"Oh— where is this?!"
Tohka Yatogami stared into the narrow alley, her mouth hanging open.
The cramped passage hid an unexpectedly lively scene: snack stalls lined both sides, looking for all the world like a row of summer‑festival stands—stretching so far she could not see the end.
And every vendor behind those stalls was someone Shichen had already met aboard the
If you want a Spirit to fall in love, you have to plan for every eventuality. And when it comes to romance, nothing matters more than the date itself—especially the venue.
Tengū City had no shortage of date spots, of course, but with a Spirit's instability you really couldn't risk involving ordinary civilians. Which left only one option: arrange everything yourself.
"Shichen, can we go in?" Tohka swallowed, unable to hide her eagerness. Her eyes were practically shining.
"Heh‑heh, of course—"
G‑grr‑r‑r‑gle…
Suddenly Tohka's stomach growled.
"Um… did you hear something?" she asked, cheeks faintly pink, staring at Shichen.
"Nope—nothing at all."
"Good… S‑so, do you want to go in? If you really insist, I suppose I could accompany you," she added with a haughty tilt of her chin.
"Oh? I'm actually not that interested," Shichen teased.
"Eh?"
Tohka froze, then blurted, "But aren't we on a date? You said a date means wandering around and eating delicious things, right?"
"Hmm, that does sound familiar… What should we do?" Shichen pretended to ponder.
"Shichen‑nii, what are you doing? Hurry up and take her inside!"
Kotori Itsuka's anxious voice crackled in his earpiece. "Her mood's dropping fast."
"Is Shichen-san trying to play hard to get?"
"That's not a good tactic for a first date!"
"Given the Spirit's tsundere tendencies, I think it's fine."
"Who are you people?" Shichen muttered, covering his mouth. A whole chorus of smug voices had barged into the channel.
"Ah, Onii‑chan, let me introduce—"
"Never mind, that won't be necessary."
"Eh?"
"What?"
"You can't just—"
"Kotori, I'm sure they mean well, but the ultimate secret weapon is sincerity. A supporting chorus only cheapens the effect."
"Whoa, that actually makes sense."
"Just handle the venue logistics; leave the rest to me."
"Well, if you insist… Oh, by the way, how did you know Tohka's mood was slipping?"
"Heh‑heh. Don't forget, Reine is Ratatoskr's chief analyst," Kotori said proudly. "With her custom projection gear, she can read subtle emotional shifts from body‑temperature maps and brain‑wave data—and even infer latent abilities and traits."
"That advanced? So she could analyse my powers, too?"
"Sorry, Shichen, your abilities are still a mystery," Reine Murasame interjected.
"I see… Still, that's impressive."
"Thank you."
"Right, then—get everything ready—"
"Tohka, what are you doing? Have you decided yet? Are we going in or not?" Tohka huffed, hands on hips.
"Fine, fine. Yes, I've decided—I want to go in."
"Hmph, that's more like it. Let's go."
"Tohka, I'm a bit hungry. How about we duck into this place first and grab a bite?"
"What? You're hungry already? Honestly… Very well, I suppose I can accompany you," she said, feigning reluctance.
Shichen chuckled at her tsundere act and led her inside. They found a corner table, and he casually ordered two rice‑bowl sets.
"Shichen, that's all you're ordering?" Tohka asked the moment the waitress left.
"Gotta pace ourselves—there's a lot more good food ahead. We should save some room, right?" he replied with a smile.
"I guess that makes sense… Not that I care—I was only asking because you said you were hungry and then ordered so little," she insisted.
"Sure, sure. Just a casual question—I didn't read anything into it."
"Why are you smiling like tha—" Tohka glared at him, cheeks reddening.
How obnoxious, she thought, unable to find the right word.
"I'm not laughing," Shichen said, still smiling.
"I'm not blind, you know!"
"Shh don't disturb the other customers."
"Mm…" Tohka shot him one last glare but quieted down. (In truth there was no need to worry; every "customer" here was a Ratatoskr actor.)
A moment later the waitress brought out their food—long before any of the other tables had been served.
Tohka didn't notice. Eyes glued to the steaming, fragrant dish, she swallowed audibly. "Shichen, wh‑what is this? It smells amazing!"
"Beef curry. It's delicious but a little spicy. Take it slow," he warned.
"C‑can I really eat it?" She never took her eyes off the plate.
"Of course."
"B‑but I don't have any mon—"
"So you do know what money is." Shichen chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm treating. We're good friends; my wallet is your wallet."
"Really?"
"Trust me."
"Th‑then… Itadakimasu!"
"Go ahead."
"Tohka nodded vigorously, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it twice, and popped it into her mouth.
Two chews later her eyes went wide. "S‑so good! Spicy—but so good!"
"Haha—no talking, just eat."
"Mm‑hmm!"
While she devoured hers, Shichen tasted his own. Not bad—though whoever cooked it wasn't quite on his level. The heat, at least, was perfect.
"Shichen, I'm finished!"
He looked up in surprise: her plate was spotless. "Already? You're fast."
"Eh? Fast? You're just slow."
"Fair enough."
He lifted a second spoonful—only to feel her gaze drilling into him.
"…Do you want more?"
"Hmm? Me? I'm fine. Unless you can't finish—then I could help."
"But I've already eaten from it—doesn't that bother you?"
Tohka blinked. "Aren't we good friends? I don't mind."
"…All right, it's yours." He slid the plate over.
"Really?" Her eyes sparkled again.
"Yep. I'm full."
"Thank you, Shichen. You really are the best."
"Compliments are fine—just don't call me a 'nice guy.'"
"Don't get it, but—Itadakimasu again!"
In only a few bites she polished it off, leaving Shichen with a renewed respect for her appetite.
"Still hungry? I'll take you to try other things."
"There's more?"
"Everything you saw out there is edible."
"Then let's go!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the exit.
At the register Shichen was surprised to see a drowsy‑eyed woman appear—dark circles heavy under her eyes, as though she hadn't slept in days.
"Hello. That'll be—… Is something wrong?" Reine asked calmly.
"No… nothing."
He glanced at her cute uniform. "It looks nice."
"Does it…?" Reine's expression didn't change.
"Shichen, what's cute?" Tohka demanded, eyes narrowing at Reine.
"Her outfit."
"Cuter than me?"
"Of course you're the cutest."
"Hmph—that's better."
"Shall we?"
"Yup!"
Without paying a cent, they left the restaurant.
Once back in the alley, they wandered from stall to stall, buying one of everything: fried rice, grilled squid, yakisoba, candied hawthorn… Each earned Tohka's delighted praise—unsurprising, given that until today she had never tasted any of it.
What did surprise Shichen was her capacity; after eating from one end of the alley to the other, her stomach didn't seem to change at all.
"Shichen, so this is a date? I'm so satisfied! I love dating! I want to do it again!" she said, still licking her lips as they left the alley.
"A date isn't something you do lightly."
"Why not?"
"It's for two people who share a special bond."
"Then I'll keep dating you, Shichen!"
"That's fine… Whenever I have time, I'll accompany you."
"Promise!"
"Cross my heart—if I lie, I'm a puppy."
"So what's next? Is the date over?"
"Not yet—one last stop." Shichen led her into a bakery.
This shop, unlike the others, did not belong to Ratatoskr.