Chapter 424: I'm Just a Bystander Buying Fried Noodles
Seeing this large group of beautiful girls feeding the same guy, the surrounding people were naturally shocked.
"What's going on here? Is this guy the harem king?"
As they thought about how they were only wandering around the festival alone while Hachiman had so many beautiful girls accompanying him and feeding him, many guys felt a bit uncomfortable.
But it wasn't just them feeling uncomfortable; Hachiman also wasn't feeling great about it.
Despite the seemingly enviable situation of being fed by the girls, one mustn't forget the number of girls involved.
Almost twenty takoyaki balls had been fed to him one by one. Although each takoyaki ball wasn't particularly large, eating so many at once made Hachiman's stomach feel a bit bloated.
And he couldn't refuse, considering everyone had fed him already. If he refused someone at this point, it would seem unfair.
Hachiman wasn't the kind of person to show favoritism; in his mind, all the girls were equal. There was no preference.
After all, he was a man aiming to have a harem. If he couldn't treat everyone equally, how could he expect harmony in the future household?
Since he had chosen this path himself, he had to persevere no matter how tough it got.
Thus, Hachiman accepted every takoyaki ball offered to him, regardless of who handed it to him.
After finishing all the takoyaki balls fed to him, Hachiman rubbed his stomach and let out a small burp.
Seeing this, the girls couldn't help but chuckle.
Especially some girls who knew about Hachiman's desire to have a harem couldn't help but feel a bit amused.
"Serves him right, he asked for it. Now he's getting a taste of his own medicine."
But even though Hachiman deserved it, the girls still felt a bit sorry for him, after all, he was someone they cared about.
"Hachiman-kun, are you okay?" Kotonoha asked with concern.
Indeed, Kotonoha was always so caring.
Hearing the girl's concern, Hachiman felt touched.
"Don't worry, Kotonoha, I'm just a bit full from eating too much. I'll be fine after walking around a bit."
Indeed, it was just some takoyaki balls. Although he felt a bit bloated now, a few extra steps would help him digest.
And as the saying goes, after a meal, walk a hundred steps, and you'll live to be ninety-nine.
Although he didn't know how long he would live, surely the longer, the better.
"Let's go, let's continue exploring. See if there's anything else you want to eat," Hachiman suggested.
The girls didn't refuse; they weren't satisfied with just one serving of takoyaki balls.
Passing by a candy apple stall, Hachiman once again dug into his wallet and bought each girl one.
The method for making this is straightforward: simply drizzle red syrup over peeled apples. Because of its sweet and tangy flavor, it's a favorite among girls.
After purchasing candy apples, the group continued their stroll. At a toy stall, the girls picked up some small umbrellas and masks based on their interests.
After some time, Hachiman's stomach felt much better. It was then that Alice spotted another stall selling fried noodles, and her eyes lit up.
"Hachiman-kun, let's try the fried noodles."
"No problem, I'll go buy a few portions. Wait here," Hachiman nodded and made his way to the stall.
With each of the girls holding quite a lot of items, while he was empty-handed, it made more sense for him to handle the purchase.
Approaching the stall, Hachiman noticed they weren't offering ordinary fried noodles but fried udon noodles. Perhaps due to its delicious taste, the shop seemed to be doing quite well, with many customers lining up.
Hachiman patiently waited in line.
As the line progressed, it was soon his turn.
It was then that Hachiman noticed another reason for the crowd. A petite girl with an unusually ample chest stood behind the stall.
She was probably less than five feet tall, so Hachiman hadn't noticed her while waiting in line.
This girl had short orange hair, wore red half-frame glasses, and had bright blue, lively eyes, giving off a serious vibe.
Seeing the customer, the girl behind the counter spoke sincerely, "Welcome to Ogata Udon."
Ogata...
Was that the name of her shop?
Hearing her words, Hachiman raised an eyebrow. He also noticed the girl's unchanging expression, appearing quite reserved.
And that voice...
It sounded a bit like Gabriel's.
Their heights were similar, both being less than five feet tall. However, the difference lay in the flat chest of the lazy angel compared to the girl in front of him, whose yukata bulged with abundance.
"Achoo!"
A lazy angel nearby sneezed, and Vignette, beside her, quickly asked with concern, "Gab, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing, just felt a little itchy in my nose. Probably someone's talking behind my back," Gabriel rubbed her nose, feeling inexplicably annoyed, as if she were being looked down upon.
Meanwhile, on Hachiman's side...
Retracting his gaze, Hachiman smiled and said, "I'll take five portions of fried udon, please."
"Sure, that'll be two thousand yen in total. Thank you for your patronage," the girl nodded.
Taking the money from Hachiman, the girl turned to a middle-aged man nearby wearing a white headband and said, "Dad, add five more portions of fried udon."
The middle-aged man chuckled heartily, "No problem, leave it to me, Rizu."
Dad, Rizu?
It seemed these two were father and daughter.
Hearing their conversation, Hachiman silently nodded.
After speaking with his daughter, the middle-aged boss held a spatula in each hand and skillfully fried the udon noodles on the iron plate.
In no time, five portions of fried udon noodles were ready.
The girl named Rizu wrapped up the five portions and handed them to Hachiman.
"Here are five portions of fried udon. Please take them."
"Thank you. Sorry to bother you, but could I have some more chopsticks? We have quite a few people," Hachiman said somewhat sheepishly.
"No problem, help yourself," Rizu nodded and then handed over the chopstick container.
Under the girl's calm gaze, Hachiman shamelessly took a dozen or so pairs of chopsticks.
At that moment, a male voice sounded in Hachiman's ear.
"Oh, Ogata-san, Sir you've set up shop already."
"Haha, of course, young teacher. As you can see, business is booming," the middle-aged stall owner laughed heartily while frying the noodles.
Turning to the source of the voice, Hachiman saw a boy wearing glasses not far away. Beside him was a red-haired girl in a yukata.
Seeing the boy, the girl named Rizu showed a rare change in expression, revealing a faint smile.
"Good evening, Nariyuki-senpai, Takemoto-senpai."
Glancing at Rizu, then at the red-haired girl beside the boy, Hachiman raised an eyebrow.
Their relationship seemed more than just casual.
But what does that have to do with me? I'm just a passerby here to buy some fried noodles.
After getting the chopsticks, Hachiman simply left the stall.
Returning to the girls' group, Hachiman held up the plastic bag and said, "I only bought five portions this time. Feel free to share them."
Glancing around, Hachiman noticed a nearby cold drinks shop with a few empty tables outside.
Pointing towards the cold drinks shop, Hachiman suggested, "Let's eat there and take a break."
The girls agreed with nods.
As they settled at the tables, Hachiman brought out the fried noodles.
Sitting next to Hachiman was Yukino, who glanced at him and then gently fanned him with the small umbrella she had just purchased.
Despite the evening setting in, the combination of summer heat and the lively festival atmosphere kept the air warm.
Noticing Yukino's gesture, Hachiman felt pleased. Though the breeze was gentle, it showed the girls' care.
Observing the sweat beads on the girls' foreheads, Hachiman decided, "You girls go ahead and eat. I'll get some drinks for you."
He stood and headed into the nearby cold drinks shop.
Soon, he returned with several bottles of juice.
Distributing the drinks, Hachiman was about to sit down when he heard admiration nearby.
"That masked woman is an incredible shot. We don't even know if she's pretty..."
"She doesn't miss a target, and all the good prizes are gone in no time."
"She's truly mysterious."
...
Following the voices, Hachiman found a shooting gallery nearby.
At the forefront was a tall, masked woman showcasing remarkable shooting skills.
Her accurate shots amazed the crowd.
As the masked woman continued, her long pink hair and braids hinted at her identity.
It was none other than the absent Mafuyu from tonight's festivities.