Once all the ingredients had been put away, Yuto and Tohru stepped out from behind the counter.
Kanna was chatting with Rias at one of the tables.
Most of the conversation consisted of Rias asking questions while Kanna answered with the solemn confidence of a tiny adult.
The little girl showed no impatience at all. If anything, she seemed to be enjoying her role as the knowledgeable guide.
When Yuto and Tohru emerged, both girls looked over.
Kanna immediately noticed that something about Tohru had changed. Her gaze settled on the red hairband, and confusion briefly appeared in her eyes.
Rias noticed it as well, though she understood almost at once. She had seen Yuto choosing a hairband at the supermarket.
So that was who it had been for.
"Lady Tohru changed her hairband," Kanna said with innocent seriousness. "It makes you look different. Very pretty."
Tohru looked slightly embarrassed at first, but her shyness quickly gave way to delight.
"Boss gave it to me~~~"
The pride in her voice was impossible to miss.
Kanna's little hands immediately clenched into fists as she turned an expectant gaze toward Yuto.
Her meaning could not have been clearer.
"Kamisaka, I want one too!"
Yuto laughed and walked over to rub her head.
"All right. I'll get you one too."
Kanna instantly brightened.
"Today is Saturday, so you don't have school, right?"
Kanna nodded obediently before wrapping her arms around his leg.
"I promised Rias I'd take her sightseeing. I want to go out and play today~"
Yuto glanced toward Rias.
She gave him an apologetic smile.
"I didn't ask her to. Kanna suggested it herself."
"Mm! It was my idea," Kanna insisted. "This is Rias's first time in this world, so I should be her guide and show her everything."
She spoke with such perfect seriousness that Yuto could only smile helplessly.
Anyone could tell that Kanna simply wanted an excuse to go out and play. She had even come up with a respectable reason for it.
"In that case, the timing works out well. I already have plans today, so I'll leave Kanna with Tohru and Rias."
Yuto had been wondering how to tell them that he was going to the movies with Megumi.
Kanna's suggestion gave him the perfect opening.
Both Kanna and Tohru looked at him in confusion.
"You aren't coming with us, Boss?"
Tohru's voice immediately turned pitiful.
"I already promised someone I'd meet them today. Sorry. The three of you can go have fun, and next time we'll all go somewhere together. All right?"
Tohru puffed out her cheeks, but eventually gave a quiet nod.
"Then Kamisaka has to come next time!"
Kanna crossed her arms and put on a stern expression.
Unfortunately, with her adorable face, the pose only made her look even cuter.
Yuto did not have the heart to undermine her seriousness.
"All right. Next time, we'll go to an amusement park together."
He rubbed her head again.
"I'm sorry, Boss," Rias said, bowing slightly. "I planned to stay quietly in the restaurant today, but somehow things turned out like this."
She already owed Yuto a considerable favor and had resolved not to cause him any more trouble.
Yet now she was apparently going out to enjoy herself.
"It's fine. There's no need to apologize. Kanna is right. This is your first time in this world, so you might as well look around and relax. Think of it as a short vacation."
"Thank you, Boss."
Rias bowed again with a smile.
"You don't need to be so formal. Just call me Kamisaka like before."
Yuto then turned toward Tohru and Kanna.
"While you're out, don't casually use any abilities beyond what an ordinary person could do. Of course, if you run into criminals or serious trouble, you don't need to hold back."
He looked at Rias next.
"I'll also leave Tohru and Kanna in your care."
That final instruction immediately made both of them unhappy.
He made it sound as though they were hopelessly immature.
Tohru and Kanna stared at him with matching looks of outrage, but Yuto ignored them completely.
"Mm. I'll look after them."
Rias nodded seriously.
"All right. I'm going upstairs to change. I'll be leaving soon too. Remember to lock the door when you go."
Yuto handed Tohru the spare key.
"And don't lose it."
Tohru wrinkled her nose at the warning.
With that settled, Yuto headed upstairs.
He still had some time before he needed to leave, and after spending the entire night beside the stove, his clothes undoubtedly carried the smell of cooking.
...
At eight twenty in the morning, Yuto stepped out of a taxi near Shinjuku Station.
The morning rush was already in full swing. Office workers streamed toward the station in dense lines, flowing through the streets like an endless current.
Against the bright scale and energy of Tokyo, each person looked almost insignificant.
"Take care, sir."
"Thanks."
After saying goodbye to the driver, Yuto headed toward the plaza in front of the station.
The plaza was not particularly large, but it had been designed with quiet elegance.
A modest fountain stood at its center, and the clear droplets spraying into the morning light scattered into tiny flashes of color.
Yuto walked calmly through the crowd, attracting countless glances along the way.
He stood out far too much to avoid attention.
His appearance was already nearly flawless, and after everything he had gained from Yuuka, Hestia, and the others, there was something increasingly otherworldly about his presence.
The guests at the restaurant rarely reacted to it because none of them were ordinary themselves.
Among normal people, however, the difference was impossible to miss.
Yuto moved through the crowd like someone who did not quite belong among them.
Ignoring the attention, he continued toward the edge of the station plaza.
Then he saw her.
Megumi stood quietly beside the fountain, as calm and still as a lotus floating on a peaceful pond.
Sunlight passed through the falling water and scattered across her face, giving her skin an almost translucent glow.
For a moment, she resembled a saint from an old fairy tale.
Simply standing there, she possessed a quiet beauty that naturally drew the heart.
Yet strangely, almost no one around her seemed to notice.
Pedestrians hurried past without so much as glancing in her direction, as though she were invisible.
"Katou."
Yuto smiled and waved.
A trace of surprise appeared in his eyes.
They had agreed to meet at eight thirty. He had deliberately arrived early, yet Megumi was already waiting.
His voice caused the people who had been watching him to follow his gaze.
At once, Megumi's presence seemed to sharpen.
The pedestrians finally noticed her, and surprise spread across their faces.
They were struck by her beauty, yet equally confused by the fact that they had somehow failed to see her standing there until now.
A rare blush appeared on Megumi's face.
No matter how calm she usually was, even she found it difficult to remain completely composed after suddenly becoming the center of so much attention.
When Yuto reached her, she greeted him with a faintly sulky look.
"Kamisaka-kun didn't need to call so loudly. Now everyone is staring at us."
Even when annoyed, her voice remained gentle. Her tone was only slightly firmer than usual.
"Sorry. I didn't think about that."
His immediate apology softened her expression.
Megumi sighed inwardly.
Calling out to someone from a distance was perfectly normal.
Perhaps she had overreacted.
"Still, I think it might be a good thing," Yuto said. "Now everyone has noticed you. Maybe your presence will gradually become stronger if this keeps happening."
Megumi paused.
Surprise entered her eyes, followed by a quiet warmth.
The change in her expression was subtle, but anyone paying close attention could have seen it.
"Is this part of what we discussed last time...?"
"Mm. It's part of the plan to strengthen your presence."
The last time they had gone shopping together, Megumi had mentioned how easily people overlooked her.
Yuto had promised to help.
That was why he had deliberately chosen such a conspicuous white dress for her that day, and the results had clearly been effective.
Calling out to her from a distance today had been done for the same reason.
Megumi's expression shifted again.
An unusual light passed through her eyes, and even her breathing seemed to quicken slightly.
"You still remembered..."
"Of course I remembered. How could I forget something I promised?"
The lightly teasing warmth in his voice sent a small ripple through her heart.
"In that case... I'll forgive you, Kamisaka-kun."
Megumi quietly turned toward the fountain beside them. The rising droplets reflected in her eyes like tiny sparks of light trapped inside a gemstone.
"Shall we go? You said you wanted to buy clothes today, right?"
"Mm. We'll buy clothes first, then watch the movie."
"And we can have lunch while we're out."
"Mm..."
The two gradually disappeared into the crowd.
Beneath the blue sky and warm morning sunlight, they looked almost perfectly matched.
Anyone whose attention was first drawn to Yuto inevitably noticed Megumi beside him as well.
Admiration appeared in their eyes, and some even smiled faintly.
People were capable of envy and resentment, but they could also sincerely appreciate something beautiful.
Yuto and Megumi walking together created exactly that kind of scene.
No one thought that either of them looked unworthy of the other.
They carried the same quiet brilliance, each as striking as the other in a completely different way.
Anyone who saw them could only pause and admire the sight.