Chapter 72
"Watching you secretly? I don't have a weird fetish like that."
Upon hearing Utaha's wild accusations, Mineo reached out and playfully pinched her soft, slightly chubby cheek.
"I know Utaha has a lot of questions in her heart right now, but there are many things I'll explain to you slowly at the dinner table later."
"You haven't eaten yet, have you? Today is your birthday, how could there not be a grand feast to complete it! Come, close your eyes, I'm going to take you somewhere! I hope I can serve you a wonderful birthday dinner, Utaha!"
Hearing Mineo's words, Utaha raised her hand and voluntarily placed her pale, slender palm into Mineo's. Then, she squeezed both eyes shut, waiting for Mineo's next move.
Holding Utaha's small hand, Mineo lifted one foot and stepped forward. The moment the sole of his shoe was about to touch the floor, ripples like water appeared beneath his feet. In the next instant, the very scenery of the room around them transformed!
After a flash of seven-colored light passed, the figures of Mineo and Utaha instantly materialized inside his restaurant!
Mineo let go of Utaha's small hand and turned to face her.
"Alright! Utaha, open your eyes and take a look!"
"Welcome to my kingdom!"
Opening her eyes, Utaha stared around in confusion, but a few seconds later, her dark pupils suddenly constricted!
She realized that she was no longer in her home. This place was a restaurant that had been decorated with extreme, painstaking care. Countless seven-colored balloons hung from the walls and ceiling, and colorful ribbons fluttered through the air.
"Happy Birthday to Miss Utaha!"
"May Miss Utaha always stay young and beautiful!"
"May the next book from Kasumi Utako-sensei remain a bestseller!"
"May Miss Utaha always be happy!!"
Various banners, crafted with incredible detail, hung between the fluttering ribbons throughout the restaurant. Romantic, soft lighting bathed the room, making the entire place look sparkling and mesmerizing.
Is this... the place Mineo-sensei meant?
Seeing Utaha standing still with a stunned expression, Mineo pulled out a chair and said to her:
"Utaha, stop daydreaming and have a seat!"
"The meal is about to begin!"
"The meal?"
Subconsciously, Utaha looked toward the dining table. She saw Mineo transferring plate after plate of exquisite dishes from a serving cart onto the table.
"This dish is Slow-Cooked Angus Beef Tenderloin with Dual Sauces."
"This one is Slow-Cooked Scallop Medallion with Pea Puree."
"This is Slow-Cooked Scallop with Mango Dual-Flavored Sauce."
"This one is Wasabi Frost Sliced Salmon Carpaccio."
"And this is..."
To celebrate Utaha's birthday, Mineo had prepared a total of eight dishes. Although the portions of these eight dishes were not large, each one looked incredibly meticulous and detailed.
Even though Utaha rarely ate at high-end, luxury restaurants, she still possessed a refined sense of aesthetics. She had to admit that the dishes Mineo was presenting now were far more beautiful than any food she had seen in her entire life.
Were all these dishes... made by Mineo-sensei himself?
Utaha stepped gracefully toward the chair and sat down. Mineo looked at the glass in front of the girl, then asked:
"Utaha, would you like red wine or fruit juice? We're dining privately, so there's no need to be too formal. Just do whatever makes you comfortable!"
"Give me a glass of red wine! I want something with a slightly stronger alcohol content."
"Red wine with a bit of a kick? Okay! In that case, we'll drink something of real quality today!"
Mineo stood up and pulled a bottle of Romanée-Conti from the wine cellar. After popping the cork and pouring the wine into a decanter, Mineo poured a glass of the aerated wine for Utaha.
Raising his own glass, Mineo looked at Utaha with a smile:
"Happy birthday. Come, cheers!"
"Thank you!"
Utaha also raised her glass with great elegance. Their glasses clinked softly in the air. Tilting her head slightly and revealing her slender neck, Utaha took a sip of the red wine.
The wine flowed down Utaha's throat and into her body. Almost immediately, a charming flush appeared on her pale face.
"Mineo-sensei, thank you for the treat."
"I... I still can't believe you were actually able to appear before me today."
"And this... are you the owner of this restaurant?"
"We... we were just at home. How could we get here in the blink of an eye?"
Setting his glass down, Mineo looked directly into Utaha's eyes.
"I know Utaha has many questions she wants to ask me, but before I give you the answers, I hope Utaha can promise me one thing. No matter what explanation you hear from me, don't be shocked."
Seeing the look in Mineo's eyes, Utaha nodded seriously.
"Mineo-sensei, just say what you want to say. I will definitely believe whatever it is!"
"Alright, I'll start answering the confusion in your heart, Utaha."
"Utaha, do you believe that superpowers exist in this world?"
"Regardless of whether you believe it or not, I can tell you accurately that superpowers really do exist!"
"And I, broadly speaking, can be considered someone who possesses special powers."
"This restaurant, located at the meeting point of worlds, is my home."
"For certain specific reasons, it is difficult for me to go to your world, and it is also very difficult for you to come here. That is why for all these years, I didn't go to your place to meet you officially."
"Just now, I heard from you that today is your birthday. Because I didn't want to see you alone at home, I made some sacrifices to appear before you and bring you to my domain!"
"I have to send you back to the world where you live before 8 o'clock tomorrow morning. So tonight, I hope to serve you a wonderful birthday dinner."
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