Chapter 462: The Sudden Appearance of Iroha Isshiki (Patreon)

Chapter 462: The Sudden Appearance of Iroha Isshiki

After finishing the mapo curry noodles and pepper buns, Hachiman and Komachi left Soma’s stall. Since the stall was so busy, they didn't want to occupy seats for too long.

Wandering around, the siblings continued to explore, buying and tasting anything that caught their interest. With plenty of meal tickets from Erina, they didn't need to worry about running out.

As they strolled, they arrived at a picturesque area surrounded by mountains and water. This place was technically still part of the Central Zone, but it was on the edge, bordering the Highland Zone. The environment was serene, with tall mountains, flowing streams, and quaint little bridges, making it an ideal spot for camping.

In this scenic area was a unique stall with low tables and long benches. Although the dining space was limited, the stall was immensely popular, with a long line of customers. Hachiman noticed that most of the people in line were middle-aged women.

The kitchen was set up under a large open-air tent, allowing patrons to watch the chefs at work up close. The area was crowded with women taking photos and videos with their phones, frequently expressing their amazement.

Hachiman looked up and saw a wooden sign hanging above the tent entrance:

"Polar Star Dormitory’s Taro Stew Festival."

Yes, this stall was run by the members of the Polar Star Dormitory. Except for Soma and Megumi, all the other members were there, led by the current Seventh Seat of the Elite Ten, Isshiki Satoshi.

Being one of the Elite Ten, Isshiki’s reputation was already well-known. However, it wasn’t just his status that attracted people but also his handsome appearance. This explained the crowd of female customers.

What caught Hachiman's eye the most was a wooden board set up in front of the stall, displaying photos of the male members of the Polar Star Dormitory. Each photo had captions highlighting their features, such as “hidden sexiness in the sideburns,” “dagger-like sharp gaze,” “mystery and allure,” and “knowledge is true masculinity,” among others.

Beside these photos was a large slogan:

“Your chosen employee will come to serve you personally.”

Seeing this, Hachiman couldn't help but smirk.

Hey, is this a restaurant or a host club?

No wonder the middle-aged women were so enthusiastic; it all made sense now.

This idea must have been conceived by Isshiki Satoshi. His thinking is always out of the ordinary.

Aside from the boys, Yuki Yoshino and Ryoko Sakaki were also helping at the stall, both dressed in server uniforms.

Seeing the bustling business, Yuki couldn't help but whisper nervously, "Are we really not running a host club here?"

Ryoko sighed beside her, "But this really caters to the customers' demands. At this rate, we might even make it into the top five today."

Hearing this, Yuki felt a bit embarrassed. Making it to the top five because of this service...how would they even explain that?

However, thanks to that special service, Yuki and Ryoko, dressed as servers, had a relatively easy time. Most of the customers were middle-aged women, and for the designated service, they naturally requested the boys, especially Isshiki Satoshi.

Feeling bored, Yuki looked around and spotted Hachiman and Komachi standing across the small river. She tugged on her friend's sleeve, uncertain.

"Ryoko, isn't that Hikigaya-kun, the instructor from the training camp?"

"Eh? Where?"

Ryoko followed Yuki's gaze and saw Hachiman and Komachi standing on the other side of the river.

"It really is Hikigaya-kun."

Both girls remembered him well as someone their age who could serve as an instructor. Moreover, Hachiman had invited them personally before.

Thinking it over, Ryoko decided to inform Isshiki Satoshi, who was acting as the "store manager." After listening to Ryoko, Isshiki's eyes finally opened a bit. He excused himself from the surrounding customers and temporarily left the kitchen.

Crossing the small river, Isshiki approached Hachiman with a friendly smile. "So it is you, Hikigaya-kun. Long time no see."

Hachiman smiled in return, "Ah, it's Isshiki-san. It has been a while."

Seeing them talk as if they knew each other well, Komachi was puzzled.

"Onii-chan, you know him?"

Her brother knowing a male friend was surprising to Komachi since most of Hachiman's friends, aside from Saika and Zaimokuza, were girls.

"This is Isshiki Satoshi. He was a home economics instructor at our school for a while." Hachiman smiled and patted Komachi's head. "Isshiki-san, this is my sister, Komachi."

Isshiki smiled and nodded at Komachi. "Hello, Komachi. Nice to meet you."

Komachi, never shy, flashed a cute smile. "Hi, Isshiki-nii."

Seeing Komachi's cheerful demeanor, Isshiki chuckled and turned his attention back to Hachiman.

"Before, I heard from Soma that Hikigaya-kun actually served as a guest lecturer during the residential training. Sure enough, my instincts were right. Your culinary skills are really impressive."

"Haha, Isshiki-san, you're too kind. I was just helping out back then because of Headmaster Senzaemon's request," Hachiman replied modestly with a smile.

On Isshiki Satoshi's side, he smiled as well, his eyes narrowing. However, he couldn't completely believe Hachiman's modest words.

It seemed that Hachiman's culinary skills surpassed more than just Miss Erina by a little. Perhaps they were even more formidable than Isshiki had imagined.

After all, being able to serve as a lecturer during a residential training program meant that Hachiman's culinary skills were at least at the level of an outstanding graduate. Otherwise, how could those senior graduates tolerate such an unknown rookie in the same role as them?

Although Isshiki Satoshi had confidence in his own culinary skills, there was still some gap when compared to those senior graduates.

Just then, a clear and pleasant voice rang out beside them.

"Cousin Satoshi, I'm here to help you."

Hachiman turned to the unexpected figure not far away.

With shoulder-length light brown hair and bright chestnut eyes, she wore a mischievous smile on her face.

It was none other than Isshiki Iroha, who also attended Sobu High School.

Wait, Cousin Satoshi?!

Huh? Isshiki Satoshi and Isshiki Iroha were cousins?!

This really surprised Hachiman. They both had the surname Isshiki, which seemed like more than just a coincidence.

He never expected that these two, who weren't originally characters in the same anime, would become cousins after the world's fusion.

Wow, this is the corrective power of the world's will.

Terrifying, indeed. Terrifying.

Seeing Iroha, Isshiki Satoshi smiled.

"Iroha, my cousin, you're here."

"Yeah, Cousin, I'm here to help you," Iroha nodded, then noticed Hachiman standing beside him. Her eyes lit up after a brief pause.

"You must be Hikigaya-senpai."

Given Hachiman's current reputation at school, it wasn't surprising that a girl like her knew his name. After all, Hachiman was now as popular as Hayama among the masses.

"That's right, it's me," Hachiman smiled faintly.

"You're probably the famous first-year Isshiki Iroha," Hachiman said.

Hearing Hachiman actually calling out her name, Iroha couldn't help but feel a little happy in her heart.

After all, in a girl's heart, she also hopes to be complimented by others. Otherwise, why would she compete for the student council president position in the original work?

But compared to Minami Sagami, Isshiki Iroha is much more impressive. She knows how to fully utilize her youth and cleverness to win others' favor, and she gains considerable popularity among boys with her cute appearance and role as a natural airhead.

Indeed, she lives up to being the little devil praised even by the author in the original work.