Tokyo: Am I the only male tenant?

"Hey, wait, you're leaning too close!"

The menu was pushed back with her, and Kana Kobayakawa sat back in her chair.

"I ate a certain croquette around the time I was in elementary school, and I've never forgotten it..."

Crab cream croquettes, smoked salmon pasta, and a set salad and soup were served together. Silver City's pizza and steak, as well as small desserts, milk tea, and cold drinks were also served.

Several people waved their knives and forks, enjoying the delicious food while continuing to listen to Sato Miho telling stories about her childhood.

"The person who made that dreamy dessert croquette was my aunt."

"When I was a child, my family owned a large tea plantation in my hometown, and my relatives would help with the tea planting."

Sato Mika said while clasping her fists together.

"Yeah, I think I also have relatives who grow tea in the countryside."

Kana Kobayakawa would occasionally agree with her.

"Right? Because the tea picking season is so busy that one gets dizzy, that's why the aunt takes care of all the housework. It seems that because her legs and feet are not very convenient, housework is more suitable for her than farming."

Sato Mika narrowed her eyes as if she was missing someone.

"My parents are the same. They have to go to the fields to work early in the morning. When they go out in the morning, they wear dry sweat shirts. When they come home at noon, their bodies are soaked. You can even wring out the sweat..."

"Oh, sorry, that seems to have gone off topic."

"No, it doesn't matter. Then what? Meihe's aunt..."

"Then, my aunt is a very good cook. Since she doesn't have any children of her own, she has always loved me very much."

"Is that when you ate the dreamy dessert croquette I mentioned earlier?"

"Yes, that's it."

Sato Miho leaned back in her chair, seemingly recalling her somewhat vague memories.

"The croquettes my aunt made are about the right size for a child to eat, and they have a slightly sweet taste and are very smooth and elegant."

"It doesn't need any sauce or rice, and it has a mild flavor that you can eat as much as you want. It makes you feel at ease, and it's incomparably delicious."

“Is it any different from a regular croquette?”

Kana Kobayakawa asked curiously.

"It seems so. There is no minced meat or onions in it. The taste and texture are completely different from the croquettes sold in the market."

“Growing up, I ate a lot of croquettes from restaurants and supermarkets, but I couldn’t find the same feeling. Although I wanted to try making it myself, I had to give up because I didn’t know the recipe.”

Sato Miho sighed softly, and it was obvious that she was a little disappointed. This was why she would always order croquettes whenever she saw them on the menu.

"It has a smooth and mild taste with a slight sweetness..."

Kana Kobayakawa folded her arms across her chest, looked up at the ceiling of the store and began to think.

"So it's not based on the standard potato base, right? There are many different types of croquettes, like pumpkin or sweet potato."

"Well, it looks a lot like a potato. I ate half of it and looked at the cross section. I remember it was white inside, so it's probably not a pumpkin or a sweet potato."

Sato Miho shook her head and denied Kobayakawa Kana's guess.

"Are you sure it's a root vegetable? Is it added with cream or something?"

Ginjo Sosuke ate Matsumoto Tomoko's sumptuous meals every day and became a half-food expert, so he naturally joined their discussion.

"It tastes very smooth and does have a slightly creamy feel, but I don't think it should be."

"It's getting more and more confusing. By the way, has Meihe heard from her aunt yet?"

Kana Kobayakawa seems to have discovered the blind spot of the matter. Instead of making unfounded guesses here, it would be better to contact the cook directly, so that the problem can be solved directly.

"Yes, that's why the situation has become like this, right?"

Sato Mika gave a bitter smile full of helplessness.

"Well, just like I told you just now, my aunt married into a wealthy farming family, so the most important issue is the heir, but..."

"Because you don't have children, you love Meihe so much, right?"

"Yes, but after several years of marriage, we still didn't have any children. What's worse, my uncle wanted to start a business but failed."

"Doing business? In a farmhouse?"

Kobayakawa Kana asked doubtfully.

"Well, it's basically like sending vegetables directly from the place of production. After receiving an order online, they are sold directly to the buyer. This kind of thing is actually quite difficult if you don't know the tricks."

"So my uncle chose to sign a contract with an online sales agent, but he was eventually defrauded by that agent."

Sato Miha lowered her head and sighed loudly.

“As a result, not only was the money taken away, but the farmland also had to be sold.”

"Besides, because I didn't have any children, I didn't get along well with my in-laws. When problems arose at home, my aunt's family came over and had a big fight."

"Now that my family has shown up, won't it be hard to wrap things up?"

"Yes, I had already compromised, but in the end... we still got divorced."

Sato Mika continued speaking with a slightly sad tone.

"Well, but will we lose contact completely? If we get divorced, won't we go back to our hometown?"

"He did go back to his hometown, but I heard that he remarried after that. After all, it's not nice to pry into someone's remarriage."

"Besides, the divorce was a big deal, and the topic of my aunt became a taboo in the family, so it was even more impossible to know her whereabouts."

"I see..."

"So in Meihe's mind, the croquettes made by my aunt have become a dreamlike taste, right?"

"Ah... I want to try a croquette like that too..."

Kana Kobayakawa murmured as she stared at the ceiling in a daze.

"Is Miss Sato's aunt's hometown far away?"

Ginjo Sousuke suddenly asked.

"It's fine. It's in Kutchan-cho near Otaru. Why are you asking this, Ginjo-kun?"

Sato Mika looked at Ginjō with some surprise.

"After listening to Ms. Sato's description, the dish with unknown ingredients but very delicious also piqued my interest."

"Kana and I will be staying here for a few days anyway, so we can take a walk around. Maybe we can find that dreamy croquette."

Ginjo Sousuke put down the knife and fork in his hand, picked up the napkin and wiped the corners of his mouth, then answered her.

"Eh? Really, Sousuke?"

Kana Kobayakawa came back to her senses and looked at Ginjō with excitement.

"I think since I have finally come back, I can take the opportunity to visit more places. Maybe I can bring back some local specialties for everyone."

"Well, Otaru is very close to Sapporo, and it won't take too much time, so let's go there and take a look!"

It seemed that Kana Kobayakawa had gotten what she wanted and a different kind of glow emanated from her face.

"I really envy you guys. If my classes weren't so full in the next few days, I would also like to go with you."

Sato Miha pouted and looked a little lonely.

"Don't worry, Meihe. If we really find that dream crepe, we will definitely bring it back for you to try."

Kana Kobayakawa comforted her with a smile.

"That's the only way. Without me as a light bulb, you can give full play to your abilities."

After a fruitful lunch, the group hailed a taxi and went to Sato Miho's home to pick up the pet as planned.

She is still single, but she rents a spacious two-bedroom apartment.

The larger master bedroom naturally belongs to her, and the entire other room becomes her reptile breeding room.

Although Sosuke Ginjo and Kana Kobayakawa had been to the reptile exhibition in Tokyo, they were still shocked by the scene when they stepped into Kudo Miho's breeding room.

This small room is decorated like a hidden jungle, with various climbing pet cages hung on the walls in an orderly manner, just like small tree houses in the jungle.

The temperature and humidity of the entire room are carefully controlled to simulate the natural environment required by these reptiles.

Each cage has also been specially decorated. Some are covered with vines and green leaves, while others are covered with fine sand and stones. Every detail reveals Sato Miho's love for them.

In the center of the room, there is a huge glass display cabinet, which houses a rare golden python!

"Oh my god, you still keep this thing at home?!"

Kana Kobayakawa stood there in a daze, unable to help but exclaim in amazement. She had thought Sato Miho was just an ordinary reptile enthusiast, but she hadn't expected her to be so fanatical.

"Haha, don't be so surprised. Although they look a little scary, they are actually quite docile."

Sato Miho stood aside and patted her shoulder with a smile.

"Is it supposed to be a carnivorous animal? What does Ms. Sato usually feed it?"

It was also the first time that Ginjo Sosuke had seen such a scene outside of a zoo, so he walked closer to the cabinet and observed with interest.

"Yes, I usually feed them mice. They also like chickens, ducks, rabbits and the like."

Miho Sato also came over and explained to him.

"So that's how it is. Can they eat such a large prey?"

Ginjo Sousuke asked next.

"Of course. Don't be fooled by their current appearance. Their mouths can grow very big when they eat."

"The thicker and bigger the meat, the more they like it. Sometimes they can swallow it in one bite."

Sato Miho looked at the giant python in the cabinet, and couldn't help but think of the length of Ginjo described by Kobayakawa Kana before, so she subconsciously answered with a pun...

Chapter 393 I’ll Have to Reward You Later

The sturdy python coiled on the soft cushion, sometimes stretching its body lazily, and sometimes sliding back and forth gracefully.

When it is hungry, it will go through the cave that is arranged like a dark forest to look for food placed there.