If your little brother has a girlfriend."

"You're kinda right......"

The beer was just finished, so Chifuyu asked for another cup from the owner.

After she finished her fourth in a shot, Chifuyu continued and said,

"Last month, did something happen at the sea-side school?"

"Huhh, yeah, concerning that I still remember that......many things happened."

"Maa, putting aside the Gospel story first......I feel that I said things that I shouldn't have said at that time."

"......What did you say?"

Maya asked her with her interest showing. This was the first time that she had seen her so hesitant, so what could be the reason? She was interested to the maximum.

"I said to those five girls..."

"Yes."

"I said 'I won't let you have Ichika'."

"......What?"

Maya, who had been surprised, asked back, since it was rare that Chifuyu would be embarrassed and have much to say. It was probably because she was drinking.

File:IS v04 245.jpg

Maya, who had been surprised, asked back, since it was rare that Chifuyu would be embarrassed and have much to say.

"It's not......like that......no, didn't I say before that I don't have special feelings towards that guy, but how can I say it......a little brother should belong to his older sister, right?"

"Maybe that is what it feels like this......but I'm an only child."

"A-Anyway, it there's no weird meaning to it. Though......it seems that those girls look at me as a love rival, so I am bothered by it."

At the same time Maya's cup was also empty. As she ordered another, the silence continued.

"That......Orimura-sensei, towards Orimura-kun——Aah, how complicated——towards Ichika-kun going out with a girl, are you for or against it?"

"Of course I would be in favor of it. That guy could learn more about different things——not only about managing with people, but also especially towards girls."

"Isn't it good like this?"

"I-It's not."

Whaat~......thought Maya in her mind.

"It's not good, maybe should I say that I'm scared to see him seduced by another girl. That guy really doesn't have an eye for girls."

"Haa. So Orimura-sensei is concerned about Ichika-kun——"

"It's, it's not concerned, that guy can decide by himself."

Whaat~......Maya though that once again.

"Then what do you mean, in the end? Is it 'You can't go out with a girl that I don't acknowledge!' or something like that?"

"I feel that there's a slight difference......Aaah, I don't know how to say it."

Chifuyu tilted her cup, and drank the strong black beer in large gulps.

"Owner, another cup."

"Yes, just a moment."

The owner gave her another cup of beer, and she drank half of it in one shot.

"Anyways, that's the reason why I went out today. Though they are young maidens in their teens, who took their courage to come to our home, I can't bother them."

"Fufu, Orimura-sensei and Ichika-kun are a lot alike."

——Especially the part where they don't have a limit to their kindness.

"What, which parts are we alike? Maya, you really don't have an eye for guys."

"Maybe so? Fufufu."

"Muu......"

The young Maya looked like a younger sister making fun of her older sister, and that made Chifuyu laugh and angry at the same time, making her mood complex. She ended up drinking the beer left in one shot.

"Then I'll keep you company until morning."

"Fuun, how great would these words sound if you say them to a man."

"Yeah, if there's someone who has more manliness than you, then I'll do that."

Said Maya mischievously while gazing at Chifuyu.

"Then the owner would be good! I recommend him."

"Chifuyu-san, don't make fun of an oldie like me."

While saying that, the owner brought a drink which wasn't black beer——it was a Salty dog cocktail[4D 10], and the glass was rimmed of salt, and it was as beautiful as snow.

"......I haven't ordered anything."

"I thought it was about the time you would like to drink."

"Fuun......there are only noisy people around me."

Chifuyu, despite wanting to insult someone badly and to protest a bit against the fact that her mood has been looked through, took a light sip.

Seeing her behaving like a child throwing a tantrum, Maya and the owner didn't say anything.

"We are also being loved, isn't that right, owner?"

"Yeah."

"Then, I, who seems to be a noisy person, will go do other things"——after saying this, the owner walked to the kitchen.

Still having the expression of a child throwing a tantrum, Chifuyu put all the remaining cheese in her mouth.

"Everyone has grown......many things did, and many things happened too."

"Fuun, speaking like a person well over her years."

"Wh-What? Jeez! How dare you make fun of me, how mean!"

"Sorry, sorry."

Facing Chifuyu, who was bursting out with laugher, Maya puffed up her cheeks.

The ice cubes in the Salty dog cocktail, as if they were watching those two, clattered.

◆

The scene switches to the Orimura household——there, it currently seemed like there were warriors preparing to die on a battlefield, and the battle was becoming even more intense.

"Hn......sho! Aaah, jeeze......that potato is hard to cut."

Though the movements weren't dangerous, when Rin peeled the potato, there was even flesh taken off with the peel.

Beside Rin was the one who 'should' know how to make braised beef, Cecilia, who was bluntly putting tomatoes in the cooking pot.

"How weird, why isn't the color the same as the picture shows? There isn't enough red!"

"H-Hey, don't put that much......Ah! The fire's too strong!"

"Don't worry, Houki, my food is often meant to be ready at the end."

"Food isn't about fighting or winning......"

Houki, who was wearing a hat and an apron, let out a sigh. She was working hard to make her own food——today's dish was curry.

"What is Charlotte doing? Grilled chicken?"

"It isn't Laura, it's fried chicken, I am doing the seasoning now."

"Fumu, so it's like that."

While saying that, Laura was beautifully peeling white daikons. Her manipulation of a knife was near professional level, even the experts would hold their breath......since she was using a sword as a knife.

"Wah, Laura, I feel that you're really good! Where did you learn these knife skills."

"You just need to watch, I'm only copying the tricks in the television."

"Being that great by just copying......"

"Maybe because I've been using knifes for so long; if you are in a jungle and you can't deal with wood, you can't make traps or such."

"Th-That's true......what dish are you making?"

"Oden."[4D 11]

..................

"Oden."

"No, you don't need to repeat twice......but isn't that winter food?"

"It isn't said that you can't eat that in summer."

"You aren't wrong by saying that......ah, Laura, do you have more daikons for me? Ichika said just before that he would like smashed daikons with fried chicken."

".................."

"Laura?"

*Dang!* Laura suddenly cut the radish in half.

"——Aaah, sorry, I was too focused just before, so I didn't hear anything. What did you say?"

"Huh, that......if you have more daikons, I would like......"

"So it's like this, I got it."

*Dong!* Laura precisely cut five inches of the daikon.

"——I cut!"

*Dong!* *Dong!* *Dong!* The way the eye-patched girl with an apron cuts a daikon, gives people a feeling of surrealism.

Looking at the scene of these girls cooking food together, Ichika was worried to death, and frequently looked towards the kitchen.

Though he had been asked to go watch TV, he was worried to death about whether they could really make delicious food......by the way, in that situation, the biggest victim would be Ichika's stomach.

(I-It should be OK......I guess......? They should be able to cook edible food......I guess?)

"Fun~?Funfu~n?"

Rin, who finally finished cutting the vegetables was humming while cooking; though after peeling that much flesh with the skin feels like a waste, and Ichika is very mindful of that.

Right, he remembered that a novel author once said this to him on the edge of the sea.

"I'll tell you what's good with time——it's that it'll surely pass."

Then another quote:

"I'll tell you what's bad with time——it's that it'll surely come."

Right, that time has come......

".................."

Seeing those five girls with their hand-made dishes, the ones which stood out the most were as he thought, Cecilia and Laura's dishes.

"How is it, Ichika-san, maybe it should be said like this——that is the result of my confidence."

That braised beef only?looks?perfect, and from the very beginning there was a really spicy smell.

(Are they Mexican spices? Since you wanted to make it that red, so you added Mexican spices? Cecilia!)

Then, Laura's part......how can I say it......

"That it's Oden, there's only meat in it; it looks like a BBQ."

Though it's only carrots, eggs, bamboo rings and konjac[4D 12]?connected, it doesn't look normal——it should be something poached, so why would it have a burnt color......why is it brown-colored?

(This, isn't this......the so-called 'Manga-oden'......?)

Ichika really didn't want to think about how it was made.

Then, beside it was Rin's dish.

"Then, it seems that my Nikujaga[4D 13]?looks the most delicious, isn't it?"

Though the one who made it seemed proud of it, the potatoes were cut into really small pieces, and why are they even smaller than the beef cubes? Was it over-cooked......it doesn't seem so.

(No, at least the taste is fine, Rin's dish is only a bit like 'that' in the appearance.)

After encouraging himself, Ichika's eyes turned to the 'safe food' area.

He saw the fried chicken Charlotte made, and also the curry Houki made. At the beginning, he thought that they should eat a bit more, so he asked them to do these dishes, though in fact, he should have only asked those two to cook——Ichika started to regret his decision.

(Aaahm it looks really delicious......Charl cut the fried chicken exactly so it can fit in a mouth, and Houki always knew how to prepare dishes. Yup, I really want to finish these.)

Though I've said that, the result will probably be miserable or cruel, isn't it? Since they already cooked that much, I should be happy from the bottom of my heart.

Though he was thinking that, there was really no way he could say 'It tastes bad' to someone who worked that hard——and that was Ichika's weakness.

"Then, everyone please eat! I'm not used with just sitting beside these dishes and waiting to eat, and I'm pretty hungry."

"You're right, then let's eat supper."

"Ichika, where are the smaller plates? Please bring them."

"Then I'll go fetch the drinks."

"To taste everyone's dishes like that, I think that it's pretty embarrassing......though it's not bad."

"At this time you should say that you're?happy, isn't that right? Laura."

Yes, happy, Ichika also feels like that.

When he's preparing dishes for Chifuyu, he also feels really happy, but that happiness and this happiness are different——this happiness is closer to joy.

"So? Let's start eating!"

Facing everyone in front of the table, Ichika took the initiative and said.

"Itadakimasu!"

Compared to the food's taste itself——the feeling of everyone cherishing the warmth of eating everyone's dishes with each other, was present through that summer's evening.