As I made my way to the family restaurant, I noticed something odd.
“……” (Sophia)
At the entrance, Frost-san unexpectedly pinched the sleeve of my shirt from behind with her fingers.
“W-What’s wrong?” (Kento)
Her unusual behavior caught me off guard, and I felt a bit flustered.
“Eh—Ah…!” (Sophia)
It seemed like she hadn’t realized she was grabbing my sleeve, and when she noticed, she quickly let go of her fingers.
Then, her face turned slightly red as she glared at me.
No, I didn’t do anything wrong…
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to eat you or anything.” (Kento)
She looked clearly nervous, so I tried to ease the tension with a smile.
“It’s nothing, really…” (Sophia)
Frost-san said that, but it was clear she was trying to act tough.
It wasn’t exactly tsundere, but I still found it kind of cute.
We were led to a table once we entered.
“……” (Sophia)
Frost-san was looking at the menu quite seriously.
Seeing her like this felt refreshing.
I decided on what I was going to order and waited for her to choose.
It’s probably better to wait for her to decide what she wants before I call the waiter.
Otherwise, it might feel like I’m pressuring her.
As I waited—
“Hey.” (Sophia)
She called out to me.
“Have you decided?” (Kento)
“It’s not that… What are you going to order?” (Sophia)
It seemed like she was curious about what I was going to get.
“I’ll go with this, the Cheese Chicken Italian Steak.” (Kento)
I pointed to the chicken steak on the menu, piled with lots of cheese.
“Is it good?” (Sophia)
“Well, I like it, at least.” (Kento)
That’s why I’m ordering it.
“Hmm…” (Sophia)
Frost-san looked at the menu again, deep in thought.
Then…
“Alright, I’ll have that too.” (Sophia)
She decided to order the same thing as me.
“Are you sure?” (Kento)
“I don’t really know which one to pick, and I keep getting confused, so if I just go with what you’re having, it can’t go wrong, right?” (Sophia)
Indeed, if she didn’t know what to choose, it makes sense to go with someone who does.
For someone like her, who usually trusts only herself and does her own thing, it was an unexpected choice.
“……” (Sophia)
However, she seemed to be reconsidering, staring at the menu again.
“Do you want something else?” (Kento)
“It’s not that… it’s just… this.” (Sophia)
The next thing she pointed to was a pancake dish, topped with chocolate sauce and whipped cream.
It also had vanilla ice cream on the side. Needless to say, it looked very delicious.
“Why not just order it as a dessert?” (Kento)
If she’s bringing it up, it probably means she wants it.
“But… it’s kind of expensive…” (Sophia)
It costs about 500 yen including tax, so it’s a bit pricey for a dessert.
Still, I think it’s fine for a change.
“It should be fine every now and then, right? I have money.” (Kento)
Jessica and the others left enough for food expenses.
At this price, it’s no problem.
Still, something seemed to be bothering her, as Frost-san hesitated.
“You’re not used to eating out, right? It’s fine to treat yourself when you’re here.” (Kento)
I couldn’t understand what she was hesitating over, but if she wanted it, she should just go for it.
No one here would get upset over it, and there wouldn’t be any problems.
“……But if I eat this… I’ll get fat…” (Sophia)
Frøst-san mumbled something quietly.
Her voice was so soft that I couldn’t catch what she said.
“Sorry, what did you say?” (Kento)
“………” (Sophia)
I was just asking, but for some reason, she turned red and glared at me.
Did I step on some kind of landmine…?
“Uh…?” (Kento)
“Come closer.” (Sophia)
She gestured for me to come closer, clearly not wanting others to hear.
As I leaned in, she whispered.
“If I eat this, I’ll get fat…” (Sophia)
She quietly shared her concern.
Her breath brushed against my ear, and I had to fight the urge to react to the tickling sensation.
“Didn’t expect you to worry about that…” (Kento)
“Is that a problem? I’m still a girl, you know?” (Sophia)
It seemed she didn’t like my response, as she glared at me sharply.
I didn’t mean to provoke her, but…
“No, it’s just that, I think you’re very slim, Frost-san. You don’t really need to worry about that.” (Kento)
Compared to others her age, she had a notably slender figure. At the very least, she didn’t need to be concerned about weight at her level.
“――!? I-I’m not good with compliments like that…!” (Sophia)
It seems that mentioning her figure made Frost-san flustered again.
She was surprisingly sensitive about it…
If I’d met her now, I probably wouldn’t have believed the rumors about her being the ‘Solitary Flower’ at school.
She’s so easily flustered and full of openings.
“Anyways, like I said, I think it’s fine every once in a while.” (Kento)
Since I had already decided to ignore whatever she said in English, I repeated my point.
However, it seemed that she didn’t like being ignored, as Frost-san, with her face flushed red, stared at me with a sharp gaze.
Handling girls is tough…
“Alright, I’m ordering now.” (Kento)
Not wanting to be scolded for dragging this out, I pressed the call button.
Then, I ordered two Cheese Chicken Italian Steak rice sets and the pancake with chocolate sauce.
“You ordered without asking me…” (Sophia)
Frost-san, who hadn’t decided what to eat yet, gave me a look of dissatisfaction.
“Come on, it’ll be fine.” (Kento)
If she didn’t want to eat, I’d just finish it myself.
Well, she would probably eat it anyway.
“—Here’s your order.” (Waiter)
First, the Cheese Chicken Italian Steak with rice was served.
“You have to cut it yourself…” (Sophia)
“Just cut it into a size that’s easy to eat. Do you know how to cut it?” (Kento)
“…Are you making fun of me?” (Sophia)
I asked out of kindness, but I got a glare in return.
I guess she does know how to cut a chicken steak.
She must have eaten it at home before.
“I’m just being considerate, so don’t get mad.” (Kento)
“I’m not mad or anything…” (Sophia)
She said that while starting to cut into the chicken steak with a knife.
“It’s so tender…” (Sophia)
She seemed surprised that the knife cut through so easily.
“The flavor’s good too.” (Kento)
When I said that, Frost-san blew on the steak to cool it down and then took a bite.
“It’s really delicious…” (Sophia)
After chewing, she looked very surprised.
I wonder what she had been expecting.
“Jessica-san’s homemade cooking is great too, but eating out isn’t so bad, right?” (Kento)
She seemed to be enjoying her meal, so I couldn’t help but comment, acting like I understood her reaction.
Then, she gave me the usual glare again.
“You don’t really eat out much either, do you?” (Sophia)
Since we live together, our eating habits are pretty similar.
Of course, she’s well aware that I don’t eat out often.
Before Dad remarried, I didn’t eat out much either, so it was pretty accurate.
“Well, I do go out to eat during field trips or training camps with the baseball team…” (Kento)
I made sure not to mention eating out “with friends”, just in case.
She might be envious, even if she doesn’t show it on her face.
“I don’t think it’s good to be flexing about that…” (Sophia)
“No, that’s not what I meant…” (Kento)
Why do I have to be the one on the defensive?
I thought I had been considerate…
After that, as we ate, her mood improved, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
It was clear that she really enjoyed it.
Then, when the pancake dessert arrived—
“………” (Sophia)
Frost tried to hold back her excitement, but she couldn’t hide her restlessness. She seemed unable to wait any longer.
After all, she’s a girl, so she probably loves sweets.
I quietly watched as she took her first bite.
Frost-san cut the pancake into bite-sized pieces and then, with some whipped cream on top, brought it to her mouth.
“D-Delicious…!” (Sophia)
“――” (Kento)
The moment she took a bite, her face lit up with a bright, joyful expression, and I couldn’t help but hold my breath in awe.
The smile she has right now, contrasted with her usual cold expression, had an incredible destructive power.
I couldn’t help but think that… she’s so cute.
“Why are you staring at me… Do you want it?” (Sophia)
As I was captivated by her smile, she looked at me suspiciously.
“No, it’s not like that…” (Kento)
“…Here.” (Sophia)
“Huh?” (Kento)
For some reason, she stabbed her fork into the pancake she had been eating and offered it to me.
She had even thoughtfully added some whipped cream and ice cream to it.
“I’ll let you have one bite.” (Sophia)
A bite…? Wait, isn’t this like… an indirect kiss…?
Though I thought about it, I could easily imagine that if I pointed it out, Frøst-san would get flustered.
Since I definitely didn’t want to cause a scene in the restaurant, I decided not to say anything unnecessary and just accepted her kind gesture by taking a bite.
As a result—
“Wow, they’re so lovey-dovey…” (Customer)
“To do the ‘ahh’ thing in public… That’s amazing…” (Customer)
Two girls, dressed in casual clothes, sitting at a table across from us, were blushing as they stared at us through the glass.
They seemed about our age, but… I really hoped they weren’t from the same school.
“~~~~!?” (Sophia)
It seemed like Frost-san finally realized what she had done, after hearing their words.
She let out an indescribable sound and started to squirm.
“I-It’s not like that…! I didn’t do it on purpose, it’s just… I wasn’t aware of it… I didn’t mean to—!” (Sophia)
Frost-san was desperately trying to explain in English, and I could tell she was making excuses.
I couldn’t understand a word she was saying, but somehow, I got the general vibe and flow—at least, I think I did.
“There’s no way, no way, no way… I can’t believe I just did an indirect kiss with him…!” (Sophia)
In front of me, Frost-san’s face was bright red as she muttered to herself, and I couldn’t help but feel terrified.
When we get home, there’s no way I’m going to be erased or something, right…?
At that moment, I couldn’t help but be genuinely worried.
“Hey, you should eat your food quickly, or the ice cream is going to melt!” (Kento)
I tried to redirect her attention to the pancakes, hoping it would help lift her mood. I really didn’t know how else to handle it.
“Y-You’re right… Nothing happened between us. Nothing at all…” (Sophia)
Frost-san started eating the pancakes again, so I guess she came to terms with it.
But since she was still speaking in English, it was clear her nerves weren’t entirely settled yet.
In fact, it seemed like she was trying to hide her unease by acting nonchalantly as she ate.
…Though, honestly, she wasn’t hiding it very well.
TL Notes:
Thanks for reading!
Yeh, this girl ain’t no kuudere man, she’s just 100% tsundere. I guess she’s also a bit of a klutz considering the indirect kiss.
Also, this chapter is looooong, I have no idea how many parts I’m gonna have to split this into.
Footnote:
- None