Academy SP 〜An Ex-Mercenary Reincarnated as a Mob in a Gal Game. I Ditched My Bodyguard Job to Enjoy High School Life, but When the Ultra-Rich Heroines Were About to Get Killed, I Stepped In… and Somehow Built a Harem Powerful Enough to Control Japan〜 - Chapter 72.5 (Interlude)

Interlude: Forest Camp Curry Showdown (Part 1)

—Day two of the Karuizawa forest camp.

As a group, we were heading toward the campsite.

And me?

I was completely trapped—Sara on my right, Ririko on my left.

“Hey, after what happened earlier, Yuuji, what do you think?”

“…Yuuji-kun, what do you think? Personally, I think…”

Both of them kept throwing topics at me nonstop, and I had to answer every single one.

If I even hesitated for a moment, the atmosphere instantly turned awkward—

And the two of them started throwing sparks at each other.

“Hey, Ririko. Sara was the one talking just now, you know?”

“…Sara-chan already had her turn. Now it’s my turn.”

“Seriously, you two…”

I mean, I know they’re daughters of huge conglomerates and all, but their personalities are way too strong.

Man… what am I even supposed to do about this mess?

Right when I was struggling with that—

Wakita decided to open his big mouth and make things worse.

“Alright then! For lunch today we’re doing outdoor cooking, right? So let’s turn it into a curry cooking contest! Whoever makes the tastier curry gets to monopolize the spot next to Yuuji for the entire afternoon and walk around with him during free time!”

He pointed to himself proudly.

“And the loser—has to spend the afternoon walking around next to me! What do you think!?”

It was supposed to be a harmless suggestion.

But the moment Sara and Ririko heard it—

Electricity shot through the air!!

“Alone with Yuuji…”

“…What a wonderfully tempting thought.”

“But if we win, it’s heaven. If we lose—”

“…It’s hell.”

“…Honestly, this is a terrifying match.”

“But fine. Let’s settle this fairly, Ririko!”

“…Yeah. Win or lose, no hard feelings, Sara-chan.”

“Right! Just imagining what happens if I lose already fills me with fear… which means my motivation is overflowing!”

“…Yeah. If I lose, I won’t even be able to go on living! I’m going all out to win!”

Even though it was still daytime, Sara and Ririko were already burning with the intensity of a campfire.

“—Um, you two!? I think you’re both taking this way too far!!”

Wakita raised his hand in protest, looking like he was about to cry.

But the two girls were far too fired up to listen to him now.

…Good luck, Wakita.

After all, you’re the one who started this whole thing.

〇

After that, we arrived at the outdoor cooking area, and everyone started preparing for lunch.

“Alright! Our guest of honor, Yuuji, please sit right here.”

“O-Okay.”

Following Wakita’s suggestion, I took a seat like some kind of VIP.

Well, the other “Academy SP” guys were handling the bodyguard duty today, so I figured it was fine to relax for once.

(Man… I’ve definitely been letting my guard down lately.)

“Now then! The First Outdoor Cooking Curry Showdown begins! On the eastern side—Hagoromo! On the western side—Aketo! A no-holds-barred battle between two great conglomerate families is about to begin! Your commentator today is me, Kenzo Wakita!”

“And I’m the analyst and judge, Yuuji Takahashi—wait, what is this energy?”

“You’ve got to go all in if you’re going to do something like this! Now then, commentator Takahashi-san! Honestly speaking, which side do you think has the advantage!?”

Apparently Wakita planned to enjoy this to the fullest.

Well… I guess I’ll play along.

“Hmm… honestly… wait a second. Can conglomerate heiresses even cook?”

I didn’t really remember anything about this from the original story, but I always imagined people like them had personal chefs at home.

They probably never needed to cook for themselves.

I half expected some cliché disaster—like burnt black “dark matter curry” coming out of their pots.

But—

My prediction was completely shattered.

Tak tak tak—!!

Tak tak tak tak—!!

I could hear it.

The rapid chopping sounds of onions being sliced on a cutting board at incredible speed.

“Oooh!! That’s fast! That’s really fast!! What incredible chopping!! Perfect preparation and unbelievable speed!!”

Even Wakita’s commentary was getting fired up.

Meanwhile, I just stared in shock.

N-No way…!

Both Sara and Ririko were handling their knives like pros!

And this wasn’t just good for high schoolers—this was way beyond that level!

“Fufu… you think conglomerate heiresses can’t cook?”

“Fufu… looks like you underestimated us.”

Even while cooking at terrifying speed, the two of them kept smiling calmly.

“The first thing Sara was taught after being born into a conglomerate family—was the family rule of continuing the bloodline! In other words, getting married, becoming a bride, and having children!”

“…And because of that, the very first thing girls like us are trained in—”

“—Is bride training!”

“W-What…!?”

The moment they shot me those sharp looks, it felt like lightning struck my entire body.

“Cleaning, laundry, housework—of course we learned all of that! And cooking too! Since we were little, private tutors trained us thoroughly! We were raised to become women who could make our future husbands happy. To become proper wives—and good mothers someday! And the result of all that training—”

Sara proudly pointed to herself.

“—Is the Sara you see now!”

…Wait.

Aren’t you supposed to be a white gyaru though?

“…Women should sit in the lower seat, women should serve tea without being asked, and women should walk three steps behind men… We were taught strict manners and traditions so we could become elegant and refined women like that! —So cooking? From Japanese pickles to Western pickles, we can make anything!”

…Wait. Those are basically the same category of food.

“Ooooh!! What is this!? The hidden truth behind the proud traditions of the conglomerates—old-fashioned male dominance!! From the moment they were born, these girls were trained to obey men and forced into the image of the ‘perfect woman!’ Just what kind of spice and richness will their curry hold after such a life of training!?”

Wakita’s commentary was getting even more intense.

Honestly… after hearing that kind of backstory, I suddenly feel awkward about eating the curry.

“—Now then! Sitting comfortably here while the girls cook for him, how does Takahashi-san feel about their upbringing!?”

“…No comment.”

“Ooooh!! Takahashi expertly dodges the sensitive topic and avoids a scandalous flame war!!”

…Wait. I didn’t do anything wrong here, right?

“Do your best, Sara-san!”

“Don’t lose, Ririko-san!”

Before I knew it, a small crowd had gathered.

Other girls were cheering them on from the sidelines.

Actually… this whole thing had completely drifted away from the original idea of “outdoor cooking.”

But well… even the teachers seemed to be letting it slide, so I guess it’s fine.

“Finished!!”

“Mine’s done too!”

The two of them completed their curry at the exact same time.

Well… first of all, good work.

“Alright! The moment we’ve all been waiting for—the judging time!! Now then, Yuuji Takahashi-san! Please begin the tasting!”

“Hmm… which one should I try first…”

While I was hesitating, Sara quickly walked over with a plate in her hands.

“Yuuji! Try Sara’s first!”

“O-Okay. I guess I’ll start with yours.”

Then she turned toward Ririko with a smug little grin.

“Food always tastes best when it’s freshly made. Letting me go first was a careless move, Ririko~?”

This girl…

She’s really trying to win this match with psychological tricks too!?

But Ririko simply smiled back, even more confidently.

“Fufu… the careless one here is you, Sara-chan.”

“W-What did you say!?”

Oh?

So Ririko had some kind of secret plan.

But what could it be—!?

“In cooking battles in stories, because of the way the plot works—the one who reveals their dish last always wins!!”

…That was an extremely meta reason.

(To be continued)

Interlude: Forest Camp Curry Showdown (Part 2)

“Alright, enough mind games. Let’s start the tasting.”

I put my hands together in front of Sara’s curry.

“So… this curry has a lot of deep-fried vegetables in it?”

“Yep! I made it European-style curry. I simmered it slowly over low heat, scraped all the flavor stuck to the pot back into the sauce, and then added extra curry powder to concentrate the taste.”

“Ohh, that already sounds delicious.”

I took a bite right away.

The moment it hit my mouth, a sharp spicy kick spread across my tongue.

“This… is shishito pepper?”

“Exactly! That little spicy kick is addictive!”

“Yeah! This is really good!”

Honestly, it was impressive.

The curry roux itself was amazing.

Rich flavor, deep taste—and it paired perfectly with the vegetables.

It felt like a completely new kind of curry.

“Well… vegetables are important for nutrition. And since Yuuji is still growing, I thought it would be good for you…”

Sara fidgeted shyly with her bangs as she said that.

For some reason, that made my heart feel warm.

“Ooooh!! With a gentle, motherly flavor you’d never expect from a white gyaru, Sara has firmly captured Yuuji Takahashi’s heart!! Is Sara pulling far ahead here!?”

“…Nice one, Sara-chan. But I’m not losing either.”

Then Ririko quietly placed her plate in front of me.

A gentle aroma rose from it.

The curry roux looked clear and smooth.

This was—

“This is… soup curry?”

“Yeah. My idea’s kind of similar to Sara-chan’s. I packed it with lots of vegetables too.”

Sure enough, there were lotus roots, eggplant, and right in the center sat a huge carrot.

But the colors were bright and lively—it was actually fun just looking at it.

And the roasted sesame seeds sprinkled on top were a nice touch.

“Alright then, let’s try it.”

I scooped up some of the soup and took a sip.

…This was amazing.

The broth had incredible depth.

At the same time, it was rich and perfectly balanced with spice, and when mixed with rice it blended together beautifully.

The vegetables were big and satisfying, yet somehow it still went down smoothly.

This really was drinkable curry.

“Yeah! This is really good!”

“…Really? I’m glad.”

Ririko let out a small sigh of relief.

“I like soup curry, so I decided to make this. And I cut the vegetables bigger… since Yuuji-kun looks like he eats a lot.”

Ririko shyly fidgeted with her hands.

Seeing that somehow made my heart feel warm again.

“Ooooh!! Ririko’s curry delivers a warm, motherly flavor—like something made by a kind Osaka mom!! The battle has now become a dead heat!! At this point, the winner is completely unpredictable!!”

“Impressive, Ririko. That’s exactly what I’d expect from Sara’s rival.”

Sara said that with a smile.

And Ririko smiled right back at her.

“Alright! Alright, alright, alright! The moment of judgment has finally arrived!”

At Wakita’s dramatic announcement, the two competitors gulped nervously.

At the same time, every single person watching—including the growing crowd—turned their eyes toward me.

The world of competition is cruel.

Both of these curries were incredibly delicious, yet I had to decide which one was better.

Sara’s European-style curry was amazing.

Ririko’s soup curry was also amazing.

Honestly—

Wasn’t this the first time in my life I’d ever eaten homemade food cooked by girls my age?

(The closest thing before this was probably the aunties at a diner.)

Right now…

Maybe this was my reward for all the dull, unimpressive days I used to live.

After all, I was being given the incredible experience of eating dishes made by two beautiful girls…!

“Now then! Yuuji Takahashi-san! Please grab the wrist of the girl whose curry you found more delicious and raise it high as the sign of victory!”

Following Wakita’s instructions, I stepped forward.

Then I stood between the two of them.

Both Sara and Ririko closed their eyes at the same time.

“Alright—time for the result announcement!!! Who’s the winner!?”

At Wakita’s signal—

I grabbed their wrists.

And raised them.

Sara’s hand was on my right.

Ririko’s hand was on my left.

I raised both.

“Eh?”

“…No way?”

In front of the silent crowd, I declared proudly—

“It’s a tie!!”

The crowd immediately burst into murmurs.

But for me—

There was simply no other answer.

“Sara’s European-style curry and Ririko’s soup curry were both so delicious that I couldn’t possibly choose between them. And more importantly… both of their curries were filled with kindness toward me.”

That was the truth.

I had never eaten such a warm, comforting curry before.

Not only did it fill my stomach—

it filled my heart.

“Sara, Ririko. Thank you. You both win. This is a victory for everyone.”

“Yuuji…”

“Yuuji-kun…”

I thanked them again sincerely.

“Make it for me again sometime, okay?”

I gave them a big grin.

And the two of them smiled back.

And then—

Grip…!

GRIPP…!

Both of them suddenly grabbed my wrists with the strength of a metal vise.

—Wait, why!?

And why do their smiling faces suddenly look so scary!?

“What do you mean by that…? What do you mean ‘both wins’?”

“U-Um… Sara-san?”

“…We were having a serious match, and you’re turning it into a joke, Yuuji-kun?”

“R-R-Ririko-san?”

Behind the two girls, it felt like dark flames were rising.

The atmosphere had become terrifying.

And yet—

Wakita was the only one standing there, looking completely excited.

“Ooooh!!!! Yuuji Takahashi’s indecisive judgment has finally pushed the two girls’ anger to the limit!!! At this point, it basically sounds like he just announced he’s going to date both of them!! Just as expected—this guy really is a womanizer!! Go on! Let the chaos continue!!”

“N-No! That’s not what I meant!! Wait a second!!”

But instead of calming down, their grip on my wrists got even tighter—like taxes going up and squeezing people’s lives harder and harder!

“Hey, Yuuji…! It’s about time you make things clear!”

“…That’s right, Yuuji-kun. At the very least, you should settle the curry battle properly.”

“N-No, wait…! H-Hold on, both of you!”

D-Damn it!

How did things turn out like this!?

If this keeps going, the whole forest camp is going to turn into an even bigger mess.

Someone… someone please help meeeeeeeee!!!

“…Hm? What’s going on here? You guys seem pretty fired up.”

At that moment, Isoyama suddenly popped his head into the scene.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but hey—you guys. The curry’s ready.”

Oh right.

Isoyama had injured one arm earlier, so he said he’d take responsibility for not being able to do proper guard duty and volunteered to cook curry for the Academy SP group.

“Oh, thanks, Isoyama. Cooking with one arm must’ve been tough.”

“Nah, it’s nothing. I just threw the ingredients in randomly. —Here.”

Isoyama served up the curry he made.

And at that moment—

The atmosphere in the place suddenly changed.

(To be continued)

Interlude: Forest Camp Curry Showdown (Part 3)

“T-This is…!!”

What appeared in front of us was a curry that looked like Mount Everest itself!!

Rice and curry sauce were piled high on the plate, nearly overflowing—

And towering on top of it all was a massive pile of brown ingredients!!

In other words—

Meat!

Meat! Meat! An overwhelming mountain of meat!!

Vegetables? None.

Instead, there was chicken! Pork! Beef!

It was the complete opposite of a vegetable-packed dish with carrots, lotus root, burdock, and snow peas—like chikuzen-ni.

This was basically a meat amusement park!!

“W-What is this!? A curry with nothing but meat!?”

“T-That’s right! A diet this unbalanced isn’t good for Yuuji-kun’s health!”

The heroines suddenly started criticizing Isoyama’s curry with a strangely motherly perspective.

Isoyama, who had no idea there had been a cooking battle earlier, simply laughed in confusion.

“Hahaha! What are you talking about? What us men need is simple—protein, fat, and carbs! And the best way to get them is in overwhelming amounts. Here, Takahashi. Eat this too!”

And then—

He added something extra onto my plate.

Boiled eggs!!

And not just one—

Three whole eggs on a single plate!!

“W-What!? I-Isoyama!? You’re adding boiled eggs at this stage!?”

“N-No way! Isoyama-kun! At least cut them first…!”

“Nah, that’s too much trouble. Just smash them with a spoon and it’s fine. Alright, Takahashi—next, try this.”

But Isoyama’s assault wasn’t over yet!!

The next thing he added as a topping—

That attractive yellow square!

“Melty cheese!” — five slices!!

“W-What!? C-Cheese!? Wait… that’s impossible!”

“That’s right! The total calories are basically lethal! Yuuji-kun’s stomach will explode!?”

“Hahahaha! A man grows stronger by eating until he’s about to throw up! Here, Takahashi! One last thing!”

And the final ingredient Isoyama summoned—

It was…

Forbidden garlic!!

Sara and Ririko’s eyes widened.

“N-No…! Not that…!!”

“T-That’s right…! We’re going to be walking around together this afternoon, remember!?”

“Hahaha! Don’t worry! It’s just a hidden flavor. The smell won’t be a problem!”

Saying that, Isoyama sprinkled a little finely chopped garlic onto my curry.

“There! Now it’s complete!”

In front of me sat Isoyama’s special giant mountain curry.

Just moments ago, the girls in the audience had been watching Sara and Ririko’s cooking and shouting things like “So cute!” and “So stylish!”

But when they saw Isoyama’s curry—

The entire crowd suddenly recoiled in horror.

“What is that strange curry!?”

“Ugh… just looking at it makes me feel full…”

“There’s no way Sara-sama or Ririko-sama’s curry could lose to something like that…”

Voices of criticism toward Isoyama’s curry echoed everywhere.

Among the girls watching, their impression of it could be summed up in two words—

Absolutely terrible.

But—

Before I realized it, I had already grabbed a silver spoon.

“Let’s eat!!”

And then—

Without caring about manners or appearances, I followed pure instinct and devoured the curry.

Once I started, I couldn’t stop.

The curry had no concern for presentation or elegance.

It just kept disappearing straight into my stomach.

Chicken. Pork. Beef.

Normally mixing those meats together would be questionable—

But in curry, it worked perfectly.

Even with eggs and cheese added in, the dish somehow accepted everything.

I see.

The curry I had truly been searching for…

The curry I really wanted was—

“DELICIOUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!”

I shouted without thinking.

And that single shout was more than enough to decide the match.

Wakita raised his fist high and proudly announced—

“The winner—ISOYAMAAAAAA!!!”

““EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!?!?””

Right beside me, as I kept stuffing my face with curry, Sara and Ririko screamed in shock, while the girls in the crowd erupted into noisy confusion.

“Hey! Wakita!! Why is Isoyama the winner!?”

“That’s right! This is ridiculous! If we’re talking about cooking skill, we clearly—”

The two of them protested loudly.

But Wakita simply chuckled and pushed his glasses up with a smug look.

“It seems you two made a big mistake. You thought things like cooking technique, nutritional balance, motherly kindness, and that stylish charm unique to girls would decide the match.”

He raised a finger dramatically.

“But the real key to this battle was something completely different!”

“W-What!?”

“Huh!?”

“The only thing that mattered in this match was what Yuuji wanted to eat right now!!”

“Wha!?”

“Ugh!?”

Sara and Ririko both froze, their faces twisting in shock.

“Think about it! When it comes to teenage boys, all you really need is meat and rice!! Which means the perfect answer was—Isoyama!! His manly curry of pure masculinity struck straight into Yuuji’s heart!!”

““W-What did you sayyyyyy!!””

“Just look at that happy face Yuuji is making…”

Yeah, Wakita was explaining a bunch of things over there—

But honestly, none of that mattered.

Isoyama’s curry was just too good!

Seriously, the ingredients were amazing!

Cheese, eggs—and garlic!!

That alone makes it the champion!

This is seriously the besttttt!!!

“S-Seriously…? Yuuji’s reaction is clearly better than when he was eating our curry…!?”

“Us… girls… We’ve gone through strict bride training since we were kids… And yet… losing to Isoyama-kun… losing like this…!”

Sara and Ririko both dropped to their knees.

Then they hung their heads in defeat.

—Meanwhile, Isoyama had absolutely no idea what was going on.

“Uh… what exactly have you all been doing this whole time? What happened to Sara-sama and Ririko-sama…?”

“Hey, hey, don’t worry about it, Isoyama! Anyway—now it’s my turn to try your curry!!”

After that, the rest of the Academy SP guys, including Wakita, didn’t bother explaining anything.

They just started digging into Isoyama’s special curry.

“Ohhh! This is delicious!”

“Seriously amazing, Isoyama!”

“You’re a cooking genius!”

Of course, among the guys it was a massive hit.

And naturally, I went back for seconds of Isoyama curry afterward.

(Man… the stomach of a teenager is truly incredible.)

Later that afternoon—

“Hmm hmm♪ Wow, this is amazing! Two beauties by my side! I’ve always wanted to experience a harem situation like this!”

“……………………”

“……………………”

And just like that, because of the result of the match—

Sara and Ririko ended up walking on both sides of Wakita.

“Oh, I see. Isoyama’s dad runs a rental shop company?”

“Yeah. It’s not huge, but we’ve got several branches. Someday I’m going to take over the company!”

Isoyama was walking beside me, and we ended up doing our guard duty a little farther away from the conglomerate heiresses.

Honestly… all things considered, that was a pretty great lunch.

Yep. Everything worked out nicely.

The end.

〇

Later on—

Sara and Ririko approached Isoyama with bright smiles.

“U-Um… what is it, you two…?”

“Nothing♡”

“Not a thing♡”

“I-Is that so…? I was just wondering why you’re both smiling like that… haha…”

“Fufu! Oh right! I looked it up earlier. Isoyama’s company borrows operating funds from the Hagoromo Conglomerate’s finance division, right? ♡”

“Fufufu! I checked too. Isoyama-kun’s company also works closely with a real estate firm under the Aketo Conglomerate, doesn’t it?♡”

“Eh…? Y-Yes, that’s true…? Wait… why are you bringing that up…?”

““Oh, we see♡””

“Eh…? EHHHHHHHHHH!?”

[Breaking News: Isoyama unknowingly angered two conglomerate heiresses.]

(End)

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The main story resumes tomorrow!