Chapter 26: Date, Rehearsal I (part 1)

As I rode my bike down the road, I had a clear view of the city.  

While pedaling, I thought about the rehearsal.  

Was simply being an escort for a date rehearsal enough?  

‘No, it can’t be.’  

To be sure, it would be better to educate her on cooking as well.  

How would Ryunosuke react if he were to eat the food from last time—the one that could only be described as “death cooking”?  

…It was terrifying to think about.  

Perhaps he would be frightened or disgusted, but he wouldn’t show it. He was the kind of guy who would say something like, “It’s delicious~” while laughing just enough to avoid hurting the other person’s feelings.  

I couldn’t let him go through that situation alone.  

“My lady.”  

“What’s going on, Hyunjin?”  

“How about practicing cooking when you get home today?”  

“Yo, you mean cooking?”  

“Yes.”  

“Cooking… Cooking is… enough, isn’t it? If it’s my skill! You said the other day that you remembered your hometown, Hyunjin!”  

“That’s right, but……”  

To be honest, wouldn’t it be normal for anyone to think of their childhood meals when on the deaths door?  

There were definitely many dishes I wanted to eat—kimchi jjigae, soybean paste stew, seasoned vegetable side dishes, and even egg rolls.  

If it was a simple dish, I might be able to cook it… There was also a recipe prepared by Ohana.  

“Isn’t that enough?” Amelia said confidently.  

No… That shouldn’t be the case either.  

Here, I decided to throw a fastball with confidence.  

“The lady asked me to find out about Ryunosuke, or something like that. Doesn’t that mean you have feelings for Ryunosuke?”  

“Eh? Oh, I mean… Hmm.”  

“I think it’s necessary to practice in preparation for any situation. If you make a mistake in practice, it may be irreversible.”  

“Ah, ahahahahaha! Yes, yes, yes! It’s definitely a good idea, so let’s try it!”  

The words seemed to stop for a moment.  

It must have been my imagination.  

As I was chatting with Amelia, we arrived in town.  

“Get off, my lady.”  

First, I dropped off Amelia and then locked our bikes in the right place.  

“Hey, this is downtown…?”  

“Have you ever visited?”  

“I’ve been here once in a while. Don’t misunderstand! It’s really just sometimes, sometimes.”  

In the end, she hadn’t really been here at all…  

Certainly, never having been here meant a lack of experience.  

It would be good for her to get used to it—just enough that she wouldn’t express surprise when she accompanied Ryunosuke for the first time.  

I should take the lead here.  

But also I had a feeling Ryunosuke would be the one leading if he was in my shoes.  

“Can you tell me where to start, Hyunjin?”  

“Hmm… Okay. Just a moment.”  

I shook my head slightly.  

I contrasted the Ryunosuke I remembered with the Ryunosuke I had observed so far.  

And I thought of a good place for men and women to go on a first outing.  

A place where three symmetry points intersect—an ideal starting point.  

‘Wouldn’t it be nice to simply go to a music store?’  

A café wasn’t a bad choice for a first meeting, but first, they needed to match their interests.  

Ryunosuke usually went to the music store when he went out for fun… I used to visit record shops often as well.  

“My lady.”  

“Tell me, Hyunjin.”  

“Maybe… Do you like music?”  

“I like it.”  

“Then, how about a music store as my first recommendation?”  

“A record store… You mean?”  

“Yes. It’s a store that sells records, but you can also listen to various types of music there.”  

“I-I know that much?!”  

At my words, Amelia responded with a light blush.  

I didn’t think she actually knew anything based on that reaction.  

“One of Natsuki’s hobbies is listening to music. So, I think it would be good for you to experience it at least once.”  

After that, Amelia muttered to herself, “Certainly, it’s not a bad idea… That is… Mmm, Ryunosuke seems to have quite a refined hobby.”  

Amelia listened to me and nodded. I accompanied her to a nearby music store.  

“Doesn’t it feel a bit noisy for a record store, Hyunjin?”  

Amelia looked around, clearly curious.  

“I’m sorry if this sounds rude, but can you tell me what you imagine a music store to be like?”  

I asked cautiously, and Amelia nodded before replying.  

“I thought music stores were more sober and understated… I imagined a classic, elegant atmosphere. Am I wrong?”  

“Ah……”  

As expected.  

Did I get it wrong from the start?  

“My lady, a music store is a place that stocks all kinds of music……”  

Amelia responded with slight bewilderment.  

“That—I know that much! According to common sense, that’s what a music store is like!”  

What kind of common sense was that…?  

I didn’t even have the energy to respond, so I simply nodded appropriately and decided to correct her misunderstanding.  

“You’re right, but this is how record stores are these days. Now, let’s take a look.”