The parfait arrived, and it was just as modest as I had expected. In fact, I was fairly certain the one Hina had eaten when she, Aoi, and I went out together previously had been larger.
“Ooh, so this is the Couples-only Parfait... I wonder what part of it makes it for couples?”
“It looks like a standard strawberry chocolate parfait, but maybe it’s the heart-shaped chocolates in key spots, or the way the strawberries are sliced to look like hearts?”
“I see! It looks delicious, though... Is it really okay if I go first?”
“Yeah. Actually, if you can finish it, you’re welcome to the whole thing, Hina.”
“...N-No, that won’t do. It’s a special Couples-only Parfait, so let’s eat it together. I’ll have, um... half... no, maybe about two-thirds...”
She seemed caught in a tug-of-war between her desire to devour the whole thing herself and the romantic appeal of sharing it. Despite her visible struggle, Hina ultimately chose the latter.
I really only needed a bite or two to be satisfied, so I decided to let her eat to her heart's content and just have a little whenever the timing felt right.
“Mmm, it’s so good! Parfaits really do taste like happiness, don't they?”
“Ahaha, you certainly make it look that way.”
Hina looked adorable with a look of pure bliss on her face after just one bite. Seeing her enjoy it so much was heartwarming enough to bring a smile to my own face.
“By the way, we still need to buy a present for Aoi. I was thinking a general store with accessories and trinkets would be good, but do you have any other ideas, Hina?”
“Hmm, I think that sounds great... but one thing that occurred to me is that I’d like to try going to Alice-sama’s general store.”
“Alice’s? Wait, have you never been there? There’s a direct door in the back of Iris’s bar...”
“I’ve been to the weapon shop, but never the general store. I’ve visited Iris-san’s bar with Aoi-senpai for juice and snacks before, but Aoi-senpai and I can’t pass through that door in the back. It just wouldn't let us through.”
“...Oh. So that door has restrictions on it?”
“Yes. It’s not that we couldn’t walk through it, exactly; it’s more like whenever we tried, we’d just end up stepping out the bar's front entrance instead. Iris-san mentioned it’s probably set up to only connect to the general store when you're there, Kaito-senpai.”
“I see...”
Since I could pass through it normally—and it had worked fine when I brought Amel along—I had assumed it was open to everyone. Apparently, that wasn't the case for Aoi or Hina.
Based on what Hina told me, it seemed the door functioned as a standard exit when I wasn't around, only transforming into a shortcut to the general store when I was actually present. Alice was notoriously cautious, so that explanation made perfect sense.
“Well then, let’s head to Alice’s. She makes some weird stuff as a joke, but she actually stocks a lot of high-quality items too.”
“Yes! I’m looking forward to it!”
It was a fact that Alice’s craftsmanship was world-class, so most of the items in her shop were exceptional. Of course, since she essentially ran the place as a hobby, she also stocked bizarre items made on a whim and pushed certain mysterious mascots with unsettling fervor.
Still, I bought most of my own accessories from Alice... along with my clothes and shoes. In fact, it felt like my entire lifestyle was sponsored by her at this point. Regardless, the quality was undeniable, making it an ideal place to hunt for a birthday gift.
We left the cafe and arrived at Alice’s general store as Hina had requested. However, the moment we stepped inside, a certain sign caught my eye.
“...Alice, really... Could you at least try to be a little less...”
“That corner is full of bargains right now!”
“...Bargains? You literally just set this up in the time it took for us to walk here, didn’t you?”
Directly in front of us stood a shelf labeled Special Feature: Accessories Perfect for Birthday Presents, packed with various goods.
She had clearly smelled a profit and whipped the display together instantly. It had been the same way when I brought Amel. That part was fine, but the real issue was the blatant labels on the shelves: Recommended for Kaito-san and Recommended for Hina-san.
“...Why did you go through the trouble of separating the recommendations? And why do the prices in the corner for me have so many more digits than the ones for Hina?”
“...Tee-hee!”
This girl wasn't even trying to hide her greed. She had prepared affordable, modest items for Hina while shamelessly trying to fleece me for every cent I was worth. It was almost refreshing how honest she was about it.
Still, at least the quality was guaranteed.
Serious-senpai: “Wait, Iris can’t pass through either?”
???: “Back when I first built the house, I made Iris use teleportation so she could practice, so she still just teleports whenever she moves... Besides, Iris is a cold fish and doesn’t actually visit the general store that often.”
Serious-senpai: “...What do you do when Kaito is sleeping, then?”
???: “I’m usually hanging out at Iris’s bar.”
Serious-senpai: “...Then isn't that just because she sees you every day anyway? She doesn't need to go to your store.”