Author’s note
Although this is a side
story, in case you are wondering, it is connected to the main story.
===========================================
TEASER
Side Story : Beware of the Banquet, Part 1
It all started right
after Nozomu was discharged from the hospital after a series of incidents
caused by Ken that made him bedridden.
It all started when Feo
and Mimuru, who both love parties, suggested celebrating Nozomu's release from
the hospital at the Ushitotei.
Irisdina, Somia, Tima,
and the others also agreed to hold this banquet.
Since it was a small
celebration only for relatives, Mars, the (temporary) representative of
Ushitotei, also agreed to provide a place.
After talking to Hannah
and the others who were managing Ushitotei, they finished their preparations
and invited Nozomu to Ushitotei without telling him about the celebration.
And the moment Nozomu,
who visited Ushitotei without knowing anything about it, opened the door of the
restaurant, he was surprised at once.
"Nozomu,
congratulations on your discharge from the hospital!"
Along with Irisdina's
shout, Feo and Mimuru scattered the confetti they had prepared towards Nozomu.
Irisdina and Shīna
pulled Nozomu's hand and made him sit down, as he was still bewildered by the
sudden occurrence.
As soon as Nozomu sat
down, Mars and Ena began to place the dishes on the table one after another.
"... E-, eh? What's
this?"
"As you can see,
it's a celebration of your discharge from the hospital."
"Well, we kept it a
secret because we wanted to surprise you. Feo and the others suddenly suggested
it yesterday, and we prepared it in a hurry, but if you're this surprised, I
think it's worth the trouble."
Shīna and Irisdina
explained the situation to the still shocked Nozomu.
Meanwhile, the food
brought in by Mars and Ena began to stimulate Nozomu's nose.
The chicken roasted with
aromatic herbs and the soup that had been simmered for a day was making steamy
air and stimulating Nozomu's stomach.
He had hardly been able
to eat while he was bedridden, and even after he woke up, his stomach was still
weak and he was mainly eating liquid food. Perhaps because of this, the mere
smell of the soup made his saliva flow out of his mouth.
But most of all, it was
the thoughtfulness of his friends that made Nozomu's heart warm.
"Everyone……"
"Nozomu, do you
want to say a few words?..., but it doesn't seem necessary."
"Well, let's get
started, shall we?"
Irisdina and the others
smiled at Nozomu, who looked very touched.
No more special words
were needed. Only warmth filled their hearts.
After a while, juices
were served to everyone present. No alcoholic beverages were served on the
table.
This was because Ena had
informed Mars of the prohibition of alcohol.
This banquet was
attended by the young Somia, and since they had previously caused a disturbance
at the restaurant due to an alcohol-related incident, it was a natural step to
take.
During the preparations,
Mars, who had been secretly looking forward to being able to drink alcohol, was
dissatisfied with Ena's notice of the alcohol ban but was naturally silenced by
Ena's sharp eyes.
The feast was about to
begin. Feo and Mimuru, the proposers of the banquet, were the ones to lead the
way.
However, there was no
way that these two would give a proper greeting.
