Aside from the minor hiccup at the start—which I was certain had been born from Olivia-san’s misunderstanding regarding the etiquette of feeding each other—the rest of the meal proceeded without a hitch.
The food lived up to the restaurant's reputation. The menu focused primarily on vegetables, giving everything a healthy quality that seemed popular with women. To be safe, I had swallowed my pride and informed them beforehand that I wasn’t fond of green peppers. As a result, no dishes containing them appeared, and I was able to enjoy every bite.
"By the way," I asked, "what are the plans for after lunch?"
I didn't know the specifics of today’s itinerary. I’d been told we would spend the morning window shopping, but the afternoon remained a mystery. I doubted we would just keep shopping indefinitely, so I suspected we might be headed to a play or a musical performance.
Olivia-san had taken the lead in drafting the date plan, with Kaori-san providing various bits of advice. It went without saying that Olivia-san had zero dating experience, and based on our interactions so far, it didn't seem like Kaori-san had much more than she did.
If that were the case, they would likely stick to the classics. A play, music... or perhaps a visit to a tourist spot unique to this city. The town was built with red bricks, so I imagined the scenery would be spectacular at sunset. We’d probably head somewhere with a nice view in the evening and then grab dinner once the sun went down.
"Our plan for the afternoon is to see a play," Kaori-san answered.
"I see, a play... Is there something special showing right now?"
"Yes. An incredibly popular theater troupe is performing in the city. They’ve even had special feature articles written about them in magazines."
"Heh, I’m looking forward to it. It’s been a while since I last saw a play. Olivia-san, do you watch them often?"
Movies didn't exist in this world. Perhaps they would be invented once Video Magic Tools became more widespread, but for now, they were nonexistent. Theater and music were the staples of a standard date, and as Kaori-san mentioned, popular troupes received massive coverage in the press.
"I have viewed plays like the Creation Story during the Hero Festival," Olivia-san replied. "Since those are held at the ceremony venues on the way to the Central Cathedral... but I have seen nothing else. However, the literature I consulted stated that theater appreciation is the royal road of dating. When I sought counsel from Mizuhara Kaori, she strongly urged that I must select a romance-themed play, so that is what I chose."
"Ah, wait, I don’t think I said it quite that strongly... I mean, well... I do happen to like that sort of thing, so I might have been a bit over-enthusiastic with the recommendation..."
I had a feeling that Kaori-san, much like Alice, harbored a deep longing for classic romantic scenarios. She wasn't quite as blatant about it as Alice was, but when we were feeding each other earlier, she’d seemed genuinely happy to be experiencing a scene she’d clearly admired from afar.
That was likely why she was so fond of romantic plays. As for me, the last time I’d seen one was with Fia-sensei. If adventure-style plays counted, I’d watched one with Shiro-san during the Hydra Kingdom Founding Anniversary Festival.
"Do you watch plays often, Kaori-san?"
"U-Umm... that’s a tough question. I really love them, but I feel a little awkward going to those kinds of shows by myself, so I only go once in a while. I’ve tried inviting Akane-san before, but she just said, 'No way, romance stories make me feel all itchy and embarrassed, I can't stand them'..."
"Yeah, that sounds like her."
Akane-san was definitely that type. If she were on a date, I imagined she’d skip the standard romantic beats in favor of straightforward shopping or sightseeing.
I continued chatting with Olivia-san and Kaori-san about the theater while bringing a bite of dessert—the finishing touch to our lunch—to my mouth.
Serious-senpai: "Theater is a classic, but... what is she aiming for? Usually, the standard move in that situation is for their hands to touch, sparking a moment of tension, but they’ve already been holding hands since they started walking through the city... H-Hmm, I don't know. Even though she gets flustered and panics out of embarrassment, Olivia has terrifying initiative. She’s definitely going to try something."