After the family finished eating, they didn't leave right away.
All three of them were curious about the little restaurant, so they stayed and talked for a while.
As they chatted, the conversation turned to everyday things, and that was when Kaori's father started proudly praising his daughter.
"Ahaha, come to think of it, Kaori plays the violin extremely well!"
"Dad!"
"What? What's wrong with a father being proud of his own daughter?"
He looked so proud that Kaori was the one who ended up embarrassed.
Being lively didn't mean she had thick skin!
"That's impressive. I've heard the violin is very hard to learn." Yuto looked at her with real admiration.
He didn't expect her to have that kind of talent.
"It's not a big deal. I just learned it bit by bit, and then I could play. Hehehe." The girl scratched her head, a little shy.
"Haha, my Kaori is a genius!" Her father laughed loudly again, which only made her glare harder.
"If you can play the violin, that really is amazing. It's one of the hardest instruments there is." Hatsune had caught the conversation from her seat.
The counter wasn't large, and there was nothing to block the sound. Unless two people were whispering, anything said out loud could be heard by the rest.
"Ah, no, it's nothing. My dad's just exaggerating," Kaori said quickly.
"He is not! Kaori's violin is number one in the whole world—mmph, mmph." Just as her father opened his mouth again, Kaori reached over and covered it.
She couldn't let him keep going!
"It's fine. If you're really good at it, don't be shy about it. Music needs confidence to begin with." Hatsune smiled.
When it came to music, she was a professional.
Kaori looked at her more carefully now. "Do you study music too?"
"Mm-hm. I like music. I sing, and I play around with a few instruments myself."
Her answer made Yuto smile.
Back when they first met, Hatsune had spoken just as lightly, which was exactly why he'd misunderstood who she was.
"Hatsune-chan is a big star! Her singing is really, really good!"
"Mm, that's right! I can vouch for it!"
As fans, Rimuru and Ainz wanted their idol to get the respect she deserved, so they gave her away at once.
Kaori was stunned.
"Eh?! You... wait, are you a singer?" Her voice took on a note of respect.
Hatsune nodded helplessly. Since her own fans had let it slip, there was no point hiding it.
"That's amazing!" Kaori believed it without a second's doubt.
Then Yuto said something that surprised her even more.
"Actually, Luka, Tianyi, and Yanhe are idols too." He pointed them out one by one.
At that, the girl truly froze.
Their shared love of music got Kaori and Hatsune talking, and since both of them cared about it so sincerely, it took only a short while for the two to go from strangers to friends.
Luka and Yanhe didn't join in; they were both the quieter sort.
Tianyi was busy shoveling rice into her mouth and had no interest in talking to anyone. And Yuto knew nothing about music, so he had little to add.
He simply stood behind the counter and watched the two girls talk.
At one point Hatsune mentioned the concert that afternoon, and it stirred up Kaori's curiosity and longing.
"I'd really love to hear you sing live someday." As a performer herself, how could she not want a stage of her own?
Hearing the longing in her voice, Hatsune smiled. "It's okay. There's always next time."
Kaori brightened. "Really?!"
"Of course. When the time comes, I can even save you a seat near the front, Miyazono-san."
That made the girl very happy!
Then her expression shifted, and after a moment her eyes lit up. "How about this? Next time I'll bring my violin, and my performance can be the exchange."
She didn't want to simply accept the invitation for free.
If she brought up ticket prices, Hatsune surely wouldn't take her money. But she still wanted to give something back—so she thought of offering her own playing instead.
Repaying music with music.
It was kinda a good idea!
"In that case, I'll really look forward to it," Hatsune said, looking a little surprised, which pleased Kaori.
"Then it's a promise! Tomorrow... no, tomorrow won't work. The day after, then. Kamisaka-kun, will the restaurant be open the night after tomorrow?" There was both hope and worry in her eyes.
Yuto smiled. "Don't worry. The restaurant opens every night."
That let the girl relax.
She really had been anxious about the timing. The reason she couldn't come tomorrow was that she had to go to...
The hospital.
"Good. Then it's settled. The night after tomorrow, here at the restaurant. I'll bring my violin, and you can listen too, Kamisaka-kun." Kaori crossed her arms and spoke with a touch of pride.
"All right. I'll look forward to it," Yuto said with a soft chuckle.
With that promise made, the girl got ready to leave with her parents.
"Kaori usually sleeps early, so we won't keep everyone any longer." After standing up, her mother gave the whole restaurant a graceful little nod, a faint smile still on her lips.
She really was a gentle person.
"By the way, how much do we owe for tonight?" her father asked.
Yuto shook his head. "Last time you taught me how to make canelé, Miyazono-san, and I never got to thank you for it. Tonight's dishes are nothing next to that."
The canelé he'd learned was a dessert he genuinely liked.
At the time, Kaori's father had said he was teaching it as thanks for carrying his daughter home.
But to Yuto, carrying Kaori back to the dessert shop had been a small thing—anyone raised properly would have done the same.
The canelé, on the other hand, was good enough to be a signature dessert.
It was worth far more than what he'd done.
"Didn't I already say it last time? You helped Kaori, so I taught you the canelé. That makes us even." Her father waved a hand, unconcerned.
But Yuto wouldn't back down, and in the end his insistence made the man smile. "All right, all right. You're stubborn in ways I didn't expect, Kamisaka-kun."
"It's not stubbornness. It just puts my mind at ease." Yuto smiled gently.
He could still tell the weight of a favor.
Taking advantage of things like that would cause trouble sooner or later; it was better to keep things square.
He wanted nothing else—only peace of mind.
"Hehe. Then, see you the day after tomorrow." Kaori said it with a playful smile.
"All right." Yuto nodded, and the girl turned toward the door with her parents.
But just before she stepped out, she suddenly turned back.
"Oh, right, Kamisaka-kun! I want to try the canelé you make, so remember to have some ready the day after tomorrow." She said it with a mischievous grin before her mother pulled her out of the restaurant.
Yuto shook his head.
Nothing to be done—a customer's request was a customer's request.
Canelé also needed a full day to cool on its own. The girl probably knew that, which was why she'd told him ahead of time.
He began planning it in his head. He wouldn't have much to do during the day tomorrow, so he could use the time to prepare the canelé then.