"It looks like Asakura-kun and Kuroneko-chan ordered the same drink?" Kitagawa Marin asked curiously, comparing the color of the liquid in her cup to those of Asakura and the others.
"As for me, I don't have any special requirements for drinks." Asakura said casually as he stirred his coffee with a spoon - after all, having gone through the baptism of his own shop assistant Kawaragi Momoka's handiwork, ordinary drinks were all pretty much equivalent to sugar water.
As a side note, because he didn't add milk or sugar, the action of stirring was actually meaningless - at most helping the scalding liquid cool down a bit faster.
"I have no interest in ordinary drinks. If there isn't a special drink exclusive to the Queen of the Night, then this 'mature taste' is a decent substitute."
Gokou Ruri spoke with her usual touch of chuunibyou tone.
It was just that when she took a sip of the bitter black coffee, the corners of her eyes would occasionally twitch unnaturally. She didn't actually like this stuff as much as she claimed - it was likely just the "Black" in the name of the black coffee that caught her fancy.
"While I don't quite get it, it feels like something impressive. Can I have a taste?" Kitagawa Marin asked Gokou Ruri.
"...I have no habit of sharing body fluids with others." Gokou Ruri refused without hesitation.
"If it's just to have a taste..." Asakura pushed his cup forward and said very generously, "Drinking mine is the same."
Just as Kitagawa Marin instinctively wanted to refuse, she suddenly noticed Asakura winking at her, as if hinting at something.
The sharp-minded girl immediately understood. She lightly brushed her long hair behind her ear and said with a slightly coquettish smile, "Then I won't be polite."
"Wait a moment!"
But before she could take Asakura's cup, Gokou Ruri couldn't sit still anymore.
"Although I don't have the habit of sharing... cough, but be grateful..." the girl pushed her cup forward, shoving Asakura's cup to the side, "This is a special honor bestowed upon you by the Fallen Angel Kuroneko."
Kitagawa Marin didn't speak, but her face showed a "How can this child be so cute!" expression from being struck by the moe.
Gokou Ruri seemed to realize something. She turned to look at Asakura, only to see a "That's right, my Ruri is just this cute!" smug expression on his face, looking like some kind of doting father.
The girl, realizing she had been teased, ground her teeth in an embarrassed rage.
Seeing that she seemed to be getting angry, Asakura quickly sat up straight. With a serious face, as if he hadn't noticed the impending crisis, he started talking to Kitagawa Marin about buying shoes for Gokou Ruri later.
"There are many types of shoes to match with a dress, but if it's not for a runway walk, you don't need shoes that are too unconventional. The more common ones are high heels. Kuroneko-chan, if you're not used to those tall high heels, sandals with good quality and a nice style are also a good choice."
Speaking of clothing coordination, Kitagawa Marin looked significantly more serious: "Asakura-kun, what do you think?"
"I think there is one more important thing to do before choosing shoes." Asakura rested his chin on both hands and spoke in a deep tone.
"What?" The girl was startled.
"White silk or bare feet, which one do you recommend?" Asakura continued to ask in a deep tone.
"Is there no option for black silk or flesh-colored stockings?" Kitagawa Marin asked back seriously.
"No. Wearing black silk on that kind of occasion, unless it's paired with a specific color of clothing, feels a bit too flighty." Asakura said, "As for flesh-colored stockings... why doesn't my Ruri... Kuroneko just go with bare feet directly!"
"Well, although I don't quite understand your sensibility, Asakura, since you've put it that way, then let's just choose between white silk and bare feet." Kitagawa Marin nodded.
"Before that, can I ask, do you two have no intention of seeking the choice of the person involved - namely, me?" Gokou Ruri glanced sideways at the two people who were resonating over white silk and bare feet for some unknown reason.
"Then let me ask you..." Asakura said to the girl, "Then let me ask you, which one would you choose?"
"I'd choose leather shoes, the kind that wrap the whole foot up." The girl said as if throwing a tantrum.
"Leather shoes? While that's a decent choice, for a young and beautiful girl like Kuroneko-chan, it might be a bit too old-fashioned, right?" Kitagawa Marin said with some hesitation. Clearly, she wasn't very satisfied with Gokou Ruri's choice. "Asakura, won't you say something?"
"I don't mind." Asakura seemed indifferent to Gokou Ruri's choice. He said with a relaxed air, "Leather shoes have their own advantages."
"Compared to sandals and high heels, they are more convenient for movement."
Gokou Ruri looked at Asakura with eyes that seemed to show great minds think alike, feeling happy that he could understand her choice.
"No, what I mean is..." Asakura shook his head, his eyes seemingly flashing with a strange light, "Leather shoes, they've got a real kick!"
"OK, actually sandals are better."
Gokou Ruri, who usually stuck to her guns once she made a choice, changed her mind instantly.
Obviously, even if she didn't know what "kick" meant in Asakura's mouth, the girl instinctively felt a sense of danger.
"Arayo, not wearing leather shoes anymore?" Asakura looked at her strangely.
"Thinking carefully, it's summer now, so it's better to wear shoes that are convenient and breathable." The girl said without any hesitation.
Meanwhile, Kitagawa Marin, at an angle Gokou Ruri couldn't see, gave Asakura a big thumbs up.
"White silk and bare feet..." Asakura continued to ask.
"I just need to wear white knee-high cotton socks." Gokou Ruri replied nonchalantly.
"Actually, white silk makes one look a bit... well, meatier. Although knee-high cotton socks aren't exactly white silk, the color is almost the same, so the effect should be about the same..." Kitagawa Marin said, weighing her words. "If you don't have that much confidence in your own leg shape, bare feet are better."
Hearing her say this, Gokou Ruri also began to waver.
But then she looked back and forth between Asakura and Kitagawa Marin with suspicious eyes: "Why do I always feel like the two of you are up to some scheme, pushing me bit by bit toward the result you've chosen?"
"It's a misunderstanding!" Asakura rested his chin on the table, his face full of innocence, "I haven't said anything!"
And Kitagawa Marin, feeling a bit guilty, took a sip from the cup Gokou Ruri had pushed in front of her earlier, and then her whole face distorted from the bitterness of the pure black coffee with absolutely nothing added.