"As for what's next, why don't I go check things out in Kannazuka?"
After all, so many years had passed. Chizuki still had other friends there, and she had no idea what their situation was like now.
"Should I bring something for everyone?" she wondered. After all, according to common courtesy, it was never wrong to bring a small gift when visiting friends.
"Maybe I'll make some Dodoyaki?" The thought popped into Chizuki's head.
No sooner said than done!
It was a snack cooked on an iron griddle. Flour and water were mixed into a batter, then vegetables and meat were added. The mixture was cooked on the griddle and finally topped with sauce and dried bonito flakes.
"The most important thing is that it's delicious no matter how many ingredients you add!" Chizuki began to add all sorts of ingredients.
"Besides fish, wouldn't it be nice to add some beast or fowl meat?"
"What about adding a little more crab roe paste?" All sorts of strange and wonderful ideas popped into Chizuki's mind.
"Alright! The special edition Dodoyaki is complete!"
Chizuki packed up the Dodoyaki and prepared to head over to Kannazuka.
She had to visit all her friends after her promotion.
Chizuki arrived at the residence of Tang Tang and the others.
"The sakura wine brewed in previous years should be ready to drink this season." Shan Lu was standing cheerfully under a maple tree, digging at the soil, one shovelful at a time.
Beneath the tree was a jar, and the soil on top of it was still fresh, clearly having been dug up not long ago.
"Huh? Why are there only three jars left in the pit?" Shan Lu looked at the one jar he had dug out and the three remaining in the deep pit, scratching his head in confusion.
"Don't tell me He Yu secretly dug up my wine again while I wasn't looking?"
Shan Lu glanced toward the not-so-distant seashore, where He Yu was sitting and leisurely fishing.
"Sigh, I've told him time and again that the wine tastes best only when it's dug up at the right time." At this, he simply dug up all the remaining jars and leveled the ground.
"Caught any fish?" Shan Lu walked toward the sea, carrying two jars in each arm.
"Not yet," He Yu replied with great patience.
"It should be soon. Tang Tang is over there preparing the ingredients for the Market Stew. We can put the fish in the pot as soon as I catch one."
"Alright. I'll go pour the wine, then. We can start eating once you've caught the fish." Shan Lu walked cheerfully in Tang Tang's direction.
Chizuki soon found them in the same place where they had held a festival together many years ago.
"Hello!" Chizuki ran straight over to greet Tang Tang.
"Huh?" Tang Tang was taken aback. She stared at the Nekomata before her, seemingly deep in thought.
"Chizuki? Is that you?" she asked, a little uncertain.
"Mhm, long time no see." Chizuki was delighted that her friend could still recognize her after so many years, and she flicked her tail happily.
"Your youkai power... it's gotten stronger," Tang Tang said, looking at the gleaming Anemo Vision hanging from Chizuki's waist.
"Ehehe, that's because some things happened a while back. In any case, I'm just really happy you all still remember me."
"Of course we wouldn't forget a friend," said Shan Lu, now wearing a mask styled like a red oil-paper umbrella, a smile in his voice.
"You're just in time. Want to stay for dinner? We have good food, and of course, good wine. You should be old enough to drink this time, right?" he said, slapping the wine jar forcefully.
Chizuki could even hear the *clanking* sound of the liquor sloshing against the jar's inner walls.
It seemed Shan Lu hadn't forgotten that time decades ago when he had tried to get Chizuki to have a drink with him, only to be refused on account of her being too young.
"Alright. I happened to bring some food over, too." Chizuki naturally had no reason to refuse.
As for the wine, she'd drink it first and worry about it later. It wasn't like it would cause any major trouble.
"Over there, it looks like he's hooked a huge fish!"
Chizuki's attention was drawn by the huge commotion coming from He Yu's direction.
"Need a hand?" Chizuki felt like she could see the massive waves churned up on the sea's surface below by the fish struggling desperately against the line.
"I've got it." Faced with such a perilous situation, He Yu even had the spare energy to wave a hand at Chizuki, indicating he didn't need her help.
"My special trait is that as long as the water in the dish on my head doesn't dry up, I have limitless strength." He Yu had always been very confident in his power.
"Why don't you go see if Tang Tang needs help with starting a fire or anything?"
"Okay."
"Is there anything I can help with?" Chizuki watched them all bustling about, feeling a bit embarrassed to just be standing there doing nothing.
"In that case, could I trouble you to go catch a few crabs, Chizuki? Since you're back today, let's add another dish," Tang Tang said, sharing her idea.
A single pot of oden just wasn't enough.
"This purple general crab is so fast?" Chizuki ran to the edge of the beach and saw several small purple crabs walking slowly, but they vanished in an instant the moment they saw someone run over.
Chizuki: ...
*Are their reflexes really that sharp?*
Chizuki had no choice but to rely on her super-sharp eyesight and considerable speed. The moment she spotted a crab on the beach, she would immediately sprint over, trying to grab one or two of them.
A gentle pat from a cat's paw, and they would be knocked unconscious!
"Alright! Got them!" In no time, Chizuki returned to Tang Tang's side, carrying a large bunch of crabs already strung together with seaweed.
"Thanks for your hard work." At the same time, He Yu arrived, carrying a massive fish on his shoulder.
"Now we just need to prepare the fish, and we can put it in the pot to cook."
"Leave it to me." He Yu was very good at this sort of thing.
With a kitchen knife in hand, he scraped furiously at the fish's scales, and in a flash, he had cut the fish into small pieces and dropped them into the pot.
A dish of roasted crab. The perfect heat control kept the crab meat moist and plump, and with butter seeping into every fiber, the aroma alone was enough to make one's mouth water.
Chizuki: *Drooling all over the floor.*
"Oh no, I'm starting to feel a little hungry." Chizuki stared at the dish being cooked, drooling nonstop.
"Just a little longer, it'll be ready soon." Tang Tang patted Chizuki's shoulder, then pointed toward Shan Lu. "Shan Lu has some dessert over there. You can go try some first."
"Sunsettia Taiyaki!" Chizuki's eyes lit up as she looked at the fish-shaped snacks on the plate.
After all, who doesn't love cute and delicious snacks?
The crispy outer shell and the sweet, gooey filling are a perfect match no matter how you look at it!