After placing the yuzu sherbet in front of me, Kaori-san’s expression turned strangely serious.
“...Kaito-kun, you really are wealthy, aren't you? To think you even own a Teleportation Magic Tool. I wonder if you’d give me at least a single Gold Coin if I performed a dogeza and licked your boots...”
“...Kaori-san, please don't abandon your human dignity.”
“A-Ahaha, I’m joking! It was just a joke...”
The impression I picked up through my Sympathy Magic suggested she was only about fifty percent joking, though.
“Well, it’s not as if I’m actually struggling for money, anyway. One way or another, business is actually thriving quite well, you know?”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. After all, Otherworld Cuisine is a huge draw. We get a lot of tourists stopping by.”
“Ah, I see. I’m sure a lot of the dishes are quite rare to the people here.”
This was Friendly City Hikari, after all. Most of the people who came here for sightseeing were likely interested in the otherworld that the First Hero and the successive Hero-role participants had come from. If a restaurant served food from that world, there would be no shortage of people eager to try it.
While there were likely other shops in the city handling otherworld cuisine, as an actual immigrant, Kaori-san held an overwhelming advantage over any local trying to mimic the style.
“It keeps me busy, but I’m having fun with it. Though... I suppose the fact that I’m too busy to actually meet anyone is a bit of a problem.”
“Meet anyone? You mean a romantic encounter?”
“W-Well, look, I’m almost thirty now... so I can’t help but worry about these things. I think it’d be nice to meet someone special eventually.”
“Wait, are we really that far apart in age? Honestly, judging by your looks, I thought you were only two or three years older than me at most. That’s a bit surprising.”
If I recalled correctly, Hero-role participants were usually summoned between the ages of fifteen and nineteen. Even if she had been summoned at the minimum age of fifteen, she would be twenty-seven now. However, because Kaori-san had such a baby face, she looked considerably younger than her actual age.
“Eh? Ehehe, really? Do I really look that young?”
“Yeah. Honestly, I’d believe you even if you told me you were younger than me.”
“I see... I think a guy who can say things like that so casually is pretty cool. What is this...? I’m sensing the presence of an unbeatable veteran, like I don't stand a chance... Could it be that you’ve already been through a staggering number of romantic situations at your age...?”
Situations... Hmm, how should I put that? I mean, considering I have nine lovers, I suppose I have been through a few. Still, calling me an “unbeatable veteran” was a massive misunderstanding.
I was still constantly getting flustered even now.
“Hey, Kaito-kun? Why do you think I haven’t had any good romantic encounters?”
“U-Umm... Well, for starters, shouldn't you have a concrete vision of the kind of partner you’re looking for? If it’s just a vague desire for a ‘good encounter,’ you might not even notice a great opportunity when it’s right in front of you.”
“I-I see... Ugh, I definitely feel the aura of a Romance Expert radiating from you. This boy is popular... he’s absolutely popular...”
I wondered how the topic had shifted so naturally into a romance consultation as I gave a wry smile at Kaori-san's words. For the time being, she clearly had a lot built up inside her, so it was probably best if I just focused on being a good listener.
With that in mind, I took a bite of the yuzu sherbet. The refreshing taste was the perfect follow-up to a meal of fried food.
“Let's see... Hmm, I guess I’d prefer someone younger. I kind of want to be the one who acts like the older partner... whether I could actually pull that off or not is another matter.”
“Right, right.”
“I’m not a fan of the arrogant, Ore-sama types, so someone calm and gentle would be nice. The kind of person I can just relax and have idle chats with. Someone who brings a mellow atmosphere, I guess?”
“The general vibe of the conversation is definitely important.”
It seemed she had quite a lot to say. Once she started talking, Kaori-san began rattling off her preferences one after another. I simply nodded along, offering smiles and words of affirmation.
“It’s a tough choice, but I think I’d prefer a cute-type handsome man over a cool-type handsome man. Though I suppose that might be wishing for too much.”
“Well, for now, let's just focus on the ideal. There's no need to narrow down the possibilities before you’ve even met someone.”
“True. Hmm, what else... if possible, someone rich! Something like that?”
“Ahaha, aiming to marry into wealth, then?”
“Yeah, yeah. Also, what’s really important is having compatible tastes in food. I’d want someone who eats my cooking and calls it delicious.”
“I see...”
As I finished my yuzu sherbet and we continued our relaxed chat, Kaori-san, who had been talking so enthusiastically, suddenly went still. After a moment, she began to stare intently at me.
“Is something wrong?”
“...Wait. Hold on a second. Someone younger... someone who gently bails me out when I mess up... someone who listens to my silly chatter without looking annoyed... a gentle, cute-type handsome man... probably filthy rich... and yet he eats my set meals like they’re the best thing in the world...”
“Um, Kaori-san?”
“Ah, sorry, sorry! I just got lost in thought for a second. By the way, this is a bit of a subject change, but... do you consider older women to be romantic interests, Kaito-kun?”
“Well, naturally, yes.”
In fact, every one of my lovers except for Anima was older than me. And even Anima might count as older if I included her time in her Black Bear Era.
Serious-senpai: “A flag was raised... you say... No, wait, she didn't move to take action immediately. Even if she's feeling impatient, is she not the type to suddenly rampage? N-No, I can't tell yet... Don't let your guard down, me. This might be that pattern of being defeated when relieved.”