To achieve the original date objective of finding the limited edition flavor, Haruto and Ayaka decided to search in the other department store located in front of the station as well. However, they couldn’t find the target ice cream there either. “As expected, it’s quite hard to find.” Ayaka said this, but her expression didn’t look disappointed at all; rather, she seemed to be happy. Glancing at her state, Haruto also nodded. “Yeah.” Since a little while ago, the image of Ayaka clad in a daring outfit had been flashing back in his mind repeatedly. And each time, he felt embarrassed and couldn’t look her straight in the eye. As if to shake off the figure of Ayaka, who was too attractive and flickering in his vision, Haruto stared intently at the general store nearby. Then, following Haruto’s gaze, Ayaka also looked at the general store, tilted her head, and asked, “Haruto-kun, are you interested in that general store?” “Huh? Oh, yeah. Stores like that have all sorts of things, so you just end up wanting to wander in.” Haruto couldn’t possibly say, ‘I was just looking to forget your stimulating appearance,’ so he blurted out something plausible on the spur of the moment. “I know how you feel. When there’s a general store with cute dishes lined up, I stop by even if I don’t plan to buy anything.” Haruto unintentionally gained Ayaka’s sympathy. He smiled and replied with an agreement, “Right?” “Want to take a look?” “Let’s do that.” Although it wasn’t planned, there was no particular reason to refuse, so Haruto went inside the store with Ayaka. The general store they entered had various goods lined up, including character merchandise, smartphone accessories, party supplies, and even cosplay costumes. Ayaka looked around with a joyful expression. “Hey, Haruto-kun. If a boyfriend wore this T-shirt, he’d be the worst, right?” Saying that, she showed him a T-shirt with “I Want To Be Your Sugar Baby” printed on it.
“Certainly. But isn’t something like this also bad?” Saying that, Haruto also picked up a T-shirt. On that T-shirt, the words “I’m always watching you. You are my everything. I can’t live without you” were printed in a font often used for horror movie titles. “Wow, that’s a bit scary, isn’t it? …Haruto-kun, are you going to wear that?” “As expected, I wouldn’t want to walk around town wearing this.” Walking next to an eye-catching beautiful girl like Ayaka while wearing a T-shirt printed with yandere lines could potentially lead to being reported in the worst-case scenario, Haruto thought with a wry smile as he shook his head. “Oh, okay. I kind of wanted to see Haruto-kun wearing that T-shirt just a little bit, though.” Saying things like that, Ayaka continued looking around the store. Haruto followed her and also looked at various things. A wide range of products were crammed together, from trendy character badges and fan goods like uchiwa fans for attaching idol photos, to household items usable as room decor like small lights. Walking while looking at such product shelves, Haruto picked up a super spicy cup noodle placed in the party supplies corner and showed a wry smile. “Being placed in the party goods section means it’s totally for punishment games, huh?” As he was muttering this, his shoulder was suddenly tapped. “Haruto-kun…” Called by Ayaka in a slightly reserved voice, Haruto lifted his gaze from the super spicy cup noodle and turned towards her. And simultaneously, he froze. “Huh?!” Ayaka blushed shyly at Haruto, who widened his eyes in shock. “How… is it?” Near the top of her head, where she was asking this, two fluffy ears were attached. “It’s not… strange?” Haruto, who had been caught off guard by seeing Ayaka in animal ears, replied in polite Japanese while standing rooted to the spot. “Yeah… It’s very, cute…” Then Ayaka let out a happy “Hehe” and smiled, brought both hands in front of her chest, lightly clasped her fists, and tilted her head slightly. “…Nyaa.”
At the word spoken with a combination of shyness and calculated cuteness, aimed precisely with her captivating upward gaze, Haruto’s heart gave a strange leap, thump. Until now, he hadn’t quite understood the appeal of animal ears. Was it really that cute just having animal ears on a girl’s head? He had even doubted it. However, at this very moment, Haruto understood. It wasn’t about logic. A beautiful girl with animal ears, her very existence was precious. That was an eternal truth that had continued since ancient times. The sheer radiance of Ayaka in animal ears made Haruto involuntarily avert his gaze. His averted gaze landed on the animal ear headband she was currently wearing, displayed on the shelf. Seeing that, Haruto noticed something and hesitantly told Ayaka, “Um… the ears Ayaka’s wearing right now… they seem to be… fox, not cat?” “Huh?!” Ayaka, who was hesitantly pointed out, hurriedly checked the product shelf. Just as Haruto said, the shelf clearly stated ‘Fox Ear Headband’. “Ah, I, I made a mistake!” Ayaka, who had completely misunderstood and even imitated a cat’s meow, became flustered and panicked out of embarrassment. Even that appearance looked adorable in Haruto’s eyes. The guy who first thought of putting animal ears on a girl is too much of a genius, isn’t he? Haruto felt respect and awe towards the great person who first brought the beautiful girl with animal ears into this world. At the same time, he had an irresistible urge to touch the fox ears growing from Ayaka’s head. He felt nothing towards the headbands displayed on the shelf. But the moment they were attached to Ayaka’s head, an overwhelming urge to pet the fluffy ears surged over him. Haruto desperately suppressed that urge. Just then, Ayaka, who had regained a little composure, launched a surprising follow-up attack. “I, if it’s a fox, it’s not nyaa… but…” Bringing her hands in front of her chest like she did for the cat pose earlier, she again lightly clasped her fists and tilted her head slightly. “…Konkon… maybe?” Ayaka, radiating a powerful cuteness that could even be felt as a physical mass. Haruto couldn’t reply, only thinking to himself. I wonder if she’ll put on the tail placed next to the headband, too. ※※※
Having been shown the charm of a girl with animal ears, Haruto asked Ayaka as they left the general store, “It’s almost noon, how about we go get something to eat?” “Oh, is it that time already? It feels like time just flies by when I’m with Haruto-kun.” “…” Haruto couldn’t help but turn his face away from Ayaka, who said that with a pure smile, and covered his mouth with one hand to hide his grinning lips. “Ahem… Alright then, going to eat lunch is okay?” Haruto cleared his throat, trying to somehow disguise his smirking face. “Yeah. Where should we go for lunch? What do you want to eat, Harutokun?” Without mentioning Haruto’s unnatural cough, Ayaka tilted her head and looked up at him slightly as she asked. Her gesture and the distance were so adorable that Haruto’s expression almost softened again. “…Um, actually, I have a reservation for a lunch place, would that be okay?” “Huh?! You made a reservation for lunch?” “Yeah, well… this is a date, after all, so I thought doing something like that would make it seem more real.” Haruto, looking a bit shy, shifted his gaze slightly away from Ayaka and said, “Well, it’s just practice though…” while scratching the back of his head with one hand as if to hide his embarrassment. Ayaka, who had not expected Haruto to have made a lunch reservation at all, widened her round eyes as much as possible in surprise and joy. “Amazing! What kind of place did you reserve?” “That’s something to look forward to when we get there.” Ayaka’s eyes sparkled with anticipation at Haruto’s evasive answer. Unable to contain her happiness, the shape of her mouth remained slightly relaxed in a smile. Seeing her reaction, a slight tension welled up in Haruto. He had kept the restaurant a secret to create a little surprise, but thinking about what if the restaurant wasn’t to Ayaka’s liking made Haruto’s stomach ache a little. Feeling that the bar for the restaurant had been raised, Haruto, pretending to be calm to not let his inner impatience show, subtly set a preventative line. “Um… I should say this first, but it’s not a fancy restaurant, okay? It’s a place normal high school students can go to.”
“Hehehe, I’m really looking forward to it! Thank you for making a reservation, I’m happy!” “Y-yeah. Alright then, let’s go.” Haruto, thinking that if he kept watching Ayaka’s happy smile any longer his sanity might collapse, hurriedly looked forward and started walking towards their destination. Ayaka, walking next to him, was in quite high spirits, and probably unconsciously humming a little “Humph humph”, walking with what literally seemed like bouncy steps, not losing to the midsummer sun. On the way to the restaurant Haruto had reserved, Ayaka wore a bright smile that didn’t lose to the midsummer sun. Even though she was already a beautiful girl who attracted attention, she was radiating such a charming smile that everyone passing by glanced at Ayaka once or twice. And towards Haruto, who was walking beside her, glances filled with envy, jealousy, and curiosity were directed. Normally, he might have been worn down by those stares. However, the current Haruto had no room to worry about such things. What occupied his mind now was solely whether Ayaka would like the restaurant he had reserved. The two, Ayaka smiling happily and Haruto with a hint of tension, continued to walk while attracting the gazes of passersby, and eventually arrived in front of a certain store. The store had green houseplants decorating the entrance area and also had terrace seating. Haruto stopped in front of the entrance of the store, which gave off a calm and stylish atmosphere. “This is the place I reserved.” “Wow! It looks like a nice place! Is this… a pancake house?” “Yes, I heard the pancakes here are really delicious… I hope pancakes are okay for lunch?” “Yes! I love pancakes!” Haruto’s tension eased a little at Ayaka’s happy smile. Reassured that the initial impression of the store was positive, he led Ayaka’s hand and entered the store with a sigh of relief. As expected for a place known for being delicious, the store was packed with customers, but since they had a reservation, the two were smoothly guided to their table. “The interior is really stylish too!” “Yeah. It sort of feels like being inside a forest, doesn’t it?” “It does.” Haruto and Ayaka exchanged such words while sitting down on the wooden chairs. The interior of the store was like a log house, with walls built of logs and thick log beams spanning the high ceiling. Furthermore, houseplants were decorated in many places, creating an interior much like a log cabin in a forest.
“But this kind of atmosphere is calming, isn’t it?” “Seems like there would be a lot of negative ions.” Haruto replied while stroking the wooden table at Ayaka’s words. Just as he was feeling cozy from the warmth and softness of the wood transmitted through his hand, a waiter brought water and menus. “Here is your water and menus. Please call us when you are ready to order. Excuse me.” Ayaka also gave a small bow in return to the waiter who left after a polite bow, and immediately reached out for the menu and opened it. “Waha~! Everything looks so delicious!” It seemed true that she loved pancakes, as Ayaka’s eyes sparkled. Her gaze busily wandered over the menu. “Ugh… I can’t decide… Haruto-kun, have you decided yet?” “I think I’ll go with this matcha pancake?” “Hmmmm, so Haruto-kun is having that one…” Ayaka groaned and pondered. She glared at the menu with an earnest gaze as if making a major life decision. Seeing her state, Haruto couldn’t help but let out a chuckle, “Hehe.” “Which one are you considering, Ayaka?” “I’m considering all of them… but…” “All of them…” “But, um… If I have to narrow it down, it would be either this one or this one?” Saying that, Ayaka pointed to two options. One was a simple yet classic pancake with butter and maple syrup. The other was a pancake topped with strawberries, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, etc., which looked perfect for photos. “Which one should I choose… Both are hard to give up…” Ayaka looked back at the photos of the two pancakes repeatedly, as if trying to stare a hole through them. “Then, how about we do this? I’ll order the butter and maple syrup one, and Ayaka, you order the photogenic pancake. Then, we can share half of each other’s. How does that sound?” “Huh? But then Haruto-kun wouldn’t be able to eat the matcha one.” “I was also curious about this simple one, so it’s perfectly fine.” “…Really? Is it okay?” Haruto’s expression softened as he nodded at her cuteness when she asked with a slight upward gaze.
“It’s okay.” “Yay! Then let’s do that! Is it okay to order?” “Yeah.” Ayaka showed a slightly playful demeanor out of sheer happiness. Seeing her like that, Haruto felt a resemblance to Ryota somewhere and watched with admiration, thinking, ‘They really are siblings.’ Just then, Ayaka, who had finished ordering, turned her face towards Haruto with a smile. “Haruto-kun, you’re kind.” “No, no, I’m normal.” “That’s not true. Haruto-kun is really, really kind.” Haruto replied in a slightly teasing tone to Ayaka, who asserted this with emphasis. “Well, after seeing that expression like a painful decision. I couldn’t bring myself to say something cruel like giving up one of them.” “Th-that’s… I think it’s Haruto-kun’s fault for bringing me to such a charming place!” “Eh, that’s a bit of a jump.” “It’s not a jump. It’s Haruto-kun’s fault.” As if to counter Haruto’s teasing, Ayaka pouted her lips and insisted it was his fault. Haruto couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter at her expression. Then, Ayaka was drawn in and started laughing with him. “Ahahahahaha.” “Fufufufufu.” The two laughed together in a very enjoyable way, maintaining that atmosphere while exchanging words like, “I’m looking forward to the pancakes,” and “Me too,” as they waited for their order to arrive. Eventually, two freshly made pancakes were brought to them. Immediately, Ayaka’s excitement reached its peak. “Wow! They look so delicious!” “Yeah, they smell really good too.” Facing the two pancakes side by side, Ayaka took out her smartphone and launched the camera app. “Haruto-kun, can I take a picture?” “Sure.” Haruto smoothly moved the plate to make it easier for Ayaka to take photos. She said “Thank you” and took pictures of the pancakes from multiple angles. “Hehe, I’ll brag to Saki about it later.”
Seeing Ayaka’s very happy smile, Haruto picked up his knife and fork and said, “Alright then, let’s eat.” “Okay! Let’s eat!” After putting his hands together in greeting, Haruto immediately cut off a bite-sized piece of pancake and brought it to his mouth. The fluffy, thick pancake had a soft texture just as it looked, and the rich richness of the butter and the natural sweetness of the maple syrup spread throughout his mouth. “Yeah, it’s delicious.” Haruto quietly let out his impression while his mouth relaxed into a smile. In contrast, Ayaka stuffed a piece of pancake topped with strawberries, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce into her mouth and was in ecstasy. “Mmm~!” Ayaka burst with joy at the delicious pancake, her body even shaking slightly. “Haruto-kun! This is really delicious!” “Right? It’s delicious, isn’t it?” The two continued to eat their pancakes, exchanging smiles. And when they had eaten about halfway, Haruto tried to pass his pancake to Ayaka. But Ayaka didn’t take it; instead, she nonchalantly cut off a bite-sized piece of her pancake, took it with her fork, and brought it directly to Haruto’s mouth.
Here, Haruto-kun.” “…Huh?” Haruto let out a confused voice at Ayaka, who suddenly attempted the “Ahn” gesture. “We’re sharing half and half, right? I’ve finished half too, so I’ll feed you the rest.” “No… I can eat it myself──” “This is also practice for being a couple, you know? Look, look at the couple over there.” At her words, Haruto looked where Ayaka was gazing, and there, a couple who seemed very close were feeding each other pancakes. “Close couples eat like that, you know?” “…” Having witnessed a real couple doing the “Ahn” gesture right in front of him, Haruto couldn’t say anything back. “Here, Haruto-kun. Say ‘Ahn’.” Ayaka relentlessly thrust the pancake towards Haruto’s mouth with a dazzling, beaming smile. Haruto glanced around at the other customers for a brief moment, then leaned forward slightly and took the pancake from Ayaka with a bite. “Hehe, delicious?” “…It’s very sweet.” The pancake he chewed was sweeter than anything he had ever tasted. Was it due to the whipped cream, or the chocolate sauce? Or was it an illusion caused by having her feed him? In any case, Haruto’s mouth was the sweetest it had ever been in his life. “Haruto-kun, I want to try your pancake too.” “Oh, yeah. Okay.” Haruto, slightly flustered, cut off a bite-sized piece of his pancake for Ayaka who was asking for it. Then Haruto glanced at Ayaka’s expression. She was looking intently at the pancake Haruto had cut, her face full of anticipation. Haruto let out a small sigh, barely audible to Ayaka. He took the cut pancake with his fork and brought it to Ayaka’s mouth. “Here, Ayaka.” “Thank you.” Saying thanks, Ayaka then took a bite of Haruto’s pancake. “Uhuhu, it’s sweet and delicious.”
Ayaka said happily, showing Haruto a relaxed smile. Her cheeks were faintly flushed red. A feeling of gratitude welled up in Haruto towards Ayaka, who was practicing being a couple with him despite feeling shy. “Here, Haruto-kun, Ahn~” Seeing Ayaka offering him the pancake with a look of enjoyment, Haruto’s expression naturally became brighter and more relaxed. Afterwards, having finished the sweet-tasting pancakes, Haruto and Ayaka leisurely enjoyed their post-meal drinks. “The pancakes were delicious.” Ayaka smiled, holding the cup of tea with both hands wrapped around it. “It was a taste that makes sense why this place is popular.” Haruto agreed with her words, drinking his coffee without sugar or milk. The coffee’s unique aroma and bitterness calmed his mind. “Oh, right. There’s something I want to ask you, or rather, something I’d like to ask of you, Ayaka.” “Hmm? What is it?” Ayaka, who had been sipping her tea little by little, looked up at Haruto’s words. “Um… on the next day I’m off from house-keeping, are you okay with meeting my grandmother?” “Is your next day off the day after tomorrow?” “Yeah. Actually, this morning, my grandmother seemed to want to meet you…” His grandmother hadn’t explicitly said she wanted to meet her. However, Haruto, being her family, somewhat sensed her feelings. At Haruto’s request to meet his grandmother, Ayaka clenched her fists tightly. “Yes! My schedule is free, so it’s fine! It’s time to show the results of all our boyfriend-girlfriend practice!” Haruto felt a slight unease at Ayaka, who was full of motivation. The boyfriend-girlfriend practice they had been doing so far. Ayaka, who had no romantic experience, was worried about their lie being exposed to Haruto’s grandmother. So, she had suggested practicing acting like a natural couple. Remembering the details of that practice, Haruto unconsciously took a sip of coffee. Practicing saying ‘I love you’ without embarrassment. Practicing giving lap pillows and stroking heads. And couple yoga. Probably, if she were to unleash the full extent of their practice so far, his grandmother would likely say something like, “Won’t you marry into our family, dear?” Even just being in a situation where she was pretending to be his girlfriend
made his heart ache with guilt, and if she were to say something like that on top of it, Haruto wouldn’t be able to look Ayaka in the face properly. “Um, I told my grandmother that we just started dating, so, um… if there’s too much physical contact, it might seem a little unnatural…” “Is… that so?” At Haruto’s words, Ayaka tilted her head slightly. Haruto felt that her standard for what a normal couple does was based on fiction. As he recalled the lineup of books on the bookshelf in Ayaka’s room, she suddenly looked at him with a serious gaze. “Hey, Haruto-kun.” “Yes, what is it?” “I might have asked before… but what kind of person is your ideal girlfriend?” In Ayaka’s eyes, which were asking this, a hint of anxiety was mixed. “We’ve been practicing being a couple, but… I think I might have been a little too excited…? Maybe Haruto-kun didn’t like it?” Her voice tone gradually dropped as she became more unsure of herself. Haruto felt guilty for making Ayaka anxious. “…I didn’t, dislike it. I didn’t dislike it at all.” “Really?” “Yeah, really.” Even though Haruto said that, Ayaka’s anxiety didn’t seem to have completely disappeared, and her eyes, looking at him, were slightly wavering. Haruto smiled softly, trying to reassure Ayaka with a gentle expression. “About my ideal girlfriend, as I said before, I like girls with cute smiles. Also, girls who look happy when they eat delicious things, and girls who walk excitedly and happily beside me, they are all ideal girlfriends to me.” “I-is that so…” Ayaka’s cheeks flushed quickly and she looked down at Haruto’s words, spoken with a soft smile but a serious tone. “So, I can confidently introduce Ayaka to my grandmother as the best girlfriend.” “…O-okay…” Ayaka nodded slightly, still looking down. Seeing her like that, Haruto’s expression suddenly changed, and he hurriedly added. “Of course, assuming that Ayaka isn’t my real girlfriend, and is just pretending to be, though.”
“Ah… okay. Y-yeah, that’s right.” Ayaka showed a complicated expression that seemed happy yet regretful, then declared to Haruto as if she had made up her mind. “I’ll work harder!” “Huh? No, as I just said, Ayaka is already sufficiently an ideal girlfriend, you don’t have to work that hard…” “No. I have to work harder. This is for my own sake too.” Ayaka said, shaking her head. Haruto felt an unusual resolve from her. “Thank you. Sorry, for being so serious about my lie.” Saying that, Haruto bowed his head to Ayaka. Ayaka, in contrast, muttered in a small voice that he couldn’t hear, as if telling herself, “I’ll definitely make sure I don’t get told ‘sorry’.” “Hmm? Did you say something?” “No, don’t worry about it.” Ayaka smiled broadly and quickly drank the remaining tea. “Haruto-kun. Let’s go continue the ice cream search!” Standing up, Ayaka said, reaching out her hand to Haruto. At her words, Haruto also finished his remaining coffee and stood up. The two held hands again and went out into the midsummer sun to continue their search for the limited edition ice cream. ※※※ The sun, which had been relentlessly beating down with strong white sunlight from above, had significantly lowered by the time they noticed, dyeing the entire surroundings in a vibrant red sunset. “Couldn’t find it at all, huh?” “Maybe it’s not even in supermarkets anymore.” The two walked slowly side by side along the riverbank dyed in the sunset. There was a hint of resignation in their conversation. That being said, there was no hint of sadness in their expressions at all. After eating pancakes, they continued searching for ice cream, but in between, they stopped by an arcade to play games, went window shopping in the shopping district, and ate crepes from a food truck operating in the park. Although they couldn’t find their target ice cream, they were able to fully enjoy the date instead. “We couldn’t find the ice cream, but the whole day was so much fun!” Compared to the beginning, the two were able to naturally hold hands like a couple. Ayaka squeezed Haruto’s hand tightly and said with a smile that
was about to overflow. “Yeah. Well, it would have been perfect if we could have found the ice cream too, but…” Haruto replied, looking up at the red-dyed sky. It was about time to start heading back, or he would be late dropping Ayaka off at home. If that happened, Shuichi and Ikue would worry. Haruto started thinking about heading home. Just then, a small shop caught his eye. A small, modest shop that seemed like local children would gather at to buy cheap sweets. Pointing to it, Haruto said to Ayaka, “Want to check out that store last?” “Yeah, sure.” Ayaka, who nodded at Haruto’s words, tilted her head playfully and said, “I wonder if they have the ice cream?” Since it was evening, the inside of the shop felt a little dark, and there were no customers other than Haruto and Ayaka. In the back of the store, next to the register, an old woman was sitting alone and called out “Welcome” to Haruto and Ayaka as they entered. Haruto felt a sense of nostalgia among the cheap sweets crammed into the small store. “I used to come to shops like this a lot when I was little.” “Me too. Whenever Mom gave me allowance, I always had trouble deciding which sweets to buy.” “With the financial power I have from my part-time job now, I can be invincible.” Haruto quickly scanned the sweets on display and showed a fearless smile. When he was a child, he used to clench coins in his hand and ponder carefully which sweets to buy. However, for the current Haruto, who earned income from a part-time job, cheap sweets costing a few tens of yen could be bought with immediate decisions. Buying by the box wasn’t just a dream. As if sensing his thoughts, Ayaka smiled wryly and warned him, “You shouldn’t waste money.” “But somehow, I felt like these shops were spacious when I was little, but coming back now that I’m older, they feel a little cramped.” “Yeah, that’s true. It means we’ve gotten older… Speaking of which, this is starting to sound like a really old-person conversation.” “Even though we’re still just high school students.” Saying that, Haruto and Ayaka laughed together. “Oh, Ayaka. They’re selling ice cream here.” “Really? Do you think they have the ice cream we’re looking for?” “Hmm, they don’t seem to have many varieties… Oh!”
The small freezer placed in the corner of the store was a small one, and Haruto had peered inside without much expectation. Immediately after, he let out a voice of surprise. At his voice, Ayaka also hurried over. “Huh?! Did you actually find it?!” Ayaka came right next to Haruto and peered into the freezer with him. The moment she saw it, she let out a cry of joy. “No way!! It’s here! It’s here, Haruto-kun!” In front of their eyes, the limited edition ice cream they had been searching for was placed there, only one. The moment she saw it, Ayaka jumped up and down slightly in place out of pure joy. “I can’t believe we found it in a place like this.” Haruto was also surprised but had a smile on his face. They had searched all over town all day and couldn’t find it, and had almost given up. That’s why the joy of finally finding it was bigger than he himself had expected. “Haruto-kun! We have to buy it quickly!” “Yeah, you’re right.” Even though there were no other customers besides them, Ayaka said this to Haruto with a slight sense of urgency. Haruto felt the same way, so he quickly reached out and secured the target ice cream. Then, he hurried to the old woman at the register and paid for it. Afterwards, they left the store with the old woman’s “Thank you” behind them. “Where should we eat it?” Having left the store, Haruto said, looking around. “How about this bench?” Ayaka next to him pointed to the old bench placed in front of the store. “Okay. Then, let’s eat it there.” Nodding at Ayaka’s words, the two sat down on the bench where some paint was peeled off and rust was showing. Above their heads, a wind chime hanging from the eaves swayed in the evening breeze, playing a cool, clear sound. “The long-awaited ice cream is right in front of me…” Ayaka gazed at the limited edition ice cream they had been searching for with an emotional expression. “We can finally eat it.” “Yeah!” The limited edition ice cream that was all the buzz for being delicious, which she had reluctantly sacrificed to go shopping with Haruto once before. Ayaka received it from Haruto. This summer’s limited edition Apple
Pie flavor of high-end cup ice cream. Ayaka happily took off the lid of the cup ice cream, feeling that she could finally eat it. Then, she scooped the surface with a plastic spoon and brought it to her mouth. “Mmm~!” Ayaka reacted similarly to when she ate the pancakes at lunchtime. Haruto also smiled enjoyably at her sight of eating with such delight. “How is it? Is it delicious?” “It’s super delicious!” Ayaka, replying with a radiant smile, scooped up more ice cream with the spoon and brought it to Haruto’s mouth. “I’ve already had it once before, so Ayaka, you can eat it.” “Things this delicious taste even better when you share them, you know?” “Is that so? Really?” “Yeah, believe me?” Ayaka smiled and brought the ice cream closer to Haruto’s mouth. After glancing at her happy expression, he took the ice cream into his mouth. “See? It’s delicious, right?” “…It tastes sweeter than when I ate it before.” Haruto had thought he had built up considerable tolerance to Ayaka’s “Ahn” during the lunch pancakes and had gotten used to it, but perhaps the concept of getting used to this didn’t exist. He thought so as he gazed at the ice cream being brought to his mouth by Ayaka again, finding it several times more delicious and sweeter than when he had eaten it before.
Agregar un comentario