章 423: [423] Feeding Once Again
Chapter 423: Feeding Once Again
Amidst the shopkeeper's existential crisis, Hachiman and his group departed from the goldfish-catching stall.
It wasn't just the shopkeeper pondering life; even the other boys who had come to watch were in the same boat, especially when they witnessed Hachiman actually catching fish with a broken net, their faces filled with astonishment.
Clowning is actually me.
However, the kind-hearted Vignette expressed concern, "We caught so many goldfish, will the shopkeeper end up losing money?"
So, you really are an angel born into the wrong family.
Seeing Vignette's worried expression, Hachiman smirked and then reassured her with a smile.
"Don't worry, not everyone can come back with such a haul like us, and besides, didn't we all pay beforehand? Each of us paid 100 yen, even if everyone caught a fish, the shopkeeper wouldn't lose money."
Indeed, that was the case; Hachiman and his group had paid in advance. Even if each person caught a fish, the shopkeeper wouldn't be at a loss.
Moreover, not everyone was a cheat like him; encountering a few dummies, they could quickly earn back the money.
Leaving the goldfish-catching stall behind, the group continued to stroll around.
There were various games at the summer festival, including hooking water balloons and shooting air guns, but because they were accompanied by a large group of chattering girls, Hachiman was always the center of attention no matter where he went.
Of course, most of this attention came from the envy and jealousy of the boys who could only come out alone.
Arriving at a water balloon fishing stall, Hachiman once again displayed his exquisite skills, helping each girl catch a water balloon.
During this time, he received another wave of admiration from the children.
Not only that, but some girls, seeing how easily Hachiman could catch so many, couldn't help but complain when they looked at their boyfriends who couldn't catch a single one.
This only added to the resentment Hachiman received.
Clearly realizing that they were drawing too much attention, Yui felt a bit embarrassed and tugged at Hachiman's sleeve.
"Hikki, let's go eat something."
Since playing games easily attracted others' attention, eating something wouldn't, right?
"Eat something? Sure."
Upon hearing Yui's suggestion, Hachiman nodded. Truth be told, he wasn't fond of attracting too much attention either, but he couldn't help it; his outstanding abilities naturally drew people's focus.
"What would you all like to eat?"
It's important to note that summer festivals offer a plethora of delicious snacks, so nobody had dinner before heading out.
Alice's eyes lit up. "I want takoyaki, candy apples, and fried noodles!"
Having lived in Northern Europe, Alice was quite intrigued by these Japanese-lit specialty snacks. And it wasn't just Alice; even Erina's eyes showed a hint of interest.
Although Erina had always lived in Japan and attended many summer festivals, she used to go with her grandpa, watching the fireworks from a designated paid area, surrounded by bodyguards.
Moreover, due to the "elite education" her father had instilled in her since childhood, she believed that commoner cuisine was beneath her, so dishes like takoyaki were never part of her menu.
But things were different now. Under Hachiman's "guidance," she rediscovered that food knows no social status. Besides, she had the chance to attend the summer festival with Hachiman today, so she definitely wanted to give it a try.
With a smile, Hachiman spoke up, "No problem. Since there's still some time before the fireworks, feel free to pick whatever snacks you like. We'll explore together, and if you see something you want to try, just let me know."
"Mm-hmm." The girls nodded in agreement.
And so, Hachiman embarked on a food tour with the girls.
Though leading such a large group of girls made him a target for some single individuals' resentment, for the stall owners, Hachiman was undoubtedly the most welcomed customer.
Because every time he approached a stall, he brought a large amount of business to it.
Their first stop was at a stall selling takoyaki.
Seeing the stall owner skillfully flipping the octopus balls, Alice tugged at Hachiman's sleeve.
"Hachiman-kun, I want this."
"No problem." Hachiman nodded, then approached the takoyaki stall and addressed the busy owner, "Boss, nine orders of takoyaki."
With so many girls, one or two orders would definitely not be enough.
But it wasn't necessary for each person to have their own portion. After all, there were still many other things to eat later, and if they filled up on takoyaki alone, it wouldn't be worth it.
"No problem, just a moment, young man."
The stall owner was a jovial middle-aged man. After glancing at the large group of girls behind Hachiman, he gave him a thumbs up, showing an expression of "impressive," then got busy.
The owner's hands were very agile. In no time, the takoyaki balls were formed under his hands, sprinkled with bonito flakes and seaweed strips, and finally topped with mayonnaise. Plates of takoyaki were freshly served.
"Here you go, young man. Since you're buying so many, I'll throw in a few extra for you." Packing a total of ten portions of takoyaki, the owner gave a hearty smile.
"Thanks, boss."
Taking the takoyaki, paying for them, Hachiman nodded with a smile, then returned to the girls' side.
"Try some, everyone. Since we'll be eating other things later, I didn't buy too much. Share these among yourselves."
He handed over the bag of takoyaki.
The girls nodded and took the bag from him. Hachiman had bought ten portions, so even sharing between two people left them with plenty.
"Be careful, they're hot," Hachiman reminded them.
But before he finished speaking, he heard the foolish Satania exclaim, "Hot... hot, it's really hot!"
Seeing this scene, Hachiman felt somewhat helpless.
As the saying goes, patience is a virtue. There's no need to rush; nobody's going to snatch it away from you.
With Hachiman's reminder, except for the foolish Satania, no one else got burnt. They ate the takoyaki slowly, savoring each mouthful.
Each plump takoyaki ball, when bitten into, revealed tender and chewy octopus inside. Combined with the bonito flakes, seaweed strips, and mayonnaise, the flavor was savory and slightly salty. Though it didn't compare to Hachiman's cooking, paired with the festival atmosphere, it had its own unique taste.
But seeing Hachiman not eating, Komachi looked puzzled. "Onii-chan, why aren't you eating?"
"Well, I'm not hungry. You all enjoy," Hachiman smiled faintly.
Hearing this, Komachi pouted unhappily. "That won't do. It's a rare festival; Onii-chan should eat something to add to the atmosphere." Holding a toothpick with a takoyaki ball, she continued, "Here, Onii-chan, open your mouth, I'll feed you."
Naturally, Hachiman wouldn't refuse his sister's offer. He opened his mouth, and she fed him the takoyaki ball.
Seeing him eat it, Komachi's face lit up with a happy smile. "Is it tasty, Onii-chan?"
"It's delicious, thank you, Komachi," Hachiman mumbled with a mouthful of takoyaki.
Witnessing this scene, the girls' eyes brightened, and they immediately took action.
Yui, using a toothpick, speared a takoyaki ball, held it up with her hand, and brought it to Hachiman's mouth. "Ah, Hikki, try mine too."
Hachiman didn't refuse and accepted it into his mouth.
With someone leading, the other girls followed suit without hesitation.
Yukino: "Consider it a reward for you."
Yumiko: "Don't get the wrong idea; after all, it was you who bought the takoyaki."
Kotonoha: "Hachiman-kun, please."
Saeki: "Ah~ Thanks for your hard work, Hachiman-kun."
Utaha: "Have one, it's really delicious."
"..."
Almost all the girls fed Hachiman a takoyaki ball, even Gabriel and her friends didn't hold back.
Japan was a country that valued teamwork and camaraderie. If you stood out too much, you'd inevitably face ostracism. Besides, since Hachiman had bought the takoyaki balls, it was only right and proper to feed him one in return, both in terms of sentiment and reason.
And thus began a feeding frenzy that would astound passersby for the entire year.
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