It took quite a while, but I finally finished off the coffee Kuro had prepared. To be honest, I couldn't tell the difference between most of them. I was just an amateur, after all; there was no way I could distinguish the subtle nuances of coffee with just a single sip.
Still, among the varieties provided, I picked out five that either made me think, "Oh, this is interesting," or simply suited my palate.
"...I think these are the ones that would go best with baby castellas," I said.
"Oh, as expected of Kaito-kun! My thoughts were actually pretty similar... I was thinking this one and this one were good, too."
"Yeah, those two were definitely the most delicious of the ones I sampled. I think the chemistry with the baby castellas would be great. If we're in agreement, those might be the ones."
"Yup, yup! After all, these were the ones chosen by both me and Kaito-kun, the core members of the Baby Castella Appreciation Society. There’s no mistake!"
I really wished she would stop making me a core member of some mysterious society I didn't remember joining... First Ein-san gave me that nonsense "Maid Advisor" title, and now this. I suppose the master and servant really are alike...
"Thank you, Kaito-kun! That was really helpful."
"I'm glad I could help... though even with just a sip of each, that was a lot of coffee."
"I might have made a few too many... I was having so much fun tweaking the recipes that I just kept going."
"Well, you do tend to go a bit overboard when it comes to baby castellas, Kuro."
"Eh? D-do I? Well... I suppose I might get a little passionate where baby castellas are concerned... but only a little... maybe? Is that... not okay?"
"If you're that unsure, just give up and admit it."
"Ugh... fine."
So she actually was aware that she tended to run wild over baby castellas. It seemed her excitement just made her lose control, but unlike Eden-san or Ein-san, she actually seemed to feel a bit bad about it afterward. Though based on what I’d seen so far, I doubted that self-reflection would actually change anything next time...
"Well, even so, your version of 'going overboard' is cute compared to Eden-san's."
"Kaito-kun, being compared to her is actually a bit of a shock... Oh! I just remembered! I brought some sweets I wanted to eat with you!"
"...You realized you were losing the argument and changed the subject."
"N-no I didn't!"
Since she was clearly aware of her tendencies, continuing the conversation was only going to make her look worse. Realizing she had no chance of winning, she switched topics to cover her tracks.
Looking at her acting so defenseless—a side of her she likely didn't show to many people—I couldn't help but chuckle. Kuro's "running wild" was definitely on the cute side. Besides, hanging out with her was always fun...
"Alright, fine... so, what did you bring?"
"Ta-da! Look at this!"
"Is this... pudding in a ceramic jar?"
"That’s right. There’s a tiny shop in a city east of the Arclesia Empire. It's normally a pottery shop, but occasionally they sell homemade pudding in these special ceramic jars they make. It's a 'those who know, know' kind of treat."
"Heh, the container is stylish, and the pudding looks good."
Kuro's hobby was visiting various eateries, and she often brought back favorite snacks like this. As expected of someone who had authored multiple food-touring guides, Kuro’s choices never missed. Everything she bought was always delicious.
"There’s custard and chocolate. Which one would you like, Kaito-kun?"
"Hmm. I think I'll go with the classic custard."
"Then I'll take the chocolate. Here’s your spoon."
"Ah, the spoon is part of a matching set... that’s a nice touch."
I took the spoon and tried a bite. As expected, it was fantastic. It didn't have the refined taste of a high-end dessert; instead, it had the simple, gentle flavor of something truly homemade.
"Kaito-kun, try the chocolate one too. Here, aahn."
"Thanks... yeah, the chocolate is great too. Kuro, do you want to try the custard?"
"Aahn... mm, delicious! Hehe, it’s strange. When I eat with you, everything tastes even better than when I'm out on a food tour."
Watching Kuro smile so happily, I couldn't help but smile too. We sat there and enjoyed the rest of our pudding, occasionally feeding each other just like before.
Serious-senpai: "...I thought we were talking about coffee, and then suddenly you started flirting. I feel like I just got slapped when I least expected it..."
???: "...After being beaten so many times, why are you still letting your guard down? Are you the Queen of Complacency, ssu?"