"Phew."
Satisfied, Gabriel patted her round belly and said with contentment, "I'm full. Thanks for the treat."
Turning her head to look at Hiroshi, who was taking out some desserts from a box, Gabriel couldn't help but ask again, "Hiroshi, are you really not considering my offer?"
"I refuse."
Without hesitation, Hiroshi picked up a drumstick and stuffed it into Gabriel's mouth, while handing out homemade desserts to the others.
"Here, try this. It's my version of the Slime Ice Cream that my cooking mentor and friend Xiangling originally developed as Slime Popsicles."
Opening the packaging, Hiroshi handed the faintly glowing Slime Ice Cream to Ruri Gokou, also known as Kuroneko, and then proudly introduced it to everyone at the table:
"The main ingredient is gel dropped from defeating Cryo Slimes, combined with mucus extracted from sunlit Grass Slimes in Jueyun Karst, plus a hint of Frost Core. To add some extra flavor, I used Sweet Flowers picked in the late afternoon and a bit of mint. Using my new Five Elements cooking technique, it came out perfectly."
Clap, clap, clap!
Loud applause echoed as Eriri Spencer Sawamura picked up a spoon and dug into her ice cream. The cool sensation instantly filled her body, the gentle yet refreshing chill rising from her stomach. It was like the first snowfall of winter, silently covering the entire land.
"Mmm~"
The sound carried a hint of bliss, and Eriri's eyes snapped open, having unknowingly closed.
"This is amazing!"
Excitedly slamming her hand on the table, Eriri leaned toward Hiroshi, quickly asking, "Where can I buy this? What's the brand?!"
"Please, tell me right away! My summers can't be without this anymore!"
Hiroshi pushed Eriri back into her seat and shrugged. "I told you, I made it myself. You can't buy it anywhere."
With a disappointed look, Eriri suddenly perked up. "How about opening a store to sell this ice cream?! I'll invest in it—just make enough to supply my house!"
"I'll invest too," Utaha Kasumigaoka chimed in. "Same deal, just supply my house."
Seeing the two girls practically ready to throw money at him, Hiroshi shook his head. "I have no plans to do that. I only learned to cook so my family could enjoy delicious food."
"I see..."
Utaha sighed regretfully, casting an envious glance at Kuroneko, who was sitting beside Hiroshi. Then, she turned her gaze to Tomoya Aki.
"Tomoya, did you hear that? That's what a good man should be like."
"Tomoya, don't you think it's time to learn to cook too?"
"Don't you guys find this strange?"
Tomoya shook his head frantically, pointing at his glowing spoonful of ice cream. "It's glowing, just like in anime! I also doubt I could make ice cream as good as this even if I trained as a chef!"
"Wake up, Tomoya."
Patting Tomoya's shoulder sympathetically, Hiroshi smiled. "It's still daylight—you shouldn't be dreaming. Cooking that glows is just a thing in manga. Please don't mistake it for reality."
"It's just that the ice cream is so smooth it's reflecting the light. Gotta believe in science."
"Exactly."
With a spoon still in her mouth, Gabriel stretched out her hand to Hiroshi.
"Give me one more, please."
Turning her head towards Tomoya, Gabriel shook her head and added, "As a modern young adult, you really need to learn the difference between reality and fiction."
"By the way, Hiroshi," she said, "the next time you're going to fight slimes, can I come along? I'd like to catch a few to keep as pets."
"You can't go to that place," Hiroshi said, swallowing his ice cream. Seeing Gabriel's disappointed expression, he explained, "These slimes are from another world. I can't take you there."
"But maybe someday, if you join our chat group, you can come along," Hiroshi added with a smile. "Then you'll be able to try even more amazing things—like just yesterday, we cooked up a Hydra dragon god. It was delicious."
"Oh!"
Excitement flashed across Gabriel's face as she looked at Hiroshi. "Free feast?!"
"Exactly, and everyone also gets a decent reward afterward."
"Oh!!!"
Her eyes lighting up, Gabriel jumped up and pumped her fist in the air. "I am so joining this chat group! Hiroshi, how can I join?!"
Pointing to his head, Hiroshi replied, "Since Ruri and I already have people waiting on our invitations, you'll have to wait for the start of the month. If you hear a 'ding' in your head, it means you've joined."
"I'll be waiting!"
Her eyes seemed to burn with determination as Gabriel exclaimed, "Free food, tons of money, and adventures like in a novel—just wait for me, I'm coming soon!"
She raised her hand and swallowed an entire ice cream in one bite before reaching out to Hiroshi again.
"Another one, please."
"Gabriel, you'll get a stomachache," Vignette said gently, placing her hand over Gabriel's. She gave Hiroshi a warm smile. "Thank you for the meal. The lunch and ice cream were delicious."
"I hope we can exchange contact info so I can repay this favor someday," she added.
"No problem."
Taking out his phone, Hiroshi started exchanging contact information with the group. "But I'm not around in this world very often, so if you need anything, contact Ruri. She'll get the message to me."
"Even though I know you're just joking, your tone really makes it sound like you're serious," Tomoya said, glancing at the new contacts on his phone. "Seems like you must be pretty busy with work or school, Hiroshi. Not much time for the internet, huh?"
"You could say that," Hiroshi replied with a laugh.
"Alright, we've had lunch, so what's next?"
Raising his hand, Tomoya said, "I won't be joining you. I need to stay at the club booth and help out. Everyone's too busy."
"Oh, so you're staying?"
Megumi Kato, holding her box of ice cream, spoke up in her usual calm voice. "I thought you'd leave us three delicate girls to manage the booth like you did this morning, while you ran off who knows where."
"I'm sorry, Megumi!"
Tomoya bowed his head deeply, apologizing once again.
"Well then, we'll be off. Talk soon."
Hiroshi waved at the group packing up their things and led Ruri out of the booth.
Looking down at Gabriel walking beside him, Hiroshi asked curiously, "What are your plans now?"
"I heard it's your first time here, so let me be your guide," Gabriel said, patting Hiroshi on the back with an exaggerated sigh. "Originally, I planned to use Ruri's 'illegal entry' secret to make you buy me some games to keep my mouth shut."
"But who would've thought we'd hit it off like this? Sigh~"
With a dramatic sigh, Gabriel looked ahead and shook her head. "Now, all I can do is guide you around. Just remember to buy me the games I want when we're done."