The next day, Mejiro Ramonu returned to the restaurant once more.
As usual, there were customers inside—but since it wasn't peak hours, there weren't too many.
Seeing this, Mejiro Ramonu walked over to the bar in front of Yayoi Natural and sat down. "Yayoi-san?"
The slightly unusual tone finally drew Yayoi Natural's attention.
She turned toward her. "Oh, it's you. I didn't notice you come in."
Saying this, Yayoi Natural stepped forward. "What would you like?"
Mejiro Ramonu paused for a moment at the question, then replied, "Anything you recommend?"
"Dessert?"
"That might be nice, but today I feel like trying something different~"
Hearing these slightly unusual words, Yayoi Natural turned her gaze to Mejiro Ramonu.
After staring at her for a few seconds, Yayoi Natural asked, "Did you go see her?"
"Yeah."
"I see…"
Yayoi Natural couldn't fully grasp what Mejiro Ramonu might be feeling.
After all, compared to Mejiro Ramonu, she didn't really understand Rudolf that well.
She also didn't know exactly what Mejiro Ramonu had encountered there.
After hearing Yayoi Natural's reply, Mejiro Ramonu fell quiet for a second before shifting her gaze. "So, do you have any recommendations?"
"About that…"
Yayoi Natural thought for a moment before responding, "Yes, but you'll need to wait a bit. We're not a professional Western-style restaurant, so it'll take some time. Is that okay?"
"Yes, that's fine."
After Mejiro Ramonu agreed, Yayoi Natural took out a notepad and pen from the corner of the kitchen and started writing.
Soon, she tore off the note.
"Roman-nee, could you buy the things listed here? Don't worry too much about the quality."
Tokai Roman glanced at Yayoi Natural, then turned to look at Mejiro Ramonu.
After briefly looking between the two, she nodded. "Alright."
With that, Tokai Roman removed her apron and left the restaurant.
Only after Tokai Roman had gone did Yayoi Natural return to Mejiro Ramonu. "So, what did she say?"
"You're really that curious, Yayoi-san?"
Seeing Yayoi Natural approach with questions, Mejiro Ramonu gave her a helpless look. "It feels like you're more concerned about her than I am."
"Not exactly concerned."
Yayoi Natural looked at her directly. "There are just a few unresolved things between us, so…"
Saying that, Yayoi Natural showed a slight smile. "So I wanted to get some information."
Hearing that, Mejiro Ramonu tilted her head. "Unresolved things? Hold on—it's not something marriage-related, is it?"
Mejiro Ramonu's voice suddenly carried a bit of caution.
Clearly, from her recent encounter with Rudolf, she had a clearer idea of how important Yayoi Natural was to Rudolf. It was natural for her to be wary, given what she knew.
That slight caution didn't bother Yayoi Natural much.
After all, she also understood Mejiro Ramonu and Rudolf's relationship.
So it made sense that what she said would cause a misunderstanding.
Thus, Yayoi Natural quickly added, "It's nothing serious, just some trivial things—completely unrelated to marriage~"
Then Yayoi Natural fixed her gaze back on Mejiro Ramonu. "Does that put your mind at ease?"
Yayoi Natural's words helped Mejiro Ramonu calm down slightly.
Then, she thought of something else. "You're really not bothered?"
"Hm? Bothered by what?"
"About her," Mejiro Ramonu clarified. "You have a child—"
Halfway through speaking, Mejiro Ramonu seemed to realize something and stopped abruptly. She glanced around carefully.
After confirming that no one was paying attention to their conversation, Mejiro Ramonu skipped past the topic and continued, "Aren't you planning to ask her about that?"
"Ask what?"
"Why should I ask?"
Yayoi Natural sighed softly. "Some things can't be solved by asking questions or talking. Of course, other methods wouldn't help either, unless…"
At that point, Yayoi Natural's expression briefly flashed with something—something Mejiro Ramonu couldn't quite understand.
Then silence fell between them once again.
After the silence, Mejiro Ramonu spoke up once more. "Yayoi-san, your attitude is really impressive~"
"If I couldn't adjust my mentality, I'd have fallen apart a long time ago."
Yayoi Natural sighed again, then continued, "But aren't you pretty impressive yourself?"
"Huh?"
"You've had an injury before, right?"
Yayoi Natural looked directly at her. "What was your mental state like back then?"
Her words made Mejiro Ramonu freeze for a second before she turned her head away. "Ah, so that's how it is."
Seeing that Mejiro Ramonu understood her meaning, Yayoi Natural didn't say anything else. She simply began quietly preparing the kitchen utensils she'd need.
Seeing Yayoi Natural's quiet response, Mejiro Ramonu didn't speak further either.
She simply picked up the menu on the corner of the counter and began browsing.
Just like before, the menu was mostly Japanese cuisine, followed by Western dishes. At the very end was Chinese cuisine, but currently it only had a note: [In Development].
Seeing the Chinese section, Mejiro Ramonu recalled the exchange students from China.
Thinking about it, she paused for a few seconds, then looked back at Yayoi Natural. "Is this Chinese cuisine for the exchange students?"
"Yeah, Tracen Academy won't specifically offer Chinese dishes, after all."
Yayoi Natural looked toward Mejiro Ramonu again. "So I thought making a few dishes would be nice, though I'm not sure if they'll be able to afford it."
Hearing Yayoi Natural's words, Mejiro Ramonu didn't say more. She fell silent for a moment, then shifted the topic slightly. "Yayoi-san, since you used to be the head chef of a three-star French restaurant, haven't you considered making something else?"
"French cuisine isn't profitable enough here. But if someone from l'ambroisie came by, they might appreciate it."
"I see. In that case, if you ever need help, feel free to ask me. I feel like if I don't invest in something now, things might get risky later."
"I'll leave it to you, then."
...
Not long after, Tokai Roman returned with the ingredients Yayoi Natural requested.
But seeing Yayoi Natural and Mejiro Ramonu chatting comfortably together, Tokai Roman rubbed her eyes, not entirely sure if what she was seeing was real.
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T/N: i think mejiro ramonu and tokai natural should kiss, idk do mare's randomly get dicks if it's with another mare hmmmmmmmmm thoughts