Chapter 44 - Indoor Camping (1)
"Mashiro, let's start by prepping the vegetables. I'll peel the potatoes, so can you take care of the carrots?"
"Roger that!"
Mashiro and I decided to enjoy an indoor camping experience, and the first thing we did was start preparing dinner for the evening.
Since we planned on making curry at the campsite, we brought the ingredients we had prepared over to the kitchen.
Mashiro was bouncing around excitedly, and watching her in such a lively state made me smile.
"Just don't get too carried away and cut yourself."
"Okay, I'll be careful!"
At my warning, Mashiro adopted a serious expression and began peeling the carrots with a peeler.
This girl is really something else. She never slacks off when it matters most, always giving her all. Because of that, she brightens up those around her and fills them with energy.
Seeing her like that naturally makes me feel more motivated too.
I took the potato and knife in hand and deftly started peeling the skin.
For a while, we worked in silence, the only sound being the steady rhythm of us chopping the ingredients.
Ordinarily, this kind of quiet might not mean much, but now it made me acutely aware of how we were spending time together. That alone made the moment feel incredibly peaceful.
Before I knew it, we had finished prepping all the ingredients.
"Ryusuke, I’m done over here too!"
"Great, thanks. Now, let's sauté the onions. Once the oil's heated up, we'll add the potatoes, carrots, and meat, in that order."
"Got it! Leave it to me!"
"Good girl. Let's make some delicious curry."
"Hehe, Ryusuke praised me for being a good girl. Hey, hey, you can pat my head if you want, you know?"
"That'll have to wait until later. I don't want to mess up your beautiful hair with hands that have been touching food."
"Okay, but make sure you give me lots of head pats after dinner, alright?"
"Yeah, yeah, as you wish."
"Yay!"
Her face lit up with a blossoming smile, delighted at the promise of a post-dinner reward.
Cooking alongside Mashiro in the kitchen was a lot of fun.
She was completely focused on cooking, beaming when things went well, and then giving me a pure, unclouded smile.
Watching her expressions shift so vividly and naturally filled me with warmth.
I don’t know anyone else as straightforward and adorable as her. There’s no one else who could make me feel this happy just by being together.
With these affectionate thoughts in mind, I continued cooking efficiently.
Soon enough, the room was filled with the mouthwatering aroma of curry.
The rice had already finished cooking, and all that was left was to plate everything up.
"Hey, Ryusuke, let's eat at the table inside the tent. That would feel more like camping, right?"
"You’ve got a point. Since we’ve gone this far, we might as well go all out with the camping vibe."
"I even prepared these dishes just for today. Look, wooden plates and wooden spoons! Doesn’t it feel camp-like?"
"Whoa, that definitely adds a special touch. Let’s use them right away then."
With the atmosphere of a real campsite taking shape, we began plating the curry we’d just made.
After preparing some drinks, we carried everything to the living room, where we sat inside the tent.
We placed the plates of curry rice on the low table, and Mashiro and I sat across from each other.
Just as our little indoor camping session was about to begin...
"Whoa!?"
"Holy...!"
A thunderclap roared outside the window.
Startled by the sudden noise, Mashiro and I flinched and shook.
At the same time, the lights that had been illuminating the room went out, leaving us in total darkness.
"R-Ryusuke... is this a blackout?"
"Looks like it. Hang on a sec."
I stood up and peeked out the window.
The streetlights outside and the lights in the surrounding houses were all out as well, leaving only darkness.
It seemed like lightning had struck nearby.
Judging by the situation, it could take a while for the power to come back.
"No way... does something have it out for us?"
Was something out there seriously bent on interrupting our fun? First the rain, then the wind, and now thunder? How much more would it try to get in our way?
As I cursed the sky, I heard Mashiro’s voice from inside the tent.
"Is it no good...?"
"Yeah, it's pitch dark everywhere. I don’t think the power will come back anytime soon."
"Aww... we were just about to eat dinner together."
"We'll figure something out. Otherwise, the curry will get cold."
As I wracked my brain for a solution, I heard a light clap from inside the tent. When I looked over, the inside of the tent was suddenly lit by a soft, warm glow.
I walked back into the tent and found Mashiro smiling with a lantern in her hand.
"Ryusuke, we’re okay! We have the LED lantern!"
"Oh, right! We prepared that for camping."
"Yep! Now we can see, and we can still enjoy our warm curry!"
"Even during a blackout, with a lantern, we’re all set. You’re amazing, Mashiro, always so prepared."
"Hehe, you praised me again. Want to give me some more head pats?"
"Yeah, I’ll give you lots."
"Mm..."
I reached out and gently patted her head.
She softened under my touch, her expression melting like a contented kitten, eyes narrowing in pleasure.
"With the power out, it really does feel like a real camping trip, even though we're indoors."
"Yeah, without electricity, it feels just like we’re camping outside."
"A secret camp just for the two of us... this is kinda fun."
"Yeah. No one else to worry about, and we can take it easy."
"Hehe, in that case, I’ll go ahead and spoil myself with you today, Ryusuke."
With that, Mashiro quietly slid closer to me inside the dim tent.
She intertwined her arm with mine and looked up at me with a joyful smile.
Feeling the soft warmth of her body in this dimly lit space made my heart race.
As I froze, flustered, she nestled even closer, pressing her cheek against me like a playful puppy.
She was so adorable, being so innocently clingy like this.
Today, I’d make sure to pamper her as much as she wanted.
"Hey, Mashiro, we should eat before the curry gets cold."
"Yeah, you’re right. Let’s dig in."
Side by side, Mashiro and I began to eat the curry.
The small, flickering light of the lantern swayed gently, illuminating us as we sat close together.
Beneath this calm, serene light, we enjoyed our little indoor camping experience, exchanging smiles and glances as we ate.