Chapter 6 – JK idol is interested in gyudon restaurant (part 2)
"Please sit wherever you like."
Sakurazaki and I sat facing each other at the table.
I never expected something strange like this to happen in my life, like going to a gyudon restaurant with an idol.
"Oh, so Himahara-kun wanted to come to Sukoya, huh?"
"I always come here to eat on weekends. Is there a problem?"
"No, nothing."
This girl is really getting on my nerves.
While looking around the restaurant, Sakurazaki showed interest in various things as if they were new to her.
Suddenly, she opened her eyes wide as if she remembered something.
"Oh, right! Hey, Himahara-kun. Listen carefully for a moment."
"Listen? To what?"
"Just be quiet. It's about to start."
As instructed, I listened attentively.
"A collaboration performance between Sukoya and Razzhoi, and I'll be in charge of broadcasting about Sukoya's restaurant for a week! I'm Sakurazaki Nako from Raspberry Whip!"
After hearing the broadcast in the restaurant, Sakurazaki looked at me with a smug expression as if she was showing off.
...She's really annoying.
"Hey, what do you think? I'm also doing a broadcast about Sukoya, you know!"
"Hmm, thanks for your hard work. So, have you really been here before?"
"Eh, never."
Never, huh.
"So you're talking about Sukoya even though you've never been there?"
"Err, what can I do! I'm usually forbidden by my parents to eat at restaurants."
While saying that, Sakurazaki opened the menu.
Yeah, I guess so.
"Hey, Himahara-kun, any recommendations?"
"Recommendations? Well, I think it's fine to enjoy the simple flavor or add various toppings. Oh, and I always add cheese to the standard gyudon."
"Standard gyudon? What's that?"
"Hey, do you really not know? Well, the standard gyudon is the regular size, and then there's the large and extra-large sizes. Look, it's also listed on the menu, right?"
I searched for the relevant menu page and pointed it out to Sakurazaki.
On the menu, there was a symbol of a bowl used to indicate the difference in size from the standard portion to the largest.
"Wow... but, hey, isn't there a 'King-size'?"
“Where did you hear about that? Where did you hear it from?"
"I saw someone trying it in a binge-eating video before."
"Oh, I see. Well, 'King-size' is a secret menu at Sukoya, with meat equivalent to six portions of the standard size. That's an amount that ordinary people can't possibly finish."
"Hey! Let's order it together!"
“Did you even listen to what I said earlier? It's too much for an ordinary person."
"Please the order."
"Ah, alright. One Gyudon King-size, that's it."
"Okay."
Sakurazaki ordered it without my permission.
"I'm really looking forward to this."
"As expected, you're very pushy."
+×+×+×+
"Thank you for waiting!"
It really came.
Gyudon, king-size.
The rice was three times the normal portion, and the meat was six times the size of the largest portion.
Onions and beef piled up like a mountain, topped with a secret sauce that stimulated the appetite.
However, it was also quite cost-effective.
It looked delicious, but this amount was too much.
"Well, Himahara-kun, here's a small bowl for you."
I received the small bowl given by Sakurazaki.
"It looks delicious. Let's eat!"
"Hey, are you okay?"
"Eh? In that case, I'll only eat half."
"That's not what I meant!"
Sakurazaki started eating the gyudon while holding chopsticks.
She really is a free-spirited person.
Well, if the worst happens, We can take it home... huh?!
"Why are you daydreaming, Himahara-kun?"
Strange, the pile on the opposite side is shrinking and becoming the size of a hill.
"If you don't eat it soon... the gyudon will disappear, you know?"
What does she mean?
While playing the victory theme from a tennis anime in my mind, within a few minutes, the pile of gyudon on the opposite side was almost gone.
I can't understand how Sakurazaki can fit that much in her body so quickly.
"When the two of us eat one dish like this... it looks like we're a couple, huh. Oh, no, I didn't mean that I want to look like that!"
Who would look at this situation and casually assume that we're a couple?
I'm still shocked by what just happened.
"Sakurazaki, you've been hiding the fact that you eat a lot, right?"
"I'm not hiding it! I even wrote in my work profile that 'I like to eat.'"
But this is on a different level, isn't it?
In about six minutes, Sakurazaki had eaten half of it.
Well, anyway, if it's just half, I'll be fine.
It's not good if we can't finish it and cause trouble for the restaurant, so I'm grateful that Sakurazaki can eat a lot.
"Himahara-kun, you can relax."
Even though she eats a lot like that, her figure remains slim, it's a mystery.
Maybe, for her, who is active, food is indeed an essential need.
But still, it's kind of weird eating while being watched by others.
Moreover, if that other person is an idol, there's a mysterious tension in the air.
"Himahara-kun, you're quite interesting."
"...Why?"
"Why? I can't imagine the usual Himahara-kun spends his time at the arcade or go to a gyudon restaurant on weekends."
Is that so?
I thought while eating gyudon.
"Maybe Himahara-kun isn't too happy at school?"
"...Hm? Not happy?"
"Yeah, I've never seen Kanbara-kun laugh."
Laugh, huh...
Now that I think about it, maybe I don’t laugh often at school. When I think about it after hearing that, it’s true.
“I don’t feel much joy or discomfort at school, to be honest.”
“Well, how about having some fun at the culture festival next weekend?”
“The culture festival?”
The culture festival... I remember now that it will be held next week. As a first-year student, we don’t have to open a stall or have an exhibition, so I didn’t pay much attention to it. But it’s true that the seniors often stay after school to do various things.
“So... for the culture festival, do you want to go around with me? Oh! But if you already have other plans, you can refuse, it’s okay.”
“I don’t mind.”
“...Really? Aren’t you going around with Nanamisawa-san?”
“Why with Nanamisawa? It seems like she will go around with the volleyball club members, and I’ll just sit in the audience seat at the drama booth, planning to sleep throughout the event. So, it’s fine.”
“A-Ah, I see... I’m glad.”
Are you really excited about the cultural festival?
Well, it is a festival, and it might be enjoyable for the girls.
“Himahara-kun, what do you want to eat at the culture festival? Takoyaki? Or shaved ice?”
“I’m currently focused on eating the gyudon in front of me, so don’t mention other food.”
After Sakurazaki finished eating half of it, it took more than 10 minutes to finish the gyudon king-size.
When we left the restaurant, the sun had completely set.
“Oh, we can see the stars tonight!”
I looked at her wearing a jersey from the side as she gazed excitedly at the night sky.
She is an idol, but also an ordinary high school girl.
I started to feel the urge to give her a chance to enjoy real life.
“I’m really looking forward to the culture festival, Himahara-kun.”
“...Yeah.”
