After Capturing and Confining a Beautiful Yandere Stalker Girl, I Somehow Started a Sweet Life With Her - 37

Chapter 37: Mother Is the Same Like Usual, Even at a Chinese Restaurant

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Despite all the outrageous remarks that Miyako-san dropped during our taxi ride, we eventually arrived safe and sound at our destination: Chinatown. The place was bustling with people, and the arcade-style streets exuded a distinctive atmosphere that was brimming with exotic charm. The dazzling decorations and vibrant colors almost felt overwhelming, but the mouthwatering aroma wafting through the air provided a tantalizing charm that dispelled all sense of intimidation from the overwhelming decoration. The three of us began exploring the many Chinese restaurants and food stalls lining the streets. Miyako-san was leading the way with Neiko-san and I followed her from behind. I was walking side by side with Neiko-san. 

“I’m sure there are plenty of stalls that catch your eye, but let’s take our time checking those out later. For now, we’ll head into a restaurant and have a proper meal first.”

Miyako-san had told us beforehand that since we would be coming to Chinatown, Miyako-san would treat us to something exceptionally delicious. It was a generous offer and I was really grateful for it. She even said that she’d cover the cost of the meal. 

“A-kun?”

“Hm… Ah? Yeah? What is it?”

While we were walking down the street, I was enthralled by the stalls lined up the street when Neiko-san gently tugged on my sleeve and called out to me. 

“What are you going to eat, A-kun? Will it be mapo tofu? Your favorite dish that you mentioned earlier in the taxi?”

“Mapo tofu, huh… Hmm… What should I choose… Something not too spicy might be nice, but since we’re going to go to an authentic Chinese restaurant, I’m sure they will have a lot of dishes that I’m not familiar with.”

“Yeah, authentic Chinese restaurants definitely have a lot of unique dishes… What kind of dishes do you have in mind though?”

“Well, let’s see…”

Upon hearing Neiko-san’s question, I glanced up to ponder my options, trying to figure out what I wanted. While I was busy thinking, Miyako-san turned to face me and said. 

“You don’t have to think about it, Monoda-kun. I’ll make sure you can try all sorts of things.”

“Eh…?”

“All sorts…?”

What does that mean? And why did she say I don’t have to think?

“I’ll make it a lunch course. That way, you can have mapo tofu, stir-fried pork with green peppers, and plenty of other dishes in one go.”

“Y-You’re going that far for me…?”

“Yes. You’re already like a member of the Houno family, so I will be sure to carefully select everything you eat to make sure you can love Neiko thoroughly with all of your fiber.”

“L-Like a member of the Houno family…?”

No, no, the way she said it was somehow unsettling, like I was being trained by Miyako-san…

“I’m really grateful for the kind thoughts, but I’m not really—”

“You’re right. There’s no guarantee that you will become part of the Houno family. Your parents’ opinions matter too. There’s the possibility that Neiko could end up becoming part of the Monoda family instead. I guess I was being a bit pushy about that. My apologies.”

How did she know what I was about to say? No, no, I mean, that’s not what I meant. We’re still far from the marriage stage. Why is she getting so carried away like that… 

“…”

I glanced at Neiko-san. Normally, she’d jump in and respond to Miyako-san’s words with high energy, but today… She didn’t seem to have that energy. Neiko-san remained silent. She was fidgeting with her fingers in front of her chest while occasionally glancing at me out of the corner of her eye. And whenever our gazes met, she quickly looked away with her face turning red. I could understand the reason why she was acting like this, but somehow, looking at her like this just threw me off a bit. I scratched my head to mask the embarrassment. I could feel my own face heating up in return. 

“Well then, here we are. We’ve arrived, you two.”

We had arrived at a two-story building. The exterior exuded an air of luxury, and the door at the entrance was equally elegant as the whole vibe. The group of well-dressed women who had entered before us made me feel a bit out of place.

Would it be alright for someone like me to enter this fine establishment? After all, I was only wearing a hoodie with a simple coat.

“…Amazing…”

Following Miyako-san’s lead, we entered the restaurant and inside, we were greeted by the sight of dragon carvings and other intricate decorations. Everything was decorated with a very distinct Chinese style. The whole place looked so amazing. It made me want to look around, but this wasn’t a museum. This place was a restaurant. I couldn’t possibly space out in the middle of a restaurant, so I followed Miyako-san in with Neiko-san by my side. 

We were led to a table with elegant chairs. The atmosphere in the dining area was just as refined as the other area. I took off my coat and placed it in the compartment under the seat, leaving me with just my hoodie. I felt a bit out of place here. 

“What would you like to order?”

The server who guided us to our seats asked and Miyako-san ordered the lunch course for the three of us. Mother, who usually only said the most outrageous things, actually blended in so well with this place. She had the aura of a high class woman. Well, she was also the lady who had Neiko-san’s father under control. It was possible that Miyako-san was the true leader of the Houno family. 

“Even so, I’m still a bit nervous dining in this place. I think it would be so much better if Dad were here.”

…Oh, it seemed I was mistaken. It turned out Neiko-san’s father was the one who led the family. I see… So Miyako-san was the one holding the leash inside the house and Neiko-san’s father was the dog of the family, but outside, Neiko-san’s father was still the one leading his family…. Really… The Houno family was full of weirdos. 

“But really, thank you so much for today. You even go out of your way to treat us to lunch at a nice place like this…”

I thanked her again and Miyako-san smiled with a sigh mixed in it. 

“Monoda-kun, it’s fine. Like I said earlier, you’re going to become part of the Houno family one day and maybe… You’re going to become someone very important to Neiko. To me, that’s more than enough reason to spoil you as much as I want.”

“…Thank you.”

“Fufufu~ You’re really polite. Ahh~ To think you actually dropped all pretense when I poked at you last night. You actually showed me how deep your instinct ran last night.”

And there it was. Miyako-san’s outrageous remarks. I was about to tell her to stop saying it in a suspicious way like that when Neiko-san, who was sitting next to me, suddenly started letting out a strange sound of distress. 

“Nghh…!”

I looked over to Neiko-san and I saw Neiko-san turning ghastly pale with a stiff smile on her face. 

Ah, I knew it. She totally misunderstood the situation. 

“A-A-A-A-A-A-A-kun…? Last night… Wha-Wha-Wha-What did you do with Mom…?”

“We were just talking like normal, okay? Nothing weird happened. Miyako-san was just being her usual self, saying weird things that made people jump to the wrong conclusion.”

“Something weird? How cruel. Even though it’s been a while since I could witness a young man’s ferocious energy like I did last night.”

Miyako-san said while cupping her cheeks with her hands, seemingly enthralled. 

“Miyako-san, I beg you, can you please be quiet? You do realize that is not the kind of conversation you should be having in a high-end Chinese restaurant, right? You do understand that, right??”

I said to Miyako-san, trying my best not to flip out here. 

Please, I beg of you, pleaseeee have some self-respect…

“Anyway, let’s change the topic a bit, Monoda-kun.”

“Haah… What is it?”

Sighing, I waited for Miyako-san’s next word. Then, Neiko-san, who was sitting as close as she could next to me, grabbed my hand with hers. She then pressed her body against me. She was also staring at Miyako-san, patiently waiting for Miyako-san’s words along with me. 

Miyako-san then continued on.

“Earlier, you said ‘thank you’ to me, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did.”

“I shall return those words right back at you. Thank you for staying by Neiko’s side.”

“….”

The straightforwardness of her words caught me off guard, leaving me feeling a bit embarrassed. I was certain I must be blushing beet red right now. 

“Of course, I’m aware that you’re staying by Neiko’s side because there’s some merits in it for you and sure, maybe you’re only staying by her side because of those merits, but still. Thank you, Monoda-kun. As you can see, she’s always been shy and she can’t make friends easily.”

Neiko-san’s grip on my arm tightened a bit.

“That’s why, having you around really makes me happy, so I will say it again. Thank you, Monoda-kun.”

“I-I mean, if you suddenly thanked me like that…”

I couldn’t help but feel flustered from embarrassment. Seeing this, Miyako-san smiled mischievously and whispered quietly.

“That said, it won’t do if you keep getting embarrassed over small things like this. If you do, you won’t be able to perform when it really matters.”

“No, no, what are you even talking about?!”

I instinctively retorted in my normal voice, but right at that moment, the waiter arrived with our food. An awkward silence filled the air. 

This is really the worst… Damn it…

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