The Kansai Villain’s Rebirth: I Accidentally Ended Up With a Harem. - Chapter 98: Kansai Guy Savoring Osechi to the Fullest.

Kansai Guy Savoring Osechi to the Fullest.

Rinko isn’t good with crowds, and she was starting to look pale, so we beat a hasty retreat from the shrine before things got worse. The train home was starting to fill up too. I wrapped my arms around Rinko like a shield, making sure no one could press in too close.

“Rinko, you okay? Feeling rough?”

“F-fue… I’m fine…”

Shi-chan was desperately trying not to laugh, and Mio-chan had this wry little smile. Rinko kept taking these deep, deliberate breaths—was she really okay…?

***

Back in our hometown, Shi-chan and I headed straight to my place. Mio-chan and Rinko said they’d change out of their furisode and remove their makeup first. Of course they would; if they showed up at my house still dressed like that and accidentally spilled something on the silk during osechi, I wouldn’t just be sliding into a dogeza in front of their parents—I’d be burying myself in their garden and never coming out.

I changed into something comfortable too. Not sweatpants, though—Shi-chan was here, after all. She was changing in the bathroom. She’d already claimed an entire empty drawer in my dresser for her sleepwear, loungewear, and even underwear. “We stay over so often, just use the drawer!” I’d told her, and the next day she’d shown up with an armful of stuff from home.

“Dai-chan! All changed!”

“Nice. I’m good too. Let’s get the osechi ready.”

“Roger that! Which plates should we use?”

“Hmm… it’s New Year’s, so how about these ones with the hagoita pattern? And we’ve got some nice disposable chopsticks for occasions like this.”

“Aye-aye! Lining them up~… Dai-chan, should I take the osechi out now?”

“Let’s wait till everyone’s here. Oh—Shi-chan, the mochi’s in the fridge, right? Grab it for me?”

“On it!”

I’d already prepped the ozoni so all I’d have to do later was heat it up.

“Wow, what’s this?”

“Ozoni. Osaka-style, though.”

“White miso ozoni! First time trying it—I’m so excited~ ♪”

Anyone from Tokyo would probably find white miso ozoni completely alien. I’d simmered taro, red carrots, and daikon in it—just the way my mom from my previous life used to make. She taught me a ton of recipes. Thinking about it suddenly made my eyes sting.

The doorbell rang while we were chatting. Shi-chan bounded off with a cheerful “Coming~!” It really felt like we were already married—like a cute newlywed wife going to greet the other wives. Strange, but heart-melting.

“We’re here~! Whoa, something smells amazing!”

“Excuse the intrusion… sniff sniff… miso?”

“Welcome, welcome! Ozoni’ll be ready in just a sec, so hang tight.”

“Ozoni!? I’ve never seen it in real life!”

“Not clear broth, I see… This looks delicious. And those mochi?”

“If you put them straight in, they turn into mush, so I’m softening them in hot water first. All right—ladling the soup… drop the mochi in… and done! Kansai-style ozoni, coming right up!”

“Woooah!”

For some reason I got a round of applause.

Shi-chan brought the osechi from the fridge, and we all dug in.

“Itadakimaaasu! Eating at Daiki-kun’s house before my own feels kind of naughty!”

“Same here… Itadakimasu.”

“Hey, what’s this shellfish?”

“That’s abalone. Seriously, Mom, what kind of insanely expensive osechi did you order…?”

“A-abalone…? That’s… really fancy, right…?”

“These black beans have gold leaf on them…”

“There’s Japanese spiny lobster…”

Everyone went dead silent. Thanks, Mom.

“She told me, ‘I sent a really nice osechi set, so share it with your girlfriends and eat up! Finish everything!’”

She really did say that… Four people should be able to finish it, but everyone was staring at the luxury ingredients like they’d seen a ghost.

“W-well, Mom said we’re allowed to finish it all, so…”

“I-Itadakimasu…!”

“It’s so goooood! Abalone is this delicious!? The flavor just explodes in your mouth!”

“These black beans are perfectly sweet… wonderful.”

“The Japanese spiny lobster is divine… Next has to be the ozoni, right? Hey, what are these little yellow bits?”

“Yuzu peel, grated for fragrance.”

“Mhm, mhm… taro, daikon, and those are Kintoki carrots…? The dashi and white miso together…”

“Mio-chan’s analyzing it like a cooking show…”

“Mio, you don’t have to study it right now…”

“I want to learn how to make it delicious for the future… The mochi is melting… so good ♪”

“Pick one—eating or studying.”

“Meeaat~ ♪”

Everyone was happily working their way through the osechi. I tried the kuwai—nice bitterness, perfectly balanced with the dashi! Felt like home.

“Not bad, huh? Think I’ll make it again next year.”

“I’ll make it!!”

Mio-chan declared it with fierce determination, practically snorting fire. So next year we’ll be staying over from New Year’s Eve, and Mio-chan and I will cook the simmered dishes together? Though maybe instead of simmered dishes we’ll just do hot pot again and eat toshi-koshi soba… Making only ozoni feels a little off, but we’ve got a whole year to decide how we want to celebrate. We’ll figure it out together.

“Dai-kun, here—herring roe. Say ah~”

“Ah~n.”

“Good?”

“Mmm, perfect seasoning… nice and crunchy. Okay, Rinko—shrimp for you. Ah~n.”

“Ah~n ♪”

“Hey, no fair, Rin-chan! Me too, me too!”

“Then Shi-chan gets herring roe. Ah~n.”

“Ah~n ♪ Nfuu! Food tastes even better when Dai-chan feeds me!”

“Daiki-kun, Japanese spiny lobster. Ah~n.”

“Ah—mm! So good! Mio-chan, try the duck? Ah~n.”

“Ah~n ♪ Delicious!”

We spent the whole meal feeding each other, savoring every bite. Before we knew it, the osechi was gone. The ozoni too. Normally tomorrow I’d make a clear-broth version with watercress so we wouldn’t get tired of the white miso, but tomorrow we’re invited to the Akitani family, then the Fuyuki family the day after, then the Natsume family… and after a short break, a double date with Mio-chan, Momodani-kun, and his girlfriend. Busy schedule. Still beats getting dragged into system-error call-outs on New Year’s Day and working straight through the first three days like last life.

“Pwaaah~ That was amazing! I’m stuffed ♪”

“Ugh… we still have osechi waiting at home… Gotta watch the New Year’s weight gain…”

“Fuu… I may have overdone it… No dinner for me tonight.”

“How about some post-meal tea~?”

“““Itadakimasu~”””

I used Mom’s fancy tea leaves—orange pekoe today. Wonderful aroma. She’s not coming home anytime soon, yet packages of premium tea keep arriving with notes that say “Drink lots!”

“By the way, won’t your dad and mom be coming home soon, Dai-kun?”

“Well… they said they’d be back for New Year’s, but I never asked exactly when.”

“I see… I’d love to greet them properly while we’re all here.”

“I wanna meet Dai-chan’s papa and mama too!”

I’m genuinely worried their personalities might be too much. My mom from the previous life was normal, but these parents… Think classic Osaka oba-chan meets Yoshimoto Shinkigeki comedian dad. That’s the vibe.

As if on cue, the front door burst open.

“We’re hooome! Daiki~! Mommy’s home~! Oh my goodness—three pairs of girls’ shoes!? Honey, look! Daiki really did bring his girlfriends home! I can’t believe I let my guard down! Honey, is my makeup still okay!? I can’t let them see this dirty old hag without makeup—!”

“Don’t worry, your makeup’s perfect! You’re as beautiful as ever today, dear!”

“If you say stuff like that I’ll fall in love with you all over again~! We’re home~! Daiki~! You doing okay, sweetie? Oh! Oh wow wow wow—honey, look! Three absolute knockouts! Daiki, you did it! Aren’t I right, honey!?”

“No no no—Daiki! Amazing! You’re a legend! Starting today you’re the prime minister! I believe in you!”

“Like hell I’m becoming prime minister!!! Like hell I’m doing it!!!”

Thanks to my parents’ full-on Yoshimoto Shinkigeki-level entrance, all three girls sat there frozen in stunned silence.