Home Visit
“Here! I, the Noble French Princess, Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte, have made Kimchi Stew! Make sure to eat it while crying tears of gratitude! Got it? Hmph!”
Olivia puffs up her cheeks.
She looks at the pot of Kimchi Stew on the table.
To be fair, it smells and looks decent.
There it was, a pork Kimchi Stew that looked like it could be served in a local diner, with red broth, fermented kimchi, tofu, and pork all mixed together.
Just then, I was deep in thought when…
“Deok-Sung, I also made Kimchi Stew. This time, I’ve perfected it with Shinozaki-style secret seasoning! Please do try it!”
Rin steps forward.
Plop.
She places her pot of Kimchi Stew on the table.
“Heh.”
Rin, who usually gets shy when it’s cooking time, wears an unusually confident smile.
Seeing her so sure only makes me more anxious.
This better not just look good.
“Hmph. Cow. With such low femininity, you dare to cook? It’s supposed to be Eri who shines in the kitchen! Master! Your adorable maid Eri has cooked Kimchi Stew! You might fall in love after tasting Eri’s Kimchi Stew, right?”
Thunk.
Eri pushes her Kimchi Stew forward from the side.
As the heroine certified with the best cooking skills by the setting book, a delicious aroma wafts from her stew, which is on a whole different level compared to Olivia and Rin’s.
“Ugh…”
Rin bites her lips.
Eri, seeing Rin’s reaction, puffs out her chest with a proud look.
She smiles.
“I practiced a lot for today, Eri! Master! You’ll praise me, right?”
Eri fiddles with a pet collar in her hands.
It’s all good, but could we skip the collar fiddling, please?
A sigh escapes me.
“Master, I also… made… Kimchi Stew…”
Just then, while Eri was gloating, Makoto timidly places her Kimchi Stew down.
Though not quite at Eri’s level, Makoto is also set up to be quite the cook.
According to her profile in the setting book, she’s ranked about second in cooking skills.
Maybe that’s why Makoto’s Kimchi Stew looks pretty good too.
“What’s this? Makopi, your Kimchi Stew looks super delicious! Is it okay if I try it first?”
Eri’s eyes sparkle with excitement.
Seeing that, Makoto flinches.
My body flinches.
“No way. Eri-chan… This kimchi stew is for my master, so I made it!”
Makoto says as she clings to the pot.
Eri’s eyes narrow.
A playful smile appears on her lips.
“Hehe, our Mako-pi. So cute. Hey!”
“Whoa?! Eri-chan! Don’t do that!”
An embarrassing scene unfolds before my eyes.
Can’t they just skip the breast touching and all that girl-on-girl stuff?
I could accept it in an anime, but in reality, it feels ridiculous.
While I’m thinking that, a familiar voice whispers in my ear.
“Junior…”
A beautiful girl with purple hair and amethyst-like purple eyes appears — it’s Kasumi-senpai.
She sets down the kimchi stew with a flushed face.
“I also cooked for you, Junior…”
Thud.
Kasumi-senpai places the pot down.
Her cooking skills are just average, neither good nor bad, similar to Olivia.
It can’t be something inedible.
“Hawa-wawa… There’s so much kimchi stew!”
I hear Evangelin’s voice from the side.
Clap.
With her hands clasped together, she sparkles her pink eyes.
“…..”
Beatrice stands silently next to Evangelin.
When our eyes meet, Beatrice jumps and hides behind Evangelin.
I don’t know why she’s acting like that as if I’m going to eat her.
Just then, while I’m dumbfounded looking at Beatrice…
“So, who will you choose? Whose kimchi stew will you pick?”
Olivia’s voice slides into my ears.
I turn my head.
“Master! Of course, it should be Eri’s kimchi stew!”
“Hmm. This time, it’s my chance to shine with my refined cooking skills learned from the Shinazaki-style culinary classes! Deok-Sung! Choose me!”
“Junior, I’m also here.”
Greeeeem…
Surrounding Olivia are Eri, Rin, Kasumi-senpai, and Makoto.
A moment of silence passes.
Grumble, grumble.
A thunderous growl comes from my stomach.
Hearing the sound, the heroines’ faces turn red.
“Forget about choices; I’m just hungry, let’s eat together.”
Normally, I would go along with it, but I don’t have the luxury to ponder over who to choose when my stomach is growling.
We need to eat first.
“Ah, I got it… Let’s do that! More than anything, you look hungry. You always come first, Deok-Sung.”
The first to respond to me is Rin.
A motherly smile blooms on her face.
“If it’s what Master wants… Eri will also follow Master’s words! Eri is Master’s number one slave!”
Following her, Eri giggles and speaks to me.
“Okay, got it. My lord.”
“If Junior says that…”
Voices from Makoto and Kasumi are also heard.
“…..Hmph. Still, I’ve practically won this round! So everyone, be clear about it! Got it?”
Finally, Olivia pouts and states.
Her flushed cheeks look a bit cute.
“Hey, Evangelin and Trixie hiding back there. You two should come over too.”
Trixie hidden behind the tree. You guys come too.”
“Wowowow… Thank you for inviting me to the kimchi stew party!”
“Hmph… Human food isn’t my preference, but I suppose I’ll have a taste. Thank you.”
No sooner had I finished speaking than Evangelin came running with sparkling eyes, while Beatrice grumbled in a typical middle schooler manner.
Thud.
A steaming bowl was placed in front of me.
A mountain of rice, known as high mound rice.
“Eat up, Deok-Sung.”
The one serving me rice was Rin.
Wearing an apron, she smiled while holding a rice paddle.
It’s like, Seriously…
Never mind.
I wiped the image from my mind and scooped some kimchi stew from one of the pots in front of me and stuffed it into my mouth along with some rice.
Delicious.
Far tastier than I expected.
The spicy and sour taste of kimchi mingled with the pork broth in my mouth.
It was a much better stew than the kimchi stew set served at renowned eateries.
“Master! You chose Eri’s kimchi stew!”
Loud noises came from the front.
The kimchi stew I scooped up must be made by Eri.
That’s why it tasted so good.
Well, if it was made by Eri, that makes sense.
Thinking that, I continued to eat.
The kimchi stew I hadn’t had in a while was delicious.
It reminded me, almost unconsciously, of my mom’s kimchi stew from my original world.
Thus, that day came to an end.
*
And time passed until the weekend we promised arrived.
Waking up early in the morning, I finished getting ready and moved out to meet at the promised time.
Early morning at Shuo Hero Academy.
In the parking lot in front of the school gate.
I could see a flashy sports car in the distance.
An open-top car.
It looked expensive at first glance.
In front of it stood a familiar-faced girl.
“Kid! You’re just arriving now?”
A beautiful girl in a black Gothic-Lolita dress.
The owner of the sports car, Seira Yoshizaki, the principal of Shuo Hero Academy.
Seira waved her hand.
Next to her stood Aris, brushing her side hair back.
“Hehe. I’ve been waiting for quite a while.”
She looks younger than me, yet she drives a sports car.
Aris blushed at her side.
“Good morning, Mr. Kim Deok-Sung…”
I nodded and acknowledged Aris’s greeting.
Seeing that, Seira smiled.
“Get in quickly. I’ll show you my driving skills.”
Thud.
Seira confidently boasted with a proud tone after hitting her chest.
[Oh, Sister. That’s just like you used to be.]
The Black Prince in my head remarked.
I sighed inwardly as I climbed into the open-top car.
At least it’s not a helicopter.
Seira in the driver’s seat, Aris in the passenger seat.
I was in the back seat.
“Then, let’s get going.”
After confirming everyone was on board, Seira stepped on the accelerator.
After a while of driving, we arrived at a quiet countryside.
It was a typical rural scene, with wooden houses you’d often see in Japanese animations.
There were rice fields and, typical of Wakayama Prefecture known for its citrus, quite a few orchards with mandarin trees.
“It’s been a while since I drove such a long distance…”
“It’s been a while…,”
Seira, driving a flashy open car that doesn’t quite match the countryside, says with a nostalgic voice.
Aris’ visit to her hometown is an episode that comes from a drama CD.
It had never appeared in the anime and was skipped in the comics, so this is the first time I’m actually witnessing it with my own eyes.
“Ugh…”
Aris sitting in the passenger seat flushes red.
She buries her face deep down.
The same reaction as in the drama CD.
Eventually, the car comes to a stop in front of a wooden house.
It’s subtly similar to a traditional Korean countryside house.
Seeing this reminds me of my grandmother’s place in the countryside where we used to go every holiday.
During Seollal and Chuseok, riding down the Gyeongbu Expressway meant delicious food and generous pocket money—those were the good times, huh?
It’s a bit different now, but it’s still a pretty nostalgic scene.
Unwanted memories of the original world float in my head.
“We have arrived. A-chan, little one.”
Swish.
Seira opens a lace fan and smiles.
I can’t believe I’m in rural Japan.
Looks like living long in a light novel world brings unexpected experiences.
An old gate comes into view.
Seira places her hand on the gate.
Behind her, bashful Aris and I follow.
“A-chan. Ring the doorbell.”
At Seira’s words, Aris, with a red face, nods.
She rings the doorbell.
Ding dong.
The sound of the doorbell rings out.
“…I’m here.”
Aris shyly whispers into the speaker, her voice laced with dialect.
-Bang, crash!
Just as her words finish, a clattering noise comes from inside, as if something’s falling apart.
“Is something breaking inside?”
Seira, hearing the strange noise, tilts her head in confusion.
Aris’ face turns red in embarrassment, hearing Seira’s muttering.
When guests visit after a long time, making unnecessary noise while tidying up is just a trope in Japanese anime.
There’s really no need to stick to the light novel clichés in such trivial matters.
This is ridiculous.
Creak, screech.
Then the gate opens, and someone appears.
A beautiful woman in her late thirties with long black hair rushes out and hugs Aris.
“Oh my, it’s A-chan! I really missed my A-chan!”
The black-haired beauty embraces Aris.
I’m not really sure since Aris’ family has never been shown in the original; they lack illustrations or character concepts, but could this be Aris’ mother?
In light novels, if the heroine’s mother isn’t suspiciously young-looking or oddly petite, it’s a cliché…
No, wait.
According to the setting, Aris’ mother is currently receiving treatment.
She shouldn’t be able to come out like this.
Then who is this person?
Just as that question pops into my head—
“Grandma! Don’t hug me! I’m not a kid! It’s suffocating!”
Dialect bursts out from Aris, who’s being held in the embrace.
Wait, what?
Not her mother, but a grandmother?
Someone who looks that young… is a grandmother?
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