•[•]•[•] Hiroshi [•]•[•]•
"Let's see…" Noire pulls out the slip of paper which has the list of items that we need to buy. "Geez, I don't even know what half of these things are! Do you know any of these items?" I lean over and take a look at the list.
"Uh…" I scratch my head. "Beats me."
"Then how are we supposed to order the stuff!?" She exclaims.
"Maybe we could just give the list to the employee and they'll know what to do." I say with a shrug.
"O-oh… you're right."
As we cross the street, the two of us fall silent. We had made our way into the city and begun our adventure to retrieve the items that Nepgear had requested. Glancing over at Noire, I find that she is busying herself with the shopping list in her hand. My eyes begin to stray away from the piece of paper in her hand and begin to focus on her. She's wearing a cream turtleneck, accompanied by light-brown, plaid pants. Although her bangs are hiding most of her ear, I notice the sparkle of an earring, as well as a pair of white bow ties holding up her raven-black twintails.
Wow, does she usually dress like this? She has really good fashion taste, now that I think about it. I look down at myself and compare my outfit to hers. Honestly, I could use a little makeover myself.
"Is there something on my face?" My thoughts are interrupted by Noire's voice, snapping me back to reality. I find her giving me a confused look.
"A-ah, no there isn't." I blush and quickly avert my gaze.
It didn't take very long for us to find the store, for it was right next to the mall that the Orchid is in. Taking a step into the shop, I immediately feel out of place. The atmosphere feels incredibly niche as we walk through the store. There are a small number of people who scatter themselves throughout the aisles.
"Why can I totally imagine Nepgear shopping here…?" I hear Noire mumble to herself as the two of us make our way to the front counter, where we are greeted by an employee.
"Hello! How may I help?" He looks at us with a welcoming smile.
"We would like to order these parts." Noire holds up the shopping list to the employee, who examines it.
"Sure, we can do that for you." He folds the list and slips it into his pocket. "When would you like to have this finished by?"
"As soon as possible, please. How soon can you finish?"
"Let's see…" The employee puts a hand on his chin in thought. "We can get the parts done in two days. Is that alright with you?"
"That sounds excellent." Noire finishes the negotiations, stepping to the side to let me pay.
"Thank you for your patronage!" We hear as we exit the building. Making our way over to one of the sitting areas near the shop, the two of us sit down next to each other.
"That was surprisingly niche." Noire speaks up.
"You're right." I agree with a nod. "I felt so out of place the entire time."
"I can see why Nepgear recommended this place. They seem to know what they're doing." She says, putting a finger on her chin before continuing. "What's next?"
"I suppose we could have an early dinner, if you'd like." I respond. "Are you hungry?"
"I could eat now." She says with a shrug.
"Would you like to choose a restaurant?"
"Wh-why me?"
"I know it seems counterintuitive because you've made dinner for us for the past couple of days, but I wanted to let you choose a place that you wanted to eat at."
"Well, if you don't mind…" Noire then pulls out her phone. "I would like to go to this restaurant."
She holds up her phone and I lean closer to get a better look at the screen. On the phone are directions to a restaurant called, "Dai no Hanokoro." Tapping on the screen, I pull open the reviews and overview of the restaurant.
"They prepare the meals with seasonal ingredients, so everything that's on their menu changes every few months. They're supposedly famous for their Kobe beef, which, luckily for us, should be in season."
"Sounds interesting." I say, leaning into the sofa's backrest. "I wouldn't mind trying it out. Do you wanna eat there for dinner?"
"You're the one who let me decide where to go, so of course I'm okay with it!" Noire stands up, putting her hands on her hips. "Before we go, allow me to educate you."
"Educate me about what?"
"We're going fine dining. Do you even know what fine dining is?"
"Of course I do." I scoff.
"Well do you know the proper etiquette?" The question made me take back my previous statement.
"N-no." I rub the back of my head and Noire just sighs.
"I figured as much." She sits back down and looks at me. "Let me explain. There are different types of fine dining, but you don't need to know about all of those types. However, Dai no Hanokoro utilizes the French style of fine dining. Unlike other restaurants, the food is prepared without a menu: it's the chef's choice. However, unlike traditional French fine dining, the food is not made table-side. We'll have our own table.
"Moving on to the proper etiquette for fine dining, most restaurants will have a dress code and typically deny people who don't follow said code. However, I did some research and confirmed that it's okay to come with casual clothing. There Will be numerous utensils that you will have to use properly depending on the course. From left to right, you will be provided a salad fork, dinner fork, dinner knife, salad knife, and soup spoon. There are also going to be items and utensils above your plate: a bread plate and knife to the left, dessert spoon and fork directly above, and three glasses. The glass on the left hand side will be the only glass you will touch: your water glass. Is this all making sense?"
"K-kind of?" I say, feeling my head spinning. "That was a lot of information just now."
"You'll get the hang of it!" She says with a reassuring smile.
"W-well, I guess I need to start somewhere." I sigh, still trying to wrap my head around everything that Noire had just told me. "Is there anything else that I need to know?"
"Let's see…" She puts a finger on her chin in thought. "Oh! Try to sip from the same spot on your glass for the sake of formality. Also, I know that you're a messy eater, but try not to get food on the rims. That'll drive the waiters insane. Try not to use the restroom, but if you absolutely need to, place your napkin on your chair. Oh, a couple more things! If you have things on your plate that you can't eat, move them to the top left of your plate. Lastly, leave one bite of your meal left on the plate."
"What's the significance of the last thing?" I ask with a look of confusion.
"It's a sign of respect for the chef. It indicates that the food was delicious but doesn't make you look like you didn't get enough to eat." She responds, crossing her arms over her chest. "Speaking of which, the proportions of the food while fine dining aren't as big as the proportions that we usually eat at home."
"Okay, I think I've got it." I give her a confident nod and get up from my seat. Honestly, it's pretty cute how Noire can go on tangents like this. I don't think she's ever really been so passionate about something until now. I wonder if she has any other hobbies...
"Excellent!" She claps her hands together before standing up. "Let's get going, shall we?"
...
"Hello! Welcome to Dai no Hanokoro." Upon our entrance, we were greeted by a woman dressed in a blazer. "Is it just the two of you tonight?"
"Yes." Noire responds.
"Right this way." The woman begins directing us to our table. As we approach the table, two waiters stand behind our chairs. Glancing at Noire anxiously, I follow her lead as she stands in front of her chair before sitting, the waiters pushing our chairs underneath us. Looking at the table, I find an assortment of utensils before me. She's right! All of the utensils are there, just as she had mentioned. Watching as Noire takes her napkin, she begins to fold it and place it neatly on her lap. Doing the same, I watch as she looks up at me with a smile.
"How are you two on this fine evening? Are you on a date?" Our waitress for the evening approaches our table with a smile.
"U-um, we're just friends and I wanted to show him what fine dining is like." Noire responds, her face going red. What is Noire to you? Neptune's voice rings in my head. "B-but we're doing good, thank you."
"Well, I hope that your friend will be satisfied with our selection." Suddenly, a waiter approaches our table with a pair of elegantly designed bowls, setting them down in front of us before bowing and relieving himself from our table. "We would like to start off tonight with our seasonal scallops with fresh peas and caviar. Please enjoy!"
As the waitress leaves the table, I let out a sigh of relief. "I don't think I've ever been so tense at a restaurant before."
"You're doing good so far!" She gives me a smile and I awkwardly laugh, rubbing the back of my head. "Let's dig in!"
Giving thanks, the two of us pick up the corresponding utensils and begin eating. As I slice into my scallop, it immediately melts under the touch of my knife. My eyes light up as I carefully take a proportion. As soon as it touches my mouth, the flavor explodes across my taste buds, my eyes widening with delight.
"How is it?" Noire looks up at me with expectancy and a hint of worry.
"Th-this is really good!" I exclaim. "A-although, eating this just makes me wonder if I should be the one cooking for you or not."
"What makes you say that?"
"W-well, I'm clearly not on par with these chefs. If you start eating my food again, maybe you'll be disappointed."
"I think that your cooking is delicious." She gives me a warm smile, my heart skipping a beat. "Besides, this is fine dining, not your typical diner. They're two different things."
"I-I guess you're right." I respond, taking another bite. "How about you? Are you enjoying the meal?"
"Yes, this definitely satisfies my craving. Thanks for letting me take you here!"
"Of course, Noire." I return the smile and continue. "In fact, I should be the one thanking you because you've, yet again, shown me something new."
"I-it's no big deal!" She huffs and turns her head to the side with a blush. "I-it's not like I'm doing this for you or anything!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, you tsundere." I can't help but smile as I speak, receiving a glare from Noire. "But in all seriousness, I'm really grateful for everything that you've done with and for me."
"St-stop that… you don't need to repeat yourself, you idiot…" She stammers, blushing and averting her gaze.
"You two have come at the perfect time! We have just received an order of our famous, Kobe beef! Enjoy!" She bows before excusing herself, leaving the two of us to ourselves, once again.
"Go ahead, Hiroshi. You can have the first piece." She gestures for me to eat and I accept. Taking a slice of meat, I take a bite.
"Whoa, you seriously need to try this!" I exclaim, letting out a sigh of satisfaction. "This is just too good."
Following my request, Noire takes a slice of meat and puts it in her mouth, her eyes sparkling as she chews the beef. Looking up at Noire with a small smile, she happily picks up another piece of meat and eats it. Has she ever been this comfortable around me? She's pretty cute when she's like this.
"Are you gonna eat?" Noire's voice snaps me back. "Do you not like this? I can see if we can get something else."
"No, it's okay! I was just… thinking." I quickly wave her suspicions away and plop a slice of beef into my mouth.
"Would you like to talk about it?"
"O-oh, huh? I-it's nothing." With a sigh, Noire continues to feast on the Kobe beef. As she eats, I find myself staring at her once again. She doesn't usually dress up like this, does she? I think to myself, my eyes flicking between her accessories. Glancing up at her earrings, I make eye contact with Noire and quickly avert my gaze with a blush.
"Do I have something on my clothes? You seem to be staring at me a lot." She frowns, glancing at herself.
"N-no! There isn't anything on your clothes. I just noticed your earrings. Th-they look nice on you." I stammer, a blush creeping onto my face
"Th-thanks… I-it's not like I wore it for you or anything!" She quickly retorts with a blush before reaching over to take another piece with a huff. She stops and I look down at the plate to see two pieces left. "You can have it, Hiroshi. I've already had the majority of the beef."
"What do you mean? There's still two pieces left." I refute but Noire shakes her head.
"Remember, you need to keep one bite left on the plate. Besides, you're the one who looks like you could have another one. It would be rude if I were to eat everything and not leave you anything."
"Thanks, Noire."
"D-don't mention it."
•[•]•[•] Noire [•]•[•]•
As we exit the restaurant, I stretch my arms above my head as I hear Hiroshi say, "I don't think that I've been so pleasured by a scallop before."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I giggle.
"I've never had a scallop that basically melted in my mouth before. How do they do it…?" He puts a hand on his chin in thought.
"You think that the scallop was better than the Kobe beef?" I give him a surprised look.
"I thought that all of it was amazing!" He exclaims, looking back at me with a grin. The two of us fall back into silence, the ambient, city noises taking over our conversation. As we cross the street, I hop on each of the pedestrian lines. Turning around to wait for Hiroshi, I notice him stepping on each of the white lines as well.
Smiling to myself, I mumble, "Geez, you can be really cute sometimes."
"Did you say something, Noire?" He approaches me with a confused look.
"No, sorry. Ignore me." I give him a reassuring smile before turning around, putting my hands behind my back.
"Hey, did you get your nails done recently?" Hiroshi speaks up and I instinctively hide my hands from him.
"Y-yes, I did. You noticed?" I give him a sideways glance, blushing.
"W-well, yeah." He responds, scratching his cheek as he avoids my gaze. "I-it looks good on you."
"Th-thanks." I mumble, the two of us falling back into silence.
As we approach the house, I hear Hiroshi stop behind me. Turning around to face him, I find him looking at me. G-geez, he's been looking at me all day… What does he want?
"Noire, before we go inside, I need to tell you something." He speaks up, putting his hands into his pockets, a blush rising to his face.
"Sure, what's up?" I ask, putting a hand on my hip.
"I know that this is really sudden, but…" He takes a step forward and I take a small step backward instinctively. "I like you."
A/N
Hey, how's it going? Wow. That just happened. Noire just got confessed to!? Well, I guess that's that, guys! Thanks for reading the Guardian of Lasta- I'm kidding of course! Now that the two of them acknowledge that they have feelings for each other, what's gonna happen? Honestly, I'll probably go back and edit this chapter because I seriously dont know how to write love scenes... If anyone can help or has suggestions a review or PM would be much appreciated! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this week's chapter! If you've come this far, why not leave a follow or a fav! Have an amazing day (if you're binge reading, continue to have an amazing day)!