After discussing the schedule with Olivia-san, we decided that the three of us—Kaori-san, Olivia-san, and I—would go out together on the restaurant’s next day off.
I had assumed the location would be the Friendly City, but apparently, we were headed to a trade city in the Arclesia Empire. When I thought about it, the choice made sense. Olivia-san was a celebrity within the Friendly City; even in plain clothes, there was a high risk she would be recognized, which would undoubtedly cause a massive commotion. Going to another town was the logical move.
However, I still had my concerns. Outside the Friendly City, Olivia-san’s physical abilities were below average. While she seemed to believe she possessed the stamina of an ordinary person, our previous outing together suggested otherwise. I felt like I would need to stay mindful and look after her to some extent.
"It’s strange, isn't it? I wonder how it turned into this," Kaori-san mused. "I’m sure you’re thinking the same thing, Kaito-kun, but I’m feeling it even more than you. Anyway, here you go—the Egg-topped Cutlet Set Meal."
"Thank you. Wait... Kaori-san, did you not know about this?"
"I was consulted on the date plan and things like that, sure. I just never imagined that I would be the one joining in."
"Hmm... Well, I figured Olivia-san was just calling it a 'date' because she’s so serious, and that it would essentially just be the three of us hanging out. But if she’s actually drafting a plan, I guess that’s not the case."
As I ate the set meal Kaori-san had served, I reconsidered my perspective. I had assumed the word 'date' was a mere formality for a casual trio outing, but if Olivia-san was approaching this with genuine intent, it would be disrespectful of me not to do the same.
"Yeah. Olivia-sama was researching and planning with incredible enthusiasm. Which is exactly why I’m wondering why I'm included. I mean, I get it. From her perspective, it’s a reward for my help with various things. I understand that, but the suddenness of it all is giving me a stomach ache. Ah, not that I’m not looking forward to going out with you, Kaito-kun."
"I’m just glad you aren't against the idea. Honestly, I think you can just treat it as a casual outing for fun."
"Maybe, but a date with one guy and two girls... well, it might be common in this world, but to people like us, it feels a bit off. I’m just worried about things getting awkward because of it."
"I suppose so."
"Wait a second... You have experience dating multiple women at the same time, don't you? As I thought, you really are a popular man."
Thinking back, I had gone on a simultaneous date with Lilia-san and Sieg-san. There were also the outings with Kuro and Alice. For that matter, if the trip to the beach counted as a date, the number of women involved was way more than just two.
"Aha... ha. Anyway, despite the unexpected turn of events, I’m genuinely happy to go out with you, Kaori-san. We talk at the restaurant all the time, but we’ve never really gone somewhere together. You're cheerful and easy to talk to, so I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun."
"See? That right there... That's exactly the kind of thing you do!"
"Huh? Er, what do you mean?"
"Sigh... You really are a handful. But fine. I have no intention of backing out now, and since we're going, I'm going to enjoy myself. I'll be expecting a masterful escort from a playboy like Kaito-kun with his rich romantic experience."
As expected, Kaori-san was quick to pivot. Regaining her composure, her expression brightened, and she gave me a mischievous wink.
"That's quite a high bar. But isn't the plan already finished?"
"Ah, well, neither Olivia-sama nor I have any dating experience. We figured if we tried to overcomplicate things, we'd just mess it up, so we kept the plan pretty loose. We're basically counting on you to take the lead."
"I see. I don't know if I can pull it off perfectly, but I'll do my best to make sure you and Olivia-sama have a great time."
"Urk... There it is, that handsome smile. So this is the aura of a popular man..."
"Hmm? Sorry, what was that?"
"Nothing! It's nothing, so don't worry about it!"
"Oh, okay."
When I replied that I would work hard to meet her expectations, Kaori-san turned away with a strained smile and began muttering something under her breath. Her voice was too low for me to catch the words.
Since she told me not to worry, prying would be rude. I decided to simply focus on savoring the meal.
Serious-senpai: "Oof, stomach pain characters have such high heroine power that you really can't let your guard down. And now that I think about it, was it an extra chapter or an interlude? When Shigenobu and the others visited, Kaito mentioned he drops by to eat here quite often. He really is a regular..."