Chapter 8 Relaxing and Chatting With Nagi While Drinking Tapioca Milk Tea

Relaxing and Chatting With Nagi While Drinking Tapioca Milk Tea

“Thank you for waiting. Here’s your tapioca milk tea.”

“Oh, thank you very much.”

I took the tapioca milk tea I’d ordered from the shop clerk.

“Whoa, so this is the famous tapioca. It really is black and round, just like they say.”

“I’m glad you finally got to try the tapioca you’ve been curious about. Let’s head to that park over there and drink it.”

“Yeah, good idea. Alright, let’s head to the park.”

“Okay.”

Drinking in front of the shop would probably bother the other customers in line, so we decided to head to a nearby park instead.

And not long after…

We arrived at the park and sat down on a bench. Without delay, I took a sip of the tapioca milk tea in my hand.

“Gulp, gulp… Ahh. Whoa, this is amazing! The sweetness of the brown sugar blends perfectly with the tea, and the chewy texture is incredible!”

“Haha, it’s great to see you enjoying it so much, Taiki. Judging by how happy you look, it must be really good.”

“Yeah, it’s seriously delicious! Gulp, gulp… Ahh. Here, Nagi, you should try it too. It’s amazing!”

“Eh? Oh, um, sure, thanks.”

Saying that, I handed the tapioca milk tea over to Nagi.

Nagi seemed a little flustered again, just like before, but he quickly returned to his usual calm self and took the drink.

Then, he placed his lips on the straw I’d been using and slowly started drinking the milk tea.

“Gulp, gulp… Ahh. Wow, this is really good. It might be the best tapioca milk tea I’ve ever had.”

“I’m glad you like it! Feel free to drink as much as you want, okay?”

“Eh? Oh, okay. Thanks. Then I’ll take you up on that… Gulp, gulp.”

When I said that, Nagi smiled happily and drank more of the tapioca milk tea. He genuinely seemed to enjoy it.

Watching him enjoy it so much made me feel oddly happy too.

(Sharing delicious things with friends like this really is a great way to spend time… Oh, that’s right!)

An idea popped into my head, and I decided to share it with Nagi.

“Hey, Nagi, you don’t have many food preferences or dislikes, do you?”

“Gulp, gulp… Ahh. Yeah, that’s right. I can eat pretty much anything.”

“Got it. So how about this—why don’t we look up some tasty places and go out for a meal together? Maybe we could rent a car and go on a mini food trip. What do you think?”

I made the suggestion to Nagi.

I had my driver’s license. I got it right after high school, thinking it’d be convenient for dates with Nanami.

(Though, in the end, I never actually went on a single drive date with her.)

But I genuinely enjoyed driving, so I occasionally rented a car to take Nagi or other friends on trips. It had been a while since my last drive, so I thought this was a good chance to propose the idea.

“Oh, that sounds like a really fun idea. Taiki, you’re great at driving, so going on a mini food trip somewhere far away sounds exciting.”

“Yeah, a mini food trip does sound fun. If there’s a place you’d like to eat at, let me know, and I’ll drive you there!”

“Hmm, let’s see… Oh, I know. Fufu, if I had to choose, I’d say the food from my hometown is what I’d like to eat most.”

“Wait, your hometown? Hold on, that’s Osaka! There’s no way I’m driving 500 kilometers one way!”

“Haha, don’t worry, I was just kidding.”

Actually, Nagi is from Osaka, not around here. He lived there through high school before moving to the Kanto region for university.

“Phew, glad that was a joke. But I do want to visit Osaka someday. It seems like a place with amazing food and plenty of sights to see. It sounds like a lot of fun.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Osaka has plenty of delicious food and great tourist spots. You should definitely visit someday.”

“Alright, when that day comes, I’ll count on you to be my guide. Show me the best local eats and tourist spots, okay?”

“Fufu, of course. I’d be happy to show you around. Whenever you decide to visit, just rely on me.”

“Yeah, I will.”

Nagi gave me his usual warm, gentle “prince-like” smile. He really is such a kind and dependable guy.

After that, we stayed on the bench, chatting happily and enjoying a relaxing time together.