Mentioned Characters: Nitori, Momiji, Hina, Kutaka, Takane

Nitori Kawashiro is a kappa living in the Genbu Ravine. She is believed to be a leader among her kind. With a sharp business mind and high proficiency in engineering, she is friendly with humans. When festivals roll around and food stalls pop up, it's common to see her and other kappa at shrines, trying to score a profit. Events involving kappa are relatively common in Gensokyo, and Nitori herself holds a fairly established position among the youkai. Oh, and she loves cucumbers. In the 80th provisional Gensokyo, Nitori is in charge of the Item Development Lab. She is but one of the countless Nitoris who originate in the L80 universe. However, with the L80 worlds having come to an end, she is the last one remaining. The residents of the 80th provisional Gensokyo come from entirely different worlds, brought together under special circumstances. Their shared goal is to find a way to reclaim every world that has been lost and every world that will. That's the only path that leads back to the lives they once knew.

[Part 1 of an unresolved investigation into a lost world] There aren't many examples of student entrepreneurs. Especially when it comes to female students. That whole "Yorigami Corporation" thing is a big mistake. It'll surely end in disaster. But me? I can build a successful business. Me, Nitori Kawashiro. "Are you sure about this, Nitori?" "So you're selling... your own invention?" "If you're gonna sell something, wouldn't something cute be better?" That's what Hina, Momiji, and Kutaka said with disappointed looks on their faces. We all live nearby, so we hang out a bunch. "It's fine. My Automatic Cucumber Growing Kit is going to sell like crazy." I was full of confidence. After all, we were in the middle of a massive health boom. Everywhere you looked, it was vegetables this, vegetables that. It was all over the TV and the internet. But that boom was about to shift. I knew it. "With this much demand for veggies, there's no way supply will keep up. That means prices are going to spike." "You really think so?" asked Hina. "I know so. And when that happens, people start getting picky. They start worrying if what they're buying is organic or if it was grown sustainably." "Do they?" asked Momiji. "Yes. Sellers need to justify the high prices somehow, so they invent new narratives. But a good chunk of consumers can't afford to keep up. So, they start looking for vegetables that are cheap, safe, and delicious." "I dunno..." said Kutaka. "Well, I do! If you grow it yourself, you can literally see it's safe. And since my growing kit is reusable, it's cost-efficient. Plus, we all know cucumbers are delicious. They're the king of veggies!" Their exasperated stares finally broke, and they wandered away from my seat by the back window. I must've scared them with the "king of veggies" line. And to think, if they had invested there and then, I would've given them a friend discount... Who walks away from a golden opportunity like that?

[Part 2 of an unresolved investigation into a lost world] Suddenly, a girl in green burst into the classroom like some sort of cucumber on a rampage. "I heard everything. It's me, Takane Yamashiro. You've heard of me, right?" I had heard of her. She was from the class next door. She was actually kinda famous. But I wasn't about to tell her that. "That idea of yours... It's terrible," she said. "What?" "You know nothing about business, huh? Do you think your product will sell just because it's good?" "So you think my growing kit is good?" "N-No! What I meant to say was, do you think your product will sell just because you want it to?" "Umm, yeah. I kinda have high hopes." "Well, it's time to lower them! Let me ask you this: if there was a super cute cucumber backpack being sold at some random shop in the next town over, would you buy it?" "Of course!" "Yeah, but that's only because I told you about it." "I don't follow." "You can't buy what you don't know exists. If you want your growing kit to sell, you need to get the word out." "So you're saying I need to advertise... Huh." I forgot to mention why Takane was famous. It's because she's always looking for someone to team up with. But she was honest. Too honest. And whatever she did, she took it super seriously―especially when it came to business. The people she worked with often had to remind her that the main objective was to have fun. Still, she knew a good product when she saw one. "C'mon, Nitori, whaddya say? Let's make some money. After all, the product is solid." See?

[Part 3 of an unresolved investigation into a lost world] The rumors began to spread. Apparently, common vegetables aren't all that different from fruits, and so they aren't actually as healthy as people think... or so people whispered. In truth, many vegetables closer to their wild form aren't all that tasty, and their edible portions are limited. It was only through selective breeding that we got today's big, sweet veggies. That, of course, means they contain more sugar. But that's what makes them so yummy. "Teehee, it's working." Takane was looking smug after class. It was her who started the rumors, after all. Though by that point, they had started to take on a life of their own. "But cucumbers are different, right? They're practically all water. You can't get healthier than that!" She was talking to me, but her voice was raised. She wasn't wrong, though―cucumbers ARE basically all water. They're not so different from jellyfish in that respect. In fact, a cucumber and jellyfish salad could essentially be called a water and water salad. Takane had suggested we branch out into eggplants, too, since they're full of air and thus super low-calorie. But after a tantrum or two from her, we agreed to focus on cucumbers first. "So how many did you sell yesterday?" asked Takane, switching her shout to a whisper. She leaned in closer to hear my answer, her eyes squinted as if she were a spy learning some secret intel. "Whoa, are you serious?!" Her voice shot up in volume once more. But who could blame her? The growing kits were selling like hot cakes. No, like cucumber cakes! The more we sold, the more we needed to make. A steady, large-scale supply of materials was the key to our continued success. But I'd already taken care of that. If demand for your product emerges, you have to capitalize on it. That's the spirit of business!

[Part 4 of an unresolved investigation into a lost world] "Hey! What is with all these returns?!" Speaking of business, ours wasn't going so hot. Meeting such massive demand was always going to be impossible. Testing things carefully and moving forward one step at a time really is the best way. At least for me. This growing kit venture taught me that, which makes it a success in my books. "Thanks, Takane." "Huh?!" The biggest expense ended up being the kit itself. Even though it was made of plastic, it had a decent number of parts and a fairly complex design. Even with the molds, it cost a fair amount. So I hollowed parts out to save costs. Which, of course, wrecked its durability. According to the fliers, it was suitable for repeated use but... that wasn't the case. Hence, all the returns. "Why are you smiling at a time like this? ...Are you even listening to me?!" I was listening. I just wasn't in the mood to reply. I learned a lot during my little summertime business venture. And as a bonus... "Earth to Nitori Kawashiro! Are you there?!" ...I made a new friend. The End.