The longest chapter yet! I'm really fond of this chapter, and i had lot of ideas that i had to scrap for it, I hope you'll enjoy!

Lum and Ataru find themselves in a French restaurant, to Lum's excitement and Ataru's dismay, as he realizes why Lum was so eager about it! Even worst, it seems a certain someone was eating there too...

Finally, the train arrived at its spot. They both got off, Ataru almost falling off as he was busy looking at the horizon. From there, you could spot the festival, lower in the town. And even further away, a big ferris wheel. It seemed like the road was laid out. It wasn't as straightforward in his heart, especially not with this girl next to him.

"My treat this time, Ataru, so choose whichever you want" She reminded him, hoping he'd take a romantic restaurant, turning her finger in circle as a way to tell him to check around.

"I hope so, the amusement park isn't cheap" He simply answered, getting the hint and starting to walk off, looking for something.

She pouted a little, but still she grabbed his hand from behind. Ataru flinched a bit and glanced back toward her, ready to call her off. But as predicted, looking back at Eurydice would seal his fate. Although he wanted to, he couldn't tell her off and simply glared at her, for a second, in silence, and then clenched her hand. They then started to walk away from the station towards the festival. A lot of people were passing by them, some giving the weird couple a quick glance. Many of them were dressed up for the occasion or were groups of students following their groups. Ataru wasn't pleased, but Lum was ecstatic to be seen in public with her darling. To occupy his mind, Ataru started thinking about all the things he was gonna eat. Surely, there would be good restaurants nearby, right? As soon as they arrived in the street, the smell of food filled their noses. There were a lot of choices, some familiar, others not. He noticed a random restaurant "A la Sauterelle" with really good-looking food that he could see through the windows.

"This one looks good" he said, pointing at it knowing full well he could not pronounce the name.

"A La Sau-te-relle?" she carefully pronounced. Trying to get it right as she placed her finger on her chin, She then took a second to think "With a name like that it's a French restaurant" she exclaimed, smiling a lot at her realization and looking back at Ataru, eyes glowing.

"Why did you even learn that?" He asked, shocked by her pronounciation, but also somewhat confused by her excitement. Was it that hard to say?

"I've felt studying some of Earth's other language, that's all" In a calm tone. But you could hear a bit of excitement. She was trying to not mention the fact she studied this one because it was seen as a romantical one.

"And yet your English grades aren't that great, go figures" he mocked, walking toward the restaurant, ignoring everything else.

"English isn't as romantic" She shrugged, in a lighter tone of voice.

He stopped for a second, frozen, and then looked back, not sure he understood what she meant. Before he could ask, Lum took the lead and pulled him in. Whatever she was thinking didn't matter; French food was supposed to be great, and that's all he cared about. And it was a treat, meaning it would taste even better! The restaurant was filled with couples, which made Ataru feel a bit embarrassed as he looked around, trying to hide himself a little. This fact made the Oni girl even more excited, which Ataru was starting to understand. Ataru reasoned with himself, realizing that this place didn't seem to have any single girls in there. He tried to upset himself, but he really didn't mind at the moment. If he wanted to go girl-hunting so much, why did he forget his notebook? He could try as he pleased, but he wasn't able to feel bad about it.

A waiter quickly pointed them toward a table, close to the windows where lots of people were passing by. Ataru flinched, but running away wasn't an option right now. The waiter, while bringing them the menus, started a quick conversation with Ataru and Lum.

"Bonjour, what a cute couple you make" He stated, handing them the menus.

"We're no-' He was being nice and patient today. But no way he was going this far. He was about to correct the waiter. But he quickly got cut off by Lum "Thank you, it's our second date!" she said, looking really happy. Ataru simply dug trought the menu, hiding his annoyance. Everytime he saw her smile he couldn't help himself but concede, whatever. Maybe they'll get a couple discount or something useful.

"Surprising! You look like a perfect married couple to me already" He noted. The truth is that the wiaters were trained to say that to every couple, but they didn't have to know that.

Lum simply giggled at the comment, acting as if she were embarrassed, while Ataru buried his head deeper into the menu. Moroboshi was not reading it but trying to hide his face, which was now completely red. He really was embarrassed. "My point being, if I may," pushing down the menu Ataru was 'reading' to get his attention, "Our restaurant has a special offer for couples such as yourselves." He paused, both waiting for him to continue, Ataru's hope for a discount raised again. Then he realized he wasn't paying. His excitement died down. While Lum was hoping it was a couple photo or anything romantic. They were French; they were the best at anything involving cute couples, right?

Spinning on himself, he took another menu out of his vest, with a single dish on it "Madame et Monsieur, this is the "Duo de Saveur", a tender filet mignon with rich Béarnaise sauce paired with delicate sole meunière, this dish will evoke in your loving heart the esence of Paris's romance" He then continued to ramble for a whole minute.

Only getting the first part, Ataru interrupted him "Sorry to cut in, but does it mean it's bigger or something?" Completely killing the romantical aspect.

"Oui Monsieur, the size is perfect for two to enjoy, as it is a shared plate" he explained, a bit sad, he was about to continue, but Ataru's outburst cutted him down again.

"Shared?" Ataru exclaimed "No way then" he assured, scared that Lum would ruin it by adding spices and other junks.

"Come on Ataru let's give it a try, it sound pretty good" She tried to convince him, using a tender tone and puppy eyes

"It's tasteless for you anyway, why do you care?" he pointed out, not paying attention to the waiter nor her, he was closing his eyes and crossing his arms.

"It's a special dish for couple, I don't care about the taste" she blushed "We'll go for it" she assured, turning to the waiter, not letting Ataru interject or argue. She did a small hand movement to let him know to go quickly.

"T..T..très bien" he quietly said, bowing and leaving.

Noticing that Ataru wasn't saying anything, Lum continued "I just saw how much you were salivating when he explained what It was, I tought you'd like it" She explained slowly, looking at him, She obviously didn't add the fact she knew him well. He was stubborn, he would have asked for something else just to confront her even if it wasn't shared. She couldn't complain too much, she's as stubborn as he is. There was no way she was missing out on a special dish for couple.

"You should think about yourself sometimes, the menu even had food with spice" Trying to act indifferent, but in reality he was kind of touched by what she said. He didn't even notice his own reaction when the waiter was describing the dish. He couldn't have guessed Lum paid attention to him so much.

"Oh Ataru" She exlaimed, being genuinely surprised and happy "You're so thoughtful, checking if there's anything I like first" She tried to grab his hand, positionned on the table, but he dodged "Thank you Darling" She blushed, she saw his head going down his neck, like a turtle, embarassed. He was about to shout something but Lum continued to ramble. "But I don't mind, really, I prefer it like this" she finished, still smiling.

"What are you saying? It was the first thing on the..." Sadly for him, his defense fell on dead ear as Lum was overjoyed. Her smile was still as big and she was moving her upper boddy all around, almost dancing in place. Ataru gave up on reasoning with her and fell back into his shirt.

"Aah i'm so happy darling, you really care!" She was talking to herself at this point. He wants me to eat something i'd like. This reminded Lum of what they actually ordered."Say, Ataru, what's filet-mignon anyway, is it spicy?" she then asked, trying to get him to come out of his shell that was his shirt with how low he was hiding his head.

His head instantly popped up, his pride was on the side now. And for that, he could ignore her embarassings comments. "Huh? You don't know? It's.. like.." He didn't knew either, but he couldn't just say so. He could lie. It's not like she could notice, but still. At this instant it would have been great if Mendō was here to cover for him

"You see Miss Lum, Filet-mignon is one of the best and most popular and highly prized cut of beef. it's known for it's tenderness, lean texture and subtle flavor It's also-" The unvited guest was cut short

"That's what Mendō would have said, Thanks" Ataru whispered "You get it Lum?" She nodded for a second but they both stopped and looked over

…

…

…

"Mendō?" both Lum and Ataru freaked out, he came out of nowhere "Wh-what are you doing here?" Ataru asked, still not sure if he's really there, running his hand all over Mendō's face.

"STOP IT MOROBOSHI" he shouted, before quickly getting his composure back "This restaurant is an exquisite opening to France's cuisine, I often come here when the perfect food of my estate bore me, you see." He explained, clenching his fist In a dramatic way. Then he quickly changed his stance, almost kneeling towards Lum "I must say, seeing you here Miss Lum looks quite natural, you look spendid, This outfit is beyond perfection. I must admit." He completely ignored Ataru.

The three were frozen in silence.

"Whatever Mendō, what do you want?" Ataru leaned toward him across the table.

"I was simply hoping to greet Miss Lum, as it's impossible to miss such a shining beauty" Grinning at her, she did give him a small smile "But I didn't see nor expected you, Moroboshi. I'm also curious on the meaning of your presence" He couldn't finish his thought, it was hard to accept. Hopefully, Lum clapped her hand, joining them together and a big smile appeared on her face.

"We're on a date!" She exclaimed "Darling's taking me to the festival!" she added, excited to share the news, she couldn't mention the rest as Mendō flinched first, making him stand up.

Shūtarō's face went pale; it was the only logical solution, but he had somehow been able to ignore it until Lum simply confirmed it. He slowly turned toward Ataru, who was clearly disinterested in this whole circus and looking through the windows.

"MOROBOSHI! Is that true? How dare you lead poor Miss Lum like that?" He shouted, almost drawing his sword, but once again remembering where he was. He sighed.

"WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING AT ME FOR?" He backed off, "It was her whole idea anyway!" he quickly got his composure back, grabbing Lum's hand, taking a overly serious tone "But it's true, it is as she say" He smirked, full of confidence. As for the Oni, she was simply happy he grabbed her hands by his own accords.

"Say, Shūtarō, you're on a date too?" Lum innocently asked "It's a popular dating spot after all" she giggled, still being held by Ataru's. She tried to clench them but he realized he was still doing it and instantly let go.

"I..I.. Well.. it's..." he mumbled, not sure how to turn this in his favor

"I bet you're alone AND still eatintg the "Duo de saveur" right?" Ataru laughed, Lum joined him giggling a bit.

"What is that supposed to mean?!" Mendō glared at him, they both stayed silent for a bit until Shūtarō's expression changed, taking a glance at Lum,taking his chance "It pains me to reveal it, but Moroboshi's right. My poor date wasn't able to come today" He was now leaning against the wall next to them, face buried in his arm. This was a big lie but it could work if Lum was saddened by the story, maybe he could... In an instant, his expression and posture changed, as he was slightly leaning toward Lum's now, giving her thebest sile he had "Having a free afternoon I'd be happy to accompany you both to the festival, my family is sponsoring it, of course, so you could enjoy some pretty good advantages and..."

"It's okay" Lum simply said, cuting him short, backing off in her seat with a bright smile.

"Miss Lum.. are you sure, spendig the day alone with this..." Shuutaro weakly retorqued.

"Darling doesn't take me on date often, so we'd like to have fun only the two of us" She explained, still smiling "Sorry Shūtarō, next time" she added a small wave, noticing yet ignoring the sadness forming in his eyes.

"I..It's fine" he quickly got his composure back "It was merely a proposition, good day to you, Miss Lum, may you be careful" He bowed elegantly and then turned around. He looked back for a second, simply stating "Moroboshi." swiftly ruffing his hair. Then finally, walked back to his table. Unlucky for Sutaro, his table was across the restaurant, amost a perfect straight line from Lum and Ataru's. So they could see the Mendō's heir, alone, giving quick glance at them and crying a little. Semingly depressed and eating the "Duo de saveur" alone.

"What a loser" Ataru simply said, looking at the state his so-called rival was in. He wasn't deserving any empathy.

"I didn't even notice him when we arrived, I wonder how long he's been here" She pondered, looking over at Shūtarō's table also completelyignoring the fact he was crying and glaring at them.

"Who cares, he probably waited for a while under the table" hands behing his head

"I feel a little bad for him, all alone" She continued, with a slightly sadder tone. She didn't care in reality, but she just got the idea. She wanted to get Ataru's reaction.

Ataru usually didn't care much and even joked around about the idea of Lum and Shūtarō being together, but this little comment from Lum sent a small shiver through his whole body. Was he jealous? Of Mendō? Regarding Lum? There was no way; it had always been a stupid idea that he joked about. Why would he start reacting like this now?

"Too bad" Were the only thing Ataru managed to say at first. He took a few second to gather his thought "But it doesn't concern us, we're on a date it's not a school outing" He affirmed, looking directly at Lum, Who slowly turned her head toward him, meeting his eyes and smiling.

"You're right" she simply said, Even better than she hoped, her darling really was easy to read sometimes"I'm glad you're admitting it, Ataru" she added.

He looked confused by what she just said so she continued "Admitting to Shūtarō that we're on a date, I mean." She explained, resting her chin on her hands still staring at him.

"I just wanted to annoy him" Ataru quickly retorqued "But who cares about him, I'm not here to talk about Mendō" he angrily added, crossing his arms, trying to act assertive.

She giggled a bit, he clearly wasn't acting as cool as he hoped he was. But she found his reaction charming. He really didn't wanted her to talk too much about other guys.

"You don't have to be so jealous" she giggled, not giving him the time to reply and continued "But I agree, not like there would much to say anyway" she joked, making both of them laugh, burying the Mendō topic for a while.

They both continued to talk about random topics, waiting for their dish to arrive. After a few more minutes, the filet mignon was served. It looked as good as they expected. Ataru was simply rubbing his hands, staring at the plate; it was pretty big. Lum had to go sit next to her darling because the plate wasn't long enough. She liked this added bit of intimacy. Before she could say anything, a small memory of last time resurfaced, causing her to look around for a while. Ataru was way too focused on the plate to care, but after a few moments, she felt confident again and refocused on the main event.

"Say, how do we share this thing?" Pointing at some brown-looking fish in the middle with her fork

"Never tried it before" he retorqued, poking it with his fork too

"Well it looks like fish, we should juste try it"

Ataru simply nodded, as she started to cut a small piece herself. What he wasn't expecting is that she would point the fork at him.

"Say Aaah"

"Lum! Manners!" he whispered, looking around embarassed

"This couple over here is doing it, see?" Pointing at a couple not far from them. Damn it, she studied!

"Don't be shy, Ataru, just this one tiny bite, please!" She gave him puppy eye again.

"Fine," he begrudgingly said, knowing it wasn't a fight he'd win. "But I can eat by myself afterward," trying to act tough. His attempt wasn't working well as Lum kept her grin, and the fork stable in front of his face. He looked back at her, stared, and gulped. There was no way out. He slowly opened his mouth while closing his eyes and allowed Lum to feed him. The taste of the fish itself was great, but he was way more focused on Lum's big smile as she watched him eat.

"So, how is it?" she was impatient to know, even if they both knew she could not taste it herself

"Really good." he simply answered, lipping his lips

"Great!" she squirmed, clenching her fork and knife once more. Ataru gulped, Again? Instead of making small pieces she instead went for a long, fine cut separating the fish in two unequal portion, She pushed the biggest piece toward his side of the plate and kept one-third of it.

"Here!" she smoothly added, with s small smile.

"Ah... huh, thanks," was the only thing he could say. Was she trying to make him feel bad? It was working. Lum took a small piece of the fish and ate it with a blank expression, of course.

"Just add spice to it or something." he swiftly whispered to her, his eyes looking to the side. His tone was somewhat relunctant, but still seemed kind.

"Huh?" Her eyebrows swiftly went up, this was not expected.

"Just don't get any on my foods." He warned her.

With a bright smile, she took out a lot of spices and added random spicy flavors to her side of the plate. She tried to kiss him on the cheek as a thanks, but he dodged. So she simply whispered a small "thank you."

"You planned on doing that from the start didn't you?" Ataru growled, hiding his nose with his shirt

She gave him a big smirk as her only answer, drowning her beef and fish below a mountain of spice. After a few seconds of pouring, she quickly tasted it again. This time, a big smile appeared on her face.

Lum was enjoying Ataru's company more than the food. A warm feeling started spreading through her belly. She missed the Moroboshi household a lot. One where she could lay down close to her darling. Those were good times. She remembered how he was doing his best to ignore her. Yet still being sure she wasn't asleep. The few times it happened and she fell asleep, he would lay her down against him and cover her with a blanket. Each time was better than any dream she could have had. Once, he realized she was faking it and yelled at her to go to sleep and not use him as a pillow. But he didn't take the blanket back. He didn't even tell her to move.

Ataru himself wasn't sure why he did that. It felt like she was starting to win a little, slowly destroying each wall that was protecting his heart. Once she's back home, everything will go back to normal. He got confused by his own phrasing. Yes, I guess it's her home too, after all. he thought. Whatever. I'll finish this one, go on another date soon enough, and then she'll come back. Not realizing what he was thinking. But he did wanted her back. Without her, his room felt empty. So empty in fact he spent the last few days at home in the living room. He'd rather put up with his mom yelling than miss Lum too much. Those cozy nights playing board games until Ten fell —literally— asleep on the boards to her dismay as she was again winning. Those nights they spent together, Lum clinging to his arm tightly, sitting on the balcony of his room. With Lum pointing out each star and giving a fun fact about each and the planet they were. He couldn't pinpoint when he started feeling like this. He still wasn't fully ready to accept he was missing her. Instead, convincing himself that her presence meant less yelling from his parents and a cleaner room. Yes, that's what felt right after all. Right?

They spent the rest of the time eating in silence, each lost in their own thoughts about the other. Lum was obvious about it, her head tilted just enough so she could stare at him while eating. They quickly reached the end of the meal, with only a few potatoes left and their forks fighting for them. One by one, they disappeared, leaving only one remaining.

"Hey there's no spice on it it's mine!" Ataru said, making his move

"Maybe but you had more than me!"

The two, like knights, fought using their forks as swords, each not wanting to give up

"It's not gonna taste like anything anyway, give up, Lum!"

"It's mine!"

"Don't be selfish!"

"I gave you most of the fish, YOU don't be selfish!"

"You gave it to me on your own accord!"

"Like you were against it!"

"I'm not dumb enough to say no!"

"You're not kind enough either!"

As they continued to argue about the last piece of potato, they started to scratch the plate. Making a sound that the whole restaurant could hear, the waiter soon came back, looking a bit worried.

"Monsieur, Madame, is everything okay, we've heard a sound and..."

Lum blushed a bit, oopsie, those weren't good manners right? She quickly apologized, trying to find her words.

"Aah, young love!" The waiter gave them a grin "Well, Monsieur, why don't you take the last piece with you fork, and offer it to your girlfriend?" He proposed, noticing the two forks fighting for the potato "Like a true gentleman from Paris" he added, bowing a little, Lum clapped her hands at the idea, and looked back at Ataru, leting go of her fork.

"No way" Ataru shouted, taking the opportunty to pierce the potato once more and instantly eat it. "The one who makes the first move always lose" he laughed, savoring his victory

Lum was not moving a muscle, blankly staring at him. She didn't know what she was expecting. It was obvious. A small frown appeared. They both stood up. Lum paid for their dish, not giving Ataru time to check the desserts. Grabbing him by the wrist, Lum thanked them for everything, and they both went out, finally ready to start the festival.