Petit Tomato ⑧

Soft spring sunlight is streaming onto the balcony in the early afternoon. The sweet potatoes arranged on a small net are glowing with a faint golden hue as they bathe in the light. Every time the wind blows, the drying potatoes make a small, crisp sound.
Sako crouches down and watches them intently. Washing the sweet potatoes sent by her grandmother in the countryside, slicing them, and drying them in the sun like this has become her recent daily routine. It is fun to watch the surface dry over time and to smell the faint, sweet aroma drifting from them.
"Hey, look, Mizu. They're ready to eat."
Sako calls out to her husband, Mizu, while pointing at the potatoes on the net. The surface of the potatoes is shining glossily.
Mizu, who was sitting at the living room table working on his laptop, stops typing and glances over.
"They look delicious."
"Right? I'm going to try one now."
Sako picks up a piece of potato and puts it in her mouth. After a crisp texture, a gentle sweetness spreads. It hasn't dried completely yet, but that makes for an exquisite taste.
"Mmm, sweet. And so fragrant."
"Everything tastes better when you make it yourself, doesn't it?"
"It does! Especially with sweet potatoes, it's interesting because you can really tell the difference."
On the balcony, there are other small potted plants that Sako is growing. They are all plants for cooking, such as herbs, cherry tomatoes, and shiso leaves. It is fun to feel the changes in flavor and the differences in growth the more she cares for them.
"Making dried sweet potatoes is quite a bit of work, isn't it?"
"Well, the preparation seems like a lot of work."
"But it's easier than you'd think. Look, even now, it's like this."
Sako picks up another piece and holds it out to Mizu.
"Want to try some?"
"Yeah, just a little."
Mizu takes his hands off the computer and picks up a piece of potato with his fingertips. When he puts it in his mouth and bites down lightly, the sweetness spreads slowly.
"You're right, it's sweet. It has a gentler taste than store-bought ones."
"Right? It's also nice how sun-drying them increases the fragrance."
Sako nods with satisfaction.
On days when she doesn't have work as a VTuber, she spends her time peacefully like this. Although she has video editing and project preparation to do, she can set her own schedule, so her daytime hours are relatively free.
Her husband, Mizu, is a freelancer and works mostly from home, but he occasionally goes into the office and comes home late at night. Today is a work-from-home day. The sound of him quietly typing on his keyboard echoes rhythmically through the room.
"Come to think of it, why don't you talk about making dried sweet potatoes like this in your VTuber activities?"
"Huh? Is there a demand for that?"
"Slow-life content has been popular lately, and I think it fits your streaming style."
Indeed, many of Sako's viewers look forward to hearing about her laid-back daily life.
"I see... maybe I'll make a video about it sometime."
"That way, it would fit in well with your usual activities."
"True. As a VTuber, it would be nice to be able to share these kinds of daily pleasures, not just game streams."
As Sako dried the potatoes, she suddenly remembered the past. When Sako was a child, she lived in Thailand for a while. There, many dishes used dried ingredients, and she often watched her mother and the neighborhood ladies drying things in the sun.
"When I was little, I used to eat dried bananas in Thailand a lot."
"Dried bananas?"
"Yeah, they don't slice the ripe bananas; they dry them whole. The sweetness is packed in, and they're really delicious."
"Huh, I didn't know that. Why don't you try making those?"
"That might be good. You don't see them much in Japan, but it would be fun to make them myself."
Sako thought about the things she wanted to try while remembering the hot sun in Thailand and the sight of the market spreading out in front of her house.
The sun began to set, and the dried sweet potatoes on the balcony were almost finished. Mizu finished his work, stretched, and stood up from his chair.
"Are you done?"
"Yeah, I've reached a stopping point."
"Then I'll make some tea."
Sako headed to the kitchen, and while boiling water, she picked up a piece of dried sweet potato to check its aroma. It was dried just right, and the sweetness had increased. She arranged the freshly made dried sweet potatoes on a plate and enjoyed them with the tea she and Mizu had set on the table. Mizu said as he chewed slowly,
"Yeah, delicious. Much better than store-bought ones."
"I'll keep making them from now on."
Small happiness is packed into such casual conversations. A laid-back time that is different from her VTuber work. Sako thought once again that she wanted to cherish these kinds of peaceful, everyday moments.

The next morning, Sako finished her early morning stream as usual.
"Phew... that was a good one today, too."
The gentle interaction with her listeners is one of Sako's morning pleasures. As she finished the stream and stretched lightly, she suddenly remembered the conversation about the dried sweet potatoes from yesterday. Mizu's words were on her mind. He had said that "slow-life content is popular," but was there really a demand for it?
"Well, I might as well try filming it."
Once she thought that, she couldn't sit still. Sako picked up her smartphone and headed to the balcony.
The dried sweet potatoes bathing in the morning sun had dried even more than yesterday and had turned a moist golden color. Sako set up the camera and began filming simply.
"Good morning, this is Kaitsuki Sakura. Today, the potatoes I've been drying since yesterday are finished, so I'm going to try them."
While talking in a natural flow, she picks up a piece of dried sweet potato and puts it in her mouth.
"Mmm, the sweetness has increased! Homemade really is delicious."
It's a short video, but sharing these kinds of casual, everyday moments might be fun. Sako finished filming and decided to start editing right away.
When she returned to the living room, Mizu was just getting ready for work.
"You already filmed it?"
"Yeah! The morning light was beautiful, so it turned out well."
She opened her computer and launched the editing software. It's different from the software she uses for streaming, but she's used to the work itself. She cut out the unnecessary parts, added text, and put in some light background music.
"How's this?"
Mizu looked at the screen and nodded, saying, "Nice, it's simple and easy to watch."
Sako felt a little relieved by Mizu's words and finished the editing. She created a thumbnail and thought of a title.
"How about 'Homemade Dried Sweet Potatoes, Complete! Tasting the Homemade Sweetness'?"
"Isn't that good? It's simple and easy to understand."
"Alright, I'll upload it with this."
Sako posted the video and went out to the balcony while doing some light stretching. The morning air was pleasant. She picked up one of the dried sweet potatoes, which had dried even more than yesterday, and tasted it slowly.
"...Yeah, it really is delicious."
The natural sweetness is concentrated, and the more she chews, the more the flavor spreads. The slightly firm texture is also a benefit unique to homemade food.
Her smartphone notification rang. It seemed like there were already comments on the video.
"Let's see..."
Sako narrowed her eyes as she looked at the comments lining the screen.
"I'm very interested in making dried sweet potatoes! I think I'll try it."
"The laid-back atmosphere is nice. I want to see more videos like this."
"The story about the dried bananas in Thailand was interesting! I'd love for you to try making them."
Sako couldn't help but smile. The viewers' reactions were better than she had imagined.
"Mizu was right..."
Even casual everyday things can become someone else's pleasure when shared. Such a small discovery made her happy.
"Maybe I'll try making more videos like this from now on."
Sako came up with new ideas and began to plan her next video.

In the evening, Mizu returned to the living room after finishing his work.
"Aren't there already quite a few comments on today's video?"
"Yeah, I'm surprised the reaction is better than I thought."
Mizu peered at the screen and muttered, "There are a lot of comments saying the laid-back atmosphere is good."
"I think it really suits your style, Sako."
"Maybe so. Next time, I think I'll try making a video that explains how to make dried sweet potatoes in a little more detail."
In the quiet twilight, the two talked about their future streams while drinking tea. A new excitement was budding in Sako's heart.