Chapter 10 : Let’s eat (2)

“Ah, we’re here. Get ready to get off.”

Lost in thought, the drive to the restaurant felt surprisingly short.

But as we arrived, I realized I’d forgotten something crucial, and quickly told Yena.

The streets were filled with smiling men, cringe-worthy CG, and underwear ads full of suggestive themes, leaving me little room to think about anything else.

I really can’t stand this.

“Did we make a reservation?”

“Huh? A reservation?”

“This place is popular, you know. Are we even going to get a table? It’s peak time right now.”

“What’s with you? We can just go to the men’s section.”

Yena spoke to me as if it was common sense, with such a matter-of-fact expression that I was left speechless.

Is this world really this male-centric?

Honestly, I thought things like ‘Isn’t it common sense to do ~?’ only happened in comics and novels.

It felt like I had fallen into a different world.

Oh wait, I actually *did* come to another world.

“If you go in and say you’ll take pictures, they’ll probably give you the highest-grade course for free, you know? They’ll put up signs like ‘Men visit this restaurant!’ and all that.”

“Haha…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll pay. You don’t have to take any pictures, so relax that stiff face of yours. Come on, let’s go in.”

Patting my shoulder, Yena walked past me with a nonchalant air and into the restaurant.

If what she said was true, shouldn’t the woman be the one to adjust their pace to the man’s?

As I watched her walk away, I noticed she was rubbing the hand that had touched me with her other hand while smiling dreamily.

Ah, she’s got it bad.

She’s probably thinking about how many kids she wants right now.

Definitely not the kind of look a woman should be showing right now, I thought.

“Welcome. Do you have a reservation?”

“No, but… I came with a man.”

“Huh?!”

Why are the women in this world so much more attractive than the last one?

It was like that with the woman I met in the game earlier, too. And now the receptionist? In my original world, she’d be an instant Instagram star.

The problem is that she keeps glancing at Yena, with an expression like ‘What’s with you?’, but….

What’s funny is Yena seems to be enjoying it.

Still, she seemed to remember she had a job to do, and ran off to find the owner.

To see the manager of this high-class establishment be so flustered, male customers must truly be a rarity.

“M-Manager!!”

The woman scribbling on a notepad stopped and ran off, leaving us.

A moment later, she returned, accompanied by a career woman in a more sophisticated suit.

Of course, she also had an otherworldly beauty.

“Oh, I’m so sorry I’m late. I’m Lee Naeun, the manager of the Seoul branch, and I’ll be taking care of you today. Please allow me to show you to your table!”

The woman, speaking with a slight lisp, had short, black hair that suited her incredibly well.

Her makeup was light, but it only enhanced her large eyes.

As expected, this beautiful woman, looking like a typical secretary type, started acting incredibly humbly.

Just how little do men in this world go out?

“Just in case you’re wondering, since other men typically stay put in their own territory, 99.2% of them are obese. So don’t make that kind of face because you’re special!”

“How does…society even function…?”

Were the viewers from earlier serious about the sperm banks and the shared dads?

Would it really be dangerous to go out without a bodyguard…?

“That’s an adult matter.”

Humming a tune, Yena began walking ahead, seemingly enjoying the attention.

She made it very clear to everyone that she was a woman who had come with a man, as if showing off a prized possession.

“As expected of a streamer, loving the attention.”

“I’m enjoying myself because *I’m* with you!”

“Is that a confession?”

“!%!&@!!”

This kind of teasing was still too much for Yena.

I don’t know why she runs whenever she gets flustered or embarrassed, but running ahead of the person guiding us won’t get us anywhere.

Her personality hasn’t changed, but her threshold for embarrassment seems to have. I wonder how long it’ll take me to get used to it.

“I’m envious…”

The employee seemed to be giving Yena the stink eye more than she was giving me.

If this was a manga from that island nation next door, I’d be the one getting NTR’d!!

Anyway, following Naeun, we arrived at a room that was clearly high-class.

I wasn’t sure why a French restaurant would have a room designed like a palace.

Honestly, it was a bit too much.

“Our establishment has been open for 29 years, and it fills me with emotion to finally use this room.”

“Uh…is it sanitary?”

“Of course! We’ve kept it in pristine condition, always with the hope that a man would one day dine here!”

29 years, huh?

“Then I’ll bring you our very best course. Are there any special requests?”

Though I knew this restaurant was famous, I had no idea what dishes were popular or recommended.

Did Yena not even think about it before coming here? She was probably just too excited.

“No, not really…”

“Then, customer, perhaps…”

“He won’t do it! WooSeok won’t take any pictures or give out his name!”

Yena, who had apparently recovered, was taking pictures everywhere when she suddenly slammed her hand on the table and shouted.

But all the employees have been looking at Yena with envious eyes.

Wouldn’t a little bit be okay?

Besides, perceptions of chastity are different here.

They’re looking at me with the faces of abandoned puppies.

“Isn’t it fine just this once…?”

“Really!!”

“Yes, well…”

“I’ll be right back!!”

“WooSeok!”

“A little bit’s fine.”

“Do you have any idea how scary women are? They’re full of dark thoughts!”

It wasn’t like a parent lecturing a child, but still, saying something like that….

It’s kind of rude to say that to an adult.

“Heh, then being with you must be dangerous, too.”

“Th-that’s different…”

“They’ve waited 29 years.”

An autograph and a picture.

In the car, I thought she was joking, but….

In the end, Yena seemed to give up as well, slumping into an equally ornate chair and surrendering.

Guess I should do it. If not, I’d feel bad for the people who cleaned the room every day.

“I’m still watching you, though!”

“Of course.”

Before the meal was served, I quickly took a picture and left a short review.

I hadn’t eaten it yet, but it was a famous place, so the food was probably good.

“I-I’ll treasure it!”

“Put it on display at the restaurant!”

“How could I dare…”

My thought and resolve soon changed when I saw the manager looking at the signed paper with dangerous eyes.

Even I felt it was slightly dangerous the way she traced her finger along the black ink of the letters.

Fortunately, the food was excellent.

“WooSeok! Look at this! The mussels… I never knew they could be this beautiful shade of pink!”

Yena began devouring the mussels, quickly stuffing them into her mouth after expertly removing the shells.

People usually avoid seafood on dates, but perhaps Yena’s inexperience in this world made her less picky.

“WooSeok, what’s yours?”

“Coq au vin.”

“Can I see?”

Yena craned her neck from her seat, her gaze fixed on my plate.

The chicken on my plate, bathed in the aroma of wine, flaunted its elegant form.

The plump chicken pieces soaked in the perfectly seasoned wine sauce seemed to have caught her attention.

“Why does it smell so good?”

“I know, right? This place makes it especially well.”

“Can I have a bite? I can, right?”

This is the Yena I know.

She looked at me with pleading eyes, completely unaware of the drool starting to form at the corner of her mouth.

“You can, but it’s an indirect kiss.”

Since Yena was unusually high-strung, I decided to tease her a little.

I’d thought of it as a date, but since the food arrived, she’d been gobbling everything down (like, seriously, without a care in the world).

“Ah, then I won’t….”

Still, the gap between her usual self and her now-deflated demeanor made her even more adorable.

As she hung her head low, her brown hair almost touching the table, I couldn’t help but laugh.

She doesn’t look it, but she’s such a dork.

“Pfft…”

“What? Were you making fun of me?”

“Eat, eat. You think I’d really be stingy with this?”

“WooSeok…”

Like a dog waiting for its food, the moment I gave her permission, she stabbed the chicken on my plate with her fork and shoved it into her mouth.

After chewing for a bit, she held her cheeks with both hands and exclaimed how delicious it was.

Women in my world never made that kind of pose. Is she trying to seduce me?

“It’s still an indirect kiss, you know?”

“Cough! Hack! Cough!!”

I couldn’t help but tease her since I didn’t want to be the only one thinking such thoughts, but she ended up choking.

Seeing her pounding on the table with one hand while coughing seemed genuinely painful, so I quickly got up and patted her back.

“Sorry, I won’t do that again. Eat slowly.”

“Cough, hack… I’m really weak to that kind of stuff…”

It seemed the time we’d spent together had some effect. I felt that Yena was getting more comfortable with me.

Just as I thought the strange tension between us was easing, I heard someone say something to Yena.

“How can someone be so vulgar…”

“Huh?”

Naeun was standing next to Yena with the next dish, seemingly having appeared out of nowhere.

Even though her mouth was curved into a professional smile, her unwavering gaze at Yena created an unnerving sense of dread.

“Such an unsuitable woman for such an esteemed gentleman…”

With a slight sneer at Yena, she picked up the chicken Yena had spat out with a napkin and placed it on the tray she was carrying.

The slight curl of her lips seemed like a provocation.

But still, Yena *is* a customer, isn’t she?

“Then, please enjoy your meal…”

“What the heck!”

The atmosphere had frozen from the moment Naeun entered.

If this was a battle of nerves, it was one-sided, with Yena on the receiving end.

“Oh, I forgot to give you this.”

“Yes? What is it?”

Naeun, who had left earlier, returned and handed me a piece of paper.

Restaurant + paper = bill?

“Um… you said it was on the house…”

We’d nearly finished everything except for dessert, so getting a bill now was a bit disconcerting.

It wasn’t that I couldn’t afford it, but after being told it was free, being asked to pay felt…off.

Yena seemed to be thinking the same thing, muttering to herself, “Is it because I got upset…?”

Why is she blaming herself when she did nothing wrong, this dummy.

“It’s not a bill. Please take your time to look it over.”

With another polite bow, she left.

“WooSeok, throw that away!”

“How can I throw it away without knowing what it is?”

“It doesn’t matter what it is! It’s suspicious because *that* woman gave it to you!”

“A while ago you said a career woman like that was your role model.”

Ignoring Yena’s whining, I looked at the paper.

< Looking for a better partner? Someone who surpasses you in age, career, and wealth? How about me? xxx-xxxx-xxxx I’ll be waiting. >

“You too?!”

The women in this world are definitely hopeless.