NOVEL NEXT Chapter 88.2
Delicious Fruits, Made Into Juice And Frozen Fruit Treats
Watermelon, orange, peach, mandarin, strawberry, grape. I lined up a variety of fruits and squeezed their juice in order. I cut the orange in half and pressed it into the juicer, twisting it around. For the other fruits, I used a grater to forcefully break them down into juice and pulp. I absentmindedly thought about wanting a juicer, but I didn’t stop working; I suppose that’s worthy of some praise. Maybe.
Thus, I created fresh juice. I poured each into storage containers and placed them in the refrigerator. …However, Yuuri didn’t stop there. He took an ice tray from the freezer and poured some leftover juice into it. Yes, he thought to make ice from the juice itself to enjoy cold juice.
Reason? Obviously, it would be a waste if the juice got diluted with ice made from water. I can’t accept that freshly squeezed juice gets watered down; it compromises the taste. …He was a bit of an oddball with strange fixations.
Once the ice tray was filled with juice and placed in the freezer, the preparation was complete. All that was left was to wait for it to freeze successfully. …Huh? Is that a bit of a shortcut? The original ingredients are delicious, so it’ll be fine.
And what happened during snack time that day?
“Deliciously cold!”
Lelei smiled happily, holding frozen mandarin oranges. She rushed straight for the frozen mandarin with its peel on, wrapping it in her palm to thaw it slightly before peeling it and biting into the flesh. …Biting into it. I mentioned that twice because it’s important.
Since they were frozen, it must have been difficult to separate the segments, but the moment she peeled it and held a perfectly round frozen mandarin, Lelei bit into it without hesitation. She had no shyness or modesty typical of a young girl. She might have a bit normally, but it disappears when faced with something delicious. This girl is hopeless; I need to do something about her quickly.
“…I get that it’s tasty, but could you eat it a bit more nicely?”
“Hu-eh?”
“…No, it’s fine. It’s Lelei after all.”
Kurec sighed as he muttered this, giving up halfway through. Having known her for a long time, he was aware that she didn’t possess much of what you’d call girlish charm. After all, it’s strange for a woman who’s an adventurer or aspires to be one to have those traits. Well, some women overflow with those qualities, but Lelei was not one of them.
Kurec was enjoying a juicy watermelon. He tossed a piece into his mouth as the surface began to melt, enjoying the crunchy texture and the bursting juice—an extremely delicious dessert. Yuuri, being competent, had removed all the seeds. Thanks to that, it was easy to toss it whole into his mouth, and Kurec was in a good mood.
“It’s a strange texture, but it’s tasty.”
On the other hand, Hermine was happily eating frozen peaches. While Kurec and Lelei were eating with their hands, Hermine was using a fork to eat properly. The sight of the lovely blonde girl smiling as she ate fruit was quite picturesque. It was picturesque. If I just stayed silent and smiled, Hermine was an extremely adorable girl. …But once she opened her mouth, it became a bit disappointing and more like a noisy little devil, so please accept that.
“Aroru, aren’t you eating?”
“…The juice is tastier.”
“I see.”
In response to Yuuri’s question, Aroru quietly answered while drinking orange juice with juice ice cubes. Meanwhile, the white snake that had coiled around her neck today was skillfully picking grapes one by one from the bowl of frozen grapes that Aroru had placed in front of them. Aroru had secured the grapes not for herself but for her partner.
She knew that if she didn’t secure some, everything would be devoured by the lively group in front of her. Even though Aroru was the youngest, her upbringing surrounded by adults likely made her the most mature in spirit. She was a ten-year-old who stood apart from the raucous crowd.
“Yuuri, this ice is colored.”
“Yeah, Yakk. The ice is made from each juice that was frozen.”
“Why?”
“Because if it were ice made from water, it wouldn’t taste good once it melts.”
“I see!”
Perhaps intrigued by the colored ice in his glass, Yakk asked. He was a good kid who tried hard every day to absorb various things from Yuuri’s actions. He had a strong drive for improvement or was just a diligent worker. He was the type to earnestly give it his all.
At that moment, Yakk was drinking watermelon juice. Growing up in a rural area, Yakk was familiar with watermelon, but he had never made juice or ice like this. Well, normally, you’d just chill watermelon to eat. Making juice, ice, freezing it, or turning it into jelly is something only the idle would do. In busy rural life, people wouldn’t take the time for such efforts.
“This heat is blown away!”
“Yeah, yeah! I forget how hot it is!”
“But when Lelei gets all loud, it becomes a bit stuffy, you know?”
“Hermine?!”
“Hermine, if you think that, just keep quiet. Otherwise, it gets noisy.”
“Even Kurec?!”
Lelei, having been designated as noisy by the two, protested, but indeed, she was full of energy and quite loud. Yuuri, Aroru, and Yakk turned their gazes away modestly. They all put their lips to their glasses to sip their juice, signaling that they couldn’t respond even if they were addressed.
In any case, when these two were served as dessert after the meal, everyone enjoyed them, and for a while, frozen fruit and freshly squeezed juice became a staple.