She Became Distressed After I Stopped Being Restrained and Started Interacting with Others - Chapter 15

After wandering around the aquarium for a while, I suddenly realized I was hungry.

Right at that moment, Shiori casually suggested, “Shall we get lunch soon?”

“…Yeah.”

As we walked, I looked around. I could see people strolling while viewing the exhibits, and a cheerful atmosphere hung in the air. Perhaps because it was lunchtime, the flow of people heading toward the dining area had increased.

“Is there anything you want to eat?”

“Hmm…”

I hadn’t decided on anything in particular, so I thought for a moment.

“I think it’d be nice to eat at the aquarium restaurant since we’re here. What do you think?”

“…That sounds good.”

Checking the map together, we headed to the restaurant inside the aquarium.

When we sat down and opened the menu, I saw there were many seafood dishes.

“What are you getting?”

“Hmm… This shrimp tomato cream pasta looks delicious.”

“Shall we get that then?”

“Okay. What about you, Shiori?”

“I think I’ll get the fluffy seafood omelet rice.”

After placing our orders, we sat at our table and waited for the food to arrive.

Soon enough, freshly made dishes were brought to our table. The savory aroma of the sauces wafted gently through the air, stimulating my appetite.

“Nanas-san, this looks delicious. Want to try some?”

Shiori offered me a spoonful of her omelet rice.

“Eh…?”

I couldn’t help but feel flustered.

“Say ahh~”

Shiori smiled lightly as she brought the spoon to my lips.

“Come on, don’t be shy?”

Her words made me even more flustered.

“…This is embarrassing.”

“Don’t worry about it. Come on, say ahh~”

I hesitated for a moment. But refusing felt awkward, so I gently opened my mouth.

…It’s delicious.

But more than that, I felt a somewhat ticklish sensation.

─────

After finishing lunch, we headed to the gift shop.

The shop was bustling with many visitors, lined with exclusive aquarium merchandise. Colorful stuffed fish and keychains were displayed in rows, creating that unique aquarium atmosphere.

“There’s something special about limited edition goods from places like this, isn’t there?”

Shiori picked up a fluffy dolphin plushie and laughed happily.

“Yeah… I guess so.”

I made vague responses while looking at the penguin and sea lion merchandise.

“Nanas-san, isn’t this cute?”

What Shiori showed me was a small penguin plushie. Its round form and large, dark eyes were adorable.

“…It’s cute.”

When I answered without thinking, Shiori chuckled.

“Then shall we get matching ones?”

“Matching…?”

I was momentarily taken aback by Shiori’s suggestion.

I’d bought matching items with Honoka several times before. But this was the first time I’d gotten something matching with someone other than Honoka.

The moment I realized that, a restless feeling gently enveloped the depths of my chest.

It was a somewhat ticklish sensation, but not an unpleasant one.

Sharing memories like this with someone other than Honoka felt fresh and slightly mysterious.

“…Okay.”

When I nodded, Shiori relaxed her mouth slightly into a satisfied expression, picked up the penguin plushie, and headed to the register.

After paying, Shiori received the bag, hugged it briefly, then looked at me with a satisfied smile.

“Somehow, this feels like a nice memento.”

“…Yeah.”

When I placed the small plushie in my palm, a soft sensation reached my fingertips.

It was firmly there, taking shape as today’s memory.