Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 199: Niagara
Because I sent down a huge amount of noodles this time, even Sheila couldn’t manage a perfect shutout.
That said, only a few noodles made it to the back, so Rozzo and Sid once again failed to eat any nagashi-somen this year.
Even though they were lined up in front of Ren and Shoji, their chopstick skills were so poor they couldn’t catch a single strand.
I think the tension also got to them — since fewer noodles were coming their way, they probably panicked even more.
“Damn it! So we’re eating regular somen with Sato again this year!?”
“But you did have a chance this time, right? If you get better with chopsticks, I’m sure you’ll be able to catch some next year.”
“Nope. Next year I’m not standing behind Sheila. That’s way more reliable than learning how to use chopsticks.”
Rozzo and Sid seemed firm in their resolve.
If Sheila would just take the last spot like Velvet did, that’d solve everything—but she refuses to give up her position.
So next year’s lineup will probably turn into another fierce battle over not being behind her.
“Slurp, slurp! Delicious! This sour flavor is simply irresistible!”
“Yato, I see you’ve joined this side, but did you end up catching any noodles?”
“None! They were too fast for me to grab! Maybe being at the front isn’t as easy as I thought!”
Of course, the front position is supposed to be the easiest for catching noodles—but for Yato’s dignity, I kept that thought to myself.
Even if they didn’t manage to eat the flowing noodles, there was still plenty of regular somen afterward.
On this side, we also got to try Norman’s original somen variations, which made things extra satisfying.
After enjoying somen to about half-full stomachs, we moved on to the watermelon-splitting game, just like last year.
“All right, we’ll start the watermelon-splitting! Anyone who wants to try, please come forward!”
The volunteers were Yato, Joel, Mika, Shoji, and Helena—five people in total.
Since we only had three watermelons, we decided to settle it with rock-paper-scissors.
“Ahh! I lost!”
“I lost toooo!”
The winners were Yato, Mika, and Helena.
The losers, Shoji and Joel, got to split the small watermelons we grew ourselves from last year’s seeds.
Those homegrown ones turned out to be hybrids, so they didn’t look as perfect as store-bought watermelons—but they were small and ripe enough for the game.
Maybe a bit lacking in size for watermelon-splitting, but still enough to enjoy the fun of it.
So, we blindfolded each participant, spun them around, and had them try to hit the watermelon with a stick.
Even with their sense of direction gone, everyone managed to land clean hits thanks to everyone else yelling directions.
Yato and Joel’s moves were a little suspicious, but—hey—if the result’s good, who cares?
We all shared the smashed watermelon as a snack, and then started preparing for the fireworks.
As it got dark, we began setting things up just like last year.
This time, I’d bought more types of fireworks, including a few we hadn’t tried before.
“Sato, how do you use this stick one?”
“Once you light it, it gives off colored sparks. It’s one of the classic summer traditions where I come from.”
“Ohh, sounds fun!”
“Sato, the Niagara fireworks are ready!”
Looks like Sheila finished setting up the Niagara fireworks I’d asked for.
We’d start the show with that.
“Sheila, please ignite them all at once.”
“Got it! Here we go—!”
With her signal, Sheila lit all the Niagara fireworks together all at once.
A curtain of cascading sparks flared up, and gasps of awe came from every direction around.
“Wow, it’s beautiful!”
“This is amazing! I’ve never seen anything like this before!”
“Nor have I! The entertainment from your world truly is incredible!”
Seeing everyone so happy warmed my heart.
I’d debated whether to use the Niagara at the beginning or the end, but it was definitely the right call to start with it.
“Next, let’s enjoy the handheld fireworks. We’ve got spinners, mice, and fireball types too.”
“I don’t know what those are, but they sound fun!”
“It’s so strange how something made of fire can look so pretty.”
Everyone picked out fireworks they liked and lit them here and there, filling the night with sparkles.
Even though this world has fire magic, seeing how much they loved fireworks proved just how special they are.
I’d only played with them as a kid back home, but doing it again now—even as an adult—was pure joy.
For the people of this world, it must’ve been even more magical.
“I never thought I’d get to see fireworks in another world! You really are amazing, Sato!”
“Seriously. The somen and watermelon-splitting were so much fun too. I’m really glad you’re here.”
“Yeah, we’ve hardly done anything in return, huh?”
While I was watching everyone enjoy the fireworks, Ren and the others approached, holding sparklers.
“That’s not true. You helped hunt by the sea the other day, and you’ve shared dungeon loot and magic ore with me. I’m the one who should be thanking you all.”
“What do you mean, ‘only this kind of thing’? This is amazing! We couldn’t even come close to doing what you do!”
“Yeah! Seeing this makes me want to work harder!”
“No need to rush. I’ll keep supporting you however I can—so just enjoy yourselves and keep doing your best.”
After all, my advantage is just that I can buy things from another world thanks to my skills.
And even then, I can only host a few events like this per season—Ren and the others shoulder far more real work than I do.
That’s why I want to keep doing my best to make sure they can smile and relax like this once in a while.
Watching everyone laugh and marvel at the fireworks, I renewed that resolve in my heart.