The Witch and Her Companion: I'm Just a Normal High School Student, but I Became the Familiar of the Highest-Ranked Witch. Also, It Seems I'm the Only Guy in the Witch Organization I Joined - Chapter 103: Yakiniku and Sushi

Chapter 103: Yakiniku and Sushi

[Todoroki Ryuna]

“—Hang on a sec, Ryuna will whip something up real quick… Ugh, this is rotten too, worst day ever.”

After we both cried our eyes out, we finally moved from the entryway to the living room. The first thing we did was start preparing dinner.

I know there’s a mountain of things we need to do to save Hare, but as they say, you can’t fight on an empty stomach—or something like that. Fuud comes first.

Plus, I heard Fuu-chan’s been unconscious since the hot spring inn, basically fasting the whole time. Over a week like that, she must’ve at least had some IV nutrients, but she’s probably craving real food.

If only I’d dealt with the spoiled ingredients in the fridge sooner.

“Hey, Ryuna, is there anything I can help with?”

Fuu-chan said that from behind me as I battled the fridge with single-minded focus.

“Hmm, let’s see… Alright! Let’s get changed first!”

“Changed?”

“There’s way less usable food than Ryuna thought, and going shopping for ingredients now would take too long. Let’s eat out tonight!”

If we’re going to Shinto for groceries, it’s faster to just eat there. We can grab stuff we’ll need for the next few days too.

“Eat out! I want an all-you-can-eat yakiniku place! The one from the TV commercial!”

“You really love TV, huh? Well, Ryuna loves yakiniku too… But that outfit’s no good for going out, so sorry, but you’ll have to borrow Ryuna’s clothes.”

Fuu-chan was wearing the same clothes as when we first met. I thought they were hospital clothes back then, but to think they were witch-hunting test subject gear…

“Thanks, Ryuna! …But, will the size be okay?”

“No worries there, Ryuna got some bigger clothes. Let’s go change!”

Luckily, my old self and Fuu-chan are about the same height. The clothes that are too big for me now should fit her just fine.

＊　＊　＊

It’s a weekday, but at dinnertime, a popular yakiniku place might be packed. My worries were for nothing, though.

The restaurant was lively, but not full, and we managed to get a private room. It’s kind of funny how Fuu-chan’s so amazed by the sunken kotatsu table.

“—So, there’s something Ryuna’s been wanting to ask Fuu-chan…”

“…?”

While rolling green onions back and forth on the grill, I finally voiced the question I’d been holding in my chest. Fuu-chan’s mouth was stuffed with harami, so she tilted her head instead of answering.

“…Why were you at the hot spring that day?”

By “that day,” I mean, of course, the day we set out to capture Fuu-chan. The same day Hare went missing.

“…Um, well, two days before that, Hare said we should go spin the shopping street’s raffle, so we went together.”

“What, no way… You actually won a hot spring trip in the raffle!?”

I couldn’t figure out how that workaholic guy had money for a trip, but to think he won it in a raffle… And after I told him not to go out, he’s casually entering raffles!?

“Hehe, I’m the one who won it! Hare… he kept getting sponges, I think.”

“Yeah, that idiot doesn’t seem like he’d have any luck with lotteries.”

While scooping perfectly browned onions onto my plate, Fuu-chan and I both started giggling.

“…Ryuna, I’m sorry.”

“Huh?”

Fuu-chan, who’d been laughing, suddenly looked deflated, her face darkening.

“I wasn’t supposed to go out, but I pushed Hare to go to the hot spring…”

“Fuu-chan… Like Ryuna said before, it’s not your fault or Hare’s. It’s Ryuna’s fault for keeping secrets, so don’t worry about it.”

“…“

Fuu-chan forced a slight smile, but it was obviously fake. Her eyes were still tinged with sadness.

“Well, sure, going on a hot spring trip without Ryuna did sting a bit…”

“…S-Sorry, I…”

“…So, as punishment, Ryuna’s claiming this ‘King Kalbi Bone Roast’!!”

“Ahh, that’s the meat I was grilling!?”

I swiped the big piece of meat Fuu-chan had been carefully grilling on the net. She tried to snatch it back with her chopsticks, but too late—it’s already in my plate’s territory.

“Oh, look at that perfect sear! Fuu-chan, you’re gonna make a great wife someday!”

I cut the bone roast with scissors, revealing a beautiful pink center. This is when it’s tastiest.

“That’s mean, Ryuna! I was looking forward to that meat!”

“Hmph, too late! It’s Ryuna’s meat now!”

I popped the meat into my mouth, chewing exaggeratedly to show off to Fu-chan. She looked utterly shocked, dropping her chopsticks with a clatter.

“Ugh, Ryuna, you bully… Also, it’s not ‘too late, sushi,’ it’s just ‘too late.’ We’re eating yakiniku, not at a sushi restaurant!”

“Hmph, details don’t matter! And for you to nitpick like that, it’s definitely that idiot Hare’s influence!”

“Well, I can’t exactly deny that.”

We both burst out laughing again. Fuu-chan looks way better with a smile.

But that carefree, sun-like smile of hers feels a little too bright for me—

＊　＊　＊

After yakiniku, Fuu-chan and I talked and decided to stop by Hare’s house before heading back to mine.

The organization said he’d vanished, but they never clarified how thoroughly they searched.

They probably sent their cleanup squad to retrieve a body, found none, and instead spotted signs of escape… That much seems certain.

How far they tracked him after that wasn’t clear from the old yokai geezer or the documents I got. Seems Hare’s been pretty good at slipping away.

By the way, Hare’s house is just the one my dad arbitrarily rented out, still under our name. Hare’s real address is apparently a condo in Shinto, so the organization’s reach likely hasn’t extended to this house. There might be some clues left.

—But as we trudged along Kyuto’s rough roads and Hare’s house came into view, a problem arose.

“…Ryuna, look.”

“This is bad. To think they’d reach even here…”

There was a figure at Hare’s doorstep. Nearby, a car was flashing its hazard lights.

Probably someone from the organization. This was supposed to be my job, so why… Did they find out I betrayed them? If so—

“I-I’ve seen that person before!”

“Shh, Fuu-chan, quiet!”

We were hiding behind a crumbling building, but Fuu-chan suddenly raised her voice. I hurriedly covered her mouth.

“…Seen them before? At the organization’s facility?”

I whispered, letting go of her mouth.

“No, at the inn. That’s one of the inn’s staff!”

“…Inn staff? From the hot spring?”

Squinting, I saw it was indeed a woman at the doorstep. And looking closer, the car had a small ‘Irie Hot Spring’ sticker.

“…Oh, maybe that’s it.”

“That’s what?”

“We bought a ton of souvenirs at the hot spring, and the inn said they’d deliver them to the house…”

“Got it. As expected of the renowned Irie Hot Spring. Their service is top-notch.”

“Not ‘renowned,’ it’s ‘famed.’ But with us being away so long—”

Could the inn staff have been coming here every day to deliver those souvenirs? I feel oddly guilty even though it’s not my problem. I’ll have to write a review for the hot spring later.

“Anyway, now that we know it’s not the organization, let’s go grab those souvenirs.”

“Yeah. By the way, Ryuna, you’ve got a lot of souvenirs. Hare bought a ridiculous amount.”

“Huh, that’s surprisingly thoughtful of him.”

“He said something like, ‘If I buy a ton of souvenirs, maybe I won’t get punched.’”

“Hmph…”

What kind of image does that idiot have of me?

When we reunite, I’m definitely punching him first thing.