Character Story 3: A Ton of Books to Talk About

Scene: In a restaurant.

Shiori
Ahh, there's a vacant table over here. Let's sit here then. You too, just get comfortable.

Shiori
To return the favor of accompanying me shopping all day today... Please let me treat you to dinner. Though, I'm not sure whether this is enough to repay your kindness.

Shiori
Hee hee... I usually take a break after shopping... Usually, it's this something like this.

Shiori
Normally, I never manage to buy all the stuff that I want before the end of the day.

Shiori
But today, thanks to you for carrying my goods.... I was able to visit all the shops that I wanted. I felt very satisfied.

Shiori
Thank you.

Shiori
It would be nice if today was a meaningful day for you. But it couldn't have been very fun, going through the trouble of taking care of me, right?

Shiori
It was fun? Is that so... You probably said so because you cared about my feelings. But I feel relieved.

Shiori
I also had more fun shopping than I ever have.

Shiori
Though, I haven't walked that much in a while, so I'm tired. But I feel I'm more energetic than I used to be...

Shiori
I don't know whether it's due to my tiredness, but I don't have any appetite right now. Maybe I'll just have some fruits then....

Shiori
But I'm supposed to eat more to replenish my body's nutrients, right. ... What are you going to order? This restaurant offers a huge variety of dishes from its menu.

Yuuki
1. Order meat dish.
2. Same as Shiori (just desserts).

Option 1.

Shiori
Okay, meat dish it is, then. I'm calling the waiter now.

Shiori
That portion seems pretty big. Are you sure that you'll able to finish it?

Shiori
Is that so... Seems like boys are very capable at eating.

Option 2.

Shiori
Eh, would it be enough if you only order desserts?

Shiori
It's fine if you order more. Thanks to you, I was able to buy an ancient book at a cheap price. So, I have extra money to spend right now.

Shiori
Huh? You said you wanted to pay for your own meal...? Hmm, you'd feel embarrassed if you were to let a girl younger than you treat you to a meal?

Shiori
It's okay, you dont have to worry about it.

End of branches.

Shiori
...~

Shiori
Hm? Ah, I'm sorry.... I was reading a bit of the books I bought.

Shiori
That's not good of me. I'm having a meal with someone, but I caught up doing other things. That must be bad manners.

Shiori
Sorry, I usually stay in a ward-like room at the farm. Having meals by myself there alone... I guess I'd say I'm not used to having a meal with others, and I'm lacking a sense of courtesy.

Shiori
But, this book is by my favorite author. No matter what, I can't wait to read it.

Shiori
Indeed. This story is about the lives of a teenage boy and girl, who live in a world far away from us, completely different from ours... But the story resonates with me a lot, so I like it very much.

Shiori
I highly recommend this book series. Especially from Chapter 3, when the story begins to reveal its foreshadowing, I just can't take my eyes off it...

Shiori
Ahh... S-sorry. Getting so carried away is also bad manners. I just lose any sense of manners when I get the chance to talk about my favourite books.

Shiori
... The meals that we ordered have arrived. Let's focus on eating now then.

Shiori
Huh? You would like to hear me talk more about the books...? Is that alright?

Shiori
I'm happy. Because the people that around me at the farm don't read books often...

Shiori
I don't have anyone suitable to talk to. So I have a lot of after-reading thoughts that I've wanted to share.

Shiori
I have to return to the farm once I'm done with the meal. But if we were to really talk about books, it would take up a lot of time... Plus, I would also feel bad for always asking you to accompany me.

Shiori
Yes? You said you'll accompany me again anytime...?

Shiori
T-thank you very much. Let's meet again next time then.

Shiori
Next time, I'll bring my favourite books and lend them to you to read. I can get in the habit of bringing books with me whenever I come to town. I could probably train my arm strength that way, too...

Shiori
I'm very glad to hear that you're interested in the things that I'm interested in, too.