The food left over as if it was a matter of course.
The children expressed their concerns about how to deal with it.
“What are we going to do with so much left over?”
“Right? I said to make just the right amount….”
But it wasn’t something to worry about.
After all, they could just pack it up nicely and give it to Pyris later.
“Don’t worry, I’ll handle it well.”
As Luke took out a sealed container and started putting away the food piece by piece, the children finally seemed relieved and each let out a sigh.
“Phew, I thought I was really going to gain weight.”
Mary, who had shown the best appetite among them, lamented.
To that, Shirud and Helena nodded simultaneously in agreement.
However, to Luke, those children looked so thin that he wondered if they were eating properly at home.
They didn’t seem to have eaten much at all.
Especially Shirud was more concerning.
He had made the food because Shirud said he was hungry, but it seemed like he couldn’t eat much at all.
If he’s such a picky eater, how is he going to manage later?
At this growth stage, shouldn’t he be able to eat at least as much as Diana, if not Pyris?
It didn’t seem like he used to eat that little, though.
While it was true that he had only seen Shirud eat once during a visit to his home, he didn’t seem like a child who couldn’t eat at all when he occasionally had dessert.
Hmm, could it be that he didn’t eat well because he was feeling nervous with so many children watching?
There are sensitive children who can’t eat properly if something is bothering them, so he understood.
“Shirud, looks like you’re feeling anxious with so many kids around, huh? Next time, I’ll properly treat you.”
“No, I’ll pass.”
Shirud immediately shook his head left and right.
How could he entertain him separately when he might as well be killing someone’s appetite?
—–
Thus, Helena returned home as scheduled.
Although she showed signs of disappointment, there was no way to stop her since she had decided to go.
They could only wave goodbye while saying they would play together next time.
Once Helena’s figure disappeared from sight.
“Then, what should we do now? I’m already full, so it feels a bit too much to go eat something delicious.”
In response to Mary’s question, Luke listed out things they could do one by one.
“Well, since we’ve eaten, how about going to a karaoke as planned?”
“Eh… I don’t want to go to the karaoke, I can’t sing.”
Both Shirud and Mary agreed with her words.
“I’m not particularly interested either. I don’t really want to go unless Helena is with us.”
“Is that so?”
Luke thought that going to the karaoke at least once would be fine, but since the kids didn’t seem to like it, he decided to put that idea aside.
It wouldn’t be appropriate for an adult to join in a place meant for children just for his own enjoyment.
He could always go to the karaoke alone later on.
With that, Luke modified his suggestion.
“Then how about a walk?”
Mary nodded her head.
“Um, that seems okay! The weather is nice too!”
But then Shirud rejected it this time.
“I don’t want to walk, my legs will hurt.”
“Hmmm. Walking is something that is sometimes necessary, you know.”
“Well, if I have a purpose, a walk is good, but just walking isn’t fun, is it?”
“How about shopping?”
“That too, I don’t like. My mom runs a department store, so I don’t want to buy anything elsewhere. I have nothing I want.”
“Hmm.”
Shirud couldn’t understand the joy in walking around unnecessarily when it would only tire his legs.
And for shopping, since his mother operated a huge shopping mall, there was no reason or need to buy things anywhere else.
Luke couldn’t say he didn’t understand that feeling either.
Since he was a mage, he knew that he wouldn’t enjoy anything he considered inefficient.
“But if you keep being so negative, the kids won’t like you.”
“…… I’m not interested in popularity.”
At that, Mary clapped her hands and suggested,
“Then how about going to the movies? That sounds fun! Now that I think about it, I’ve never been to the cinema with you, Luke!”
“Oh, yeah. Movies sound good.”
“Yeah, I like that too.”
Since there were no negative opinions regarding Mary’s suggestion, they decided to go watch a movie.
However, Shirud raised another negative opinion.
“But we haven’t made a reservation, so I wonder if there will be seats. And is there anything we can watch?”
Then Mary narrowed her eyes and asked in a teasing voice,
“Shirud, what are you dissatisfied with this time?”
“No! This is a concern!”
Worry and dissatisfaction are different!
“Haha, we can just see when we get there, can’t we?”
——-
Thus, when Luke and his group arrived at the movie theater, they happened to find a family comedy movie that looked interesting, and they decided to watch it.
Well, it was rated for ages 15 and up, but no one stopped Luke when he bought the tickets.
His mature body, which didn’t look like that of a 10-year-old, was quite useful at such times.
In the end, Shirud’s concerns turned out to be correct.
All screenings for the closest time were already sold out.
They somehow managed to get tickets, but the screening was still two hours away.
Fortunately, waiting for two hours wasn’t a big issue from the children’s perspective.
Since the academy had ended early due to the holiday, it wouldn’t be too late after watching a movie and coming out.
What on earth should they do during this awkwardly remaining time?
“Shall we go to a cafe and just chat?”
“No, if we go to a cafe now, I think just looking at desserts would make me feel sick.”
“Haha… Actually, I feel the same way.”
Mary agreed with Shirud’s opinion.
Moreover, it was two hours, not one.
Was there no better option besides a cafe?
This time, Shirud offered a suggestion.
“Then, how about going to an Internet Cafe? Mary, didn’t you say you watch the Super Magic League broadcasts lately?”
After the last visit where he tried out the Super Magic League, she had mentioned that she sometimes looked for videos when she thought of it.
That meant she had some interest, and since she had tried it, it might be a good way to kill time.
The problem, however, was that Internet Cafes were generally not favored by girls.
Luke liked it, but he was not an average girl, so that was a different story.
However, Mary didn’t show any signs of disliking it.
Instead, she looked quite pleasantly surprised.
“Ah, speaking of which, I’ve never been to an Internet Cafe in my life! I want to go!”
Luke smiled and nodded.
“Is that so? That’s great. Look forward to it, it’s a really fun place.”
“Really?”
“Of course. I used to spend all day there playing Super Magic League. It’s better than most entertainment.”
“Wow!”
Mary’s anticipation rose due to Luke’s excitement.
“…Um, it’s not really a place to get that excited about.”
Shirud muttered to himself as he observed them.
If expectations are high, then disappointment is high as well.
It’s just a place with a lot of PCs to play games, and there’s not much to be expected from it.
—–
Thus, Luke’s group found an Internet Cafe close to the movie theater.
Shirud glanced around the inside of the Internet Cafe and muttered,
“It’s my first time here, but the facilities seem nice.”
Luke agreed with him.
“Yeah, they’ve separated the general and smoking rooms well, and overall it has a very clean impression.”
In this era, since smoking gives many negative effects for children, it’s good that they are completely separated like this.
They say they’re equipped with a pentacore processing unit, a hybrid magic stone system, and an illusion panel monitor that refreshes more than 200 times per second, including modern gaming fixtures, and indeed the meticulous interior matches those specifications.
Perhaps since it hasn’t been around for long, it was overall a satisfactory place.
Mary marveled at the scenery of the Internet Cafe she was seeing for the first time.
“Whoa, whoa. Why is everything so flashy?”
The Internet Cafe she was seeing for the first time resembled a gaming-like dancing light show, so captivating that she couldn’t take her eyes off it.
PCs emitting colorful lights filled her sight wherever she looked.
And sitting in front of those computers were people engrossed in the screens, lined up in rows.
To Mary, that sight felt grand in a different way.
‘It looks like a sparkling chicken coop…!’
While Mary was lost in awe at the Internet Cafe scenery she was seeing for the first time, Luke said,
“First, let’s find some seats. I’ll recharge the time, so Shirud, guide Mary.”
“Okay, Mary. Let’s go sit over there.”
“Uh, okay.”
Confirming that Mary and Shirud were finding some seats, Luke headed to the counter to recharge the time.
—-
The young man at the counter noticed the approach of a young woman heading towards him.
‘She’s pretty….’
Just from a brief glance, he could tell.
With a small, sculpted face, a mature figure revealed in her school uniform, and dignified mannerisms.
She was the kind of woman that he thought he could never properly talk to in his lifetime.
Just by looking, her appearance seemed almost otherworldly.
Consequently, he instinctively turned his gaze away because it felt burdensome.
For him, such a pretty face could become a burden if it exceeded a certain level.
Even though she wasn’t looking at him because she was already looking away.
“Um, welcome. How can I help you?”
“Ah, yes. Three students, please recharge for two hours for each with no membership.”
“Yes, for three of you, two hours….”
But then, he felt an uncanny sense of déjà vu from this girl, whom he had definitely never seen before.
If he looked closely, he might be able to recognize her…
But thinking that if he kept glancing over, he might be labeled a pervert, he decided to focus on his work.
Well, since she looked like a student in a school uniform, perhaps they had crossed paths a few times on the way to school. He convinced himself like that.
As he was busying his hands while keeping his gaze down.
“Uh? Are you Marco?”
She was the one who initiated the recognition.
“Excuse me? Do you know me?”
He was startled at hearing his own name come from her lips.
How on earth does she know his name?
Then she replied casually with a raised voice, as if it were obvious,
“Of course! I’m Luke! Didn’t you catch my research materials that were blown away by the wind at the bus stop the other day?”
“…Huh? You’re Luke?”
No way.
