Chapter 150: Hoping We Get Closer
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 150: Hoping We Get Closer
Fortunately, Minami didn't refuse my request.
It seemed she happened to be in Shibuya for some personal shopping.
She agreed to take the subway from Shibuya and come straight to Akihabara.
About thirty minutes later, she arrived at the all-you-can-eat BBQ restaurant, her eyes widening when she spotted me sitting alone at a corner table.
"...Is that really you, Kim Yoo-Sung?"
"Yep."
As I nodded, Minami sat down with a bewildered expression.
"What in the world happened to you? I haven't seen you in a week."
"It's a long story. Let's order some meat first and then we can talk."
After sitting still for thirty minutes just smelling the grilling meat, I was about to die of hunger.
I called over a passing employee and ordered the most expensive option.
For 4,380 yen, you could eat from all 120 items on the menu, so it was a reasonably priced deal.
"Have you had lunch?"
"Not yet. I figured I'd eat while I was here."
With that, Minami took off her cardigan and placed it in the empty space inside her chair.
Soon, the meat we ordered began to arrive in a steady stream, and I grabbed the tongs to show off my skills.
Seeing this, Minami suddenly spoke up.
"Wait, give me the tongs."
"Why?"
"With you holding the tongs, it looks like I'm making a kid do all the work."
"Don't worry about what other people think. We're in a corner seat, so no one can see us well anyway. Besides, my dad owns a BBQ restaurant. You think you can grill meat better than me?"
"Well... no."
"Then just sit back, relax, and eat."
After I put my foot down, Minami didn't insist on grilling anymore.
Having seized control of the grill, I began to cook the meat with the spirit of an artisan.
*
"This is delicious!"
She had clearly been reluctant about me grilling the meat at first, but she changed her tune after just one bite.
I smiled with satisfaction and continued grilling. Minami, who had been inhaling the meat without a moment's rest, looked at me apologetically and asked.
"Aren't you going to eat, Yoo-Sung?"
"I will. Just after I grill this."
I replied, placing a freshly cooked piece of skirt steak on her plate.
Minami picked up the steak with her chopsticks, hesitated for a moment, then obediently popped it into her mouth.
It seemed that while she felt sorry, the meat was just too delicious to stop eating.
"So, when are you going to tell me that story from earlier?"
"Ah, right."
I'd been so focused on grilling that I'd completely forgotten.
I put a piece of freshly grilled sirloin in my mouth and began to explain what had happened over the past few days.
I'd repeated the same story to everyone I met since I was in Fuma-senpai's hometown, so now I could probably recite it by heart.
After hearing my explanation, Minami spoke with disbelief.
"That's something out of a manga. Is that even possible in real life?"
A perfectly normal reaction.
And the exact reaction I'd wanted.
"Honestly, it's ridiculous. My physical age getting younger as a side effect of some medicine."
But what could I do when the result was standing right in front of her?
"Anyway, for that reason, I'm planning to eat mainly restorative foods for the next three days."
"So that's why you suddenly wanted to eat beef."
"Exactly. Protein is important."
I nodded and started grilling garlic and kimchi on the hot plate.
Minami stared in shock.
"You're grilling the kimchi?!"
"This is how all Koreans eat it."
It must have been a culture shock for her, since Japanese people usually eat kimchi raw.
I replied nonchalantly and pressed the call button to order more.
It seemed Minami was starting to get full, so it was finally my turn to eat in earnest.
I placed three different kinds of beef on the grill all at once.
Then, I devoured them as soon as they were cooked.
Unlike pork, which takes time to cook, beef was perfect for eating in large quantities since you could eat it as soon as the redness was gone.
Minami watched with a stunned expression as I began to eat the meat at a terrifying pace.
I hadn't even gotten started yet. This was going to be a problem.
Even though my body had gotten smaller, my appetite was the same, so the meat disappeared without end.
I could literally feel it becoming bone and muscle.
After polishing off about two kilograms of beef by myself, I left the restaurant under the glare of the owner.
'I totally got my money's worth.'
Though for the restaurant, it must have been a disaster.
*
"How on earth did you eat all that?"
Minami, standing next to me, asked in wonder as I rubbed my protruding belly.
"I just kept putting it in, and it kept going down."
"......"
Her expression turned to one of utter disbelief.
But what could I do? It was the truth.
Standing together at the crosswalk in front of the subway station, I asked Minami.
"So, what are you going to do now?"
"I'm done shopping and I've eaten, so I was planning on heading home."
I expected it, but she was pretty blunt.
Although we'd known each other for a long time as members of the student council, we didn't know much about each other.
That was only natural, since the only thing we really had in common was the President.
This was the first time we'd ever been alone together since I joined the student council.
Usually, the President or the Vice President was always with us.
The relationship between Minami and me was hard to describe.
After a moment of hesitation, I spoke first.
"Since we're already out, want to hang out for a bit before you go?"
"What?"
"We're in the same student council, so I thought it might be time we got to know each other better. We're the same age, after all."
"......"
Minami didn't answer my suggestion right away.
She seemed to be debating it internally.
Well, if someone I wasn't close to suddenly asked to get closer, I'd probably be taken aback too.
Plus, she has a pretty reserved personality.
Finally, Minami opened her mouth.
"Alright. So what are we going to do?"
"Huh?"
"Why do you look so surprised?"
"Well, I honestly thought you'd say no."
"...I'm going home."
"No, no, wait a second."
I grabbed the arm of Minami, who was about to quickly cross the street as the light turned green.
It was a reflex, but with my current physical abilities, I shouldn't have been able to stop her.
But surprisingly, Minami's feet stopped.
"How are you so strong..."
It was only then that I realized.
Just by eating some beef, a significant amount of my depleted Yang Energy had been restored.
*
Minami and I went to a nearby arcade.
Maybe it was the influence of the Vice President, who was a hardcore gamer, but Minami also seemed to enjoy games.
We had fun playing various games at the SEGA arcade in Akihabara.
We mostly stuck to arcade games, starting with the UFO Catcher and moving on to Puyo Puyo, Tetris, Whac-A-Mole, and more.
Minami, in particular, turned out to be a hidden master at Tetris, pulling off the incredible feat of winning first place over and over in online matches.
I felt like I had discovered a new side to her.
After playing our fill at the arcade, we ended up taking sticker photos.
I wouldn't have done something like this if I were alone, but Minami strongly insisted, so I had no choice but to go along with it.
[Okay, say cheese!]
Click!
Along with the recorded voice from the machine, the photo printed out on the spot.
Our faces were side-by-side, enhanced with various special effects. I had a subtle expression, and Minami looked just as impassive.
It looked exactly like a photo forced upon two people who weren't close at all.
But surprisingly, Minami seemed to like the sticker photo. She cut it in half and put her piece in her wallet.
"Here. The rest is yours."
She then handed the other half to me.
It seemed she meant for me to do whatever I wanted with it.
I put the sticker photo in my pants pocket and asked.
"What now? Should we part ways here?"
Minami stared at me intently for a moment, then turned her head and said.
"I'll hang out with you a little longer. I don't have anything to do at home anyway."
"Well, I'd appreciate that. I still need to eat dinner in this body."
As we walked out of the arcade together, talking about what to eat for dinner, Minami let out a small "Ah."
"The President often goes to an eel restaurant. Want to go there?"
"Eel? Isn't that expensive?"
I wouldn't mind a normal place, but a high-end restaurant good enough for the President's palate...
Seeing my hesitation, Minami said coolly.
"Don't worry about the money. You treated me to meat earlier, so I'll treat you this time."
"What? You don't have to do that."
As I waved my hands to decline, Minami pulled something out of her wallet.
It was a credit card.
"For your information, I'm a woman who earns a salary."
Ah! So cool!
For a moment, I could have sworn I saw a halo glowing behind her.
*
The place Minami took me to, offering to buy me dinner, was a high-end eel restaurant in Shinjuku.
It was a place that had absolutely no trace of a commoner's vibe.
I was sure it was incredibly expensive.
As we sat down, a waitress in a neat kimono handed us two menus.
I opened the menu to find a list of familiar dishes, but the prices had an extra zero compared to what I was used to.
...I shouldn't even dream of ordering anything extra.
I ordered an eel rice bowl from the waitress, then quietly closed the menu and pushed it to the side of the table.