Does This Love Suit Your Taste? - Volume 1 Chapter 7.4

Fever 4

The excitement in the hall, filled with participants, had reached its peak.

Amidst this, Rira’s performance was of S-class, not for nothing was she called S-Hime.

“Fiancee-chan~ Here’s the pasta! take it~!”

“Yes!”

“Rira-chan! Are we running low on silverware?”

“It’s okay! I just replenished them!”

As Rira walked to the small kitchen window to carry dishes, Ichigo spoke to her while pouring drinks.

“Rira-chan, you’re amazing! You’re really doing great at work!”

“Thank you!”

“Toui might not even need to come back at this rate!”

“That’s an exaggeration.”

Rira chuckled at the joke and returned to the tables with the dishes in hand.

Time passed smoothly. Rira’s heart had become completely at ease, and her chest was filled with warmth and a sense of fulfillment as she worked up a good sweat.

(It’s okay, I’ve got this)

“Mabuchi-san! The ratatouille we served earlier, there’s only half left!”

“Okay!”

After informing Mabuchi about the dwindling dishes and waiting for the next batch of food, Rira walked over to the edge of the counter near a pillar and gazed absentmindedly at the reunion attendees.

Ichigo was having a lively chat with several participants at the counter. Rira quietly smiled, thinking it seemed like a very homely workplace where every day is fun.

Then, a slightly tipsy guest with a glass of wine and a small square plate of food in hand staggers over with drunken steps.

It’s the organizer from earlier.

“Excuse me~”

“Can I help you with something?”

While looking around, the organizer asks Rira.

“Is the staff member with the brown hair and hair clip not here today? You know, the one who seems kind of pleasant…”

Rira immediately knew it was about Toui. It seemed this person had been to this place before.

Rira was slightly surprised by the difference between the school image of that problem child, which the customers who visited Maison thought to be pleasant.

“Actually, he’s not feeling well today… I’m here as his replacement.”

The organizer said, ‘Ah, is that so?’ while looking disappointed and snapping his fingers against his forehead.

“I wanted to thank him for the other day.”

“Thank him?”

“Yeah, my girlfriend and I came to this restaurant a little while ago. We tried to be fancy and came for French cuisine, but we had no idea what the dishes we were served were supposed to be. That’s when one of the waiters here took the trouble to explain everything about the dishes to us.”

The organizer sat at the counter seat, placed his bottle of wine on the table, and cut a piece of ‘Spring Vegetable Terrine’ from the plate he was holding with a fork, taking a bite.

“So when I decided to be the organizer for the reunion, I immediately thought of booking this place. Ah~, I was hoping to see that handsome guy again.”

He chewed on the jelly-like vegetables, sipped his wine, and smiled lazily with a somehow helpless look on his face.

“The food is delicious, and all the staff are nice. It’s a great place~.”

“…Yes, it is.”

Unable to admit that she was the one who would obstruct the future of such a place, Rira distracted herself from the overwhelming guilt by gripping the hem of her borrowed apron.

◇

The closing time for Maison was 10 p.m.

The group, planning to continue their gathering at a second location, left the restaurant in good spirits.

Rira solemnly bowed and saw off the last customers.

“Thank you very much! We hope to see you again soon~!”

Ichigo waved energetically. Rira and Ichigo both smiled as they watched drunken customers, who had collapsed from too much drinking, being stuffed into taxis like a piece of luggage.

“Rira-chan, thank you for today. You really saved me.”

“No-no, not at all…”

As Rira modestly bowed her head in return, Ichigo took a small seat on the wooden bench set up outside.

“…by the way, are you really planning to marryToui?”

“Uh… um…”

Rira’s chest tightened with pain at the sudden personal question.

“I… that’s what I intend, but…”

“I wonder what Toui thinks about it.”

Rira couldn’t tell what Ichigo’s intention was by bringing up this topic, but from her perspective, it felt as though she was being coerced into confessing a crime.

“…I-I don’t know.”

“Maybe he doesn’t want to.”

In desperation, Rira played dumb, but Ichigo stated firmly.

“Toui seems really happy when he’s cooking or serving customers. I really love watching him like that. The Toui who is engaged with Maison shines so differently from when he’s at school. He’s precious to me, and so is this place.”

“…I see.”

“About that, Rira-chan…”

“…Yes?”

“I don’t want Toui to give up on Maison.”

“…”

“I don’t know what kind of circumstances Rira-chan’s home has. But I can see that Toui is going through a hard time. I want Toui to smile. I want him to chase his dreams. So I hope that from now on, Rira-chan and the adults will consider Toui’s feelings a little and the future of this place…”

A complete contradiction arose within Rira.

Due to her family’s situation, she chose the path of marrying Toui. But for those involved with the restaurant, she was nothing but a hindrance. She had to choose one and abandon the other.

For Rira, who had always strived to meet everyone’s expectations, the notion of causing sacrifice was a huge barrier.

“Sorry, maybe I was being mean… But it would be sad if Toui gave up on the shop.”

“No, not at all. Ichigo-chan, it’s clear you really care about Toui-kun.”

“Rira-chan… does that mean you understand…?”

Ichigo let out a genuine, embarrassed smile. Rira envied her, wishing she could smile like that too.

“Yeah, I understand. I have to do the same.”

In contrast to Ichigo, Rira put on her usual forced, insincere smile, playing the role of a kind and understanding girl.

As she touched her short, ugly hair that had been cut too short, she gripped it tightly as if to chastise herself for her regret.

◇

“…Mmm…”

I awoke for what felt like the umpteenth time, and it seemed my fever had completely subsided. I had cried myself to sleep while still holding someone’s hand.

“Shira…hime…?”

I squint at someone who is reaching out their hand to me.

“…Sorry, it’s not S-Hime.”

“Ichigo…!?”

Surprised, I woke up completely and sat up quickly like a sprung mouse trap.

“What time is it now…?”

“It’s 10:30 at night. After the shop closed.”

“Ah, that’s right, the shop!”

“S-Hime helped out, and the group has already left. It’s all okay.”

“She did something like that… I see… And I even had her taking care of me…”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

Ichigo smiled faintly.

Maybe I’m overthinking it, but that ‘it’s fine’ seemed to imply something more than just today’s business.

“Eh? It’s fine, you say…”

“Ah, there’s some stew that Mabuchi-san made, want to eat?”

“Oh… Now that you mention it, I’m super hungry… I’ll have some.”

“Got it, I’ll bring it right now.”

“Okay… Ichigo, thanks for running the shop too.”

“What are you talking about? I work at the Maison too, so it’s only natural.”

“…I see.”

I realized something today. I can’t do everything on my own.

Ichigo was there, Mabuchi-san was there, and then there was her. That’s why today, both Maison and I were safe.

I need to cherish the people beside me more, or else someday, when I’m truly alone, I won’t be able to protect Maison by myself.

“…I need to properly thank Shirahime tomorrow.”