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Volume 3, Extra: Fortune Roll Rhapsody
When Rigel sees what awaits him in the living room, he suddenly wants nothing more than to turn and run. Deep in his soul, there burns an intense desire to abandon everything and run home. Unfortunately, this is his home. There is simply no running from his cruel destiny.
âFugafuga?â
â.......â
âFugafugafuu---ga, fuu---gafugaâ
âShut it with your fugafugaâs! What crazy cult ritual is it this time! Do you ever think how your son feels? When he comes home, and his Dad is running around fugafuga-ing with a pole of all things stuffed in his mouth!?â
As Subaru stands and ambles toward Rigel, mouth still stuffed, Rigel rants, spit flying everywhere. As the target of his sonâs rebellious tantrum, Subaru slinks his shoulders.
âFugafugaâŠ.â
âWould you quit it with the fugafugaâs already!â
âFugafuâŠ. Geez, what a brat. You know, if youâre always this uptight, youâll eventually regret it. Kids need to play while theyâre young. Once youâre an adult, youâll worry about peopleâs opinions and start restraining yourself....â
âWhen you say that, it sounds completely unconvincing! How old are you! How much longer are you gonna keep playing! When will you gain this so-called ability to âworry about peopleâs opinions!ââ
Despite approaching his thirties, Natsuki Subaru doesnât show any sign of slowing down. He even plays with kids Rigelâs age, causing the comparatively mature Rigel intense embarrassment. This boy wishes more than anything for his father to act his age.
Then again, if he actually did, Rigel would worry that his father was gravely ill.
âSo, what sort of weird festival did you come up with this time?â
âHold on, my son. Are you actually an esper? So, youâve somehow gained the ability to read my mind. If not, then how could you ever see my actions as part of a festivalâŠ.â
âItâs more like Iâm praying itâs for a festival. My sanity couldnât take it if you casually welcomed me home with a thick pole shoved in your mouth for no reason. Just tell me whatâs all this aboutâŠâ
Rife with complaints, Rigel picks up the mysterious object Subaru was carrying in his mouth. He finds it surprisingly soft and flexible. Rigel quickly uncovers its identity.
â....a sushi roll?â
âYup, a sushi roll. You look like you want one. I got it, if you want it so badly, go ahead and chow down. Luckily, thatâs just one of the âprototypes.â Iâve already set aside the rolls for the main event, so you can have that one as a snack.â
âEven if I was hungry, Iâm not gonna eat something that spent any time in my Dadâs mouthâŠ. Maybe if it was Mom or Spica.â
âHey,isnât eight years old a bit early to hate on your old man this hard? At your age, even I respected my DadâŠ. wait, did I? Did I?â
âHow would I even know! Anyway, whatâs this festival already! And what main event!â
Hounded by an impatient Rigel, Subaru shrugs his shoulders and laughs. He points out a plate on the living room table with homemade sushi rolls stacked neatly on top.
âIsnât it obvious? After the Bean Tossing Festival, ----YES, itâs the Ehomaki Challenge!â
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âEhomaki, is it? What kind of festival would that be?â
Rem, after coming home from shopping, listens to Subaruâs explanation. She tilts her head curiously as she cradles a drowsy Spica in her arms. As Rem speaks, Spicaâs small hands lightly grasp at the fair maidenâs long blue hair.
With all members accounted for, the Natsuki household sits in the living room, surrounding the plate of rolls.
âRemember the Bean Tossing Festival? By tossing beans, we took in happiness while getting rid of misfortune.â
âOf course. Rem thought Subaru-kun was trying to throw her awayâŠ. Remâs maiden heart was deeply, strongly afflicted. This incredible sadness, it will not heal easily. Please take Rem on a date.â
With upturned eyes, Rem pretends to sulk as Subaru smiles wryly.
His cute wifeâs request. As her husband, accepting is both his natural-born duty and his happiest privilege.
âItâll be my pleasure. Letâs see, Iâm free tomorrow, so letâs do it then. Speaking of which, they just finished remodeling the spirit shrine at the edge of town. Itâs really something now.â
âYes. And after Subaru-kun started embossing couplesâ vows onto its walls, visitors started flocking to the shrine from all over.
With her husbandâs work going so well, Rem can hold her head high.â
âWeâre married already, but how about we go add our vows too. Itâll be just the two of us. Ah, donât worry, Spicaâll be fine. Sheâs got her siscon-afflicted brother to watch over her.â
âSubaru-kunâŠ. Rem is so happy. Rem will look forward to tomorrowâs date.â
âCan we get back to the main topic already!?â
As his parents plan out their date, an impatient Rigel finally explodes. But despite his sudden outburst, Subaru and Rem, used to his tantrums, hardly react at all. Even Spica seems unfazed, her sleepy face unchanging.
Rigelâs yells echo pointlessly throughout the house.
âHey Rigel, donât shout so suddenly like that. You know, if youâre too hot-blooded while youâre young, once youâre older, the veins in your head might explode from stress.â
âShaddup! Theyâll explode even if I hold it in! So I might as well shout!â
âRigel, what sort of language are you using against your father. Your mother hopes you donât speak like this outside as well. If Rigel always act so angry, everyone from friends to strangers will avoid you. You need to become a more wonderful person like your father. Oh, but Rigel could never possibly hope to win against Subaru-kun. Try not to be too depressed about it.â
âYour comforting is depressing me! What did I ever do to you!â
Bullied by his own parents, Rigel throws himself at the floor and collapses into a heap. Subaru and Rem giggle as Rigel falls into complete sulking mode. As Rem readjusts a sleeping Spica in her arms, Subaru clears his throat to resume,
âWell anyway, with it being Rigelâs dying wish and all, letâs get back to the Ehomaki. For the Bean Tossing Festival, we invited happiness and chased out misfortune. This Ehomaki Challenge and the Bean Tossing Festival are both part of a holiday called âSetsubun.â The Ehomaki Challenge is a more minor event though.â
âA different event from the same holiday?â
âExactly. Back home, the East and West did things totally differently, you see. The Bean Tossing Festival and the Ehomaki Challenge were part of those differences. The East celebrated the Bean Tossing Festival while the West did the Ehomaki Challenge. But thereâs no such thing as too much of a good thing, so I thought weâd try both.â
âYes, as expected of Subaru-kun. The way Subaru-kun unhesitantly takes the best of everything is wonderful as well.â
Rem praises Subaru, clapping softly to avoid waking Spica. Then, putting a finger to her cheek as she tilts her head to the side,
âSo if we needed beans for the Bean Tossing Festival, the Ehomaki Challenge uses these sushi rolls?â
âWell, we actually couldâve used a few more things for the Bean Tossing Festival. I already got that shop to stock more beans for next year. But I also want to make some more elaborate preparations like getting an Oni mask and Oni pants for me to wear.â
When it came to enjoying festivals to their fullest, Natsuki Subaruâs energy and dynamism knew no limits.
A spellbound Rem gazes fondly as her husband exhibits his needlessly hot passion. After briefly letting his thoughts run wild, he shakes his head.
âNononono. Weâre talking about Ehomaki right now. Just as Rem says, instead of beans, we have these sushi rolls. Where I call from, this kind of sushi roll is called an âEhomaki.â Rem, just from looking, what do you notice?â
âHm, well. Itâs very long and thick and black.â
âOne more time please.â
â----? It seems to be very long and thick and black.â
âMy cute, honest wife can sometimes be unknowingly eroticâŠ.â
Deeply moved, Subaru struggles to keep a straight face as Rem returns an innocent, puzzled look.
Seeing as this wasnât particularly wholesome education, Subaru puts on a serious face and gets back to the sushi rolls.
âThese thick sushi rolls are called âTaimaki.â Unfortunately, Kararagi doesnât have any customs about Ehomaki, so I made them myself. Theyâre actually pretty easy.â
âThis faintly sour scent, this is vinegie, yes?â
âVinegared rice. Itâs definitely the ideal rice for sushi. Next time, we should try it with some raw fish. Putting that aside for now, the recipeâs really simple. You just take dried seaweed and vinegared rice and wrap seven different fillings inside. Thatâs it!â
âIs there any special meaning attached to having seven fillings?â
Peering at the Ehomakiâs rainbow-colored fillings, Rem asks a natural question.
âGlad you noticed, as expected of my wife! Yeah, thatâs an important point. Ehomaki are meant to be a festive food. Back home, we held festivals every year to celebrate the Seven Deities of Fortune, you see.â
âMy, such festive deities.â
âYeah, theyâre a real festive bunch. The seven different fillings represent the Seven Deities, and when we wrap them into Ehomaki, itâs like weâre capturing their luck. A food filled to the brim with good luck. Thatâs Ehomaki!â
As Subaru explains this last point, his foot dramatically planted on the table, Rem once again claps modestly.
Finished listening, Rigel raises his face. With delinquent's eyes that rival Subaruâs in sharpness, Rigel glares at his festive parents.
âSo after all that fanfare, weâre just gonna eat sushi rolls? I donât see what the big deal isâŠ.â
âFoolishly foolish fool!â
âYeow! Howâs a finger-flick so strong!?â
After chastising his cheeky son with a whip-like finger flick to the forehead, Subaru grabs the agony-stricken Rigel and forcibly gives him a shoulder ride.
âWhy are you suddenly carrying me!?â
âJust felt like it, really. Anyway, Iâll admit that compared to the Bean Tossing Festival, the Ehomaki Challenge seems a bit plain. But actually, I neglected to mention a few more points. Forgive me my son.â
âDonât bow while Iâm on your shoulders! Cut it out! Iâm falling!â
With the flailing Rigelâs very life at his mercy, Subaru makes purposefully dizzying laps around the dining table.
As father and son engage in such lighthearted roughhousing, Rem looks on with an affectionate, motherly gaze.
âSo then, what else is left to explain, Subaru-kun?â
âWell first of all, what do you think the âEhoâ of âEhomakiâ means? I havenât explained that yet, afterall. The way itâs written, âEhoâ means âthe compass of fortune.â Every year, we have a lucky direction, like north or south. So theyâre called âEhomakiâ because we face that direction while we eat them.â
âRem sees now. A âcompass of fortune,â what a fun idea.â
âAlso, you canât speak while you eat an Ehomaki. Itâs just a saying though, so donât split hairs over it. They also say you should eat it with a smile butâŠ. actually, that sounds like a good one. They do say âFortune comes to those who smile.â Besides, you naturally smile while eating something good.â
As Subaru grins widely at his own explanation, Rem cheerfully adds,
âWhen Subaru-kun eats the food Rem makes, Subaru-kun always has such a big smile.â
âDelicious food and a cute wife. Spending time at home with my beloved family, how could I not smile? Itâs like Iâm hogging the entire worldâs happiness for myself.â
âWith Rem, it would be two people hoggingâŠ. actually, the whole family is hogging the worldâs happiness.â
âRemâŠ.â
âSubaru-kunâŠ.â
âDonât flirt around with people riding on your head! Mom too! Restrain yourself a little while holding Spica!â
As Subaru and Rem flirt, totally oblivious of their children, Rigelâs impatience boils over and explodes.
In the Natsuki household, conversations tend to sidetrack and go nowhere fast. Almost like another festival, itâs a regular event that simply canât be helped.
After Subaru finally puts Rigel down, Rem hands Spica over to her son. An astonished Rigel watches as his parents lovingly take a seat beside each other.
Tightly holding Subaruâs hand, Rem lets her small body rest against his shoulder.
âBy the way, if the EhomakiâŠ. If itâs the âcompass of fortune,â which direction should it point in this year? Does Subaru-kun know?â
âNah, I honestly have no clue. Even now, I wonder how they figured it out every year. It mightâve had something to do with Feng Shui, but thatâs way beyond what I know.â
Leveraging his knowledge from before being summoned, Subaru makes a living as a successful producer of sorts. Though he can take a smattering of knowledge and somehow stretch it thin, he canât do anything when completely clueless.
While Subaru prepared the Ehomaki successfully, the all-important âlucky directionâ eludes him. Tilting his head in puzzlement, his eyes wander toward Rigel and Spica. Suddenly, an idea forms in Subaruâs head, and he claps his hands together.
âI got it. This yearâs lucky direction, weâll let Spica decide it.â
âHuh? Let Spica decide? Think a little before you speak. Spicaâs still small and cute, and you already want to corrupt her? God, itâs just too pitiful. Hey you, are you going to take responsibility for Spicaâs tarnished future, HUH?â
âMan, whenever the conversation turns to Spica, you act like the worldâs most obnoxious delinquent.â
With Rigel violently opposing his fatherâs idea, Subaru thinks of how to pacify him.
âListen. What would you say is the clearest symbol of happiness in our home? Of course, Remâs very existence is happiness itself, and your natural-born talent as a verbal punching bag is like a blessing granted to me by God, a fateful meeting of fortune and destinyâŠ.â
âWaitwaitwaitwait, I just heard something I canât ignore, HEY!â
âRigel, please calm down. Just as Rem is a symbol of happiness to Subaru-kun, Subaru-kun is a symbol of happiness to Rem. Your mother doesnât have any sort of misunderstanding about that, so please donât worry.â
âAnyone with eyes would know not to worry over that!â
Rigel plugs Spicaâs ears as he shouts at his parents, his so-called secret technique. Born and raised in the Natsuki household, in Rigelâs short lifetime of a mere eight years, much like a one-trick pony, he developed potential in but a single talent.
----Yes, his natural âstraight manâ act and his prodigious âvictimâ character.
âDoesnât that make him a two-trick pony?â
âWhat kind of monologue are you having! Get back to the topic!!â
âWell what I mean is, Spica is the clearest symbol of happiness we have. Thatâs why, whichever direction Spica chooses will definitely be lucky. Howâs that?â
âShit, compared to Dadâs usual nonsense, thatâs a pretty flawless, watertight argumentâŠ.tch!â
âWhenever Spica gets involved, you completely lose your sense of judgement, donât you.â
Frustrated, Rigel ruffles his short blue hair. But with his eventual approval, the specifics of the Ehomaki Challenge were finalized.
Since Subaru prepared the sushi rolls in advance, the last task was to divine the lucky direction.
âHaving Spica decide seems fine, but how should we go about it? Spica probably wonât understand anything we tell her.â
âHmm, letâs seeâŠ. How about we let Spica sleep on the table, and when she wakes up, weâll go with the first direction she looks.â
âWhen she wakes up,â
âFirst direction she looksâŠ.â
Considering Subaruâs impassioned speech from before, it was a rather casual way of deciding. Rem and Rigel look at each other, then down at Spica. They seem to be mulling over something.
âIn other words, we decide based onâŠ. who Spica loves the most. ----is what Subaru-kun means, yes?â
â....I, I guess?â
Remâs overthinking startles Subaru, but he realizes sheâs not exactly wrong. The first person Spica lays eyes on, ----in other words, the person this defenseless baby depends on most.
Unexpectedly, the lucky direction will be decided in a battle for Spicaâs love!
âWell, unfortunately for you two, itâs obviously going to be me. Iâm the breadwinner of this household afterall. Spica must realize itâs thanks to her amazing Dad that she enjoys the necessities of life. Even though sheâs still a baby, Iâm sure this clever child is already dreaming of becoming my wife someday.â
âPlease wait a moment. While Rem does indeed plan to teach Spica about Subaru-kunâs greatness and splendidness, this and that are two different matters. Afterall, from whom does Spica receive her milk, and in whose breasts does she so peacefully rest? This child surely knows. Rem is clearly the winner here.â
âYou two just butt out. Iâm obviously the one Spica relies on the most. In this weird, unreasonable household, Iâve abandoned anything and everything to protect her. Spica, loves, me, most, definitely.â
A three-way standoff, with no one yielding Spicaâs love.
They stare each other down fiercely, daggers in their eyes as they compete for her. The peaceful mood from before feels like a lie.
â----ooh--â
As sparks fly, Spica rouses in Rigelâs arms. With the baby about to wake up at any second, the trio look each other in the eyes,
âEhomaki moved!â
âPillow set!â
âSpica set!â
Subaru takes the Ehomaki off the table, Rem places a cushion onto it, and Rigel plops Spica onto the cushion.
From there, the three nod, splitting off in different directions. On top of the cushion, Spica rouses from her slumber, her head shaking gently, her small hands rubbing at her eyes. So cute. Like an angel.
â-----â
Holding their breath, they wait to see who Spica turns to.
Eventually, her eyes pop open, and her light blue eyes dart around the room.
âAah----â
âOH YEAAAAAAHH!!â
Seeing Spica extend her hand out to him, a victorious Rigel falls to his knees in dramatic cheer.
The chosen Rigel yells with pure joy. Meanwhile, the forgotten Subaru and Rem fail to hide their disappointment as they snuggle up to each other,
âWell, when you think about it, the person who rests most peacefully in your breasts is me. I guess this match was over before it started.â
âEven if Spica wanted to be Subaru-kunâs wife, that spot is already Remâs territory, and she will never budge an inch from it. It was an expected result.â
âWould you guys just celebrate my victory! Donât get all mushy in front of your damn kids!â
Rigel scolds his parents as Spica mischievously pulls on his face.
Seeing his usual attitude, his parents burst into laughter.
Eventually, Subaru takes note of where Rigel stood,
âLooks like Rigel was in front of the entranceway. Alright, thatâs our lucky direction. Everyone, take your Ehomaki and letâs go.â
âYes, Subaru-kun. But which Ehomaki is Remâs? Did Subaru-kun prepare one especially for her?â
âThis oneâs yours, Rem. I made it with a sakura filling that forms a heart shape when itâs rolled up. I went through a lot to pull it off, and I had to eat the failures, so Iâm already stuffed.â
Subaruâs belly appears noticeably rounder than usual. Rem extends her hand toward it and rubs it lovingly.
âSubaru-kun looks so wonderful when he does his best for Rem.â
âAlright alright, to the entranceway damnit, the entranceway. As for mine, Iâll just take whatever. Also, what are we doing about Spicaâs? She barely even has her baby teeth. Itâll be no joke if she chokes on the seaweed or something. Did you even think about that?â
Rigel searches for a roll that the young Spica could possibly eat. However, the overprotective brother fails to find anything.
To Subaru as well, being unable to prepare anything for her was a major regret.
âI tried a lot of things like melting the seaweed, but the tests didnât go too well. Itâs unfortunate, but Rigel will just have to eat twice as much to satisfy the Seven Deities.â
âHow the hell am I supposed to eat two of these gigantic things. Youâre expecting way too much from me.â
âOh, I see. Yeah, I get it now. I guess even with Spicaâs happiness on the line, youâre the kind of brother who canât even make the effort to push his stomach a tiny little bit. Thatâs okay, Iâll do my best. You just keep deceiving Spica with your shallow, superficial love....â
âI get it! Iâll eat them both! No, please let me eat them both!â
âHey, donât pop out your horn over something like thisâŠ.â
After taunting him with Spica, a short horn protrudes from Rigelâs forehead. He quickly grabs two futomaki and makes for the entranceway. Subaru and Rem laugh heartily as they follow after him.
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â--------------â
â--------------â
â--------------â
âAahh---â
Silence dominates the entranceway.
While many rules about Ehomaki exist, the most popular, widespread rule is undeniably âone may not speak while eating Ehomaki.â
Since Ehomaki is eaten to take in fortune, opening your mouth would be like letting that fortune escape,
----is probably the case, Subaru decides. fđżđewebđ»ođŻđl.đom
To that end, the trio sit in their entranceway, nomming at their Ehomaki while staring blankly at the front door. Determined to finish their rolls, they eat in complete silence.
âKnock knock. Pardon Natsuki-san, Iâm cominâ in.â
While they sit in the entranceway, their front door suddenly opens.
Perhaps due to old Kararagi customs, since long ago, this rural town had a culture of being shockingly laidback and neighborly.
Almost no one locks their doors, and people would suddenly come inside to greet each other like it was perfectly natural. The voice from just now belongs to a middle-aged woman, one of their many neighbors.
âWeâre passinâ around this weekâs neighborhood notice. Was hopinâ you could take a lookâŠ.â
says the woman, flyers in hand. But upon seeing the entire household sitting in their entranceway, nibbling at taimaki while silently staring at her, the womanâs eyes grow wide like saucers. But, quickly nodding, she leaves the flyers on their shoe cabinet.
âWell, looks like yaâll are busy, so maybe later. Take a look and pass it on will ya? Oh my---, Spicaâs such a cutie today.â
Smiling at a waving Spica, the woman leaves with a brief âtoodle-oo.â They wordlessly see her off with nods and hand waves. Once gone, the four return to sitting in complete silence----
âWhat the hell was that scene!!â
Unable to bear it any longer, Rigel suddenly jolts up, shouting against the absurdity.
âWhy did our neighbor accept it like it was totally natural! Do the neighbors just assume weâre a bunch of nutcases! I feel like an idiot for freaking out over Dadâs shenanigans! Am I the weird one here!?â
âFuga. Calm down Rigel. I know how youâre feeling right now. Sometimes, when something feels off, you wonder if the problem is with you or the world itself. But you know, itâs almost always the case that you left home with right shoe on left foot or somethingâŠ.â
âNo! Youâre wrong! Iâm not a nutcase! Itâs the world thatâs gone mad!â
As Rigel raves on, a giggling Spica excitedly claps her hands together. To Spica, the sight of her brother writhing in frustration is her greatest plaything. To already recognize the best way to enjoy Rigel at such a young age, this girlâs future feels extraordinarily bright.
âAlso, because you started talking, I failed the Ehomaki Challenge too. Damn, I really want to succeed at least once. Thereâs plenty of rolls left, but at this rate.â
âThatâs weird too! You said I only had to eat two of them, but now you and I have to finish off them all off ourselves? What about Mom?â
âYou idiot, we canât let Rem force herself like that. What are you going to do if these carb-heavy bombs of rice and sugar destroy Remâs figure!? Even after having two kids, the fact that sheâs as slim as ever is a bonafide miracle. Compared to her, our weights are just mere numbers.â
âNomnomâŠ. Rem is finished. Also, if Subaru-kun says it like that, Rem will get shy.â
With a flushed, embarrassed-looking face, Rem declares her completion. With her serious, goal-oriented attitude, Remâs chances of clearing the Ehomaki Challenge were exceedingly high. On the other hand, with their whimsical, impatient natures, Subaru and Rigel fail over and over.
Finally, one massive roll and one smaller roll remain.
âThese Ehomaki are our very last chance. After all that squabbling and prep work, we canât let it all go to waste. Letâs do our best, Rigel.â
âUrpâŠ. Iâm almost at my limit. Iâll remember this, shitty DadâŠ. ugh.â
âGood Luckâ
Subaru gives a thumbs up as Rigel faces off against the smaller Ehomaki. Rem, having finished long ago, snuggles up to Subaru,
âBy the way, this event doesnât seem to involve Oni. Rem has many objections to the Oni abuse in the Bean Tossing Festival, but not involving them feels somewhat lonely.â
âHmm, they donât have to be completely uninvolved, do they? The seven fillings represent the Seven Deities, but you could also say theyâre like sealed Oni. Maybe the red filling could be the Red Oni, and the blue filling could be the Blue Oni.â
âDo the Ehomaki even have a blue fillingâŠ.?â
âWell, you know, sometimes vegetables are called âblue-greenâ andâŠ. is that too much of a stretch?â
Hearing about the Blue Oni and thinking it was her, Rem wears a somewhat dissatisfied face. Then again, with nothing blue to use as filling, it simply couldnât be helped.
Smiling wryly at Remâs scornful eyes, Subaru spins the last Ehomaki in his hands.
âBut if we think of the fillings as Oni instead of deities, itâd be like exterminating the Oni by eating them. I guess even here, the Oni get antagonized.â
âDoes Subaru-kunâs hometown hold some sort of grudge against Oni?â
âWell a bunch of stories talk about rampaging Oni and such. But itâs not like I feel that way. The story about the Red and Blue Oni is my all-time favorite. And of course, my wife is an Oni too. So itâs the same deal as the Bean Tossing Festival.â
âThe same deal?â
Rem asks with a curious look on her face.
âYeah, the same deal. For me, âeating the Oniâ is the same as taking in happiness. If anything, theyâd become my flesh and blood, in a sort of âI wonât let you goâ way.â
âWill Rem be caught?â
âIâll catch you for sure.â
While Remâs face beams with happiness, Subaruâs looks explicitly lewd. To their side, Rigel ignores them as he finishes his Ehomaki in silence.
âAlright, I ate it! I ate it all, damnnit! Hey, did you guys see that?â
âDeepest apologies.â
âDonât apologize so honestly! Damnnit, I already knew, I was watching while I ate!â
Sulking, Rigel picks up Spica and rubs cheeks with her. Seeing her brother so heartbroken, Spica pats his back as if comforting him.
âWell then, for the finale, the family head will show what heâs got.â
âYes. Rem looks forward to seeing Subaru-kunâs cool side.â
With Rem cheering him on, Subaru challenges the final sushi roll, a true monstrosity, ----Ehomaki GRANDE!
Subaru had slapped together all the remaining ingredients into this last roll. While it technically still had seven different fillings, frankly speaking, it was less an Ehomaki and more like a biological weapon.
âNo---mmâ
Practically unhinging his jaw, Subaru bites into the Ehomaki, taking the first blow in their epic battle.
Having already failed numerous times, Subaruâs stomach is dangerously close to its limit. It could burst apart at any moment, a truly cruel and miserable death. Even then, as a man, as a father, there comes a time when one must fight.
âNom-â
â--------!?â
While Subaru takes on the battle of his life, Rem circles around to assist him.
Smiling slightly, she noms at the opposite side of the Ehomaki. In accordance with the rules, Subaru has no way to stop her. Rem had anticipated this, intent on waging war against the final Ehomaki right alongside him.
With his wifeâs support, Subaru felt the strength of ten thousand allies pushing him on. But even while borrowing Remâs power, as a man, Subaru has to show her his own strength. He pushes himself to lighten her burden by eating even just a tiny bit more.
As Subaru and Rem press on, the Ehomaki between them grows shorter and shorter. Before long, their faces close in, then finally their lips----
âHold it! BAAAM!!â
At the very last second, Rigel splits the sushi roll with a karate chop.
With his horn protruding, Oni powers massively amplify the sharpness of Rigelâs chop. It wields more than enough strength to cleanly cut into the Ehomakiâs rice and seaweed.
With the sushi roll suddenly split in two, Subaru and Rem part their startled faces. Quickly finishing off their ends of the roll, they confront their son.
âHey, Rigel! We were about to have a beautiful finale right there!â
âThatâs right, Rigel. Subaru-kun and Rem were working on a very important collaborative effort. Does Rigel have some sort of complaint about his mother and father getting along?â
âHell yeah I do! Youâre always âgetting alongâ waay more than necessary! And Iâm always trying to tell you too! Get across, my feelings!â
âSorry, Deflected!â
âDonât deflect them!â
As if swatting away Rigelâs projected thoughts, Subaru cheekily slaps at the air. On the other hand, an indignant Rem presses rather forcefully against Rigelâs horn.
With a pitiful yelp, he collapses in a heap.
âKarate chopping food, Rem doesnât remember raising such a bad child. And to not only interrupt, but to interrupt at the last second. Rem hardly thinks this is sufficient punishment.â
âI wonder if all the demi-humans have weak points like this. Spica, if your horn grows in, you canât let anyone but your precious person handle it, alright?â
Retrieving Spica from a collapsed Rigel, Subaru lectures her in his arms. Spica blinks at his words and rubs her forehead.
As if to say that even if they did grow, her family would still love her.
âAs expected of Spica, our familyâs greatest treasure. With a single move, she puts us all in bliss.â
Oddly enough, her simplest actions feel even more effective than the Ehomaki. Subaru kisses Spicaâs forehead, then hands her off to Rem. He then slings the agony-stricken Rigel over his shoulder and proceeds to spank him.
âSo, after we clean the kitchen, how about we go back to talking about our date?â
âRem agrees. Also, while thereâs still quite some time left, what would Subaru-kun like for dinner?â
âIâve had my fill. Iâm totally stuffed.â
With a strained laugh, Subaru heads to the living room. Rem walks alongside him with a heartfelt smile.
-----On this day as well, they enjoy a rather uniquely-shaped happiness.
Today is Setsubun.
A sightly special day that comes every year, once a year.