Tokyo: Am I the only male tenant?

"Mmm! Mmm, Mmm~"

Kana Kobayakawa, with her mouth full of tofu donuts, suddenly pointed somewhere.

At first Ginjo thought she was choking, but when he looked at where she was pointing, he finally understood, because the sign in front of her read the following slogan - "Okara Croquette".

Time passed quickly and it was already evening. Ginjo Sosuke and Kobayakawa Kana had already returned from the tourist farm with a full load.

“Okara croquettes?”

The owner of the B&B, Mr. Megure, looked very interested behind his glasses.

There were bags of croquettes on the table, and they also bought thick-cut fried tofu, ganmi, soy milk dessert with cheese, and tofu donuts.

With this table full of spoils, it seemed they wouldn't have to go out for dinner anymore.

"Could this be the dreamy croquette?"

"Just consider it as one of the alternative options. Is this what you have in mind, Mr. Megure?"

After being asked this question by Ginjō, a meaningful smile appeared on Mr. Megure's face.

"By the way, my wife is back. She just called Reiko's house."

Ginjo and Kobayakawa Kana looked at each other, and then they leaned forward together involuntarily.

"How? And then?"

"Yes, that's the other party's reply?"

"Hey, come out and tell me!"

Mr. Megure called to the office, and a woman who looked very cheerful appeared.

"Nice to meet you. Welcome to Rusutsu-no-Miyazu."

The lady bowed her head politely and then touched her cheek thoughtfully.

"Although I called her, she's not here today."

"Not here?"

"I heard that the sale of the house in her hometown was finally settled, so Reiko went back to Kutchan."

Kutchan was the place the two of them had visited this morning.

"how so..."

"We just happened to pass by each other?"

The two of them lost their strength at the dining table in an instant after hearing the news.

"But because she still has work to do here, she will drive back early tomorrow morning."

The wife gave them a gentle smile.

"So...can we visit her tomorrow?"

Ginjo suddenly felt as if he had come back to life, and hurriedly asked.

"That's hard to say. Although I told her about you two, it still depends on Reiko herself whether she wants to see you or not."

The lady looked very embarrassed, which reminded them of what Mr. Megure had said before.

"It reminds me of my ex-husband's niece..."

I heard that they had some troublesome arguments in the past, so even if she was my niece whom I loved very much when she was a child, I'm sure she would try her best to avoid her.

"Don't be so depressed. Do you still have the map I gave you at noon?"

After listening to Mr. Megure's words, Ginjō spread out the map on the dining table.

Mr. Megure pointed at one point, and Ginjō and Kobayakawa Kana stared at that point together.

"Tomorrow, around noon, go take a look here."

"Rest stop o Shinkari no Hana?"

"True Hunting Flower" is really a name that makes sense based on the literal meaning of the name.

Will they be able to meet Miss Reiko here? Or is it related to the fantasy croquettes they are looking for? However, what is the connection between flowers and croquettes?

Mrs. Megure then pointed out several more locations nearby.

"There are many other attractions in Makkari, such as Makkari Onsen, which has a great view from a high point, and the beautiful river park. There is also a restaurant that makes rice bowls with herbed pork."

"Well, Makkari Hot Springs, River Park, Vanilla Pig..."

Kana Kobayakawa nodded and wrote notes furiously.

"Come to think of it, I heard at Yongquan Tourist Farm that this year's weather is abnormal and it's even hotter than previous years."

During this gap, Ginjo tried to ask Mr. Megure.

"Yes, it seems that the lavender bloomed earlier this year than before. Because the flowering period is different from before, many people don't have time to come and appreciate it."

The purple painting in front of the torii gate appeared in Ginjo's mind. The road he passed on the way to "Rusui no Matsu" was already surrounded by the rich fragrance of flowers.

"If possible, I really want to see the four seasons of this land..."

Thinking of that scene, Ginjo Sousuke couldn't help but mutter.

"That's right, that's how you should think."

"Although I came here without any plans, please enjoy yourself in Shinjuu. I think everything will go smoothly that way."

Mr. Megure gave an encouraging smile.

“Okara croquettes are really delicious.”

Two people were having a simple dinner at the long table in the Rusutsu restaurant.

Croquettes, donuts, fried tofu, ganmi... This wonderful combination can probably only be experienced here, even if you search all over the country.

"Yeah, it's really good. I didn't expect that bean curd dregs could be made into croquettes."

Kana Kobayakawa cut a croquette in half with disposable chopsticks and carefully observed its inside.

The outer layer and the inside of the okara croquette are very moist, and the taste on the tongue is also very harmonious.

For comparison, they heated two of them in the microwave, and they still remained incredibly moist, completely different from the crispy texture of croquettes in their imagination.

"It's delicious, but I wonder if it's the same as what Meihe eats..."

"We haven't actually eaten it, and we've only heard about the taste from our memories."

"That's right, it would be nice if Meihe could come too, but unfortunately she's busy with work."

Kana Kobayakawa held up her chin with the base of her palm and spoke with a sense of loss.

"This is also impossible."

Ginjo Sosuke comforted her casually, but then he changed his mind and thought, who knows what kind of scene would happen if he were to travel with two beautiful older sisters who were nearly thirty years old?

They probably wouldn't have as much energy to travel back and forth between cities and villages as they do now, but would spend a lot of time in hotels.

When three people are together, one of them must be satisfied. To satisfy every participant in the in-depth communication, a lot of physical strength and time are needed.

Just when Ginjō's thoughts were a little distracted, Kana Kobayakawa had already picked up a donut.

"Hmm, okara donuts are delicious too. The soft and sticky texture is really special..."

"So it seems that bean curd dregs can be regarded as a versatile ingredient. Not only is it healthy, but it can also easily make people feel full."

"Right? This kind of healthy food will definitely be popular with girls. Maybe there will be a market for it in Tokyo."

Ginjo took the half-broken donut from Kobayakawa Kana and thought about it.

The croquettes I had today were very good, and the ones I had in Otaru were also delicious.

However, is it really a taste that captured the heart of Sato Mikasa, who was still a child at the time, and became something she couldn't live without even as she grew up?

Ginjo was thinking that maybe the final answer wasn't as complicated as they guessed.

"Sousuke, don't drink too much coffee. We have to get up early tomorrow."

Ginjo unconsciously went to fill the coffee machine with coffee again, but was stopped by Kobayakawa Kana with a smile.

"Because tomorrow we're going to have to use our physical strength to decide the winner!"

That’s right, the two of them would have to walk all over the village early tomorrow morning, and they didn’t know if they could find what they were looking for within a day.

They cleared the food packaging on the table, chatted briefly with the Megure couple, and then quickly returned to the guest room on the second floor.

Although there is a private bathroom in the room, it still seems a bit crowded for one person to stand in it. After all, a B&B is not a hotel, so they can't ask for too much.

After taking turns taking a shower, the two people washed off the sweat and lay down on the wooden bed refreshed.

"Kana's skin has become so soft and supple after taking a bath. Look at the amplitude of the shaking. Doesn't it look like tofu that has absorbed a lot of water?"

Sosuke Ginjo stretched out a hand and gently fiddled with Kana Kobayakawa's fruit.

"Oh, Sousuke, haven't you eaten enough tofu? That's why everything looks like tofu~"

Kana Kobayakawa lowered her head and looked at the fluctuations in front of her. She had no intention of stopping him, but just smiled coquettishly.

"That's right, delicious food is something you never get tired of eating."

Ginjo Sosuke moved forward and continued to open his mouth to taste the smooth, fragrant and glutinous after-meal dessert.

"Sosuke...tomorrow morning we still have to..."

Kana Kobayakawa wanted to remind him of tomorrow's arrangements just like she did in the restaurant, but before she could finish her words, they were completely sealed by his lips.

As night fell, the sky was dyed a deep blue-black color, and the stars twinkled like diamonds, filling the entire night sky.

A bright moon slowly rises, and its soft and elegant silver light makes Mount Yotei in the distance look hazy and mysterious.

The breeze blew gently, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of the mountains and forests and the faint fragrance of lavender flowers.

The warm yellow light shines through the window into the courtyard of the cabin, and several tall trees cast mottled shadows.

Occasionally, the chirping of insects or frogs broke the silence of the night, but then merged into the deep darkness.

After enjoying a dinner full of protein, Kana Kobayakawa drank a protein drink before going to bed.

She snuggled up to Ginjo, hoping to see Miss Reiko tomorrow, and closed her eyes. After a few seconds, her consciousness left her.

At seven o'clock the next morning, the two were awakened by the alarms set in their mobile phones.