ALL NOVEL Chapter 5 - Sweet Scent
“Excuse me!”
A few minutes after the announcement about a lost child, a woman arrived at the information center.
She approached the counter in a hurry and called out to the staff.
“I’m the mother of Mariri Higashi, who was announced earlier…!”
“You are her mother. I’m glad we found you.”
“Where is Mariri…?”
“She’s over there, with the person who found her.”
The staff member pointed to Haruya and his companions, who were sitting leisurely on a sofa.
Seeing her daughter sleeping in Haruya’s arms, the mother heaved a sigh of relief.
“I’m her mother. Thank you for finding her.”
“Oh, you’re her mother. I’m glad.”
Haruya gently handed Mariri over to her mother.
He tried to be as careful as possible, but Mariri woke up from the slight movement.
“Hmm… Mama…”
“I’m sorry, Mariri. Were you scared?”
“No, it was okay because I was with a kind brother and sister.”
As the mother gently stroked her beloved daughter’s head, she turned to Haruya and Akiba.
And she bowed deeply.
“Thank you very much…”
“No, it’s nothing. You’re welcome.”
Mariri’s mother was dressed similarly to Akiba and had long black hair.
Her figure was slim and she looked a lot like Akiba.
Haruya understood why Mariri had mistaken Akiba’s back for her mother’s.
“Here, this is a small token of my appreciation.”
The mother took out two tickets from her bag and handed them over.
The tickets read “Sweets Viking Invitation Ticket”.
They were complimentary tickets for a sweets shop on the first floor of this shopping mall.
“No, you don’t have to do that.”
“No, please accept it. Use it for your date.”
Despite Haruya’s hesitation, the mother forcefully handed him the tickets.
“I see. She sees us as a couple.”
“I see. She sees us as a couple.”
Both thinking the same thing at the same time, Haruya and Akiba felt a throb in their chests.
They weren’t officially a couple.
But for now, even if it’s for business, they’re a couple.
A complex situation that they couldn’t deny. The mother and staff who knew nothing about it were watching them, thinking “They’re so fresh and naive”.
And then, the only one who was completely unaware of the love affair, the innocent little girl spoke up.
“Mama, I need to go to the bathroom.”
“Eh? Bathroom? Are you about to wet yourself?”
“It’s quite a pinch.”
“Well then, we should be going. Thank you very much.”
“Bye bye, brother and sister.”
After saying thanks again, they waved goodbye to the mother and Mariri, who was energetically waving her hand. Haruya and Akiba were left alone again.
Haruya, holding the remaining invitation ticket in his hand, said, fluttering it in the air,
“Should we go to the Sweets Viking? It’s all-you-can-eat for two hours.”
“I’d love to go!”
Akiba’s face lit up.
As expected from a young college student in her prime.
When it comes to Sweets Viking, there’s no way her heart wouldn’t race.
“It’s just about the right time for two hours, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. Let’s go.”
After saying goodbye to the heartbroken staff lady, the two began to walk towards the first floor.
The sweets shop was bustling with female customers and families.
However, it was just before 5 pm on a weekday, so there were few new customers.
Customers who entered around snack time at 3 o’clock are struggling between their stomach’s limit and the additional charge for leftovers.
“I’m glad we found a seat.”
“Yeah. I didn’t have much for lunch, so I’m pretty hungry.”
“That’s a good thing, you can eat a lot.”
“I know, but then I can’t eat dinner.”
“Oh, I see.”
As Haruya and Akiba were having a casual conversation, a waitress in a uniform similar to a maid’s outfit came over.
“Welcome. Here is the menu.”
“We have these tickets…”
When Haruya presented the invitation tickets he had received, the waitress confirmed them and nodded with a smile.
“These are invitation tickets for Sweets Viking. It’s all-you-can-eat for two hours, and both drinks and sweets are self-service from over there.”
The waitress pointed to a variety of colorful sweets lined up.
Shortcakes, gateau chocolate, macarons, pudding, cream puffs, and so on.
There were also a wide variety of drinks available.
Faced with such a dreamlike sight, Akiba’s eyes sparkled even more.
“Although it’s all-you-can-eat, please take only as much as you can eat. If you leave more than the limit, you will be charged extra. Please note that this extra charge is not covered by your invitation ticket.”
“I understand.”
“Then, please take your time.”
As soon as the waitress left, Akiba quickly stood up.
In a state of impatience, she sent Haruya a sparkling gaze.
“Let’s go quickly!”
Enticed by the most excited Akiba of the day, Haruya also headed towards the sweets corner with a smile.
Once they put plates on the tray, all they had to do was take their favorite sweets in any way they liked.
All the sweets were relatively small, so they could enjoy many different flavors.
“This looks delicious… And this too!”
As Akiba happily picked out the sweets, Haruya took a moment to gaze at her profile.
Her beautiful profile was adorned with cuteness, making him catch his breath.
“Why am I here at Sweets Viking with Akiba…?”
Even though the circumstances were what they were, when he thought about it again, it was an unbelievable situation.
Experiencing this strange sensation, he finished picking out his sweets and returned to his seat.
Facing each other, Haruya and Akiba simultaneously brought a mini cream puff to their mouths.
“It’s delicious!”
“It’s really good.”
The inside of the shop was filled with a sweet
and aromatic scent. It was like being in a different world, separated from reality.