Chapter 15

Xuanyan received a review.

Thank you very much.

I hope for your continued support in the future.

It seemed that Yuxian and Ailisha had the same feelings.

The two of them visited a nearby soba shop.

They could have ordered delivery, but the delivery fee would have been high.

Since it was within walking distance, it was more reasonable to go directly.

“I’ve never been to a soba shop before.”

“I see. So that’s why you chose soba.”

For a high school girl, choosing a soba shop was a bit sophisticated.

Perhaps women might be concerned about the broth splashing.

Yuxian, who thought Ailisha would choose a café or a family restaurant, was surprised but understood.

...or so he thought.

“Oh, no, that’s not it.”

“Huh? It’s not?”

“Actually, I haven’t been taken out to eat much... I chose soba because it seemed good for the summer.”

“That’s... yeah, it’s a coincidence. I also thought something cool would be good for the summer.”

For a moment, Yuxian felt a glimpse of Ailisha’s unfortunate family situation, but he decided to pretend he didn’t notice.

They sat at the table they were shown and glanced at the menu.

“I think I’ll go with the medium-sized duck soba. What about you, Xuecheng?”

“I’ll have the tempura soba. Regular size.”

After placing their orders, Ailisha’s soba and tempura were served first.

The tempura consisted of two shrimp and five vegetable varieties, which was a bit much... but considering the price, it was a reasonable amount and variety.

However, the soba...

“Um... isn’t this the wrong amount? The medium size should be for Gao Sekigawa, right?”

Seeing the soba piled high, Ailisha looked confused.

“Ah, here, it’s a bit more. That’s normal.”

“Huh? But...”

At that moment, Yuxian’s soba was placed in front of him, and Ailisha fell silent.

She compared it with her own.

If this was the medium size, then this was indeed the regular size... that much was clear from her expression.

“Sorry, sorry. I forgot to explain... Do you want some help?”

“Please.”

In the end, Yuxian took roughly half the amount.

“Is it okay to take this much?”

“I’m not a big eater.”

Ailisha said this and pointed to the plate with tempura.

“How about the tempura? One shrimp and... one vegetable.”

“Sure, I’ll take some.”

Yuxian took tempura from Ailisha’s plate.

Then he picked up the duck meat floating in his soba broth with his chopsticks.

“How about this? Do you want to try it?”

“...Sure. I’ll have it.”

Thus, they exchanged their side dishes and started eating their soba.

The shop served a lot, but the quality was not compromised. The soba had a good aroma and texture, and the broth, flavored with duck stock, was rich. The tempura was crispy and delicious.

“Gao Sekigawa, you can eat wasabi, right?”

Ailisha suddenly said this.

Indeed, Yuxian could eat wasabi without any problem and was currently spreading it on his soba.

“Xuecheng... do you dislike it?”

“...I ate it when I was little. Since then, the sharpness has been a trauma.”

The wasabi on Ailisha’s plate had not been used.

Yuxian thought about taking it if she didn’t use it...

“Why don’t you try it now? It might be better than you think.”

“...Okay. I’m an adult now. By the way, is it correct to spread it without dissolving it?”

“Hmm? It’s up to your preference. But in your case... if you dissolve it, you won’t be able to eat it, so it’s better to spread it.”

“That makes sense.”

Ailisha nodded and placed a small amount of wasabi on her soba.

She dipped it in the broth and ate it delicately.

“How is it?”

“It has a good aroma and is delicious... Ah!!”

Ailisha held her nose.

Her eyes turned red and started to water.

She hurriedly drank her tea.

“Ah... It was too much for me. ...Please don’t laugh.”

“No, sorry, sorry. It was funny.”

“...You’re terrible.”

Ailisha pouted with teary eyes and turned away.

Her gesture was so cute that Yuxian wanted to pat her head.

While they were eating, they finished their soba.

As they were savoring the soba broth, Ailisha asked Yuxian.

“By the way, Gao Sekigawa. You know Tachibana and Uesugi, right?”

Yuxian remembered that Ailisha was there yesterday.

She must have heard the conversation between Yuxian, Aya, and Chiharu.

“Yeah... Do you know those two? They’re in a different class.”

Yuxian recalled that they had a similar conversation a while ago.

Ailisha’s response to Yuxian’s question was slightly different this time.

“My adoptive father... told me to be friendly with them if we were in the same class. He said they come from good families.”

Ailisha frowned, as if she disliked being told what to do in her relationships.

Being told how to handle relationships is something no one likes.

Yuxian and they were childhood friends because of their families, and their parents had tried to bring them together, but they were never explicitly told to be friends.

“You don’t have to force it, but they’re good people.”

“Yes. They are bright, sociable, and beautiful...”

Ailisha seemed to envy them.

Ailisha is beautiful, but whether she is bright and sociable is a bit questionable.

She interacts equally with many people but doesn’t form close relationships.

She always maintains a transparent, thin, yet strong wall between herself and others.

“Gao Sekigawa...”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“...What kind of relationship do you have with those two?”

“We’re childhood friends. We’ve known each other since we were infants. We’re friends, nothing more, nothing less.”

Yuxian and Aya are also related, but they are distant relatives, so he doesn’t think about it much.

“Just that?”

“Yeah. ...Did you think we were lovers?”

Indeed, Yuxian and Aya and Chiharu are close.

Whether they look like lovers is debatable, but they might seem closer than ordinary friends, and they are indeed good friends.

“No... I don’t think so. But I wondered if there were any romantic feelings between you.”

“I admit they are beautiful, but I don’t have romantic feelings for them. They’re not my type.”

Being friends with such lively people is fun, but if asked if he would want to marry them...

He wouldn’t be able to settle down at home.

“They don’t like me either. They have someone else they like.”

“Oh, I see. ...That makes sense. Such beautiful people wouldn’t be ignored by others.”

“That’s right.”

In their case, the person they like is the same, which is scary.

Yuxian imagined the face of their friend, who was probably caught between them now.

Ailisha, with her usual expressionless face, asked Yuxian.

“Was it good that you declined the study session?”

It seemed she had heard the conversation between Yuxian and the others.

Given how loud they were, it was natural that she heard.

“It was because of our promise.”

Ailisha was the one who made the promise first.

It was only right to prioritize her.

“...For me? Was it good?”

“For me, it wasn’t just ‘for me.’ I can make it up with them later. We can only meet on Saturdays, so it’s only natural to prioritize this. Besides...”

“Besides?”

“Being with you is fun. Is that bad?”

Ailisha looked momentarily taken aback.

Then she shook her head.

“No, that’s not it. I also... enjoy it.”

Ailisha smiled, a delicate and beautiful smile that made Yuxian want to hold her.

A smile that seemed fragile and fleeting, yet very lovely.

“Um, can I ask one more thing?”

“Oh, sure... What is it?”

Yuxian, who had been captivated by Ailisha’s smile, came back to his senses.

Her expression had returned to its usual expressionless state.

“Can I... visit sometimes, even on days other than Saturday?”

“Sure, whenever I’m free. I welcome you.”

“Thank you.”

Ailisha’s expression was still expressionless, but her eyes were softer than usual.

If you found this interesting, are curious about the continuation, or can’t eat wasabi, or can eat wasabi, please bookmark, rate (change the stars at the bottom of the table of contents from ☆☆☆☆☆ to ★★★★★), and support me.

The next chapter is “‘Fiancée’ and Sports.”

It’s an outdoor date.

Stay tuned.

Affection Level: 63%

It became the top of the weekly ranking in the genre category.

It seems I missed the overall weekly ranking by a step.

I hope for your continued support.