CH 29

Chapter 29

Lunch at the Bar

After being joined by Jun, the four of us were walking towards the station.

「Is there anything you guys want to eat?」

I ask everyone.

「I don’t want anything that’s hard on the stomach.」

Says Jun, with an athletic club-like demand.

「I’m fine with anything.」

「Me too… There isn’t anything I want in particular.」

Yuna and Fumika respond.

「Well then, is it fine if we go to the store I want to go to?」

「… Alice, can you tell us where you want to eat?」

「It’s a shop that serves bowls of cooked rice topped with grilled chicken, sauce and fried eggs, what do you think?」

The shop was a pub that was made into a restaurant during the day, it was a place I had gone to several times after I found it.

『Alice, you know… You shouldn’t suggest the same type of places that you would go to when you were a man.』

Yuna says this to me using telepathy.

Hmm… It would feel strange for a bunch of high school girls to go there.

「… Should we go to a family restaurant?」

A safe alternative proposal is given.

「A chicken rice bowl sounds delicious… I want it!」

Says Jun. It seems that my suggestions suits her taste.

「I’m also interested in it. I want to go to the place Alice recommends.」

Fumika also gives a surprising reply.

「… It can’t be helped, I’m also good to go there.」

Yuna answers with a sigh while looking like she gave up.

The store is a three minute walk from the station, it’s located on a side street directly off the main road.

The store looked like a slightly disordered from the outside, it featured a sign with a grilled chicken on it along with a poster stating that their special was a chicken rice bowl, beside that was a triangular sign board with the lunch menu written on it. A dark blue shop curtain hung at the entrance.

「Alice’s recommended shop is here…?」

For some reason it seems like two people are shocked. The one other person seemed to be looking at it with high expectations.

『Alice, you idiot, what are you thinking!? By all standards, this is not a place that a high school girl should go to!』

Yuna puts as much power as possible into her statement.

「Y, you know, let’s just go to a family restaurant… okay?」

Yuna recommends that while looking at Fumika’s expression.

Fumika glanced at my face, then strongly clenched her hands.

「I, I’m okay… Let’s eat here!」

「I like this place!」

There isn’t really any reason for Yuna to refuse if the other two say it’s fine, after all, it was decided by majority vote.

… I’m sorry.

As I duck under the shop curtain and open the sliding glass door it makes a rattling sound.

「Welcome-!」

Even after a year the voice of the owner hasn’t changed.

「Excuse me, do you have room for four people?」

「Please go to the inner part of the room-!」

We make our way from the entrance to the interior of the shop.  Though there were a couple of guests at the counter and at the table seats that looked at us, no one said anything.

We took off our shoes and placed them on a rack next to the booth we were sitting in. We then all enter the booth and take a seat.

Shortly after, the waiter brought a warm towel as he came to take our order.

「It’s unusual for girls like you to come to our shop, what would you like to order?」

「The chicken rice bowl! With a large helping of rice!」

Jun shrewdly answers without checking the lunch menu.

Well, I did explain the menu beforehand.

「I’ll have a small chicken rice bowl.」

Though before I would have asked for a large helping, I have become very accustomed to the amount this body can handle, so a small bowl should be enough.

「The chicken rice bowl, normal size please.」

「I’ll also have that!」

After the waiter finishes taking our order, the owner starts cooking it at the counter.

「The chicken is being grilled on an iron plate… This is my first time seeing it made like that.」

Yuna muttered while looking with interest at the cooking method.

「It’s the style of cooking that is used in the countryside. I like it because it has a different flavor than a charcoal grill. In the past, even though I ate the chicken rice bowl daily, it was always exquisite…」

「By the way, how did you learn about this shop, Alice? … You surely didn’t just come here by yourself, right?」

I’m at a loss for words at Fumika’s question.

Yuna gave me a 「What are you going to do, I don’t know」look with her eyes.

「… Th, that… I came here with a friend.」

I answer while stuttering.

「By any chance, is that friend a man… I wonder?」

The gaze of my two friends is like that of a carnivore that found its prey.

「Th, that’s right, but… It’s just a friend, so…」

「I see, I see-」

… Ah, this is useless. These guys, they’ve completely misunderstood me.

『What should I do, Yuna?』

『About this misunderstanding? Just say that you came here with Sounii. Since they don’t know the person in question, there won’t be any real harm if you tell them that. In addition, they’ll only think I’m trying to cover for you if I say anything now.』

(TN: This is a terrible idea that will definitely go wrong.)

『That, is that so…』

「So, what does Alice really think about that friend?」

「Even if you ask me that, still, we haven’t even talked that much…」

Before digging myself into a deeper hole, I mention that it was just an acquaintance. I’m not lying, the only time I talked with Souta as Alice was at the funeral.

「HouHou…. Well then, what about in the future!」

「This, it seems I got to hear a very interesting story.」

Jun and Fumika are the ones who are making it into something interesting, mou! (TN: “mou” is used a lot in this chapter, it is basically an expression of discontent over what is being said/done when used in this context. Somewhat similar to how geez/ugh in English, but not exactly, so I decided to just leave it as is..)

「That’s enough. The chicken rice bowls are here, this story is over.」

As I force them to drop the topic, the waiter brings our orders to the table.

The savory smell of the chicken sauce really whets my appetite

With everyone saying 「itadakimasu」 we start eating.

It was a simple seasoning of only chicken sauce, but it was still delicious.

「… This is delicious.」

「It’s very good with the rice!」

「Hohiii (Delicious)!」

『As expected of something recommended by Ikuto-san! It’s so tasty that I can’t help but feel happy.』

It seems like everyone liked it, the sound of spoons intently moving can be heard as the food is quickly eaten.

When everyone finishes eating, while drinking water and taking a break, a new customer entered the store.

「Welcome-」

When I looked to the entrance at the waiters voice, there was a school boy wearing the uniform of Hirayama high school.

He sat down at a counter seat and ordered a large chicken rice bowl, then looked around at the other people in the store.

「Geh…」

The other party noticed me at the same time and becomes stiff.

「White and Yuna…? Why are you here…」

The person sitting there was Souta, my childhood friend — The same person we just talked about.

As Alice, we fought during our first meeting at my funeral, it wasn’t a very good impression.

… That’s why, he’s calling me White.

「Alice.」

「… Heh?」

「That’s my name. Call me it properly, Souta.」

「Eh, ahh, I’m sorry… Alice, was it…」

「That’s it. It’s just a coincidence that we’re here… In addition, mou, we just finished eating and were about to leave.」

「O, okay…」

「Also, I became your junior today… Best regards, senpai.」

「… You, you were a high school student?」

「In any case, even if you don’t see me as a high school student, I am one.」

「I’m sorry if I offended you.」

「It’s fine, I’ll hit my growth spurt soon and become taller than you.」

「That, isn’t that impossible?」

Souta responds with a bitter smile.

Even in the past Souta was taller than me…

「Well then, we should go… Everyone, are you all ready?」

When I looked back to confirm, all 3 nodded.

「Well then, waiter, check please.」

「Yes~.」

We pay for our meal and leave the shop.

Now, it’s time for the sweets.