Tohka carefully scooped up a spoonful of vanilla ice cream and brought it to her mouth.
The cool, silky texture and rich milky fragrance instantly melted in her mouth, making her eyes light up. "Mmm! So sweet! Delicious!"
But when she followed Shido's suggestion and broke off a piece of soft kinako bread to put in her mouth, the true flavor storm arrived.
The rich, unique soybean aroma of the kinako powder, mixed with the sweetness of the flour and the perfect touch of oiliness, created a simple yet profoundly impactful deliciousness that instantly conquered her taste buds.
!!!
Tohka froze completely, her purple eyes wide open, as if she had seen a new world.
Her chewing became slow and reverent, and a blush of immense intoxication and happiness spread across her face.
"What exactly is this powder..."
She murmured to herself, her voice trembling slightly, her gaze becoming deep and "dangerous."
"This intense addictiveness... what a strange feeling..."
She suddenly lifted her head, looking at Shido with an unusually "serious" expression, as if stating a major discovery concerning the fate of the world.
"If we carelessly allow it to exist in this world, it could cause huge problems! People will surely suffer withdrawal symptoms and tremble uncontrollably, starting wars to fight over more... kinako powder!"
"Pfft— Cough, cough, cough!"
Shido, who was drinking water, immediately choked, looking helplessly at Tohka, who was earnestly proclaiming the "Kinako Powder Threat Theory," and quickly waved his hands.
"N-No, that won't happen! While it's delicious, it's not that extreme..."
Seeing Tohka completely immersed in the extreme happiness brought by the kinako bread, even to the point of worrying about the future of human society, Shido felt a surge of warmth and accomplishment alongside his helplessness.
To be able to make her display such a pure smile and experience such simple joy, it seemed... everything was worth it.
Koushi smugly curled his lips and nudged Hiroto beside him with his elbow: "Oh ho, did you hear that? 'Cause huge problems,''start wars'! See, that's real love! I won! You owe me two meals of spicy chicken pot, don't try to welch!"
Hiroto, looking disgruntled, lowered his voice in protest: "No way! You rascal! Didn't we say we were betting fifty cents earlier?! How did you suddenly hike the price up to two spicy chicken pots?!"
Koushi replied self-righteously: "The stakes escalate with the severity of the situation! Didn't you hear? It's about to trigger a world war! Two spicy chicken pots to quell a potential war—you're getting off cheap!"
"That's extortion!"
"That is the price of your lack of insight!"
The two became engrossed in their quiet argument, their gestures unconsciously growing larger, completely failing to notice that a "maid" emanating low pressure had quietly arrived at their table.
"Excuse me... gentlemen?"
Kotori still wore a professional smile, but her eyes had grown cold, and her voice carried an undeniable sense of pressure.
"If there is nothing else you require, might I ask you... to refrain from disturbing the other guests during their meal?"
(What Kotori meant was: You two are being too loud, get out immediately!)
"Ah!"
Tonomachi Hiroto looked up, finally saw the maid's full face, and cried out in surprise.
"Isn't this Shido's Sister Kotori?! What are you doing here? Are you working part-time?"
Kotori's heart skipped a beat, but she maintained her composure on the surface, responding with her pre-prepared excuse, sounding awkward yet polite:
"Y-Yes, that's right, Brother Hiroto. I've been helping out here on weekends recently..." (What Kotori meant was: Shut up and disappear right now!)
Koushi immediately acted up, pretending to have just recognized her, and dramatically clapped his hands once:
"Wow! It really is Kotori! I didn't notice before!"
He looked Kotori up and down in her maid outfit, whistled twice cheekily, and deliberately used an exaggerated tone:
"Sister Kotori's maid outfit looks great today! It really suits her!"
A small vein throbbed on Kotori's forehead, but she had to suppress it to avoid exposure.
She immediately crossed her arms, feigning the look of a poor girl being harassed, her eyes brimming with tears, her voice trembling with grievance:
"Brother Koushi... you pervert! Do you... do you have those kinds of thoughts about a middle schooler? That's terrifying..."
Her acting was truly Oscar-worthy.
Wow, Commander, your reaction speed is incredible!
Koushi immediately cooperated by raising his hands in surrender, looking "wronged":
"Just kidding! Sister Kotori, don't be mad, we're leaving now, leaving now!"
Hiroto also realized they might be disturbing Kotori's "work," and quickly stood up with an awkward laugh: "Right, right, we've finished eating, we're leaving now! Sister Kotori, good luck with work!"
Under Kotori's "kindly" gaze, Koushi and Hiroto quickly paid the bill (mostly for those two cups of plain water) and scurried out of the dessert shop.
As they walked out the door, they could still hear Kotori's sweet voice behind them saying to the other customers, "I apologize for the disturbance, everyone~"
Hiroto wiped away cold sweat: "Sister Kotori is quite scary when she gets angry..."
Koushi (He glanced back at Shido and Tohka enjoying themselves inside the shop, and at Kotori, who had returned to her "perfect maid" posture, and chuckled internally.)
"She is... However, the mission is halfway complete. The rest is up to Shido."
Inside the shop, after driving away the two "noise sources," Kotori secretly sighed in relief and continued playing her maid role, while simultaneously reporting the progress of the date to the Fraxinus via a hidden communicator.
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