When I woke up, I saw someone emerging from the dimly lit bedroom. Well, “someone” might not be the right word. It was Sukeakoto of Time. After making sure I was awake, he silently left the room.

I stretched my body and let out a yawn. My name is Nanahoshi Shizuka, a high school girl who was transported to this world from another. I’m what you would call a Tripper. Unfortunately, I can’t use teleportation magic to return home. If I stay in this world for too long, I’ll die from an illness. So, one of Perugius’ subordinates, Sukeakoto of Time, uses his time-stopping ability to make me skip time, only waking up once a month. That’s my current situation.

Waking up only once a month means that one day feels short. After showering, eating, and catching up on what’s happening in the world, the day ends. And for me, a single year is only 12 days. Time passes by in the blink of an eye.

In the past, I would have worried about every little thing. But these days, I live in comfort, partly thanks to Rudeus. However, there’s one thing that worries me—Sukeakoto’s time-stopping ability. It has one major flaw: when I wake up from the time stop, I become extremely hungry. According to Perugius, it’s because I’m from another world without mana, so it shouldn’t be a big problem. But it is a big problem to me because I’m starving when I wake up. My stomach growls, and the feeling of not eating all day overwhelms me.

However, my meal comes later. I get up from bed and head to the bathroom. Taking a bath is a necessity at Perugius’ castle. He values cleanliness, and the castle is immaculate. If I’m not clean, Sylvaril gives me an unpleasant glare. So, I wash myself while holding back my hunger.

After cleaning up, I sit on the floor, feeling hungry, and head back to my room. In my room, I find someone. It’s usually either Rudeus and Zanoba or Sylphy and Aisha, waiting to greet me. Among them, Rudeus visits most frequently.

Today, it’s Rudeus again. When I see him, I feel at ease. He is the one who satisfies my hunger. Even though I’m not sure if he knows about my hunger problem, he always brings me food—karaage, curry, cream puffs, and other treats from our world. Occasionally, he brings something strange, but it never tastes bad. Instead, it makes me laugh because it’s different.

Today, I can smell a sweet scent coming from the room. Ahh, that smell… I wonder what it is. My stomach growls, and I want to eat it immediately. Following my stomach’s lead, I approach Rudeus.

“Good morning, Nanahoshi,” he says. It’s Rudeus once again. I relax upon seeing him. He is the one who satisfies my hunger.

Though I don’t know if he knows about my hunger problem or not, he always brings me food. Karaage, curry, cream puffs—delicious treats from our world. I’m grateful for them.

Today, the scent is particularly alluring. Ahh, I can’t wait to taste it.

Today, yaki onigiri is on the menu. Rudeus puts seven triangular-shaped onigiri on the table and begins heating them up. With a fan in one hand and a brush and long chopsticks in the other, he skillfully applies sauce to the onigiri. The dark brown sauce oozes out, filling the room with a sweet aroma.

This is yaki onigiri, and it’s my first time eating it. Rudeus nods with a vague expression, as if trying to understand me. But I know that look. It’s the face people make when experiencing a generation gap. However, it’s not about age; it’s about the difference in our worlds.

Rudeus puts a plate of steaming onigiri in front of me. They’re delicious. I can’t help but savor every bite.

But suddenly, I feel a strong sensation in my mouth. There’s something inside the onigiri—it’s sour. Could it be umeboshi? Rudeus explains that he got them from Ariel’s garden.

After this, Rudeus starts telling me the origins of the tree and Ariel’s reaction when he took the fruits. But I’m not interested.

Enough about that. I have one more onigiri to eat. I want to savor the taste. But with a full stomach, it’s challenging. Nonetheless, I’ll make sure to enjoy the last one.

Meanwhile, Rudeus brings up a topic he wants to discuss—a relationship between Lucy and Clive. Lucy, Rudeus’ 14-year-old daughter, is dating Clive, who is 12. Rudeus wants to say something to Lucy as her father but isn’t sure what to say.

Lucy, who always strives to gain Rudeus’ recognition, might not take his words well. She’s a diligent child, and if her father starts scolding her when she takes a little break, she’ll probably hate it. Right now, it’s better to leave her alone.

Rudeus sighs with relief. It seems like he received good advice this time.

As we continue eating, I realize I’ve eaten too much. A feeling of satisfaction washes over me.

I look around at the garden and clouds outside the window. It feels like I’ve gone on a picnic and eaten until I’m full. It’s happiness.

I take a moment to express my thoughts to Rudeus. I’m definitely going back to my world. If I do, I’ll travel and taste various onigiri recipes. With a container of miso soup and a small bottle of soy sauce, I’ll cook and eat my own yaki onigiri.

In this moment, as we eat onigiri and drink miso soup in Perugius’ beautiful garden, it feels like an extravagant stroke of luck.

Rudeus, with ochazuke as the finishing touch, pours tea over the onigiri. The green tea softens the burnt rice and neutralizes the strong flavor of the soy sauce. It’s the perfect ending to a meal.

I savor the ochazuke wholeheartedly. The smooth texture goes down my throat, leaving a pleasant aftertaste.

As I look at Perugius and Rudeus, I can’t help but feel grateful for this moment. Despite the unfortunate events that brought me to this world, I’ve found happiness amidst the sorrow.

“I’m definitely going back,” I tell Rudeus. He replies, “Do your best.” If I return to my world without any problems, I’ll embark on a journey, exploring different onigiri recipes and enjoying the taste of yaki onigiri.

And so, with a heart full of gratitude, we enjoy the tranquility of Perugius’ garden, savoring the flavors of yaki onigiri and miso soup.

(Source: Fecomic)