#24: Renovation Work — It Seems that I was Reincarnated into the World of a School Otome Game, but I was a Background Male Student with Cheats (WN)

Thanks to Josette’s loan, I finally had a clear path toward installing electrically powered equipment in the shop.

“Kent-san. Let’s work hard together and pay the money back, okay?”

Marie took both my hands and squeezed them tightly as she said it.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how this shop will be reborn as well.”

Josette said happily.

“By the way, Kent-san, do you know about my family home?”

Marie asked me.

“Um… this building that we use as a combined home and shop for the bakery originally belonged to your husband, right? So your family home isn’t here, is it?”

“That’s right. Actually, you know the building next door that’s been an empty storefront forever, attached right beside us? That’s my family home.”

Next to Marie’s bakery, there was a building directly connected alongside it.

I knew this building was a combined residence and shop, but I couldn’t remember what kind of business it used to be.

My house had a fairly wide yard, so there were no buildings pressed up against it, but around here, most places were built in a row along the street.

By the way, the other side of Marie’s bakery was an empty lot.

“It used to be a casual diner-type place, but after my parents passed away, we were close with the neighbors, so they let me stay over at my husband’s house—this one. Then my husband’s parents died in an accident too, so my childhood friend and I ended up living together, and we got married, and Catherine was born.”

“I only knew things from when you were already running the bakery with your late husband. I see.”

“So, if we’re renovating… what do you think about boldly connecting this shop and the old dining space in my family home and turning it into one big shop?”

“If they’re both your property and that’s what you want, I think it’s fine to combine them.”

“Then I’ve made up my mind thanks to you saying that. Let’s go all-in and expand the business.”

Marie decided to expand the shop.

“Sorry, I’m late.”

Caro popped into the shop, looking like she’d rushed back from school.

Her face was sweaty, and her clothes looked damp.

“Welcome back, Caro-san. You didn’t have to hurry that much. You’re drenched.”

“Um… do I smell?”

She asked, suddenly anxious at what I’d said.

“Sniff, sniff. You’re fine. I think you smell nice.”

Without thinking, right in front of Marie and Josette, I pressed my face against Caro’s chest and sniffed.

“Hey, that’s not fair! Me too, me too.”

Marie said that and pressed my face against her own chest.

“Marie-san, you smell nice too—you smell like delicious bread.”

“You really know how to talk, Kent-san.”

Marie said happily.

“I-it’s fine if you sniff mine as well.”

Maybe she was feeling competitive, because Josette also pressed my face against her chest and let me sniff.

I was already used to Caro and Marie’s scent, but Josette’s was new.

It might have been perfume—she had a slightly more “grown-up” scent, and it made my heart race a little.

“Josette-san, you smell nice too.”

Hearing that, Josette blushed, looking pleased.

“Heeey! What about work?!”

Catherine, who’d been ignored, stomped in angrily.

The four of us got scolded and hurried back to our tasks.

In the end, Josette helped out until closing time, then rode her carriage back to her estate.

After that, Marie and Catherine came back with me and Caro to my house.

“We really need to prepare rooms for Marie-san and Catherine-chan soon too.”

Even though their home was right next door, it seemed they preferred comfortable living, because they’d started staying over at my place.

“I’m taking a bath with Big Sis Caro!”

After dinner, Catherine said that.

“Alright then, Catherine-chan, let’s go in together.”

Caro and Catherine went into the bath first.

I could hear their cheerful voices from inside.

Marie was cleaning up the dishes from dinner, and I was building a renovation plan while looking at the ordering device.

“It’s a home improvement store, yet the lineup of commercial equipment is huge. I’m pretty sure the store didn’t carry anything like this…”

I tilted my head, but since it was there, I decided to use it.

“A commercial oven is about 3 million, and solar panels, batteries, electrical work, and everything else is about 8 million, and the interior and exterior renovation costs are…”

I calculated the money we’d need.

If we followed the plan, we’d end up needing nearly 20 million.

“Marie-san, what do you think?”

“It’s a lot of money. Honestly, I’m worried whether we can recover it by selling bread alone.”

“Yeah… If we do it, we’ll have to commit. Also, let’s sell more than just bread and raise revenue a bit.”

“Like what kinds of things?”

“Let’s see… Since it used to be a diner, what if we provided drinks and dessert items alongside bread? As it gets hotter, I bet ice cream would sell.”

I laid out the plan.

“Um… what kind of food is ‘ice cream’?”

Marie asked.

“Want to try it together, the four of us, after the bath?”

“Yes.”

So, after Caro and Catherine came out, Marie and I switched places and took a bath together.

“Hey, that’s not fair—only Marie-san!”

Caro complained when she saw Marie following right after me like it was the most natural thing in the world.

After Marie washed me thoroughly, we came out, changed clothes, and went to the living room.

“Caro-san, Catherine-chan, sorry to keep you waiting. Today we’re doing an ice cream taste test to see if we can serve it at the shop.”

“Yay! A new menu item!”

“I wonder what we’ll get to eat this time.”

Catherine and Caro’s eyes sparkled with excitement over a new food.

I ordered four cups of vanilla ice cream with the device and set them on the table.

“This is ice cream. There are lots of kinds, but today it’s basic vanilla. It’s a little hard, so use a spoon.”

As I said that, I handed small metal spoons to the three of them.

“““Time to eat!”””

All three of them put a spoonful into their mouths almost at the same time.

“It’s cold and sweeeet!”

“It smells sweet.”

“It melts in my mouth.”

Each of them shared their impressions.

“As summer comes and it gets hotter, if we can use electricity, we’ll be able to put a freezer in the shop too. Then we can serve it to customers. What do you think?”

I asked Marie.

“It’s good. This will sell. I was worried if it was only bread, but if we can differentiate ourselves from other shops, there’s an opportunity. And of course, there are more options than just this, right?”

Marie seemed to have fully committed to renovating.

“Yeah. If it’s something we can source through this device, we can basically sell almost anything.”

“By the way—what is that thing you’ve been operating this whole time?”

(Huh? I never explained it to Marie-san?)

When I thought back, I realized I didn’t remember explaining it, so I decided to do it properly now.

“I see… Until recently, I only thought of you as a neighbor who helped out sometimes, but you suddenly became so attractive—now that I think about it, it started around when you began doing all these new things.”

Marie said after hearing my explanation.

“But please don’t tell anyone else about this. Only a very small number of people know.”

“So you trust me that much. Thank you, Kent-san!”

Marie hugged me as she said it.

Maybe because she’d done so much for me in the bath too, the soft feeling against my chest made my face loosen into a grin.

“Come on, Kent-san, your face is totally melting. And that’s something you told me first!”

Caro said that, clearly competitive.

“You three are getting all excited and leaving me out… I’m going to bed.”

After finishing her ice cream, Catherine went into my room.

“Catherine—if you sleep like that, you’ll get cavities, you know?”

I called out, but she’d locked the door from inside, so there was nothing we could do.

“Should the three of us sleep in Caro-chan’s room?”