Date
The restaurant we arrived at was relatively warm inside.
"Wow...!"
A vast interior that occupied an entire building. Perhaps thanks to that, there weren't many people in sight, and only a leisurely atmosphere drifted through the place.
In reality, it probably wasn't all that empty. It just looked sparse because of how spacious it was.
"Let's go in."
"Okay!"
With her familiar hood pulled snugly over her head, Cecilia beamed bashfully.
We entered the restaurant, followed a staff member's guidance, and plopped down into the chairs of a private room.
"Phew. Mm, something smells really good!"
"Does it?"
Once seated, Cecilia first flung off her hood. Then she looked around this way and that, sniffing the air.
"Probably... fish? Is that right?"
"Oh. Sharp nose you've got."
When I nodded with a smile, Cecilia also broke into a playful grin that filled her whole face. She looked so cute, beaming with pride at having guessed correctly.
Watching her fondly, I picked up the menu.
"It's a sushi place... more precisely, a Japanese restaurant. Fish is the main thing—do you like fish?"
"I don't remember eating it all that much, but yeah. I like it pretty well."
"That's a relief."
I nodded and pressed the call button. While I ordered various things from the waiter who arrived shortly after, Cecilia kept looking at me with that smiling expression.
"...Something going on?"
I asked after the waiter left. I knew she was being extra affectionate today, but something about this felt a little different.
I could see Cecilia's cheeks flushed a rosy pink. With her hands pressed to both cheeks, she gazed at me steadily through half-lidded eyes. A playful smile, a soft purring sound. Her tail swayed gently and her ears twitched.
Should I say she looked happy? Overall, her energy seemed high.
"Hmm~? Not really?"
Even as she said "not really," she couldn't stop smiling. As I tilted my head at that, she continued.
"Just~. How should I put it—we've never eaten out just the two of us before, have we?"
"Ah~. Yeah. That's true."
I thought for a moment, then nodded as I realized she was right. We had never gone out to eat just the two of us. Most of the time we ate with other people, or the noisy surroundings kept us from really enjoying the meal. Either way, we'd never been able to fully relax and savor a meal.
"...It's just the two of us now, Eunhyuk."
Cecilia narrowed her eyes further, her cheeks flushing. That captivating expression made my own face feel hot.
"I'm happy we can be together like this."
It was strangely embarrassing. Was it just my imagination that those sky-blue eyes seemed to sparkle especially prettily right now?
...Or was I just falling for her all over again?
Dining alone with the person you love. My heart was fluttering, and contrary to the calm interior, my feelings were all stirred up.
Well, anyway.
"Eunhyuk, Eunhyuk! What are these things here? These little teapots...?"
I was glad she looked happy. That was all that mattered right now.
"Those are probably containers for soy sauce. And the rest... things like pickled ginger. Mm, have you ever tried ginger, Cecilia?"
"Nn. Never tried it. What does it taste like?"
"Sour with a spicy kick. I like it, but it's pretty hit-or-miss depending on the person."
"Aha..."
I opened the pickled ginger container and showed it to the sparkling-eyed Cecilia. She leaned her face in slightly and sniffed the scent inside.
"A unique smell..."
"Want to try one?"
"Ah, okay."
I nodded and scooped a little ginger onto her personal small dish. She slowly picked up the pickled ginger with her chopsticks, examined it for a moment, then...
"...Nom."
She popped it into her mouth. I could see her jaw working as she chewed. Watching quietly, she suddenly tilted her head.
"...Unique taste?"
"Not good?"
"It's not bad, but how should I put it."
She picked up another piece of ginger and popped it into her mouth. After chewing, she nodded this time.
"It's a taste where I don't know why people eat it."
"So not good, then."
"I-it's not that it's bad!"
I watched her hurriedly shake her head with a soft chuckle. When I laughed, Cecilia blushed but still put the remaining ginger from her dish into her mouth.
"...Nom."
Soon the ordered dishes arrived. Watching the waiter set down the plates, Cecilia let out a sudden exclamation of wonder.
"...Ooh."
"Amazing?"
"I've never seen any of this food before..."
Her ears twitched and her eyes sparkled. A little later, once the waiter who had seemed somehow pleased left, I noticed something.
"Come to think of it, you're not wearing your hood."
"Hm?"
"Never mind. Don't worry about it."
"?"
While the waiter came and went, Cecilia hadn't put on her hood. Not only that—her tail, which she normally kept hidden under her clothes, was out in the open. Before, just being seen would make her tense up. Now she just looked completely at ease, without any of that.
"C-can I eat? How am I supposed to eat this...?"
"Like this—pick it up from both sides with your chopsticks and dip it lightly in the soy sauce..."
"Like this?"
"Yeah, you're doing great."
In the comfortable atmosphere, a soft "nom" sound rang out.
"Mmm~~!"
Right after, Cecilia was so moved she let out an unintelligible exclamation of delight.
"Mm, mmm, ...mm~♪"
"I have no idea what you're saying."
Cecilia happily chewed away. Watching her with a soft laugh, I put a piece in my own mouth.
"......!!"
"Right?! It's good, isn't it?"
Cecilia asked me as my eyes went wide. All I could do was nod, savoring the bliss in my mouth.
"Hehe. Thanks for bringing me somewhere nice, Eunhyuk!"
I sincerely thought I'd picked a great restaurant. Leisurely savoring the sushi in my mouth and the smile before my eyes, I truly felt that way.
"Hwaa~.... That was so good...."
A voice full of satisfaction scattered into the night sky. Its owner, Cecilia, smiled happily as she rubbed her belly.
"...I might have eaten a little too much."
"Still, it's nice to see you eat so well."
"Nn. Really?"
"Yeah."
"...♪"
Her soft pink lips curved into a gentle arc beneath the brilliant night sky. White breath puffed out into the cold weather. Between those breaths, Cecilia smiled bashfully with her ears and tail fully exposed.
"Aren't you cold?"
"Nn~. Somehow I feel warm."
Cecilia nodded with a bright smile. I could suddenly see that both her cheeks were flushed a rosy pink. It looked less like she was red from the cold and more like her body temperature had risen warmly.
"That aside, um..."
After looking at her for a moment, I glanced away. Twitching ears. Swaying tail. And the occasional glances from other people around us.
Even if it was only the staff inside the restaurant, was it really okay to be out like this? As I was about to ask that, Cecilia noticed my gaze first and spoke.
"I feel like it's okay."
"...Really?"
"Yeah. I wonder why—I feel so calm."
Saying so, Cecilia suddenly turned her back to me. I thought she might walk off somewhere for a moment, when something soft suddenly tickled my hand.
It was her tail. Her soft, fluffy silver-white tail lightly coiled around my hand.
"...."
"...Nn."
A gentle sensation. It was ticklish and warm. Curious about her reaction, I lightly grasped the tail. It jumped with a start, then I felt it tremble lightly, twitching. Without gripping too hard, I quietly enjoyed that ticklish, warm sensation.
"...It's soft."
"Hehe..."
With a pleased laugh, her tail moved smoothly. Then it brushed between my fingers. The sensation of her tail wriggling in my grip was utterly blissful. At the same time, Cecilia's ears occasionally twitching were incredibly cute.
Suddenly she spoke.
"...I think it's okay if people see a little."
"Your ears and tail? To other people?"
"Yeah. Because, well."
Whoosh—Cecilia turned back toward me. An incredibly beautiful smile came into view.
"If anything happens, you'll protect me, right, Eunhyuk?"
She said this with a bright smile. Bathed in the pouring moonlight, she was as beautiful as a fairy.
Cute. Thinking that, I nodded without hesitation.
"Of course."
"♥"
Her scattered peals of laughter were lovely to see. Soon she came up to me with quick little steps and snugly hugged one of my arms to her chest.
"Whoa."
"Let's go, Eunhyuk!"
She was completely pressed against me, arm-in-arm. The incredibly soft something pressing against my arm was, well... problematic.
"Y-yeah. Right, let's go. ...Home?"
"Nn~. Ah, but."
Pressed right up against my side, she peeked her head out toward my face. With flushed cheeks and a bright smile, she said:
"Let's take a little detour."
"A detour? Why?"
"We said we'd look at the sky, remember?"
"Ah."
I'd almost forgotten for a moment. Recalling the promise belatedly, I nodded.
"Yeah. Let's take a little walk together."
"Okay♪"
Answering brightly, Cecilia snugly hugged my arm again. The soft sensation pressing into my arm was embarrassing first, and the envious gazes pouring in from around us were embarrassing second.
"The moon is so pretty..."
"...Yeah. It is."
Still, I didn't mind it. I suddenly reached out my other hand and gently stroked Cecilia's head.
"Hehe♪"
With a smile, she nuzzled her head against my hand in return.
I'm happy. I earnestly wished that this happiness would last forever.