Chapter 248

‘This is a disaster.’

That was my first thought when I saw her.

This was the second time I had seen Hiresia in a dress.

At the ball, and now.

It meant she had come fully prepared, in “serious mode.”

‘No, it’s more than that…’

The elf senior had even gone all out with her makeup.

Honestly, I had never seen her like this before.

She knew she was blessed with natural beauty, so she never bothered with makeup.

But what was this?

She had gone overboard…

She had prepared this much?

It meant her expectations were high.

…But what if I couldn’t meet those expectations, and even delivered a counter punch?

‘I won’t be able to handle it. I won’t be able to handle the aftermath…’

The thought sent chills down my spine.

This was driving me crazy.

Should I just serve her meat?

…At least a half-meat, half-vegetable dish would be salvageable.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, you look amazing today…”

“Hehehe, you have good taste.”

Hiresia laughed, clearly pleased.

She seemed very satisfied with my compliment.

Oops, I shouldn’t have praised her.

…The higher her expectations, the harder she would fall.

I berated myself inwardly as I led her inside.

“This way.”

“Hehehe, alright.”

We entered a spacious, clean room with a large window overlooking the garden.

The lighting was warm and cozy, creating a pleasant atmosphere.

Everything was perfect.

Except for the menu.

…And that was the most important part.

“Please have a seat and wait for a moment. I’ll be right back.”

“hehe, there’s no need to rush. Take your time.”

Why was she laughing so much today?

…It was making me feel even guiltier.

“Ah, yes.”

I replied, my voice trembling slightly, and headed to the kitchen.

Everything was already set up.

All I had to do was cook.

But I was conflicted.

Survival or challenge?

Choosing survival was easy.

But if I chose that, all the effort I had put into preparing this would be wasted.

It would be too pointless.

‘Ah, I’ve already drawn my sword, might as well swing it.’

I made up my mind.

That relationship window.

It had shown me a way forward.

So I had to try.

Nothing would change if I just stood still.

I had to challenge myself, to try, to make a difference.

I grabbed the knife, my eyes filled with determination.

* * *

“…I’ll set the table, senior.”

“Hehehe, go ahead.”

I avoided making eye contact with Hiresia, who was smiling brightly, and placed the dish I had prepared on the table.

*Clank.*

“First, the appetizer.”

“Oh, this is more elaborate than I expected.”

Hiresia looked at the food on the plate with anticipation.

And then.

“Ugh?!”

She let out a groan of disgust.

How much did she hate vegetables to make such a sound?

I’m sorry, senior.

I’m doing this for my own survival.

…That made me sound like a terrible person.

“Th-Th-This is…”

“The appetizer is a salad of healthy green and yellow vegetables like spinach, carrots, and bell peppers, topped with refreshing strawberries, apples, and cherry tomatoes. I’ve also prepared my special sauce on the side, so please feel free to use it as you like.”

I explained as calmly as possible.

It was best to act natural in this situation.

I placed a salad on my own plate and sat down.

But my eyes were darting around.

Observing Hiresia’s reaction.

‘…She won’t flip the plate, right?’

I was anxious.

Very anxious.

I didn’t know what level of “force-feeding” was required, but she had to eat at least one plate for it to count, right?

Hiresia’s trembling hand slowly moved.

‘Ugh, don’t flip it! Please don’t flip it!’

I pleaded inwardly.

And then.

*Clank.*

…Her hand reached for the fork, not the plate.

I sighed in relief.

“I-I see.”

Her voice trembled.

She didn’t seem to be suppressing her anger.

She just looked shocked.

Her eyes seemed to be asking, “Why is he serving me a salad with only vegetables and fruits?”

I almost wavered, seeing her pitiful expression.

No.

I had to endure.

…All my efforts would be wasted if I gave in to my emotions now.

“It’s a light and refreshing appetizer that stimulates the appetite with its crunchy texture and tangy flavor. It’s one of my favorite appetizers.”

“Ah… I-I see.”

“Shall we eat?”

“Y-Yes.”

I gestured for her to start and took a bite of my salad.

Hmm.

It wasn’t bad, even though I had made it.

Well, a salad didn’t require any special cooking skills.

It was all about the freshness of the ingredients.

And the ingredients here were all top-notch.

So it couldn’t possibly taste bad.

However…

To someone, it would taste like the worst kind of food waste.

To the beautiful high elf senior sitting in front of me.

Chew… chew…

Her jaw movements were so different from when she was devouring meat.

It wasn’t that she was eating daintily, her movements were just weak and lifeless.

…Would a lion eat grass like that?

It was so pitiful that I almost cried.

Maybe I should have added some chicken breast.

‘No, no. I can’t be weak.’

I steeled my resolve and focused on eating.

My plate was soon empty.

It was just an appetizer portion, so any adult male could finish it quickly.

Especially the elf senior, who could eat enough for two adult males.

But.

Nibble… nibble…

‘She’s still eating.’

My eyes widened.

…It seemed like this dinner would be a long one.

* * *

“Today’s main dish is a pineapple pizza, with a crispy thin crust topped with plenty of sweet pineapple, and a harmonious blend of olives, mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions to balance the flavor.”

I introduced the main dish.

Pineapple pizza, a dish that was often misunderstood and prejudiced against, but a true delicacy for enthusiasts like me.

Yes.

This was my masterpiece, something I could be proud of.

Its deliciousness had been proven countless times in reality.

…Seriously.

“Phew.”

I wiped the sweat off my forehead, satisfied with my creation.

Slice, slice, slice.

I gracefully cut the pizza into neat slices and arranged them on a plate.

Good, it was artistic.

I could sell this as a menu item.

“Here you go, senior.”

I placed the plate in front of Hiresia, a gentle smile on my face.

I was already all in, so I had nothing to lose.

Hiresia’s body trembled.

It seemed like the elf senior had reached her limit.

Her hand clenched into a fist.

W-Wait.

Please don’t punch me!

Please!

“P-Pineapple? Pineapple? Pineapple pizza? Such a dish exists…?”

She clutched her forehead and shook her head, as if she had received a culture shock.

Her other fist was still clenched tightly.

As if she was seriously considering flipping the plate.

“Yes, it exists. It’s quite delicious…”

“Delicious? Delicious? Delicioussss?”

“…”

Her eyes were no longer normal.

…It was time to appeal to her emotions.

“It’s made with carefully selected ingredients and a lot of love, so please try it before you judge…”

“Ugh.”

Hiresia wavered.

It was only because it was me.

If it had been anyone else’s cooking, she would have already disappeared in a puff of smoke.

“A-Alright… You put your heart into it…”

Hiresia picked up a slice of pineapple pizza with a reluctant hand.

And then she suddenly seemed to have a fundamental question.

“But why pineapple? Why olives, mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions? Why not meat! You could have put your heart into meat! At least you could have mixed it! Why no effort in mixing?”

Oh no, had she finally noticed?

This was why I hated perceptive elves.

…No, she was way too late.

Anyway, now that she had noticed, I had to keep talking.

I had to make her eat it, no matter what.

“There’s a reason for that, senior. It’s because of my feelings.”

“Y-Your feelings?”

Despite her complaints, Hiresia’s ears perked up at the mention of my feelings.

She was so cute.

“Yes, my feelings.”

“Wh-What do you mean?”

Hiresia’s face flushed red.

“I’ll be honest with you.”

“So tell me!”

“I like vegetarian food. Maybe not as much as you love meat, but quite a lot.”

“…”

The elf senior looked at me with a deflated expression, as if to say, “That’s it?”

But I continued seriously.

“If we were just ordinary senior and junior, I wouldn’t have said this. But we’re not, are we? We’re dating.”

“W-Well, yes.”

She was so easily embarrassed.

I chuckled inwardly and continued.

“So I wanted you to understand and accept this side of me. Just like I understand and accept your love for meat. That’s why I invited you to dinner and prepared these dishes. I wanted you to try them and understand.”

“I-I see…”

Hiresia’s expression softened.

It seemed like my emotional appeal had worked.

“So please, have at least one bite.”

I asked her to have just one bite, because I still had some conscience left.

Anything more would be too cruel…

“Ugh, a-alright.”

Hiresia closed her eyes and took a bite of the pineapple pizza.

“Ughhh?!”

…Was it poison?

“Th-This texture is so…”

…I’m sorry.

“The w-worst combination…”

…My heart ached to hear her insult pineapple pizza.

“B-But it’s your heart…”

…Please don’t make me cry.

“Sigh, a-alright. I ate it.”

“…Thank you.”

I bowed my head sincerely.

“But there’s still dessert…”

“What is it?”

“…”

“I-I have to go. Whatever it is, please enjoy your…”

Grab!

“L-Let go!”

“I can’t!”

“I-I have to survive!”

“No one’s trying to kill you.”

“Eek? Y-You’re touching my…”

“N-No, it wasn’t intentional…”

“W-Wait! I-If you touch there, I lose my strength!”

“Don’t think I don’t know your tricks… Whoa?!”

“Ouch!”

*Thud!*

The elf senior and I crashed to the floor, entangled in a rather compromising position.

…We needed to untangle ourselves quickly.

As I carefully tried to get up,

*Slide!*

The door suddenly opened.

“Wh-What’s going on?”

“What’s happening?”

Dan and Godwin appeared, like righteous heroes.

Our eyes met.

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

An awkward silence filled the air.

*Creak.*

Dan turned around, his movements stiff and unnatural.

“One, two. One, two.”

He chanted, his voice strained, and then quickly walked away.

Godwin was even worse.

“Somersault.”

*Roll, roll, roll.*

He rolled away like a ball.

…How shocked were they to do such bizarre things?

I was speechless, even amidst the awkwardness.

“Sh-Should I close the door?”

“Y-Yes.”

“Ah, right, I should get up first…”

“…”

Hiresia’s face flushed bright red.

Mine probably was too.

It was then.

“W-Wait, just like this…”

A voice suddenly said.

“Eek?!”

I shouted in surprise.

She seemed to have snapped out of it at the sound of my voice.

“…D-Did you just say something crazy?!”

“N-No! Not at all! I think I said something perfectly normal!”

“I-Is that so? But…”

“L-Let’s get up!”

“Y-Yes!”

We carefully got up.

The atmosphere was strange.

Hiresia looked around and tried to sneak out.

Grab.

I grabbed her hand.

“You have to have dessert.”

“Ugh…”

Hiresia’s eyes welled up.

I was sorry, but I couldn’t stop now…

Our dinner wasn’t over yet.