In truth, what I did to make sandwiches for four people wasn’t all that much.
All I really did while making sandwiches was peel the boiled eggs, cut off the bread crusts, and fill the bread slices with the ingredients.
It was simple cooking, something anyone could do.
Besides that, I occasionally tasted the sandwiches while Selian and Yuli prepared the fillings for the bread.
In reality, the tasting was the key, and Selian and Yuli considered it the most important part, so they exempted me from other tasks.
However, I couldn’t just sit and watch idly, so after much insistence, I was able to help with at least a few things.
Whenever I tried to subtly add my own special ingredients as I placed Yuli’s prepared fillings onto the bread, somehow everyone would stop me every time.
“It’s more than I expected that we have left.”
Selian said as she looked at the remaining sandwiches still in the bento boxes.
It seemed that filling two large bento boxes almost entirely with sandwiches, apart from some simple fruits, had left quite a bit even after all four of us ate our fill.
Strangely enough, even though we ate more than usual outdoors due to the refreshing atmosphere, we still ended up with leftovers.
“Hmm… the rest will probably be our dinner when we get back.”
—If only I could have eaten more…
Linne said with a look of regret as she gazed at the sandwiches.
Linnie usually materializes without any issues and even sleeps sometimes, so we forget occasionally, but in moments like this, it’s a clear reminder that Linne is a ghost.
I wonder, if Yuli’s capabilities as a mage grow further, whether Linne would become even more ghost-like, no longer needing sleep like in her old teaching days, or if she’d instead grow even more human-like.
Even if Yuli only has limited talent as a swordswoman but is near-genius as a necromancer, I’m sure she’ll shed light on my questions in the not-so-distant future.
Certainly, Linne becoming stronger is wonderful, but I hope she gets the chance to experience and enjoy a lot more. If Linne could one day eat, I’ll treat her to one of my meat pies.
“No worries! The sandwiches made by Yuli and Selian are so delicious that you can eat them without tiring of them!”
Indeed, Anne had definitely tasted more samples under the excuse of “testing” than I did while officially assigned to tasting duties.
Surprisingly, Anne even ate the most sandwiches from those packed in the bento.
“Then, let’s stop eating sandwiches… How about the fruits we brought?”
After closing the box with sandwiches and moving it aside, I opened another compartment of the bento box. It was filled with various fruits neatly arranged.
There were small clusters of grapes and cherry tomatoes, and pineapples cut into perfect rings. There were also strawberries that Anne particularly loves, shaped like bunnies, and for some reason, the sight of the apples, carved in cute shapes, gave a strange chill.
Thanks to magical assistance, there was a plentiful variety of seasonal fruits, regardless of the weather.
Ordinarily, the friends who’d talk about having space for dessert despite being full were now just staring silently at the bento box of fruits in my hand, offering no suggestion of what to do next.
“How… can we eat more?”
“…Let’s save this for later. Honestly, it’s a bit… hard to put more in our stomachs right now.”
We all agreed with Selian’s suggestion and I closed the fruit bento again, moving it to the corner alongside the sandwiches.
“Honestly, I was eating without thinking and ended up overeating… I’m worried my belly might start sticking out.”
Meanwhile, Yuli also seemed to concur, placing her hands gently on her stomach with a worrisome voice and face.
And upon her words, everyone’s attention, except for Yuli herself, was drawn to her stomach.
“…”
“Um, uh… guys?”
With all of us, except Yuli, silently gazing at her stomach with one heart and mind, Yuli stammered, seemingly unaware of her own “crime.”
“Surely you know… you arguably have the best figure, don’t you, Yuli?”
“The moment I eat, it all goes straight to my belly, while everything Yuli eats only goes straight to her chest! Reflect on that! Reflect on that!”
“Shh, shh! What if someone hears?! Anyway, Anne always has something to say…”
Truthfully, Yuli’s bust was the largest among ours, paired with a slender waist, often envied by our group of friends.
Of course, they only envy in a positive way; there’s no malice or real jealousy.
And me?
Considering that, deep down, I am male, I find myself thinking differently rather than being envious.
Of course, it’s unnecessary for me to vocalize what I’m thinking.
Still, seeing Yuli squirm under the duo’s attacks was quite adorable, so I decided to help Selian and Anne in teasing her.
“So, you see. Every time I overeat, my belly sticks out like this. But I’ve never seen Yuli’s do so despite her eating so much.”
As a playful tease for Yuli, I slightly lifted my shirt and exposed part of my belly—not where the Master-Slave Mark was—but from above my skirt to my navel, and just below my chest.
It would have been impossible to lift any higher as the fabric would have caught on my chest. Besides, doing so in public would have been just plain weird.
However, as I had only eaten sandwiches not too long ago, my stomach was still flat and smooth, with no visible protrusion.
Gazing at this smooth stomach made me a bit nostalgic for my days as a man—not the environment as an assassin but simply the male body itself.
Back then, there was a clear six-pack marking the extreme training of my body, but ever since I became a woman, no amount of training has brought back the six-pack.
I wonder if this is the “perfect, unblemished young girl” form the old mage spoke of, or if it’s one of the side effects he warned about?
Still, whether or not a six-pack aligns with personal preferences on a beautiful young girl’s body, maybe it’s better to see this as part of becoming a “perfect, unblemished young girl.”
There’s no need to think of it negatively as a side effect.
Whoo…
Lost momentarily in these irrelevant thoughts about the past, a cool autumn breeze tickled the skin of my exposed belly, snapping me back to reality.
“Um, uh… guys?”
But I ended up repeating Yuli’s earlier stammered question, when before she had been the target of our teasing. It seemed that during my distraction, the tables had turned, and the target was now me. My friends were silently, intently staring at my belly.
“Glug…”
I could hear Selian and Yuli gulp loudly enough for me to notice.
“Hey, hey… guys?”
Though both had claimed fullness only moments ago, why were they now audibly gulping at the sight of my belly?
Perhaps it was a chill, but I felt an ominous cold sensation down my spine and took a step back.
Cocking…
“Yipe!?”
Overwhelmed by the somewhat frightening aura of the two, I had forgotten about Anne’s silent presence until she suddenly came closer, crouched down, and poked my exposed abdomen.
Naturally, my highly sensitive skin reacted to the unexpected contact, causing me to yelp in surprise.
Cock, cock, cock…
Anne ignored my outburst, continuing to prod my belly repeatedly with her pointer finger.
“Um, uh… Anne?”
“Hehe… so soft… it’s like pudding… looks delicious…”
Having initially used just her pointer finger, Anne now began kneading my belly, spreading her fingers across it.
“Slurp…”
Even Selian joined in, licking drool from her sleeve upon hearing Anne’s comment about it “looking delicious.”
…Just moments before, we were teasing Yuli, so how did it turn into this?
“Pl-please stop…”
However, no matter how much I pleaded, my friends’ antics showed no signs of stopping.
I wanted to push Anne’s hands away, but every time she touched my belly, an involuntary sound escaped my lips, weakening me even further, making it difficult to resist.
Meanwhile, Linne, who wasn’t even participating in the teasing, was further away munching on some popcorn while watching the whole scene.
And what’s with that popcorn?! It’s not even real!
So, in the middle of the deep forest far from anywhere, with no one to come to my aid, I endured a long bout of teasing by friends who had forgotten the real purpose of this ecology study.
Sniff…
