Aside from Lilliwood-san’s opening address at the start, the tea party was remarkably informal. Since there were no assigned tables, I followed through on my word and sat with Jutia-san, Erial-san, and Til while we waited for the festivities to begin.
"I’m so excited! Til wants to try Kaito-kun-san's tea right away!"
"Agreed. In other words, I am also looking forward to it. It seems her expectations are boiling over... In other words, I think Jutia is even more impatient than we are," Erial said.
Til wore a bright, adorable smile, while Erial offered a more subdued, gentle one. I’d heard the two of them were close, but I think this was the first time I'd actually seen them together.
True to Erial's word, Jutia-san grew more restless as the start time drew near. She was quite petite, and the way she kept fidgeting was honestly rather adorable.
Eventually, Lilliwood-san emerged and used amplification magic to deliver a brief greeting. She thanked everyone for their hard work during the Harmonic Symphony and encouraged us to relax and deepen our friendships.
That was enough to officially kick off the tea party—at which point Jutia-san fixed a piercing gaze on me that screamed she couldn't wait another second.
Managing a wry smile at her intensity, I pulled the pot of black tea from my Magic Box.
"It’s in here for now... but I'm not exactly an expert. Is there a specific way I should be pouring it?"
I seemed to remember hearing that you were supposed to pour it from high up to aerate it or something like that.
"Is that so? In that case, in that case, shall I brew it for you?"
"Oh, if you wouldn't mind."
"Yes, yes, leave it to me, leave it to me!"
Jutia-san took the pot, lined up four cups, and began pouring with practiced ease.
"Oh my? Oh my? It looks like Glorious Tea, but..."
"Right. Nebula's tea leaves aren't meant to be used alone; they're supposed to be blended."
"I see, I see..."
She nodded along as I spoke, but her eyes were fixed on the cup with a look of intense concentration. Once she finished, she set the cups before me, Erial-san, and Til, then stole a glance in my direction.
She seemed to be waiting for permission to drink, so I gave a small nod. She took a sip, her face tense, and then her eyes snapped wide in sheer astonishment.
"Wh—?! What is this?! What is this?! It’s incredible! Incredible! The flavor is definitely Glorious Tea, but no matter how I brew it, I can never get it to taste like this! H-H-How? I don't understand at all! Why? Why can you make it taste like this?!"
She looked utterly stunned. I suspected—no, I was certain—that Jutia-san was a massive tea enthusiast who knew the beverage inside and out, much like Ein-san. That was likely why she was so profoundly shaken by a flavor profile that had been elevated to 120%.
"Astonishment. In other words, I am also surprised. The difference is obvious. In other words, it’s significantly better than the Glorious Tea I’ve had before," Erial said.
"Hawawa, it’s amazing! Til has never had such delicious tea before!"
Erial-san and Til also looked impressed, but Jutia-san's reaction was on another level entirely. She stared into her cup for a while, muttering under her breath, before her head suddenly snapped up and she lunged toward me.
"Kaito! Tell me! Tell me! What kind of leaves did you use to get this flavor?!"
"Um, these tea leaves are..."
I gave her a brief rundown of Nebula's tea leaves. As she listened, her eyes grew wider and wider until she looked like she'd witnessed a miracle.
"It's amazing! Amazing! The concept is one thing, but leaves that purely strip away bitterness and impurities without touching the original flavor are just too good to be true, I'm tellin' ya! With these, with these... the flavor of that one, or even that other one... No, it's more than that! If I use these, blends that never worked before might finally harmonize! These leaves are... a black tea revolution, I'm tellin' ya!"
"U-Um, Jutia-san?"
She had sunk into a deep, almost frighteningly intense contemplation. It had been the same with Ein-san—apparently, Nebula's tea leaves were an irresistible siren song to those who lived for tea.
While I was lost in my own thoughts, Jutia-san fixed me with a grave stare, suddenly threw herself off her chair, and dropped into a dogeza. Wait a second, what are you doing?!
"Whoa—Jutia-san!?"
"Kaito! I know I'm asking for the impossible! But! But! But! But I have to have these leaves! I'll pay whatever it takes, so please, let me have some!"
"P-Please, just stand up for now!"
A sudden dogeza? She wanted them that much? Either way, the sheer amount of attention we were attracting was overwhelming, so I scrambled to get her back in her seat.
"Um... this got a little weird, but I figured you'd want some, so I actually brought a whole tin of them as a souvenir for you."
"——?!"
"And I already checked with Nebula. She said if you want them, she can set you up with a monthly supply of one tin, just like Ein-san. As for the details, I'll have you talk to her directly later— Whoa!"
Anticipating she'd want a regular supply just like Ein-san, I'd already cleared it with Nebula. Nebula had given the green light, though since Ein-san pays for her share, I figured they'd have to talk price eventually... I was in the middle of explaining this when an emotional Jutia-san suddenly tackled me.
"Kaito?! Thank you! Thank you!"
"Ju-Jutia-san, c-calm down..."
She smelled like the forest—a truly pleasant fragrance—and her body felt soft and warm against mine, her temperature likely elevated by her sheer excitement. She clung to me happily, her mood through the roof, and it took quite a while before I managed to finally calm her down.
Serious-senpai: "Ah, right... Back when Ein did it, Kuro told her to keep her excitement in check beforehand, so Kaito never realized the dogeza was part of the standard procedure..."