Chapter 69: The Senpai Who Sends Assists
The lunch spot was directly decided by Machida Sonoko to be Jojoen, fulfilling Eriri's unfulfilled wish from a previous gathering she couldn't attend.
Utaha was also very surprised. After sitting down in the restaurant, she said, "Why are you so generous today?"
"You can't say that, Utaha-chan. When have I ever been stingy?"
Machida Sonoko, holding the menu, gave Utaha a displeased look, then told the waiter beside her, "Beef tongue, this wagyu, and this, and this..."
She ordered a large number of dishes at once, many of them expensive cuts of meat, showing that Machida Sonoko really wanted to celebrate properly.
She originally wanted to order alcohol, but only Machida Sonoko among the four could drink, and she had to drive in the afternoon, so she had to give up on the idea.
Sipping the juice that was brought to them, Machida Sonoko said regretfully, "Oh, how great it would be if we came in the evening. I'd just start drinking."
After taking a big gulp, as the oldest among the four, Machida Sonoko also took charge of grilling the meat.
Utaha glanced at her and said with emotion, "I finally understand why you're still single. You must have drunk a lot at those matchmaking parties, right?"
Her grilling motion instantly paused, and Machida Sonoko's expression also became troubled: "You can't blame me for that! When adults go to matchmaking parties, who doesn't drink? And I just drink a bit too much, but I don't get drunk! Many people have worse drinking habits than me; mine are considered good!"
Emmm~~~ she said it all herself, and the three of them weren't there, so whatever Machida Sonoko said was what it was.
However, as for how many more details she didn't mention, no one knew.
But none of that mattered. Anyway, given the current situation, Machida Sonoko's single status would probably continue for a few more years. Kaede and the other two still kept their eyes on the grilled meat on the hot plate.
Even Eriri, from a wealthy family, couldn't help but drool over wagyu, especially since the quality of the meat here was excellent.
Although the barbecue meal caused a significant dent in Machida Sonoko's wallet, considering the good sales of Utaha's love metronome and her own upcoming bonus, Machida Sonoko didn't overthink it and started eating heartily.
After finishing their meal contentedly, the four left the restaurant.
Looking at the three, Machida Sonoko asked, "I'm planning to go back to the Bunko. They should have received the morning sales figures by now."
Utaha naturally wanted to go and see; she didn't have much to do in the afternoon anyway.
And after glancing at Kaede and Eriri, before the two could speak, she took the initiative to say, "I'll go with you. Asakura-kun and Eriri don't need to bother with us. We've already troubled them enough today."
Kaede looked at Utaha in surprise, not expecting this Senpai to actually send an assist. Kaede's original plan was not to go to the Bunko and was thinking about finding a place to relax and play with Eriri for a while. This was perfect.
Eriri was stunned for a moment, thinking she hadn't said anything yet. Just as she was about to speak, Kaede also chimed in, "Exactly, I'm still on vacation. If I go to the Bunko, Editor Nakajima will just pester me again, so I'd rather not go."
Eriri looked at Utaha blankly, then at Kaede. Even if Eriri was naive, after the events of the school festival and her mother instilling a lot of experience in her, Eriri understood. Her little face was a bit flushed, but also somewhat expectant.
"Emmm~~~ Alright, then it'll just be the two of us."
Machida Sonoko, who had noticed a hint of something, was a bit gossipy, but Utaha didn't give her the chance. She could only get into the car, bid farewell to the two who were left behind, and drove off.
"It's just the two of us now."
Kaede looked at Eriri and asked with a smile, "Do you have any ideas? We still have plenty of time this afternoon."
Eriri, for some reason, inexplicably had the phrase "love hotel" pop into her head. She quickly shook her head to get rid of those terrible thoughts and said, "Hmm... there doesn't seem to be anything fun around here. It's boring to always go to family restaurants or cafes, and I didn't bring my game console today."
"Is a s a plain café boring?"
After stroking his chin and thinking for a moment, Kaede thought of a place and asked, "Eriri, are you allergic to Cats?"
"A Cat?" Eriri looked at Kaede doubtfully, then shook her head. "No, I'm not. Cats are so cute. Why do you ask?"
Revealing a mysterious smile, Kaede said, "Come with me. I know a fun place nearby."
Blinking, Eriri could only follow Kaede's steps.
After taking the bus for two stops, Kaede led Eriri through several turns and finally stopped in front of a shop.
Looking at the shop sign and the small creatures displayed inside the transparent window, Eriri widened her eyes and said, "A Cat Café?"
"What do you think? Interested?"
"Yes, yes!"
Eriri nodded repeatedly. Few girls would refuse small animals, especially Cats.
Opening the door and walking in, Kaede said, "I saw this shop when I passed by before, but I was alone then, so I didn't come in."
Just as they entered, before they even saw an employee, a Persian Cat leisurely walked up to them, sat down, and meowed.
"So cute!"
Eriri immediately squatted down and reached out to pet it a couple of times.
"When I visited some classmates before, their Cats were very wary of strangers and wouldn't let anyone touch them. Why is this one so well-behaved?"
"All I can say is, you can't generalize about Cats," Kaede said, smiling as he looked at the delighted Eriri. "Come on, let's find a place to sit inside. Judging by the sign at the entrance, this shop also has its own specialty desserts."
"Okay!"
She immediately picked up the Persian Cat and followed Kaede into the shop.
This Cat Café wasn't like some large, high-end establishments; its floor area was just slightly larger than a typical café, featuring booth seating and some tatami areas.
Since neither of them was short on cash, they chose the slightly more expensive tatami area and sat down comfortably. This area also had the most Cats, who all liked to lounge and rest there.
After ordering two coffees and some desserts, Eriri happily placed the Cat on her lap.
"Hehe, wearing jeans today was definitely the right choice."
Kaede saw that Eriri hadn't stopped smiling since they walked in, confirming that he hadn't chosen the wrong place.
He thought for a moment, then took his phone out of his pocket.