The End Is Just Another Beginning
Rumble-rumble.
Shopping carts rattled up and down aisles stacked with groceries. Among them, a black-haired man and woman pushed a cart of their own, picking through ingredients.
"Jinwoo, would you like doenjang stew, or ramyeon?"
"Your doenjang stew's the best thing I've ever had."
"Alright. I'll make that for you, then."
The fighting aboard the cruise ship was over, and they were wholly absorbed in getting ready for the after-party.
"S-Saintess!! Are you all right?!"
"And who, exactly, is worrying about whom?"
"A-Arkis, how are you feeling?"
"I'm... fine..."
"Hmph. Getting yourself hurt for nothing." (My little sisterrrrr?! Waaah, boo-hoooo T_T)
Of course, acquaintances who'd sensed the party's crisis a little too late had come looking for them as well. Anyone above a certain level was probably immune to the brainwashing, which explained why they hadn't been there in the first place.
"Anyway... they said they'd provide the charcoal and the torches over there, so..."
The past could be set aside for now. All that mattered was buying meat.
"How many packs of pork belly should we get?"
Dressed in a comfortable tank top and dolphin shorts, Ryushia crossed items off her memo pad, meticulously checking whether they needed anything else.
"We'll need... at least ten packs. Elia's coming, after all."
"We're getting pork jowl and neck too, you know?"
"Ten packs of those as well."
"Aigoo... it's not like we're feeding a whole clan..."
Even just the meat piled in the cart made for a truly staggering amount.
"Lettuce, ssamjang and gochujang... sesame oil, salt..."
They were carefully selecting the remaining ingredients when—
"Sia! Let's grill some shrimp and bacon too!"
"Do you even know how to grill those?"
"Nope?"
"...So what you're really saying is I have to do everything."
"Pretty please!"
"Haaah..."
At Jinwoo's pleading, she had no choice but to toss the extra ingredients into the cart as well.
"This one looks fresher, doesn't it?"
No matter how much they swept off the shelves, checking the quality was non-negotiable. Freshness, color—the smallest details could shift the flavor of a dish in subtle ways. Minute differences, yes. But those nuances could be the deciding factor for someone's palate.
"Oh my... your young wife looks so sweet and capable around the house!"
"Pardon?"
Ryushia's body gave a startled twitch at the words the sample-counter ajumma had just blurted out.
"Pretty face, great figure... and so thorough with the shopping! Those hips look like they'd pop out babies no problem—she'll make a wonderful mother! This young man sure lucked out!"
"Ah... n-no. That's not—"
A rather solid misunderstanding had taken root between her and me. Breaking into a cold sweat, I scrambled to clear it up.
"We're not even dating, and I'm not the kind of woman who—"
"Thank you, ma'am."
But Jinwoo ignored me entirely, beaming as he answered.
"Aigoo! This young man of ours might be a little... well! But he's got such a fine face! Buy two packs of dumplings and I'll give them to you for the price of one! How about it, hmm? That's because your wife is such a sweet-looking girl!"
"Hahaha!! Thank you so much!!"
"...Just buy it and let's go."
The ajumma's meddlesome tone made my face burn on its own. I grabbed him as he tried to snap off a crisp ninety-degree bow and dragged him away.
"Whew. She's a nice lady, isn't she?"
He still hadn't snapped out of it, so I socked him one out of sheer irritation.
WHAM!!!
"Urgh?!"
"...Keep teasing me and you'll regret it."
Was it just my imagination? At first he couldn't even look me in the eye, but these days he even knew how to pull the occasional mischievous prank.
Had he... gotten used to women?
I couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
The fire crackled.
"Alright... neck first, then the pork belly..."
"Let's put pepper on it!!"
Pssshht-pssshht-pssshht—the approximate sound of pepper being dumped by the fistful.
"Hey?! Why are you dumping that much, Iflata?!"
"I like it hot!"
Before anyone knew it, the sun had dipped into twilight, and a gaggle of young people were making a racket at the campsite.
"Mm. I do enjoy this sort of thing as well..."
Arkis gazed at the beautiful landscape draped in sunset, quietly savoring the aroma of black tea with her bandaged hands.
"Eat some meat, hoist a few logs, and the pump should come in nicely."
"...This is my private land, you know? Don't go chopping down trees as you please."
She still found a moment to get a word in at the Saintess, who was already eyeing up her next gains even here.
"Everyone? The meat's done, so please eat~"
"Yes~!"
"Om-nom-nom... so goooood..."
Even as the rest of the party kicked back and enjoyed themselves, Ryushia worked her hands tirelessly, all on her own. She flipped the meat diligently so it wouldn't burn, adjusted the heat just so, and sliced everything into neat, bite-sized pieces.
"Oh. So this is Korean barbecue..."
The Saintess stacked three slices of meat and demolished them, putting her formidable appetite on full display.
"Hoho... it rather suits the palate of a noble young lady such as myself."
Arkis wrapped garlic, kimchi, pork belly, and even gochujang into a tight ssam and chewed away with gusto. Then she knocked back a shot of soju, set the glass down with a clack, and let out a long, satisfied breath.
"Khhh... hell yeah!"
"What kind of young lady is that? You're just a construction-site ajusshi."
"Kindly shut your trap."
Jinwoo chewed his meat with a look of utter disbelief at the sight of her. And the little white angel—nobody could quite say when she'd shown up—was working her mouth just as hard, munching away.
"Hey, hey! This pepper is insanely good! Try one!"
"Yeah? Thanks."
Iflata dunked a green pepper in ssamjang and held it out to Jinwoo. She really did pull the occasional cute stunt, this one.
"Mm!"
The moment he bit down, the fresh pepper flavor...
The pepper flavor...
Ah.
"HHHRRROOOOOOOGH-BWAAAGH-GAAAAAAHK!!!!"
"Ah, sorry. That was a cheongyang chili."
Fire erupted in his mouth.
"Tastes just right to me. Is this supposed to be spicy?"
A grown man was thrashing around with tears and snot flying, and Iflata just crunched away on her pepper, watching him with an expression so punchable it ought to have been a crime.
"WAAAAAATER!!! WATER!!!!"
He clutched his tongue, writhing in the hellish heat, desperately begging for the water of life, when—
"Oh, honestly! I told you to look at what you're eating. Here's a drink."
Wearing an apron, a smear of charcoal on her face, Ryushia held out a bottle of Cool-Xs.
"HBBBBBBBB!!!"
Forgetting even to say thank you, he snatched the Cool-Xs and chugged it down, finally managing to catch his breath.
"Pwahh... I'm alive..."
"Really. Stop doing weird things and just eat the meat."
Ryushia picked up a freshly grilled slice of pork belly with the tongs and held it out to him.
"Mm... so good..."
Once his tongue had calmed down somewhat, he savored the meat she'd given him. Pork belly that wasn't burnt, cooked just right. Juices welled up from within, and the rich, fatty aroma filled the hollow of his hunger. It was, quite literally, the taste of heaven.
"Here. The shrimp's all done."
"I want some too!"
"Just a second, let me take off the shells and heads."
Ryushia prepped the shrimp with practiced hands. She pulled off the inedible heads, gently peeled away the potentially tough shells with her fingers, and extracted only the plump meat.
"Here you go!"
"Thanks for the food!"
The moment Iflata laid eyes on the golden-brown, reddish shrimp, she lunged at it, drooling. Then, like a kitten, she clutched it in both hands and worked her tongue over it.
"Pheew..."
Ryushia wiped her stained hands from the prep work, and at the sight of Iflata eating so happily, a warm smile spread across her face all on its own.
"You're not having any?"
"...I don't need that sort of thing."
Then, with a sweet smile, she seated a girl-shaped doll she'd brought from somewhere in a chair.
"Ryushia! Say ahh~!"
"Oh, honestly... you don't have to do this."
He quietly offered a ssam wrap to Ryushia, who was still busy grilling meat and cooking. She waved him off with an embarrassed smile, but—
"Come on, don't be like that! Just take a bite! It's to die for!"
"Alright, then... ahh..."
At his insistent offering, she let out a helpless little laugh and opened her mouth. And then...
Her pale pink lips came into view, along with the neat, snow-white teeth gathered behind them. And a tongue that looked so moist...
"?"
He must have been staring too hard, because Ryushia tilted her head.
Ah... no. What am I even imagining right now? I should just put it in already.
Sliiiip.
"Nngh... mmph... it's a little biig... but I can swallow it..."
Gulp.
Was it just his imagination? Even the way she struggled to work the oversized wrap around in her mouth had a strangely sensual quality to it. And the wording, too... was a little... yeah...
"Mmm... it really is delicious."
Still, seeing the happy look on her face put his heart at ease all on its own.
"Alright... I should eat something myse— huh?"
Something dark and distinctly insect-shaped had appeared in the honey pot he'd set aside for making sauce.
"A s-stag beetle?!"
"Whaaat?!"
There it was: a magnificent, glossy insect crawling along with an air of utter dignity.
"Where, where?!"
Iflata's eyes sparkled at the sound, and she plopped her rear right onto my lap with a smack.
"Wha—?!"
"Whoaaa..."
While her gaze lingered on the stag beetle in wonder, a sweet body scent drifted over and tickled the tip of my nose.
...Strawberry.
"Uh, hey, Iflata..."
"I can't resist a wild stag beetle!!"
She lunged.
"Hngh?!"
As if the warm press of Iflata's body weren't enough, Arkis also pressed herself right up against me, her eyes gleaming with excitement. The soft sensation against my shoulder, and the huff-huff of her breath, made my ear tickle.
"Oh, insects are an excellent source of protein."
"...Don't eat it, Elia."
To make matters worse, a pair of enormous breasts crushed down on my head, and I had no idea what to do with myself.
"Ohh..."
That was when it hit me. A tomboy mage girl on my lap. A silver-haired noble young lady on my shoulder. And a blonde Saintess pressing down on my head.
...Do I... have a harem?
"Stop doing weird things and just eat your food already!"
BAM!
"Hngh?!"
Whether she was angry that they weren't focusing on the meal and had instead devoted themselves entirely to insect-watching, Ryushia snapped and slammed the table with a bang. In the end, the stag beetle shot off like a bullet at her shout.
"Waaahhh!!! Ryushia, you're mean!!"
"That was a legendary live stag beetle sighting, though..."
"My protein source..."
"S-stop saying weird things and just eat the meat, I'm telling you?!"
Faced with the party's chorus of complaints, she answered as best she could, flustered.
"Hiiing..."
Iflata and the other girls soon returned to their seats, looking thoroughly dejected. Ryushia, how to put it... glanced around with a look that was, somehow, a little guilty.
The fire crackled on.
"It's night now."
"The stars are so pretty..."
After the meal, everyone gathered in one place and looked up at the starry sky. Arkis's private land wasn't far from the cruise ship's docking harbor, so you could take in the beautiful sea and the glittering stars all at once.
"Where's Ryushia?"
"Yeah, where is she?"
But the black-haired, narrow-eyed girl was nowhere to be seen.
"I'll go find her."
The look on Ryushia's face at the end—that lost, uncertain expression—kept flashing through Jinwoo's mind, so he decided to go look for her himself. Before long, he'd left the campsite and stepped onto a secluded mountain path. He was making his way down the slightly chilly, dark trail when...
"...Ryushia?"
"Ah."
There she was, a flashlight clenched in her mouth, slathering something onto a tree.
"Is this honey?"
"Uh... well, you see..."
Caught in the act of her secret operation, her narrow eyes trembled with anxiety, and she clearly had no idea what to do.
"...I... I let the stag beetle get away... so I was going to catch one for you..."
Apparently, what had happened during the day had been bothering her.
"Sia."
"Y-yes?!"
So I took a step closer and looked at her steadily.
"You're just ridiculously cute."
"W-what did you just say!!"
Ryushia's face flushed red at the teasing, and she started throwing punches wildly.
"Aaagh..."
And they actually hurt quite a bit...
"Haaah... what a magnificent view."
"Yeah."
Pwahh... so goood...
Everyone, Ryushia included, gathered and looked up at the night sky. Behind them, Raby lay spread-eagle on her back, patting her stuffed belly. The campfire popped and sent up sparks, glowing softly.
"...Let's come again sometime."
"Yeah."
At Ryushia's words, the stag beetle in the clear plastic container seemed to answer with a flutter of its wings. And though her face didn't particularly show any expression... in this moment, at least, she looked truly at ease...
And beautiful.
"What would you all like for breakfast tomorrow?"
"Budae-jjigae!"
"Doenjang soup!"
"Ramyeon!"
"A protein shake."
"...I'll put on some doenjang ramyeon and budae-jjigae."
"Tch."