The chapter image has the Koiwais dressed in suits, formal shirts, and nice shoes. In addition, Yotsuba is wearing a teddy bear print tie.
Koiwai is reading something, while Yotsuba is watching television. On it, a woman is about to show some lunch specials. Yotsuba writes something, and Koiwai wonders what it is.
He asks what she wants for dinner. She wants something super delicious, but Koiwai says they don't offer anything by that description. Yotsuba opts to exchange "super" for "regular", and Koiwai agrees to it. So they need to go shopping.
On the way, Koiwai ponders what might be regular delicious. Yotsuba suggests curry, but Koiwai reminds her that they just had it the other day. Yotsuba figures also that it's super delicious. She suggests "that fake curry"; Koiwai tells her hashed beef isn't fake curry. Yotsuba thinks it at least looks the same.
She then notices something that sounds like "tsukutsukuboooshi". She tells her dad that a tsukutsukuboshi is saying "tsukutsukuboshi", and her tells her it's because it's a tsukutsukuboshi. * He further explains that when they make that sound, it means summer's about to end. Yotsuba asks if they make the summer end, and Koiwai does something pretty much all cultures probably do in some way, and leave the cause and effect reversed. This, uh, fact impresses Yotsuba. Koiwai says it's why he doesn't like their sound. Yotsuba says that once summer is over, it's spring, but Koiwai reminds her that it's autumn. Yotsuba thinks it's when they see cherry blossoms, but Koiwai says that's in spring.
They arrive at Maru Mart (the name kinda rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?), where Yotsuba opens the door by activating the electronic eye with her hand like we probably all did when we were children. That is, if they had them at a place we went to when we were children. Anyway, Koiwai asks if it was magic. Yotsuba goes to get a cart, but Koiwai directs her to the smaller carts, for kids. She's in charge of groceries.
Koiwai is still pondering what to have when a boy (presumably) is telling his mother he wants hamburg steak. She says they just had it the other day, but he wants it again. This gives Koiwai the idea that he and Yotsuba will have hamburg steak, which Yotsuba figures is good. She yells that they're having it, but Koiwai says there's no need to announce it.
They get the ingredients: onions, carrots (my, those look thick), and ground beef. Yotsuba notices that the meat is small. She tells a passing lady what they're having, which she says is nice.
Once they have everything, it's to the register with them. But then, Koiwai stops and holds his back pockets. Yotsuba asks if he's gotta poo, and when he doesn't answer, she asks if it's too late. Well, it turns out that he forgot his wallet. Yotsuba asks if they should run for it. Koiwai momentarily considers leaving her with the cart and going home and returning, but wisely reconsiders. Yotsuba goes over to an old lady and asks to be lent money. Koiwai apparently apologizes to her, and tells her she can't borrow money from strangers.
So now they have to put everything back. Yes, the meat, too. The plan is to go home, get money and come back. But then, what should they see but... Fuuka out shopping! They both go up to her and ask to be lent money.
She's apparently agreed to do so, and Yotsuba remarks how lucky that was. She wants to call Fuuka "Queen Hamburg", but Fuuka thinks that doesn't sound right. She does note that hamburg steak is tasty, and says she wouldn't mind some curry with it. Yotsuba seems amazed, calling it a "double". Apparently, the Ayase home is having seafood curry. Koiwai doesn't think that's curry at all. (Tell that to a Bengali, a Tamil, or an Indonesian.) Fuuka says you can put anything in curry and it'll taste great. Spinach, for example. Koiwai doesn't think you can add seafood, though, and thinks there should be a meat in there. Yotsuba agrees. Fuuka says they're a strange pair. Koiwai says seafood will kill the curry, but Fuuka says curry's too strong for that. Yotsuba seems to agree with her.
Fuuka notices some konnyaku, and asks Yotsuba if she once told her that Koiwai makes it. She says "Yeah."
I should explain something here. I think I commented on it back when Dire Sloth was doing these back when liveblogs were still part of the forums.
Anyway, back in chapter 7, the last chapter of volume 1, Fuuka asked Yotsuba what her father does. When Yotsuba relayed the question to him, he told her he's a translator. I learned from koiwai.biz that he said "honnyakuka", which means that. In the ADV Manga version, when Yotsuba relayed his answer, she said "trainspotter", but I learned from koiwai.biz that she said "konnyakuka," a maker of konnyaku. With ADV Manga's adaptation of the joke and lack of further explanation, this point in this chapter seems random; with explanation, however, you understand that Fuuka has gone these chapters thinking that Koiwai was a maker of konnyaku, and nobody's corrected this.
Back to the story. Fuuka asks Koiwai which konnyaku he thinks is best, but he figures they're all about the same. Fuuka figures he means the store-bought stuff is all the same, while the good stuff is homemade. He guesses so. She asks how it's made, but he can't tell her, and seems confused. (He asks Yotsuba to get eggs. Fuuka figures it must be a trade secret. Koiwai wonders why she brought it up, and asks if she's on a diet. Fuuka seems shocked, and asks if he's telling her she needs to lose weight. "No, I... Huh?"
Yotsuba got the eggs. (10 in a carton? Huh.) Also, they had some "for kids", as she says, so she got them, too. They're quail eggs. Fuuka shows her some tomatoes "for kids"
. Yotsuba thinks they're cute.
On the way home, Fuuka has the bags of the items she bought for her family in the basket of her bike, which she's walking home. (Koiwai is carrying his own groceries.) Yotsuba thinks she'll buy a bike, too. Fuuka asks if she can ride one, but she says "Nope!"
Yotsuba notices the tsukutsukuboshi still saying tsukutsukuboshi, and informs Fuuka of the significance. A gloomy look comes over Fuuka's face. Yotsuba asks if she hates tsukutsukuboshi, and she does. Yotsuba likes summer, but she also likes spring. Fuuka reminds her that fall is next.
At their homes, Koiwai says she really helped them out, and she says it's okay. As they part, Yotsuba tells her to cheer up.
Inside, it's time to start cooking. Koiwai does some kind of song which isn't explained, and Yotsuba joins in. The meal is hamburg steak with a side od potato salad. Yotsuba is assigned to grinding down the onions. Koiwai seasons something as she does so. The onions are making her tear up. (Rhymes with "fear", not "pear".) Now the ingredients are in a bowl, especially once he cracks an egg into it. He instructs Yotsuba to squish it all together, which is her specialty. She thinks it's like clay, and has to be told not to make it into weird shapes.
The steaks are formed, and it's time to fry them. Yotsuba is concerned about them being burned, and advises medium heat.
The meals are dished up: two steaks and potato salad for each, and three cherry tomatoes on one plate and two cherry tomatoes and three quail eggs (boiled?) on the other. Koiwai notices that the shape's a little off, but figures it still looks good. They're done, so they high-five (well, high for a five-year-old, anyway) and take it into the TV room.
The after-chapter picture is Yotsuba picking up one of her steaks. She's the one who got the quail eggs. She also seems to have a bowl of rice, and some sort of transparent or semi-transparent liquid in a glass.
Next time: Intermission!
