Chapter 47 - Local Idol Wants to Hang Out with a Free Person (part 4)
Walking through the streets filled with the fragrant and savory aroma of Chinese cuisine, Renkawa and I entered the restaurant we had reserved.
Upon entering the restaurant, we were immediately led to a private room, and Renkawa and I sat across from each other at the typical rotating table found in Chinese restaurants.
"Why go through the trouble of reserving a private room... Himahara-san, were you thinking of something naughty?"
"No way! I only reserved the private room as a precaution since you're an idol!"
"Oh, I see."
"However, you insisted that there was no need to disguise."
"Of course, and you thought that way too."
Initially, Renkawa sat on the opposite side, but suddenly stood up and moved to sit next to me.
"I decided on this after all."
"Hey, why?"
"No big deal. If you complain..."
Renkawa extended her smartphone towards me.
I looked at it with surprise, and the wallpaper on her home screen was a photo of us taken at the gate earlier.
"You... that's not fair."
"Don't worry. I'm not a demon either, and I'll only use this as a threat for today."
"The problem is..."
"We have unlimited time, right? So, let's eat and talk leisurely."
Renkawa flashed a mischievous smile, resembling a little devil.
Ah, this was the smile Renkawa had written about in yesterday's bulletin, known as the "Renkawa Smile" (in live performances).
Renkawa continued to place orders through the touchscreen while maintaining the conversation.
"Himahara-san, it seems you're used to dating, right? When you first took me fishing, I thought you were just a quiet otaku."
"Well, naturally any guy would think various things when going out with a girl. In this case, I wanted to go fishing and also visit Chinatown."
"Huh? Does that mean you're just using me?"
"At first, I felt annoyed because you were so forceful, so I thought that initially. But it turns out you're not just some cheap girl, and I found you quite entertaining, so now I hope you can enjoy yourself too."
" ...Eh, Himahara-san, you must be popular, right?"
"Huh? Of course not. I'm someone who has minimal interaction with others. Someone like me can't possibly be popular."
Mocking myself, I took a sip of water.
Being someone leading an unremarkable routine life, naturally, I wouldn't be appealing to anyone.
"Well, have you ever gone on a date with a girl?"
" ...Only once. However, due to various reasons, we broke up quickly."
"Wow, what kind of girl was she?"
"That... "
At that moment, our orders arrived.
Xiaolongbao, shark fin soup-drenched fried rice, and meat buns were placed on the table.
"Hey, you ordered too much at once."
"It's okay, I eat a lot."
As she said that, Renkawa uncovered the basket containing the xiaolongbao with shining eyes.
"I'll start eating. Wow, amazing, it's filled with meat broth..."
While savoring it, Renkawa ate with a good tempo, though not as fast as Sakurazaki.
"It really is delicious, Himahara-san! It's so different from frozen food."
Chewing on a meat bun, Koigawa said.
However, she seemed to be genuinely enjoying the food.
"I'll try some too."
"Go ahead, aah."
" ...No, I'll eat it myself."
Renkawa directed the chopsticks towards me.
"...Here."
"Himahara-san, open your mouth, aah."
Forced by Renkawa, I ate the xiaolongbao that was guided towards my mouth.
What an embarrassing feeling.
Watching this, Renkawa smiled contentedly.
"Hehe. You look like a baby since you can't eat on your own, Himahara-san."
"I really want to knock you out this time."
Meanwhile, it was indeed true that these xiaolongbao were far superior to those sold in stores. Not only were they juicy, but the amount of meat broth overflowing was incredible, and the flavor was outstanding.
"Next is the shark fin soup-drenched fried rice."
Renkawa handed me a spoonful of the shark fin soup-drenched fried rice.
She was truly excited.
The tender texture of the dough and the delectable taste of the shark fin soup, slow-cooked to perfection, was truly addictive.
With the unlimited all-you-can-eat service and a reservation cost of around 2000 yen, this place was truly great, wasn't it?
I wasn't swayed by Renkawa's playful behavior and genuinely savored the food.
Indeed, coming here was the right decision.
"Oh, this room has a TV too!"
Impressed, I noticed Renkawa finding a TV in the corner of the room and turning it on.
At this moment, a baseball game was being broadcasted on TV.
Certainly, there were likely many Yokohama fans here, so was the TV set up to watch baseball?
"Do you like baseball, Himahara-san?"
"Oh yeah. Since middle school, I've had a lot of free time, so I often went to watch baseball."
"I see. But which team do you support?"
"I'm a Dragons supporter. My aunt likes them."
"Really? My grandfather has been a Dragons supporter since forever!"
"Is that so? In the midst of the sea of G fans in Tokyo, who would've thought I'd meet a Dragons fan."
"It's amazing, right? Oh, how about we go watch a game together sometime?"
"No problem, how about a match between G and the Dragons?"
"Of course! I'm really excited!"
Renkawa looked enthusiastic.
Indeed, some people can change when talking about baseball, and it seems that local idol Renkawa Miyu is also one of them.
After that, we continued to enjoy Chinese dishes while chatting about baseball.
+×+×+×+
I settled the bill and headed outside to where Renkawa was waiting.
"Um, thank you for the meal."
"Oh no, don't worry, I was the one who reserved the table, so it's all good."
"Thanks... again."
Renkawa took hold of my arm and clung onto it tightly.
"Hey, why are you suddenly doing this? Let go."
"By the way... about the fishing bet, wasn't it agreed that the loser has to do whatever the winner says?"
"Ah... that."
Damn, I thought she had forgotten. Well, it can't be helped if she found out.
"...Hey, do you have something to ask of me?"
"Of course. It's a really nice request."
"What? What do you want from me?"
"Can I call you 'Kou-kun'?"
For Renkawa, this was quite an ordinary request.
"Ah, I thought you were going to ask for something more vulgar."
"Wha—what do you think of me?"
Renkawa pouted and continued to hit my arm with her hand.
"...Uh, is that it?"
"Oh, so that's how it is? Just that?"
Damn, if that's the case... alright.
Under the starry sky, amidst the nighttime Chinatown, Renkawa showed me her sincere smile.
Next Chapter Preview:
"Kou-kun! If you had won the fishing bet, what would you have asked me?"
"Uh, what could it be...?"
"Ah... maybe..."
"I want you to continue being good friends with Sakurazaki?"
"...Huh, sorry, but can you hit me once?"
"Huh?"
"Just do it quickly!"
Next: "The Suffering of Free Going Person."