After enjoying a bit of small talk with Noin-san and Kaori-san, I remembered my other reason for stopping by and decided to bring it up with Kaori-san.
"Actually, Kaori-san, there was something I wanted to talk to you about. I’m planning a bit of a party for some of my acquaintances soon, and I was thinking of making the food primarily Japanese... or what people in this world call Otherworld Food. But since none of the people I know are particularly well-versed in Japanese cooking, I was hoping to get some advice..."
"Ah, I see. Rice-based meals are pretty obscure in this world, after all. A lot of people don't even know what they are. But if you're the one hosting, Kaito-kun, that kind of cuisine might be just the thing."
In truth, I did have friends like Alice who probably knew their way around a kitchen, but Kaori-san was the first person who sprang to mind when I thought of Otherworld Cuisine.
Since Kaori-san ran a diner, she had a massive repertoire, and she seemed to have a good grasp of what kind of Japanese dishes suited the local palette. She was incredibly reliable.
With Noin-san here as well—who was an expert on local Japanese ingredients—it was the perfect time to consult them. Of course, since I hadn't even finalized the guest list yet, the plan was still in its rough conceptual stages. I wasn't looking for a set menu so much as a general idea of what would work best.
"So, basically, you're throwing something like a Home Party and want some advice on the menu... Right. In that case, why don't I just help you out myself?"
"Wait, really? I’d appreciate that, but are you sure?"
"Of course! You can leave everything to your big sister. So, how many people are we talking about? Around twenty?"
To my surprise, Kaori-san offered to take charge of the food. And by "help," she didn't just mean menu planning; she intended to handle the actual cooking as well.
I felt a little guilty about the imposition, but Kaori-san was so eager—seizing the chance to finally act like my senior—that it was actually quite heartwarming.
She didn’t quite have that "big sister" aura down; it felt more like she was overreaching to impress me. Pointing that out would have been petty, though.
"Well then, I’ll gladly take you up on that offer. You have the shop to run, so please don't overexert yourself. I haven't hammered out the exact numbers, but I imagine it’ll be around a hundred people or so."
"…………That’s more than I expected. Then again, you do have a lot of friends, Kaito-kun. W-Well, I'm sure that many will be fine."
"Kaori-san... I really don't think you should be making such rash promises."
Considering the scale of the Magic Ship I received from Kuro, I could probably invite even more... but since I planned to keep this limited to people I knew personally, a hundred seemed like a reasonable estimate.
If it were strictly just my friends, the number might be lower, but people like Ryze-san and Chris-san couldn't exactly travel without their guards. Factoring in those sorts of logistics, a hundred was a safe bet.
"It’ll be fine! Believe it or not, I’m quite the chef. Besides, I want to show Kaito-kun my senior side for once and reclaim my Older One's Dignity."
"No, that's not the point... This is Kaito-san's party, you know? It’s a guarantee that the tops of various circles will gather there."
"Huh? N-No, I mean, I know Kaito-kun’s social circle is incredible, and thinking about it usually gives me a stomach ache... but surely those sorts of people are busy? They wouldn't all show up at once..."
"For Kaito-san’s birthday, the Six Kings, the Supreme God-samas, the Creator God-sama, and the Three Kings of the human realm all attended. Every single one of them."
"………………Ah…… Maybe I should take back what I just said…… B-But if I back out now, my Dignity as a Senior will……"
While I was lost in my own thoughts, Noin-san and Kaori-san were whispering urgently to one another. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but I did notice that Kaori-san had turned a terrifying shade of pale.
"At any rate, I’m counting on you, Kaori-san! It’s a huge relief to have you on board. We can discuss the details later."
"……Yeah…… Leave it…… to me……"
For some reason, the look in Kaori-san’s eyes—the look of someone who had utterly resigned themselves to their fate—left a deep impression on me.
Serious-senpai: "……I see. She’s the type who fails after making a rash promise."