Shido held the illustrated menu and tried his best to explain the dazzling array of desserts to Tohka:
"This is a strawberry parfait, with ice cream and cream on top, and fruit and cereal at the bottom..."
"This is a chocolate muffin, drizzled with chocolate sauce, served with a scoop of ice cream on the side..."
"This is a mango mousse, with a very smooth texture..." "This is..."
Tohka's amethyst-like eyes followed Shido's finger across the menu, and the light of anticipation in them gradually turned into confusion.
Too many unfamiliar names, too many pictures that all looked delicious, made her little head spin, completely unable to make a choice.
She tilted her head slightly, her brows furrowed, and she let out meaningless, confused "Hmm..." sounds.
Just as Shido was racking his brain trying to simplify his explanation, Tohka's ears twitched slightly.
Her hearing, far superior to ordinary people's, caught the sound of an argument, deliberately kept low but still clear, coming from a corner booth.
It was Koushi and Tonomachi Hiroto.
Koushi looked confident, lowering his voice and whispering to Hiroto next to him: "See! I told you! I bet you, this noble lady, looks simple, but deep down she definitely likes the purest, most unpretentious deliciousness! I bet fifty cents she'll definitely order kinako bread!"
Hiroto, on the other hand, strongly disagreed, also lowering his voice: "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Koushi, what kind of'straight man's aesthetic' is that! How could a lady with such outstanding temperament, like a princess, order such commoner's bread? She must like equally noble, exquisite, and beautiful ice cream desserts! Parfait! It must be parfait!"
"kinako bread! The simple is classic!"
"Ice cream parfait! Beauty is justice!"
The two men's whispers entered Tohka's ears like background noise.
Although she didn't quite understand what "straight man's aesthetic" or "beauty is justice" meant, the two options "kinako bread" and "ice cream" clearly imprinted themselves in her mind.
(kinako bread...? Ice cream...?)
(Those two... seem to be arguing about this?)
(Which one tastes better?)
Tohka's confusion seemed to find an outlet. She no longer looked at the complicated pictures but instead looked up, her eyes clear again, at Shido, and directly stated the options she had just overheard, which seemed to be causing the two men's argument:
"Shido, I want kinako bread, and also ice cream!"
Her tone carried a simple certainty, as if to say, "This way they won't have to argue."
"Huh?"
Shido was stunned, not expecting Tohka to suddenly and clearly point out these two items, and in such a... unique combination? kinako bread with ice cream?
"Uh... are you sure you want these two? They... aren't usually eaten together."
"Yes! I want these two!"
Tohka nodded vigorously, her eyes firm, as if defending an important decision... in the corner booth.
Koushi was ecstatic inside but feigned composure: "See! What did I tell you! kinako bread! She ordered it! I won!"
Hiroto protested, unconvinced: "But she also ordered ice cream! My option is in there too! At most, it's a draw!"
Koushi: "Hmph, the main dish is kinako bread! Ice cream is just a side dish! It's essentially still my victory!"
Hiroto: "You're just twisting words!"
The two once again fell into a low-intensity "scuffle" and argument over "who won."
And Shido, looking at Tohka's unquestionable expression, could only helplessly say to the approaching waiter:
"Um... please give me a kinako bread, and... a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Thank you."
He had no idea that Tohka's seemingly casual order was backed by the clash of two "wingmen's" beliefs, and her own simple desire to "settle the dispute."
The first step of this date—ordering food—was completed in such a peculiar atmosphere.
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