LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 296: Sought After Treasure
Continue reading at m|v-l'e m,p| y r
"Okay, I get the history of the sasfra tree, Nina. But what about the safra juice itself?...How is it made from the roots of the tree?" I asked as I looked at the glass bottle that contained a liquid that honestly looked like puddle water and didn't look like something someone would avidly drink.
"Oh, it's actually a straightforward process, Kafka...All you have to do is crush the roots until all the moisture from inside comes out and gathers up to a certain volume. That's essentially the base of the juice." Nina explained, which made me look at her in a peculiar manner since it seemed like she was talking about some kind of concoction, rather than a refreshing drink.
"After that, for additional medical benefits, you have to add the juices from the budding stems as well since they also have several vitamins that are really good for your body, and it's all done after that."
"...It's a really simple process, isn't it?"
"Y-Yeah, it is..." I said with an awkward look on my face, as I wasn't expecting it to be so straightforward.
"...Honestly, I think that's it's a little too simple...Like shouldn't you also add some sugar or something that can make it taste better, since I don't think it would be quite appetising if the juice comes straight from a root and I think it would taste quite bitter, even though I may be wrong to assume that?"
"Oh, it is bitter, Kafka...It's so bitter that the first time I drank it when I was young, I immediately spat it out and was afraid to take another sip..." Nina said as she thought of the moment she made a mess of the dining table when she was younger and smiled like she considered it a fond memory.
"...But after some encouragement from my parents, who wanted me to like the drink that our ancestors made, I found the courage to drink it a couple of more times....And finally, after getting used to the bitterness that actually stings your mouth over the years, I started to find it quite refreshing to drink and became rather fond of its taste."
"I see..." I said after realising that this sasfra drink wasn't a juice but actually a traditional medicine that came in the form of a drink that Nina got used to drinking after having enough bottles of it.
"So, I'm guessing that this sasfra juice isn't commonly bought by kids who want a tasty drink, but more for the purpose of drinking something that's beneficial for the body, like it's some kind of medication."
"I would say yes, even though there are several old timers here who are just like me and drink it for its taste as well...But it's mostly something that's avoided by everyone and is only forced down their throat in case they get sick, like it's some kind of herbal concoction, which it actually is, even though I don't exactly see it that way." Nina sighed like she wished others would share the same love she had for the drink, but knew that it was impossible since only those who grew up drinking it or have acquired taste could enjoy it.
She then looked up at me and said, like it was embarrassing to admit,
"In fact, back when I was in school, I tried to make my classmates have a sip of the bottle of safra juice I had brought to school one day, so that I could make them understand how good it was...But I ended up being treated like I had the plague because no one wanted to get close to someone who had a drink of their nightmares that their parents gave them when they got sick and actually made them feel even worse because of how bitter it tasted."
Nina was smiling while she recalled her past and looked like she was trying to treat it as a funny memory. But I could see in her eyes that she felt a little dejected that everyone hated something that she was fond of, and she looked sad that she couldn't share her favourite drink with someone else, which everyone wished to do, similar to how people liked to talk about their hobby with another.
"And you know what's funnier than that, Kafka..." Nina asked as she looked up at me with a rather wry smile on her face, like she wanted to think that it was a joke but couldn't ignore how heartbreaking it actually was.
"...I even tried to make my husband, who came from the city, try it when we just got married, thinking that he may be someone like me who enjoys the drink, and I was quite excited to see him take his first sip and see his reaction to it...But unfortunately, my husband got scared of the drink after I described it to him and didn't even dare to drink it, thinking that he would pass out if he drank such a horrid thing, and he even requested that I never serve it to him, even if it's by accident, if you can believe it."
"...I really messed up, don't you think as well, Kafka? I should've first made him take a sip and then told him about the drink...Maybe he would've actually liked it if he had a little taste first before completely rejecting it, but now there's no chance of ever knowing the truth, I guess."
Nina said in a rather melancholy manner, even though she still had a smile on her face, as she really seemed to want her partner, who was bound to her for life, to like something she really enjoyed and was a little sad that he didn't even try it.
Nina then looked up at me, who was looking at her in a concerned manner, and mistakenly thought that I was worrying that she would ask me to taste the bitter drink as well, like she did with her classmates and husband. To show that she had no such intentions and wasn't going to force it down my throat, she quickly said,
"Oh, you don't have to worry, Kafka, as I'm not going to ask you to try it as well. I've already learned that only certain individuals will like this drink, and you can't really force it upon them, like I tried to do in the past...So, you can rest assured and choose whatever drink you want...I myself will have a bottle of Sasfra juice to treat myself after a long day of work."
Nina gestured towards the wide variety of drinks in the vending machine, while she herself eyed the sasfra juice that she loved so much.
"I see...Then, instead of one Sasfra bottle, let's get two, Nina."
I said with a little smile on my face, which made Nina look up at me in confusion.
"I did say that I really like sasfra juice, Kafka...But I don't think I can drink two bottles at a time, so I think one would be enough." Nina said, thinking that I was asking her to down one after another.
"Oh, no, Nina...The second bottle isn't for you, but actually for me to have a try of this strange drink that you're so fond of and see what it tastes like." I said in a rather off-handed manner while looking at the bottle of Sasfra juice inside, like I was curious to know how bad it tasted.
This completely caught Nina off guard, as she was used to so many people rejecting her offer to have a taste and didn't expect that there would actually be someone dumb enough to actually accept her friendly gesture.
"No, Kafka...You really don't have to try it for my sake...I also promise that I won't beat you up with a broom for not tasting it if that's what you're afraid of, so don't force yourself to do something that you don't want to." Nina said, wondering if I was actually too scared to not have a drink after she had talked about it too much and thought that I was worried that I would get a smacking if I refused to have a taste.
"Like I said earlier, Nina, I really am not forcing myself to do anything for the sake of formality, as I know that you wouldn't like it if I did something just to appease you." I told Nina to not get caught in her own delusions and not overthink anything around me, since I was a straightforward guy.
"I actually do genuinely want to see how this sasfra drink that's scared so many people off tastes and see if it really lives up to its name."
I then added jokingly while Nina was looking up at me with a look of subtle astonishment in her eyes, not believing that she finally met someone who was willing to have a drink of her favourite juice after all these years,
"...And after hearing you talk about it so much and seeing you pour your heart out about something you love so much, it would be absolutely idiotic of someone like me who's trying to impress you and get on your good side to say no just because of a little bitterness, since there's a slight chance that you might fall for me seeing as to how I'm taking such great risks for you."
Nina had thought I was going to say that I was going to have a drink after seeing her praise it too much and because I wanted to join her endeavour. But she was dumbstruck when she saw me blantantly admitting to try and impress her and wondered what I was thinking to admit to something like that while grinning like an idiot.
"As if, Kafka! Do you really think that I'm some kind of cheap woman who would fall for such cheap tricks?!" Nina reprimanded me for treating her like she was an easy catch. She then gave me a glance from the side and added, "...And the next time you try to make me fall for you, try to do it as subtle as possible and not reveal everything bare to me."
"Oh...Then does that mean you really don't mind if I take my advances further?" I asked with a sly look in my eye, like I was asking if she was really sure about her decision.
"Do whatever you want, Kafka, since I know I'm not going to fall for any of that nonsense...It's also quite entertaining to see someone do so much for me, so keep it up, my little chained monkey, and amuse this old sister~"
Nina said with a playful smile on her face as she tiptoed to pat me on the head and ruffle my hair, like she was treating me as her loveable pet that she enjoyed watching play around and trying to get her attention.
But even though Nina said that none of my attacks had any effect on her, she still couldn't help but feel elated inside when she heard that I was going to drink that bitter juice she was fond of just for her.
She knew that the main reason I was doing so was to impress her and that I had other intentions behind my actions. But that still didn't stop her from appreciating my gesture towards her since it was the first time someone went out of their way to do something that they really didn't want to do just for her sake.
She felt special at that moment, as she couldn't believe that someone was going out of their way to do something to make her feel happy, even at their own expense, and wondered if this was what it meant to be sought out for.
If it was, then she really didn't mind being treated like a valuable commodity that others had to fight for, and she wished that I continued my attempts to impress her, seeing as to how loved and cherished it made her feel, even though it was all because of a school kid, which she conveniently ignored...