What to do? Should I just ask the landlady for a glass of water? Such extra services would inevitably add to the bill, and since Hua Yi said he was treating, I really should get his take on it, even for something small.
But it was so embarrassing. Choking on one's food wasn't exactly the behavior of a proper lady, was it?
Just as Mei, who had been raised under a strict family education, was agonizing over the situation, she suddenly heard Hua Yi speak.
"Two more glasses of juice, please."
A place like this naturally wouldn't have plain water priced on the menu, so Hua Yi had ordered juice instead.
Had he noticed her predicament, or did he simply want more to drink? Mei wasn't sure. But just as she exhaled in relief, feeling fortunate, she heard Hua Yi whisper in her ear.
"Have you not eaten in days? You're eating so frantically. How about I order you another set meal?"
That playful tone made Mei a bit flustered and annoyed.
"I have not!"
Knowing he was just teasing her again, she didn't bother with a clumsy explanation, and for his part, Hua Yi had indeed just been speaking off the cuff.
Mei felt much better after some juice. Reflecting on Hua Yi's previous jest, she was now certain he had noticed her choking and ordered the juice because of it. This keen observation and thoughtfulness were traits she felt they shared.
It was a novel experience for Mei. Though many had flocked to her back when she was the young lady of ME Corp, those ordinary high school girls were merely children with little experience in the ways of the world.
Beyond empty flattery and socially awkward attempts to get close, Mei hadn't gained much from them. In fact, she had always been the one playing the role of the caretaker; being looked after by a peer was a genuine first.
It felt... quite heartwarming.
"Are you out on a date with someone you like, little guy?"
Having finished the set meals and brought the juice, and with no new customers entering the shop for the moment, the landlady finally had a bit of leisure.
Standing within the U-shaped table, she directed her question at Hua Yi with great interest, anticipating a bashful expression from the young man as if his secret had been exposed.
Naturally, the proprietress had observed them carefully before speaking. Seeing Mei's slight air of restraint and the way Hua Yi looked after her when ordering the drinks,
she had concluded that they weren't siblings, but rather close friends or a couple. If she had mistakenly said something that caused the customers dissatisfaction, it would have been a mark of failure as a landlady.
"Yeah. I'm not very familiar with the surroundings. Do you have any good places to recommend? The kind of place a girl would enjoy."
To her surprise, Hua Yi didn't show any of the bashfulness expected of an innocent youth. Instead, he simply followed her lead and asked for a recommendation. This poised performance made the landlady sigh inwardly at the missed opportunity for a reaction, though she didn't let it show as she replied instantly.
"Since you've already enjoyed the delightful food in my restaurant, you should follow up a full stomach by buying a small gift for the girl. Just twenty meters or so down this street is an accessory shop. Like my place, it offers excellent quality at a fair price."
Even while giving a recommendation, the landlady didn't forget to sing her own praises and twice at that. Her behavior left Hua Yi between laughter and tears. As for Mei, from the moment she heard the landlady use the phrase
'someone you like,' she had been at a complete loss for what to do. She simply ate her meal and sipped her juice in silence, acting as though she hadn't heard a word of their conversation.
Once they finished and settled the bill, Hua Yi naturally followed the landlady's suggestion and led Mei toward the accessory shop. The young girl hesitated a moment before speaking.
"There's no need to go to such expense for me..."
Mei, who had spent so long playing the role of the one looking after others, wasn't accustomed to Hua Yi's attentiveness. To be honest, after losing her status as the heiress of ME Corp, seeing a boy willing to go to such lengths for her made Mei feel almost overwhelmed by his kindness.
"It's hardly an expense; it didn't cost much at all. Besides, you were willing to practice Kenjutsu with me and even went through the trouble of making me Strawberry Daifuku. A simple dinner or a small gift isn't nearly enough to repay that. Speaking of which, what kind of accessories do you like?"
"I... I don't know. Whatever you think is fine."
Mei truly had no preference. Even back when she was the ME Corp heiress, her classmates had never thought to give her accessories; at most, they would bring her food. Not long after, her father's incident occurred,
and even those minor social interactions disappeared. Earlier still, due to her strict upbringing, Mei had barely been allowed to interact with girls her own age, let alone boys. As for paternal affection, Raiden Ryoma, as the president of ME Corp, had always been far too busy.
"Then let's have a proper look around."
Hua Yi led Mei into the accessory shop. The items weren't luxury goods but rather more common trinkets. It was exactly as the landlady had described: a shop with good quality at a fair price though that was 'fair' relative to the world of jewelry. In a bustling district like this, the shop naturally wouldn't carry items at street-stall prices.
Mei acted as though she were leaving the selection entirely up to Hua Yi. To avoid him getting the wrong idea, she even took special care to control where she was looking. Seeing this, Hua Yi shook his head. After studying the girl for a few moments, he took a white headband off the shelf.
"How do you think this one looks?"
Noticing that Hua Yi seemed to have chosen something for her, Mei's first instinct wasn't to see what it was, but rather to check the price on the shelf. When she saw a figure that clearly didn't align with the landlady's so-called 'fair price,' Mei began to formulate a rejection.
However, before the words could leave her mouth, she heard Hua Yi continue to speak to himself.
"Is a headband like this appropriate? For a young lady of your stature, Mei, is the grade a bit too low? Maybe we should..."
Hearing that Hua Yi intended to go even further, Mei, who had originally intended to refuse, hurriedly spoke up.
"Let's just take this one. Don't change it, and don't buy anything else... Also, I stopped being a 'young lady' a long time ago. There's no need to think of me as someone so impressive."
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