SWNOVELXO Chapter 28 - Dining with Reina
…Hmm?
What on earth is going on?
Yesterday it was Morishima-san, and today I’m being invited to dinner by Matsuura, the section manager…
This… doesn’t make any sense.
Wait… hold on?
Today, something was off…
She was glaring at me…
A lecture, perhaps?… It’s possible.
She might be questioning why I’m even at the company…
Well… if that’s the case, the situation changes.
I must clear up any misunderstandings properly.
“Mi-, Mito-kun…? Is it… is it not good…?”
“No, there’s no problem. No matter what the reprimand, I’ll accept it graciously.”
“Eh…? Wha-…!?… What does that mean…?”
“For now, let’s move somewhere else. It’s quite troublesome here.”
“Hmm… I don’t mind being seen with Morishima-san, but I don’t want to be seen with you…”
“Huh?”
“But… yes, it could be troublesome… Okay! Let’s go!”
“Wai-…!? Where are we going…!?”
I quickly follow her, conscious of the people around us…
…This means I’ll have to leave my moped behind again today…
Later, we catch a taxi away from the company.
“So, is the same place as before okay?”
“The same place, right? But… you don’t have any money, do you?”
“Th-, that’s right… you found out. But don’t worry. The owner of that place sets reasonable prices. Besides, it’s okay once in a while, isn’t it? …Or maybe it’s not okay…?”
“No, if that’s the case. Matsuura Section Manager, you’re working hard every day.”
“That’s not it…”
“Huh?”
“Right now, it’s my personal time… as I said earlier…”
Huh? Something’s off… She’s pouting…
Is she sulking…? Or rather, it doesn’t feel like I’m about to be lectured?
So that means… she invited me out just like that…?
“I-, I see. Why did you invite me today, Reina-san?”
“Eh…? Do I need… a reason…?”
“N-, no. There’s no such thing.”
She’s still… giving me that intense upward glance…!
It’s practically… a weapon.
“Phew… I’m glad.”
As always, I can’t figure out what triggers her mood swings…
Well, but… the section manager told me too…
I should just go along with it… Yeah, let’s do that.
This is beyond my control… So, who am I trying to make excuses to…?
We arrive at the restaurant and enter.
“Oh? Welcome. You two are here today?”
“Yes, that’s right… is it still okay?”
“Of course. Please have a seat.”
We both sit side by side at the counter.
“What did you mean by ‘still’? What does ‘still’ mean…”
“This place, you see, is actually a café that mainly operates during the day. It’s in a residential area, right? It’s quite popular. As a result, it’s quiet at night… I’m sorry, Master.”
“No, no, don’t worry about it. I run this place at night for pleasure… Depending on my mood, I sometimes close early.”
“I see… So that’s why it’s like we’ve reserved the place.”
I thought it was strange because it was reserved again today.
Indeed… it’s dark now, but…
If it was during the day, it would look like a stylish café.
“Mito-kun, are you hungry?”
“Huh? Well, I’m somewhat…”
“Master, do you have that?”
“Hoho… I thought it was about time, so I kept it.”
“Thank you, Master!”
“Um…?”
“There’s something that Master makes depending on his mood, kind of a secret menu.”
“Oh… That’s lovely.”
Yeah, that kind of thing is nice…
My place didn’t have that kind of freedom, we could only make what my father had decided…
It’d be nice if we could adjust according to the customer’s preferences or depending on the mood of the day…
“Then, I’ll bring it over, so please wait a moment.”
He bowed gracefully and went into the kitchen…
He’s cool and calm… I wish I had been like that…
Then, he quickly came back.
“Here you go. I had it prepared. I thought you, Miss Reina, might come today, so I adjusted the flavor.”
“Wow…! I’m happy!”
How cute, seriously.
“But still… it looks delicious.”
“Let’s eat.”
“Let’s eat.”
“….Delicious…”
“Uu~! Delicious!”
“Hoho, thank you.”
What’s this? This deep flavor…
Obviously a red wine base… a Demi-glace sauce.
But… I feel a slight bitterness… which strikes a perfect balance.
“Is this beef stew… made with coffee?”
“Oh? …That’s an amazing sense. You guessed it right on the first try…”
“No, there was a hint. It’s a coffee shop, after all.”
“Mito-kun! You’re amazing! You can definitely be an advisor too! Master! You know! Ah—no, never mind… I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t worry about it. Master, I’m into Western food.”
“I see, that’s what it is. How was it?”
“It was really delicious. The deep taste of the fond de veau… the richness of the red wine base… the way the shin meat melts in your mouth…”
“Hoho, it seems you have a good palate.”
A bit… complicated.
After being forced to eat so much, or to cook so much…
That leads to… being an advisor?
After that, we finish eating and it’s time for some small talk.
“Mito-kun, you’re working hard, aren’t you?”
“Eh?”
“You seemed very motivated in the morning, and I think your guidance in the afternoon was good too.”
“Thank you. I had a change of heart…”
“…Is it because of… Morishima-san…?”
“Yes?”
“Yesterday, you had dinner with her… was it because of that?”
“No, it wasn’t. It’s because you, Reina-san, encouraged me.”
“Eh…? Is, is that so…?”
“Yes. You told me, didn’t you? That I’m a capable person… and that I should affirm myself… I was happy.”
“…Ehehe.”
“Reina-san?”
“So that’s it… Master! Can I have some alcohol! I’m in a good mood today! I’m going to drink~!”
“Eh!? What do you mean!?”
“Hoho… Well done. Mito-san, nice follow-up, eh?”
“Eh? What do you mean?”
“…Are you natural…? Reina-san seems to have a hard time… or perhaps, in a way, you two are a good match…”
“Um…?”
“Mito-kun! It’s my treat! Let’s drink!”
…I don’t really understand, but if she’s in a good mood, that’s good.
When I see Reina-san’s smile, I feel at ease…
Somehow… I can’t leave her alone… unexpectedly.