Regarding the Matter of Beautiful Girls Relentlessly Seeking My Body (Experience Points)
“Well then, let’s toast to the success of the Christmas buffet! Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
The voices of the staff rang out loudly at my part-time job, Anjoule Terrace. There had been several troubles, but the Christmas buffet had ended without incident, and now we were having a celebration.
Though it had ended smoothly, the Christmas buffet turned out to be a huge loss for the store. While we were able to secure the turkey, Chika-san wasn’t able to dive into the dungeon, so we ended up buying a lot of dungeon ingredients, resulting in a hefty expense. Even so, the course price stayed the same. If we were to make a reasonable profit, we’d have to charge 100,000 yen per customer. But it stayed at 30,000 yen. It’s no surprise that we ended up in the red.
Well, since I got to eat all that for free, I think I’m the happiest one here.
I took a bite of the foie gras sautéed with goose liver that Honoka-san had mistakenly brought, thinking it was turkey liver. It was unbelievably delicious. Thank you, Honoka-san. I’m glad you’re the kind of person who can’t tell the difference between turkey and goose.
“…Tatsuya-kun, are you thinking something rude?”
“Huh? No, not at all. I just think the foie gras is delicious.”
She has a surprisingly sharp intuition. I decided to change the subject to avoid further probing.
“It’s great that Chika-san’s diving license suspension was lifted. But I wonder who reported the false information to the Dungeon Administration. Saying that she was illegally processing dungeon pufferfish…”
“Actually, it seems like something you were worried about before turned out to be true.”
“Me? I did?”
“Yeah, remember when I told you about the large wedding hall being built nearby? It seems like someone from there was involved. Apparently, the invitation to poach my mom’s party members also came from there.”
It seems like we were being harassed.
“But didn’t you say that it wouldn’t be a competition because the scale is different?”
“Yeah, that’s true. But because it’s so close, Anjoule Terrace and that wedding hall are often compared. Many of the customers who came for a tour were saying, ‘Anjoule Terrace’s food is cheap and delicious, so why is the food here so expensive?’ And that’s when they started to sabotage us.”
Honoka-san said this with a wry smile.
“Anjoule Terrace is small, the building is old, and really, the only thing it has going for it is the food.”
“Well, for a wedding, food is the main attraction from the guests’ perspective. I can understand their feelings.”
“You can’t say that! A happy wedding is every girl’s dream!”
After saying that, Honoka-san sighed.
“Ah, I’m already 22… I wonder if I’ll ever get married. There are even younger people at my place who are having weddings, and it kind of makes me anxious. I wonder if there’s anyone good out there for me.”
“Honoka-san, you’re beautiful and kind. I’m sure you’ll find a boyfriend in no time.”
“Well, bridal planners don’t have many opportunities to meet new people. Ugh, should I change careers?”
“Like becoming a dungeon diver?”
“That could work. But wait, there are only women in dungeon diving, so there’s no chance of meeting anyone there either!”
“Haha, you’re right.”
“Come on, think properly.”
After puffing out her cheeks in mock anger, Honoka-san leaned in and asked.
“Hey, Son-san, don’t you have a girlfriend?”
“No, I don’t. Didn’t I mention that before?”
“Huh? I didn’t hear that. I heard you didn’t have a girlfriend, though.”
“Hmm? Oh…”
I made a mistake. Son-san is me, not someone else. I ended up answering casually.
“I see. Son-san doesn’t have a girlfriend… He seemed like a kind, polite person, and I’d love to chat with him. Can you introduce me, Tatsuya-kun?”
“…That’s not possible. He’s already gone back to his country. He said to say hi to you.”
“Ha-ha. I see, what a shame.”
Even though she said it was a shame, Honoka-san smiled in a strangely amused way.
“Ah, by the way! Changing the topic, when I went to the dungeon alone, I found sap from the Tree of Life, and since it was rare, I brought it back. I had my dad turn it into candy.”
Honoka-san took out a candy from her pocket and offered it to me. It was a beautiful amber-colored candy that was transparent.
“This is a candy that increases vitality, and it’s really helpful when you’re diving in dungeons, but more than that, it’s super delicious! I’ll give you a few too, Tatsuya-kun!”
“Thank you. I’m looking forward to eating it.”
I’ll save it for when I feel like dying from exam stress.
After that, we enjoyed some light conversation while eating. The food was all top-notch and delicious, but I started to feel a little scared about how much more discerning my taste buds were becoming.
After finishing our meal and cleaning up, as I was about to head home, Honoka-san called out to me.
“Tatsuya-kun, really, thank you so much this time. If you hadn’t been here, Anjoule Terrace might have closed down. My mom could have ended up doing something reckless and dying. Thanks to you, I was really saved.”
“No, I didn’t do anything. I just knew someone who had a lot of experience.”
“No, even so, thank you.”
“Alright then. You’re welcome. Well, I’m off.”
Just as I was about to leave, Honoka-san approached me and whispered seductively in my ear, her hot breath brushing against my skin.
“Hey, Tatsuya-kun. If you ever want to use the confessional, just let me know. I’ll go with you, day or night.”
After saying that, Honoka-san quickly pulled away and said cheerfully.
“Well, see you next time at work! Bye!”
Leaving only a pleasant scent behind, Honoka-san walked away.
“…I didn’t give myself away as Son-san, did I?”
I won’t know unless I ask Honoka-san. But of course, I couldn’t bring myself to ask her that.
And with that, the Christmas buffet came to an end, leaving a cloud of uncertainty and lingering emotions in my heart.
