The Ludicrous Escapade Pt.4

Delizioso

"Do you make a lot of Italian cuisine?" With how the dessert was looking so far, you saw potential in Rai. You didn't want to set your hopes too high, though.

He nodded in response to your question as he finished with the plating. "Okay then... I'll be able to find the rokakaka branch in no time. Once we get to the Higashikata estate, I'll be able to search for the branch. But you want to harvest them, right? I'm sure Norisuke does, too. If we can't harvest the fruit, there's no point at all. And the way of doing that is here on the mountain."

Rai scoured the land below, looking for something specific. "Hold on a moment. This'll just take a second."

His hand began to unravel. The strand of flesh shot out toward a strawberry bush. He plucked four of the ripest ones. Once in his grip, he sliced them open with a knife.

"The entire mountainside is my orchard. Living directly above is pretty convenient for doing my job." He methodically placed a single sliced strawberry on top of each dish. "So, whadda ya think a' that? Romanoff tastes better with a strawberry on top, ya know. The enemy is coming for us down below. If you want, while you're making yourselves at home, we can discuss our plan for what to do next."

You all took a bite of the dessert in sync.

Yasuho gasped in delight. Tears started streaming down Gappy's face. The spoon slipped from your hand and clacked against the plate.

Could it be? After all these years? Did you even dare to think it? Perhaps you were simply misremembering because of how long it had been, but from what you could recall, his cooking seemed on par with Tonio's.

"You really are a good guy!" Yasuho proclaimed. "You so are! You'd have to be to make such a wonderful dessert!"

"Well, thank you." He turned away and pressed another button on his remote. "By the way, do any of you need to use the restroom? There's one over on pole number six. It's all electric and the tank on top is drawing water, so there's water pressure and a bidet." A panel opened up to reveal a toilet. There was even a small bath mat next to it. "You're free to enjoy the view, but if you prefer privacy, there's a shower curtain."

You carefully set down your plate, the expression on your face more serious than ever before. "I know you said you'd only work for Norisuke, but would you consider being my personal chef? I could pay double - no - triple whatever he does."

"I'm not looking for another job at the moment." He paused, considering it a little more. "But you're Norisuke's friend, right? If you happen to visit again, I could cook you something."

"Ah... well... okay." Your disappointment was noticeable. But it soon faded as you took another bite. It really was amazing.

"So, uh, do you sleep in this chairlift every night?" Yasuho wasn't so sure how that'd work out. "And the mountainside is your orchard?"

"This is just the kitchen and dining room. The entire chairlift is my home. It's just a rental, though." He gestured further down the lift. "The first pole is where my analog records are stored. I'm thinking about throwing away my laserdiscs. Every pole is equipped with speakers. The second pole is a library and a winery. The third pole is a closet where I keep my shoes and clothing. So whadda ya think?"

Yasuho frowned as she looked down at the fields. "They look kinda unkempt."

Rai let out an annoyed hum. "Hey, ya know... I'm not sure if you'll get it even if I explain it to you, but I don't remove the weeds from the mountainside. If you weed, then the fruit won't end up as good fruit. The lower strawberries are foils. I'm purposefully letting the diseases and insects attack them. This prevents the pests from climbing higher up the mountainside. I harvest the ones just above them."