The day we returned from our adventure, Rabbichu seemed a little… off.

“Kyu…”

He curled up under the covers, ears drooping softly. Normally, he’d be bouncing around, trying to hop on my face by now.

“Rabbichu… you’re tired, huh?”

The moment I realized that, I couldn’t just sit still.

“…Alright. Today, I’m making you a meal. With my own hands.”

I snuck quietly into the kitchen, careful not to be spotted by any of the staff.

I couldn’t reach the counter, of course, so I dragged over a chair and clambered up. If I got caught, I was definitely in trouble. But I didn’t care—I was doing this.

“Let’s see… ingredients…”

Rabbichu liked things that were sweet and soft.

So I soaked some dried apple slices in water and chopped them up finely.
I crushed a few honeyberries—sweet fruits that grow in the village—and mixed them in.

Finally, I added a bit of stored milk porridge base and let it simmer gently in a pot.

The stove? A kid-safe magic burner. Automatically controls the heat. Bless those old inventors.

“This should do it…!”

I scooped it into a small bowl. A gentle puff of steam rose with a sweet, cozy aroma.

I named it:

“Gentle Meal for Rabbichu”

Back in the room, Rabbichu blinked sleepily and slowly sat up.

“…Kyu?”

“I made this—for you.”

I held out the bowl. His eyes widened in surprise… and then, just for a moment, it looked like he smiled.

One bite—lick.

Second bite—munch, munch.

By the third bite, his whole body was bouncing with joy.

“Kyuuuuuuuu!!”

He jumped into my arms with a huge (question mark?) smile.
Still holding the spoon, I ended up flinging milk porridge into my hair.

“Hey—stop that, you little rascal!”

“Kyu~!”

That day, I had my first taste of “item crafting”—making a meal.

I had no recipe. No real skills.

But Rabbichu… he was happier than I could ever put into words.

And that, I realized—

Maybe this was what it meant to raise someone.
Something even more important than fighting or getting stronger.

That night, I wrote in my secret diary (hidden in the back of a picture book):

“Rabbichu Meal: Success. Next goal: Fluffy pancakes. Need to work on heat control and sweetness. Milk porridge is justice.”

The next morning, I found a gift waiting on my pillow—from Rabbichu.

—“Star Fragment of Kindness”

I didn’t know what it did yet.

But it glowed with a warm, gentle light.