When I returned to the ranch with my containers in hand, I found Four Seasons-san and Color-san, bringing some shared fruit as a kind gesture.
So we decided to set up a makeshift table out of a tree stump, arranging our onigiri and drinks alongside the fruit. It wasn’t quite a picnic—it turned into more of a casual standing party, but that was fine by all of us.
As it turned out, the onigiri were a huge hit.
「Oh, you form the rice into clumps and eat it with your hands? How fascinating.」
「Yes, it’s the same idea as the sandwiches Sui introduced to Sidera.」
Mother and Grandma said, equally impressed.
「Delicious! Mint, onion miso? Like!」
「Normally, we can’t handle strong flavors, but these plain ones are really nice.」
「Yeah, it is rich in magic power making it delicious.」
Mint was all smiles, and even the young dragons were pleased with their onigiri.
「Nom nom nom nom!」
「Kyuru kyuru…nom!」
Chocola devoured his dog food with zeal, while Pochi nibbled on his hay contentedly. Chocola had been so active earlier that he was wolfing down his meal at an impressive pace.
「Thanks for making tiny ones just for us.」
「It’s delicious!」
「Yeah, really good… right?」
「I haven’t had a flavor like this before, but I could get used to it.」
「You’ve done well, Sui. I’ll give you that.」
I was relieved that the small-sized onigiri I made for the fairies went over well. Although ‘small’ was relative—they were still large enough for the fairies to have to hold them with both hands.
「This….. brings back faint, yet nostalgic memories.」
「Yes, something deep in my soul is rejoicing.」
I was particularly happy that Four Seasons-san and Color-san, both former Japanese, appreciated the onigiri. After all, onigiri is a comfort food that’s imprinted on the soul.
And then—
「So, Sui, how’s it taste?」
「It’s delicious.」
「…But the shape is still off. I’ll get it right next time.」
「It’s fine the way it is.」
Karen was staring at me as I bit into the misshapen onigiri she’d made.
She was clearly dissatisfied with her work, despite my genuine praise.
But Karen, listen.
I’m not flattering you or sugarcoating anything. It really is fine—this is how it should be.
This is your first-ever onigiri.
The fact that it didn’t come out perfectly, that the shape is off, that you’re feeling frustrated—all of that matters. And I got to be here, right beside you, for every step of it.
So, with all of that wrapped up together…
「It’s delicious.」 I
「You always say that, Sui. Tell me the truth.」
Karen replied, pouting slightly.
For now, it’s okay if she doesn’t fully believe me.
One day, maybe years from now, when she’s perfected her onigiri-making skills, I’ll remind her of this moment.
And we’ll laugh about it together.
※※※
After lunch, we all settled into a slower pace. There wasn’t that same energy in the air for more sledding or running around. Mint started to laze about in the kamakura, occasionally nestling her head on mother’s lap. She looked content, simply enjoying the quiet.
「Chocola, are you tired too?
「Bark?」
「Oh, never mind. You’re not tired at all.」
Apparently, he was waiting for me to hook the sled back up. His energy really was boundless. Was there no limit?
「Go play for a bit. We’ll get back to it later.」
「Bark!」
Chocola turned on his heel and dashed off, followed closely by the fairies, who chirped, ‘Let’s go too!’
With them gone, we could all relax for a bit without anyone getting restless.
「Ahh… those onigiri were so good.」
「Yes, rice really is a remarkable grain. It’s a shame we can’t cultivate it here, but maybe it’s better if it remains a special treat exclusive to this house.」
While sipping tea in the cozy kamakura, Mother and Grandma continued chatting about the meal.
「If they liked the onigiri that much, I should’ve made some pickles too.」
「Pickles?」
「Yeah, kind of like that sauerkraut from before. You take vegetables with a lot of water, like radishes or cabbage, and pickle them in vinegar or salt. It goes great with rice.」
—Why didn’t I think of that sooner?
We’ve got plenty of winter vegetables in the garden—turnips, daikon, cabbage… I decided right then that I’d make some pickles before Grandma returned to Sidera.
As I stewed in my thoughts, I noticed Mint squatting beside the kamakura, gathering snow into her hands.
「Mint, what are you up to?」
She turned to me with a grin, proudly holding something out for me to see.
「Hmm…..this, squish……look, Sui!」
What she had shaped in her hands was a ball of snow, packed tightly.
「It’s…onigiri! Made with snow!」
「I see. So that’s how it is. It’s white like rice, isn’t it?」
I couldn’t help but smile.
Of course, Mint, who had never seen a snowball fight, would think of an onigiri when she saw white snow.
「Yeah! White! But this not sticky, not tasty……」
「Exactly… Wait, did you actually eat it?」
「Had a bite! But different from onigiri.」
Well, no wonder. She’d never heard of a snowball fight before in the records of our magic power.
「Mint, can I borrow that for a second?」
「Yeah! What you do?」
「This is called a snowball. It’s not for eating. But instead of food, you can play with it. For example, what do you think happens if you roll it on the snow?」
「What happens?」
I crouched down beside her and demonstrated by rolling the snowball across the ground. It gathered more snow as it went, getting a little bigger before stopping after a few feet. Mint’s eyes lit up with excitement.
「Whoa! It bigger!」
「That’s right, and—」
「Mint know!…..that, roll a lot, get bigger and bigger, right?」
「You nailed it! Good job.」
「Mufu!」
Proud of her insight, Mint puffed up her chest as I ruffled her hair affectionately.
I had been thinking about introducing something else for everyone to do in the afternoon besides sledding. Snowball fights or snowman-building had crossed my mind.
But after seeing this, it seemed like building a snowman might be the better option. Snowball fights could easily get out of hand here—with magic-enhanced throws, it could turn into a dangerous game of dodgeball, and we’d need a full magical barrier to protect everyone.
「Mint, want to roll this snowball and see how big we can make it?」
「Yes!」
Her enthusiasm was contagious as she started hopping in place, ready to go. Seeing Mint’s excitement, the young dragons noticed and floated over to join us.
「So, you’re making that thing bigger? Can we try too?」
「I want to give it a go…」
「Sure, why don’t we all do it together? I’ll make the first snowball, and then you guys can take turns rolling it. Just make sure to pack the surface a bit as it grows, so it doesn’t fall apart.」
At that moment, Mother peeked out of the kamakura.
「Oh, is this a new game?」
「Hmm, and I’ll help roll it! I’ll team up with the dragons, and Sui, you go with Mint.」
Karen announced, her spirit as fiery as ever.
Smiling at the determined faces around me, I clapped my hands.
「Alright then, let’s get started! Our goal is to make it as big as Mint. Think you can do it?」
「Uuuu, do it!」
「That big? Hmm, I’ll give it a try.」
「I’ll… I’ll try hard…」
The laughter and cheers of the group echoed across the snowy landscape as we set off on our snowy adventure.
After all, with snow like this, it’s only right to make the most of it.
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