Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Date?
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Thanks to my experience with adult visual novels, I knew there were characters who hooked up with strangers online to relieve stress. But that didn't apply to Harumi at all.
If she were the type of slut who went around doing lewd stuff just to blow off steam, why would she break down sobbing and kill herself in her ending? She'd probably be grinning with a double peace sign and an ahegao face, looking all refreshed. Content with real sluts like that usually ends with the old guy turning into a dried-up mummy, which just makes him pitiful.
There had to be some backstory with Harumi.
"Hey, peasant, are you messing with me right now?"
Harumi snapped at me, looking irritated for some reason as I stood there smiling.
"Why would I mess with you? And if it were a joke, how would I know your nicknames like 'Paparazzi Old Man' or 'Lumi Merchant,' right?"
"Ah...! Uh... yeah, true..."
She nodded reluctantly, her expression sour, then pointed at me accusingly.
"Fine. Escort me, then. Where's the restaurant you reserved? You didn't make a dinner date with me without booking a place, did you?"
Because of our huge height difference, she had to raise her arm high to point, and her loose sleeve slipped down, revealing her smooth underarm.
Glossy skin like a dewy peach, slightly moist from the heat. Given her petite build, it was probably just her natural constitution—no body hair, no need for grooming.
So that's where the lemon syrup scent was coming from.
It wasn't anything scandalous on its own, but not something you see every day either, giving it this secretive allure. For some reason, I wanted to lick it.
The moment my tongue touched, those cute, fluffy little hairs would stand on end, sending shivers through her...
Kuhuhu...
"Eek... W-what are you staring at, peasant!? Your face is creepy!!"
She didn't know exactly where I was looking, but her instincts must have kicked in. She crossed her arms, hugging herself to hide her underarm.
Whoops.
I zoned out for a second there.
"Ahaha, it's just that I've never seen someone as noble as a young lady like you before. I got lost in your beauty for a moment..."
"Cl...! A-hem! Yeah! Good, you get it. Anyway, escort me already!"
She hooked her arm through mine like a ring. She was so much shorter that it probably wasn't comfy...
Maybe Harumi wasn't completely oblivious; her cheeks seemed a bit flushed.
She glared at me once, then rested her hand on my forearm herself.
"There, happy now? Let's go, peasant! I'm hungry!"
She whined like a little girl at an amusement park tugging her dad's hand for snacks.
She always bragged about having top-tier chefs at her mansion—some Michelin-star whatever—but maybe she didn't eat much normally.
That explained why she was so tiny.
If I fed her properly from now on, maybe she'd grow a bit taller.
I fantasized about sex with Ren all the time, but Harumi felt too fairy-like for that. She was 21, older than me, yet that height?
Sure, there was a certain seductive charm in the age gap and size difference, but still... thinking about my dick size brought to mind that line: "It splits me in half and I die."
She wouldn't burst, right...?
I headed into a fancy-looking restaurant with Harumi, lost in ridiculous cartoonish fantasies.
She seemed surprised I'd brought her somewhere this upscale but quickly puffed out her chest confidently.
"Welcome. Table for two?"
The place screamed high-class. Soft cool jazz played in the background.
No sounds except the faint clink of knives and cutlery. By the time I'd finished running around handling errands, it was full-on dinner hour.
"Right this way."
I'd worried my casual clothes might draw snide remarks, calling me out as a commoner, but luckily, nothing happened.
These days, you see rich folks buying sports cars in tank tops, shorts, and flip-flops, so nobody judges outfits anymore.
"Here are your menus."
The waiter, impeccably polite, led us to a window seat and bowed as he handed them over.
I didn't know much about this stuff, so I just passed mine straight to Harumi. Rich girl like her should handle it.
"Lumi Merchant, what would you like?"
I made it sound considerate, so no one called me out for being clueless.
Rustle-rustle.
Harumi flipped through the menu, frowning slightly. She scanned it for a while, then wrinkled her nose like something was off.
"Hmm... Wonder what to order that'd suit a peasant palate like yours~."
It sounded snarky, but I could tell it was her way of being nice.
"Pfft... You're even considering that for me?"
"What?! Just be grateful!"
Realizing her snide tone had slipped into genuine kindness, Harumi yelled in embarrassment.
The quiet restaurant made heads turn briefly, but they just smiled fondly at the tiny girl chirping away.
Rich people really were on another level.
Leisure comes from the wallet, generosity from the coffers.
Harumi shrank under the stares and spoke softer now.
"This place's head chef used to be a sous chef at La'Touche."
La'Touche? What's that?
I stared blankly, clueless about the language even, and she scowled.
"Ah, I don't know much about fine dining like this. You highborn types like Lumi must be experts."
"What? You really don't know? Their scallop shell starter with basil ricotta and lemon foam is famous! Michelin three stars. Peasants..."
Her words scolded me, but her eyes sparkled with excitement.
Maybe because she loved the food, or perhaps it evoked some happy memory from her past overlapping with now.
Slide.
She quietly closed the menu and pushed it toward the waiter.
"Tch. Can't figure out peasant tastes. Hey, what's the today's special menu de jour like?"
"Yes. Appetizer is lobster ravioli with a velvety bisque sauce, followed by duck leg confit, and dessert is cloudberry compote."
"Sounds good. We'll have that."
"Thank you."
The waiter bowed and retreated.
Lady character through and through. No hesitation with this stuff.
I couldn't even read the menu.
All I knew were tonkotsu ramen... or nabe, donburi maybe.
Harumi glanced at my awed face, lifted her chin, and said,
"What're you staring at?"
It wasn't meant as a brag, but it came off that way. Her nose was in the air. Yet her expression felt natural.
The effortless poise of the upper class. Something only lifelong elites could pull off.
"Just impressed by your knowledge~ That's all."
"Hmph. Back in the day, I memorized wine lists. Could tell 'em apart by smell alone."
Yet she sipped only water. Smart—holding back on wine. She might not know what "paparazzi" fully meant, but she knew better than to get drunk with a stranger.
Good thing I wouldn't have to teach her from scratch. Nothing worse than a girl who drinks alone with guy friends. Of course, seeking out that paparazzi creep was a red flag from the start, but Harumi just lacked any sex trade savvy—that's how the mishap happened.
We locked eyes in a staring contest as time passed, until the waiter served the food.
Tiny portions. Like ant poop.
"What is this...? Why's it so small?"
"Pfft. Total peasant. Who fills up on appetizers? This just signals your stomach that real food's coming."
She ate the ravioli with elegant grace.
A guy like me, surviving on quadruple gyudon, couldn't handle these bite-sized teases.
Luckily, before I crammed the ravioli and licked my spoon, the next course arrived.
Steam rising—!
Duck leg, steaming hot.
Long-simmered in fat, golden crust glistening. Bite down, and juices would burst as it crunched.
Harumi seemed as eager as me, quickly wielding her knife. She forked the crispiest part delicately.
Crispy crunch.
She sliced the meat to size, paired it with the skin, and speared it.
"Ooh..."
Grinning like an idiot at the perfect bite on her fork, she opened wide and shoved it in.
Nom nom!
"Haaah...♡"
Her head tilted back slightly, eyes curving upward.
...Did she just bliss out a little?