“So good!”

Shouko’s delighted cry rang out across the dinner table.

“Hehe, I’m glad you like it.”

The main dish for dinner was boar spare ribs stir-fried with balsamic vinegar.

The meat around the ribs and several vegetables were coated nicely in a sauce made with balsamic vinegar and sugar.

“It really is good. This sweet-and-salty flavor makes me want rice...”

I’m a high school guy, so meat naturally makes me want rice, but this dish made me feel that especially strongly.

“Hehe. I want rice too. Honestly, I’d also love things like pepper, potato starch, and garlic, but I guess we’ll have to hope future exploration turns those up.”

“Mm. If finding ingredients broadens Shion’s cooking range, I’ll gladly keep exploring.”

Chiyu said that while happily chewing on the meat.

I completely agreed.

The more new ingredients we found, the more Shion’s menu would expand, which only made me more motivated.

“The salad’s delicious too. This uses balsamic vinegar too, right?”

“Yep. Since we’ve been eating everything plain until now, it tastes even better.”

That was true. Up to now, salt had been our only seasoning.

Either we put salt on things... or we ate them plain.

Still, this was really good.

I’ve said it before, but at this point I seriously want either rice or barley.

Though in the end, it all depends on the mystery blackboard.

Everyone finished dinner, and then it was time for the girls to take their bath.

From morning until evening, we wore our school uniforms.

Then after bathing, we changed into wool or linen clothes.

After sleeping, we changed back into our uniforms again in the morning.

“Oh, right. Minori, what’s the difference between soap and shampoo?”

At my question, Minori put a finger to her chin as she answered.

That was the look she got when she was organizing how to explain something properly.

“Well... there are different kinds of shampoo, and technically you can wash your hair with soap, but soap is alkaline, so it’s harsher on the hair. If you’re going to make shampoo, Sousuke, then I think aiming for an amino-acid shampoo and mixing in a moisturizer we can obtain on this island would make something gentle on the hair.”

“Oh, really? Well, it sounds like we can at least wash our bodies with soap for now, so teach me how to make amino-acid shampoo first.”

“Yes, of course.”

With the sodium carbonate and water we had already obtained, along with the fats Minori helped sort out, plus glutamic acid extracted from kelp and the like, I was able to generate amino-acid shampoo.

After that, I also added a moisturizer called squalane, which apparently could be obtained when shearing sheep.

Once Minori told me about it, it was added to my Inventory.

Sheep... really are carrying us.

Maybe we should have Shouko summon one again.

“And with that, natural amino-acid shampoo packed with moisturizing ingredients is complete.”

I poured the shampoo into stone containers and prepared one for each of the girls.

Then there was the real main event: the scented soap.

“Try them out and let me know if you want anything changed.”

I’d assumed everyone would be happy like usual.

Instead, a strange silence fell over the room.

The four of them just stared at the shampoo and soap on the living-room table.

“What’s wrong? Did I mess something up?”

Just as I started feeling a little uneasy, Chiyu—

hugged me head-on.

“So-kun. My childhood-friend affection level was already at the ceiling, and just now it broke straight through it.”

She rubbed her forehead against my chest over and over.

She seemed genuinely, overwhelmingly happy.

“Oh. So you liked it. That’s a relief.”

As I relaxed, Shouko leapt onto my back next.

“Sousuke, you’re a god!”

Her chest pressed against my back, and that instantly brought back what had happened at the ocean.

“Even when I think I’ve finally managed to repay you a little, you immediately give us something else new. At this rate, I’ll never finish paying you back.”

Shion said that with a troubled smile as she leaned against my left arm.

“I’m sure I’ll thank you properly someday, so if you ever think of anything you want, I’d be happy if you told me too.”

Minori pressed herself shyly against my right arm as she said that.

This was basically a full-on harem situation, but it was too nerve-wracking to actually relax in.

“Mino, that sounded kind of dirty.”

“Minorin being good not just at studying but also at saying things that hit a guy right in the heart... that’s way too strong.”

“Mmm... hearing that from the same person who was saying ‘How indecent!’ until yesterday is pretty incredible.”

“Y-you’re all so mean...!”

Minori’s face went red, and her eyes turned watery.

They were completely teasing her, but Minori was so serious that she might not have much experience with this kind of back-and-forth.

Still, she was adaptable, so she’d probably learn how to fire back or brush it off eventually.

Once they’d had their fun, the four of them finally let go of me, picked up the shampoo and soap, and headed for the bath.

I went with them since I needed to fill the bath, then headed back inside once the temperature was just right.

“Oh, I already bathed, so leave the tub as it is tonight.”

Storage & Replacement could wait until tomorrow. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Hearing their responses behind me, I went back to my room.

Once I was alone, an idea came to me.

I generated paper from wood, spread it out on the desk, and sat down.

Using charcoal and relying on candlelight, I tried sketching something like a map... but all I managed was something about on the level of a treasure map drawn by a little kid.

“Well... as long as the rough positions are clear, I guess that’s good enough.”

The ocean, the forest, the base.

The place Minori and I had gone to cut wood.

The places where we’d found certain gatherable resources.

If we shared all of that information and kept updating it as we went, exploration might get a lot more efficient.

“Hmm... I should probably ask Minori or Shion to make a cleaner version.”

Right tool for the right job.

“Did you need me for something?”

Before I knew it, Shion was peering over my shoulder from behind.

“Whoa— Shion? You’re done with your bath already?”

Steam still seemed to rise from her fluffy clothes, and her black hair looked glossy, her skin soft, her cheeks faintly rosy.

“Hehe, you were really focused, huh? Everyone’s already done.”

“I-is that so...? Then why are you in my room?”

At my question, Shion blinked.

“Huh? Chiyu didn’t tell you? Sorry, I thought you already knew, so I just came in.”

“Knew what?”

Shion explained, still looking a little embarrassed.

“Well... um... it’s kind of like taking turns at night... or the right to sleep together with you. The four of us decided to rotate.”

...Seriously?

So yesterday had been Chiyu’s turn, and today was Shion’s.

Which meant tomorrow and the day after would probably be Shouko’s and Minori’s.

“...Did you not want that?”

I shook my head hard.

“No way.”

“Good. Even though Chiyu’s Basic Heal restores you, I heard you already let out a lot just today, so I was worried you might not react to me anymore.”

Come to think of it, since this morning it had been Chiyu, then Shouko, then Minori—multiple times with each of them.

Even if Chiyu’s Basic Heal restored that kind of stamina too, that was still an absurd number.

At my answer, Shion looked genuinely relieved, then sat softly on the edge of my bed.

“It’d feel lonely if I were the only one left out...

So before today ends, will you spend some time with me too?”

With those moist eyes looking up at me, there was no way I could refuse.

I stood up and walked over to ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) her.

When I gently touched her shoulder, Shion let out an exaggeratedly cute little squeal and fell back onto the bed.

Then, looking at me with anticipation in her eyes, she slowly started lifting the hem of her clothes—

At that point, the rest of the night passed behind closed doors.