What should she do?
Ask the owner for a glass of water?
That would count as an extra service—and might increase the bill.
Hikari Aoi had already said he was treating her.
Even if it was just a small addition—
She felt she should at least ask him first.
But—
It was embarrassing.
Choking while eating…
That wasn't something a proper lady would do.
Just as Raiden Mei was caught in her dilemma—
She suddenly heard Hikari Aoi speak.
"Two more glasses of juice, please."
Naturally, a place like this wouldn't list plain water on the menu.
Hikari Aoi ordered juice.
Did he notice her awkward situation?
Or was he just ordering drinks casually?
Mei didn't know.
Just as she felt relieved and a little lucky—
Hikari Aoi leaned closer and whispered:
"What, haven't eaten in days? You're eating pretty fast. Want me to order another set for you?"
That teasing tone made Mei feel both embarrassed and annoyed.
"That's not true!"
She already knew he was joking.
So she didn't bother clumsily explaining herself.
And Hikari Aoi, indeed, had only said it casually.
After drinking some juice—
Mei felt much better.
Thinking back—
She was now certain.
He had noticed she was choking—
And ordered the juice because of it.
That level of attentiveness—
Of understanding others—
Was very similar to herself.
And for Mei—
This feeling was new.
Back when she was the young lady of ME Corp—
Many people surrounded her.
But they were just ordinary high school students.
They didn't truly understand how to care for others.
Aside from shallow flattery and awkward attempts at closeness—
She hadn't gained anything meaningful.
Instead—
She had always been the one taking care of others.
But now—
Being cared for by someone her own age…
This was the first time.
…It felt warm.
"So, are you out with someone you like, little guy?"
After serving their meals and bringing the juice, the owner finally had a moment of free time.
Leaning casually inside the U-shaped counter, she asked Hikari Aoi with interest—
Clearly expecting to see a shy reaction from the young boy whose "secret" had just been exposed.
Of course—
She had observed carefully beforehand.
Mei's slightly reserved posture—
And Hikari Aoi's attentive behavior when ordering juice—
Confirmed they weren't relatives.
More like close friends.
Or perhaps a couple.
Otherwise—
If she made the wrong assumption and offended her customers—
That would be bad for business.
"Mm, I'm not very familiar with the area. Do you have any recommendations? Somewhere that would make a girl happy."
To the owner's surprise—
Hikari Aoi didn't show any embarrassment at all.
Instead—
He calmly asked for advice.
That composed response made the owner inwardly sigh at the missed opportunity—
But she quickly answered:
"Well, since you've already enjoyed the food at my restaurant and satisfied your appetite—"
She grinned.
"The next step is to buy a small gift for the girl."
"Walk about twenty meters down this street, there's a jewelry shop. Just like my place—great quality for a reasonable price."
Even while recommending—
She didn't forget to praise her own shop.
Twice.
Hikari Aoi couldn't help but laugh inwardly.
As for Mei—
From the moment the owner mentioned "someone you like"—
She had completely lost her composure.
All she could do—
Was silently eat and drink—
Pretending she hadn't heard anything.
After finishing their meal and paying—
Hikari Aoi naturally followed the recommendation.
Walking with Mei toward the jewelry shop.
After hesitating for a moment, Mei spoke:
"You don't have to spend money on me like this…"
She had always been the one taking care of others.
So she wasn't used to being taken care of.
To be honest—
After losing her status as the young lady of ME Corp—
Having a boy treat her this way—
Even made her feel a little overwhelmed.
"It's not spending much at all."
Hikari Aoi waved it off casually.
"And besides, you trained with me, and even made strawberry daifuku for me. A simple meal or a small gift can't really repay that."
He paused, then asked:
"So, what kind of accessories do you like?"
"I… I don't know. Anything is fine."
Mei was completely at a loss.
Even when she was still the young lady of ME Corp—
Her classmates never really gave her accessories.
At most, they brought snacks.
And not long after—
Her father's incident happened.
Even that level of interaction disappeared.
As for earlier—
Her upbringing had been strict.
She barely had contact with boys—
Or even girls her age.
And her father—
Raiden Ryoma—
Was always busy.
"Then let's take a good look."
Hikari Aoi led Mei into the shop.
The items inside weren't luxury goods—
But everyday accessories.
Just as the owner had said—
Good quality for the price.
Of course—
"Affordable" here was relative.
On a street like this—
Nothing was truly cheap.
Mei clearly intended to let Hikari Aoi choose everything.
She even deliberately avoided looking too closely—
Afraid of influencing his decision.
Seeing this—
Hikari Aoi shook his head slightly.
After observing her for a moment—
He reached out and picked up a white hairband from the shelf.
"How about this one?"
Mei's first instinct wasn't to look at the item—
But at the price tag.
When she saw the number—
Which clearly didn't match her idea of "affordable"—
She began preparing to refuse.
But before she could speak—
Hikari Aoi continued on his own:
"Would something like this suit you? For someone like you, Mei—a former young lady—wouldn't this be a bit low-end? Maybe we should—"
Hearing that he was about to escalate things further—
Mei quickly interrupted:
"This one is fine!"
"No need to change it—and don't buy anything else."
She paused slightly, then added softly:
"…And I'm not a young lady anymore."
"You don't need to think of me that way."