Sushi

Author: Ryusui
Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2121hw/33/
Translator: Lilia v4
Editor: Yuriko AYA

“I see, so magic appears to be a fact.”
“Mm. It doesn’t prove another planet or anything, though.”
“No, it’s enough. Ah, it’s plenty…”

Saying that, Hashimoto looks up at the ceiling, tired. No, he really is tired. Work is hard after all, maybe. The pressure must be huge too.

‘Rita-chan. The prime minister’s tiredness isn’t that kind…’

“Mm?”

‘It’s mostly Rita-chan’s fault’
‘It really was a huge fuss’
‘A nasty joke might have been easier, you know’

“Ahh…”

Yeah. Apparently I really made things very hard. I don’t know the specifics of what happened, but this is my fault after all, maybe.

“I’m sorry.”

When I apologize, Hashimoto hastily brings his gaze back and waves his hands.

“No no! It’s nothing for you to worry about! If anything, I want to say thank you for coming to Japan.”
“Is that how it is?”
“That’s how it is.”

If he says so, I won’t worry about it anymore either. Even if I worry, I wouldn’t get it.
Once we’ve talked that far, dinner is brought in.
What’s lined up on the table is like a tray… Right, a sushi oke. A fairly large sushi tub, with lots of sushi lined up.

Sushi. This is another one Master challenged and gave up on after one try. I well remember him regretting that river fish isn’t what you do it with.
This is proper sushi.

“I thought about having it pressed in front of us. But I wanted to talk just the two of us first, so I had it brought like this.”
“Huh… I’ll ask just in case, this is sushi, right.”
“Ah, that’s right.”

‘The soul food of the Japanese, sushi!’
‘Hah? Soul food is miso soup’
‘Ah? Ochazuke, what are you saying?’
‘Idiot! Curry rice, which developed uniquely in Japan, is what’s fit to be soul food!’
‘Haaah!? You wanna go!?’
‘Let’s go, you!’

“………… Soul food, lol.”
“Nnfu…”

Ah, Hashimoto burst out. He’s holding his mouth, holding in a laugh.
When I check the comments it’s this is good, that’s good flowing by, so I’ll ignore it for now. Even if I listen it’s pointless.

Right now it’s sushi, more than that. Not Master’s failed work. Of course I thought that failed work was delicious too, but remembering curry rice and such, I can imagine this is much better. So I’m really looking forward to it.
I take chopsticks and pick sushi. I don’t know the difference, so the first one that catches my eye. A slightly reddish-pink fish. According to Hashimoto, salmon.

“Please dip it a little in this soy sauce before you eat.”

The person who guided me hands me a small plate. Black liquid in it. Soy sauce, apparently. I dab it a little and put it in my mouth.

“Ohh…”

Completely different from Master’s failed work. To begin with, what Master made used grilled fish, just in case. But this is raw. Raw fish. You really eat it raw. Surprising, but I’m a little moved.
The rice isn’t packed hard; when I chew it comes apart easily on my tongue. The fish is cut thick, and the flavor is really rich. It feels a little heavy, though.
But, yeah.

“It’s really delicious.”

No, really. Really, really delicious.

‘Just from the look it seems good…’
‘This is definitely the expensive kind. Not two hundred yen a plate. Like a thousand yen a piece’
‘Rita-chan, that one bite could buy katsu curry’

“Eh.”

Eh. Wait, what is that. I mean, it’s delicious, but it costs that much…!? This is definitely luxury food. Scary.

“Th-this kinda glossy one is…?”

‘Rita-chan is scared lol’
‘The witch scared of sushi’
‘The witch scared of salmon’
‘The witch scared of fish’

Being told that feels really pathetic. A-all right. Sushi is expensive. But this is an important person’s money. His treat. I just have to savor it. Fufun. Thinking that, I feel better!

“mogu… Uwah, amazing, the fish melts… So rich. What is this, amazing…”
“Hahaha. It’s otoro. Honestly at my age it’s a little heavy, but you should be able to enjoy it, Rita.”
“Mm…? Ah, when you get older rich things get hard, apparently.”

I think humanfolk have it rough there. That’s still a long way off for me.

‘By the way, Rita-chan. Otoro is much more expensive than salmon’

“Eh.”

‘I don’t know high-end sushi prices, but maybe twice salmon?’

Eeh… What is that, scary… Sushi really is expensive…
But it really is delicious. I get why it’s expensive. Expensive things have corresponding value. That, well, I can accept.
After that I ate a lot of sushi. Without holding back. Really, without holding back. I kept eating even after Hashimoto finished. Because it’s delicious. Important people seem like they’d have lots of money.

“And I’d like a little for a souvenir.”
“Hahaha… I’ll have it prepared.”

Hashimoto with a wry smile. I do feel a little sorry, but I want him to forgive me. I probably won’t get a chance to eat this often.

‘Amazing… She’s eaten fifty plates’ worth, hasn’t she…’
‘Rita-chan is small but she’s a real big eater’
‘I like you who eat a lot’
‘Maybe… we should be quiet…’

Did I eat too much after all. No, but it’s too late now. Yeah. I won’t worry about it.

“Then, could I talk with you a little.”
“Mm. Go ahead.”

I listen to Hashimoto while drinking after-meal tea. Ah, so this is hot tea. A little bitter, but this isn’t bad in its own way.

“About the person you want us to find, could I ask once more?”
“Mm. Is it okay to tell Hashimoto?”
“Ah. The person in charge is watching the stream.”

‘For real’
‘A stream watched by the country’s important people’
‘Important people from other countries seem to be watching too’
‘When you think of it that way this is a crazy stream lol’

I don’t care about other countries. I only understand Japanese.