Chapter 27: Shall We Eat Together?

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“I found it, Grandma! It was right next to you. It must’ve been hard to find because of the crowd.”

“Oh my…! Thank you so much.”

Sugar ran over and handed the wallet to the grandmother.

“I’m so grateful, but I don’t have much to give you…”

“Hehe. Ahem. Hehe.”

She chuckled and fake-coughed, as if to say, “I didn’t do it expecting anything in return.”

Of course, if you’re offering, I’ll take it.

Perhaps the grandmother sensed her thoughts.

“Oh, right. How about I give you some money to buy a snack? There are a lot of stalls because of the festival.”

“Oh, you don’t have to! But if you insist, I’ll gratefully accept…”

“There, there.”

She pulled out a coin—a whopping 10 tils.

“Yay! Thank you!”

Sugar jumped up in excitement. Of course, it was only a large sum by children’s standards, but it was enough to buy something from the stalls.

To give such money to a couple of scruffy kids she didn’t even know—she must be an incredibly kind person.

“Enjoy the festival.”

As the grandmother slowly walked away, muttering about what a cute pair they were, Sugar was moved to tears.

“Ugh… such a kind grandma… my instincts were right.”

“About what?”

“She looked like the type who’d bake cookies for her grandkids when she got home. I knew helping someone like her would pay off.”

She smiled mischievously, her childlike cunning showing through, and made a V-sign with her hand.

“Alright, let’s buy something with this. What do you want to eat?”

“Not really…”

“Don’t hold back. Tell me. I want to cheer you up.”

“What? What’s wrong with my mood… and why do you even care about cheering me up?”

“We’re friends. You’ve seemed down lately.”

“…”

“Huh? So, tell me already.”

It sounded like she was the one begging for a treat, but the context was the opposite.

At her words about wanting to cheer him up, and her attitude, Riley was at a loss for words.

She always approached him so familiarly. Crossing boundaries without hesitation, as if it were nothing.

He knew why she cared so much about him. He didn’t understand it at first, but now he did.

Sugar, who wanted to face adversity head-on, had reached out to him, and now she was doing the same in return. She valued the rare knowledge of magic, the effort to teach it, and the kindness—though he had never shown such kindness himself.

Basically, she was just a very affectionate person, someone who naturally built harmonious relationships. It could be annoying at times, but it was her way of showing closeness.

He knew that well, but…

‘Does she do this with others too…?’

Suddenly, doubts about everything they’d been through arose.

Sugar had many friends. Did she do this with them too?

He knew she was close with the kids at the orphanage. Greeting them during meals, saying hi when passing by, occasionally getting into fights, then making up and greeting each other again.

She had called him her “most trusted friend,” but what did that really mean?

She had never said things like, “I only do this for you” or “I only do this for my most trusted friend.”

So, things like trying to cheer him up…

Patting his head…

Hugging him…

Holding his hand…

Blowing into his ear…

Kissing his forehead…

Or even, even, even… putting the candy she was eating into his—

“Sigh… Tommy.”

He snapped out of it.

“Let me give you some life advice… when someone offers to buy you something, acting all shy just makes them feel worse. Okay? You don’t have to be so formal with me.”

Riley had been lost in thought about all the things Sugar had done, but to her, it just looked like he was hesitating to make a choice.

But he really didn’t feel like eating anything.

Thinking about Sugar and her other friends made him feel uneasy, and being in a crowded place only made it worse.

So, he gave a vague answer.

“…Anything’s fine.”

“Gasp!”

A forbidden word. Sugar jumped in horror at the terrifying phrase.

“Hey, buddy. How could you say something so horrifying…”

“What’s wrong with it…”

Riley looked confused as Sugar clicked her tongue in disapproval.

This kid will grow up someday and get a girlfriend. If he doesn’t learn now, it’ll be a disaster.

“Honey~ What should we eat?”

“Hmm. Anything. Whatever you like is fine—”

“Ha! Always leaving the choice to me. I can’t stand indecisive men!”

It was a catastrophe. Truly terrifying.

She hoped Riley wouldn’t end up with such a prickly woman, but there was always a chance.

Someone who was pretty, good at cooking, and made good money, but had one or two flaws in her personality.

“Tommy… I just want you to be happy…”

“What are you talking about…”

“I hope you find a kind woman and live happily ever after… but you have to put in some effort too…”

Being close isn’t everything. Of course, it helps a lot, but marriage is a whole different story.

In the world Sugar had lived in before, even the most beautiful and handsome celebrities divorced like it was nothing.

So, early education was essential.

“Listen up. You’ll grow up someday, get a girlfriend, and go on dates, right? If you say ‘anything’s fine’ when she asks what you want to eat, you’ll come off as indecisive, and she’ll dislike you.”

“What kind of logic… What if the food I choose is something she doesn’t like?”

“That’s why it’s important to find a girl who’ll accept your choices…”

What kind of advice is that… Riley looked at her like she was crazy.

A girl like that probably wouldn’t care if he said “anything’s fine” anyway.

Pretending to be an adult but ultimately hitting the limits of her single life, the conversation took a strange turn.

“…It’s also good to figure out what your girlfriend likes to eat beforehand.”

Feeling her friend’s doubtful gaze, she quickly added. Saying it out loud made her feel like a love expert.

Am I a genius?

If you want to understand women’s hearts, just call me.

She often had these silly thoughts. Sometimes she wished she had been born a man. No matter how she usually acted, she genuinely believed that.

Anyway.

“Favorite food…”

The young boy seemed to find this part somewhat interesting, as he repeated it thoughtfully.

Mumbling to himself, he glanced at Sugar, who nodded confidently in response.

Credibility is something you have to create yourself. You have to show that kind of attitude.

So, she smiled reassuringly, but her expression faltered for a moment.

“Sigh… but this isn’t a real date, so just pick what you really want to eat. Don’t overthink it.”

She realized she was lecturing an 11-year-old and felt a bit ridiculous.

Having this kind of conversation with a friend would only make things awkward. She felt like she’d made a mistake.

He just needed to treat his future girlfriend well, that’s all.

Whether she understood his feelings or not, Riley pointed at a stall.

“Oh, you want ice cream?”

She wanted to applaud his excellent choice.

Cold and sweet things were the best in the world.

She had discovered this truth while devouring a parfait at a café. Ah, this is it, she had thought.

Since then, she had often praised cold desserts like ice cream, pudding, and parfaits to Riley.

Thinking he had been impressed by her enthusiasm, she smiled warmly, but then…

“…Huh?”

It was something Sugar had mentioned liking before.

-It’s good to figure out what they like to eat beforehand, right?

Riley avoided her gaze.

“…It’s hot. Really hot.”

He added unnecessarily, even though she hadn’t asked.

“Hmm…”

Look at this.

Sugar’s lips twitched.

What a great attitude. He’s already putting it into practice.

If he keeps this up, his future girlfriend will definitely be happy. He’ll become a good man and find a good woman to live happily with.

For this scarred child, having a warm family would be the greatest happiness. Sugar genuinely wished for his happiness and always prayed for it.

She couldn’t stay by his side forever. As a friend, she would do what she could, but even if they stayed close as they grew up, anything beyond that was uncertain.

In the midst of these thoughts, Sugar nodded in satisfaction at her friend’s impressive initiative.

“I’ll count that as a win. Good job.”

“…I just really wanted to eat it.”

“That’s even better. Let’s go get it.”

She happily led Riley away.

But, unfortunately…

“15 tils.”

“Huh? Isn’t it 10 tils?”

“15 tils. Maintenance costs are high.”

“Ugh…”

The stall owner was as cold as the items they sold. Their prices were twice as high as other stalls. With prices like that, there was no room to haggle.

Sugar’s shoulders slumped.

“Hey… forget it… let’s eat something else.”

“But you went out of your way to pick this…”

She glanced up at Riley. He used to be shorter than her, but now he had grown taller, and she had to tilt her head slightly to meet his eyes.

She looked at him apologetically, but her eyes darted away, avoiding his gaze.

But there was a strange glint in her eyes.

It was as if she had discovered something. Her eyes widened, and the mysterious, color-shifting irises became clearly visible.

“Tommy… do you trust me…?”

“What?”

She was talking to Riley, but her gaze was fixed elsewhere.

There was something off about her expression. It was the look of someone completely absorbed in something, shining with an abnormal intensity.

Feeling the strange shift in her demeanor, Riley followed her gaze and saw the cause.

‘[Random Roulette]

1st Prize: 3-day trip to the Cloudsea Mountains
2nd Prize: One-day stall pass
3rd Prize: Marble wine cup
4th Prize: Mood-lifting matches
.
.
.
-Entry fee: 10 tils-’

He realized what was swirling in Sugar’s eyes.

Madness. The look of someone who had lost their mind.

“Do you trust me?”

“No. I absolutely don’t trust you. Let’s just go eat something else.”

“No. I have a duty to buy you ice cream.”

“What duty? I don’t even want it that much… don’t waste money, let’s go somewhere else.”

“No. You thought about it and chose it. So, we have to get it.”

“I just picked it randomly—”

“It’s okay, Tommy… I believe in you, so you just have to believe in me. Just believe… everything will be fine if you just believe…”

Her calm tone only made her nonsense sound even more absurd.

Watching her like this reminded him of a memory from the past.

The slum where he used to live. There was an uncle who would gamble away his daily earnings, saying, “This time I’ll win, this time I’ll win,” with the same look in his eyes.

If he left her like this, she’d probably gamble away her entire fortune—10 tils.

A chill ran down his spine, and he quickly tried to stop her. This money was too precious to waste.

“Hey…! Snap out of it! We don’t need it! Stop this nonsense!”

“I can do it…! For you!”

But the madness in her eyes didn’t subside.

Was it her genuine care for her friend, or just her desire to gamble? At this point, it was hard to tell.

“Stop joking around! Quit it!”

“Just watch me!!”

“You’re just doing what you want!!”

At that moment, Sugar leaped toward the roulette wheel. The force of her jump was so strong that it left a small crack in the brick road. It was an explosive display of magic.

Riley could only cover his eyes and sigh.

.
.
.

“Can I get one with this?”

“Sure. That’ll do.”

She handed over a small ticket, and the stall owner placed a pure white milk ice cream on a cone.

“Oh…”

Sugar returned to Riley, holding up a thumbs-up. She proudly displayed the ice cream in one hand and puffed out her chest.

“See? I told you to believe in me.”

As expected, she didn’t win the 2nd prize.

Instead, she got the 5th prize, a ‘One-time Stall Pass,’ which allowed her to get the snack she had been aiming for.

She had somehow succeeded.

“How about that? Amazing, right?”

“Amazing in many ways…”

Riley glanced at the crack on the ground, rubbing it with his foot, then looked at Sugar, who was holding out the ice cream. He had no choice but to take it.

“…”

He took a bite and immediately handed it back to her.

“Why? Finish it.”

“This is enough.”

“Huh…”

The rough yet smooth, snowball-like body of the ice cream. The faint, sweet aroma. It was the kind of food that made your mouth water, but Sugar clenched her teeth and shook her head.

“No. I got this for you, so you should eat it all. Forget what I said earlier about favorite foods and all that… I really don’t need to eat it.”

“Wipe your drool first.”

He held it out right in front of her face, just like she had done earlier, and she reluctantly took it.

“But…”

“It’s fine.”

She held it tightly in both hands, glancing between the ice cream and Riley. She looked unusually unsure of what to do.

Was it okay to accept this? It was meant for her friend, but could she eat it too? She wanted to, but was it really okay?

Her hesitant, conflicted expression gave Riley a sense of satisfaction, as if he had won a small victory.

“Then… shall we share it?”

“…What?”