Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 42: Before Winter
Five days after our discussion about how to spend the winter, the weather continued to get colder each day, but it still hadn’t snowed yet.
As Sheila and I went through our morning routine—warming up with a cup of hot coffee while shaking off the drowsiness—a knock came at the door.
There were only two possibilities for visitors: Velvet or Mika and her group. I wasn’t sure which, but I couldn’t just leave them waiting in the cold, so I quickly opened the door.
“Ugh… it’s freezing. Sorry for the sudden visit, but can we come inside?”
“Sato, sorry for dropping by out of nowhere. We left early in the morning, but it’s way too cold outside!”
“Of course, come on in.”
The visitors turned out to be Mika and her group. This time, all four of them had come, including Shoji and Yui, who were shivering in the back.
The atmosphere between them didn’t seem tense, which meant things had been going smoothly since our last meeting. That was a relief.
“Good morning. So, you’re all here today?”
“Sheila, good morning! Yeah, we all came together. Thanks again for last time.”
“Oh, it was nothing. I didn’t really do anything. You’re not feeling awkward around each other after that, are you?”
“Hmm… not at all! We talked about everything honestly, so it’s fine.”
“I see. That’s good to hear.”
“Thanks for worrying about us!”
Sheila had no reservations about asking direct questions. I was a little nervous listening in, but it seemed like things had worked out.
“So, what brings you here today? Did you need something, or are you just here for a visit?”
“We’re just here to hang out! You said we could drop by anytime!”
“Mika said it would be fine, so we came along. But was it too much for all four of us to show up at once? If we’re a bother, we can leave.”
Ren was being considerate, but behind him, Shoji and Yui had expressions of pure despair. It was the coldest time of the morning, and turning back now would be too cruel.
“Not at all! But… in exchange, could you help out with some farm work?”
“Farm work? We’ve never done that before. Will we be able to manage?”
“It’s not too difficult. And if you help out, I’ll cook some Japanese food for you.”
“For real?! I’m definitely helping out!”
Shoji immediately stood up, pumping his fists in excitement. Just moments ago, he had been shivering, but now he was full of energy.
“I’ll help too. One of the reasons I wanted to come was to eat tomatoes again. But… Sato, is it okay to feed all four of us?”
“Of course. I’ve been preparing for visits like this, so don’t worry about it.”
“Awesome! Those tomatoes were seriously delicious. I’m so happy I get to eat them again!”
“Just thinking about them is making my mouth water. I never imagined I’d crave tomatoes like this before coming to this world.”
“Same here! I wasn’t even a fan of raw tomatoes before!”
Hearing that they could eat Japanese food had sparked excitement among them… but I couldn’t help but notice that they were only focused on tomatoes.
Sure, I was planning to make a dish using tomatoes, but I was going to prepare a proper Japanese meal, not just serve raw tomatoes.
“Just to clarify, I’m not just serving raw tomatoes. I’ll be making real dishes. I do plan to use tomatoes, but I can also cook other things.”
“…Wait. So we’re not just getting raw tomatoes?!”
“Mika and Ren made it sound like that was the case… Is this true?”
“I only gave Mika tomatoes last time, but I can buy other ingredients and cook proper meals.”
“I totally thought it was just tomatoes! I figured you had some seeds in your pocket and could only grow tomatoes!”
I thought I had explained things to Mika properly, but it seemed my message hadn’t gotten across. Still, they were happy, so I’d call it a successful surprise.
“Well, if you help with the farm work, I’ll make something simple.”
“Of course, we’ll help. Oh, and by the way… we also gathered the magic crystals you mentioned. We don’t have any use for them besides selling, so you should take them.”
Ren handed over a sack filled with magic crystals.
I hadn’t expected them to have collected them so quickly, so I assumed I’d have to ask for their help with farming. But now they were handing them over just like that.
“You already gathered this many?”
“Yeah. If you keep clearing dungeons, magic crystals pile up naturally. This is about a month’s worth.”
“I see… I thought you wouldn’t have enough yet, so I was going to ask for help with the farm work. But if you’re giving me these, you don’t have to help. You can just relax here.”
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“No way, we’re definitely helping. If we’re getting Japanese food, just these few magic crystals aren’t enough as payment.”
“Yeah! I’m totally pumped up now—I’m going work hard!”
I had tried to refuse, but Yui and Shoji were completely determined. Ren and Mika were also nodding enthusiastically, so there was no stopping them now.
“Thanks. In that case, I’d appreciate the help. But just so you know, it’s nothing fancy—just home-cooked meals. Don’t expect anything too amazing.”
“We don’t care about that! Just being able to eat Japanese food is enough motivation for us!”
“Exactly. We’re counting on you, Sato.”
And so, I ended up working the farm with Ren and the others.
As expected, they were surprised by Mash and Lime, but once introductions were done, we all got to work.
Sheila took charge of instructing the four newcomers, while Mash and I focused on getting ahead with tasks.
Once they got the hang of it, everyone started working at their own pace. Their technique wasn’t great, but with four extra pairs of hands, the difference was massive.
In no time, we powered through the work that usually took me, Sheila, and Mash an entire day—finishing everything by midday.
Maybe it was the excitement over Japanese food, but for the first time, this farm felt… small.