Chapter 130 - Wine For Couples
As the waiter led them toward the corner seat, Amukelo could feel his heartbeat drumming in his ears. When they reached their table, the waiter gestured gracefully for them to sit. Amukelo hesitated for just a moment before pulling out a chair for Pao—something he wasn't even sure why he did—but seeing her slightly startled expression, he figured it was probably the right move.
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She murmured a small, "Thanks," before sitting down, still glancing around as if she was unsure if she belonged in such a place. Amukelo took his own seat across from her as the waiter placed two menus in front of them.
"I will be back in a moment," the waiter said smoothly. "In the meantime, please take your time choosing something."
Amukelo nodded stiffly, but Pao fidgeted slightly in her chair, clearly uncomfortable. He noticed the way she kept adjusting her posture, tugging slightly at her dress, and glancing at the other patrons as if comparing herself to them. He understood the feeling—he wasn't exactly at ease himself.
Then, she finally voiced what she was thinking. "Why did you choose a place like this?" she asked in a hushed tone, leaning forward slightly as if embarrassed to even say it. "I feel out of place in my clothes..."
Amukelo shifted, suddenly feeling even more awkward than before. "I don't know..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Bral and Idin recommended this place."
Pao blinked. "Bral and Idin?"
Amukelo nodded, then quickly looked away as a slight blush crept onto his face. "Yeah... They said that since we were basically going on a date, we should go somewhere... suitable." His voice trailed off as he buried his face in the menu, trying to avoid the heat crawling up his neck.
Pao stiffened immediately. "D-Date!?" she sputtered, her voice cracking slightly. Her face turned red in an instant, and she quickly looked down at the table, gripping the edges of her menu as if it were the only thing keeping her grounded.
Amukelo groaned internally. Why did I say that? He could practically feel the temperature between them rising, though neither of them dared to look at each other. He cleared his throat and forced himself to focus on something else—anything else. "So... uh, maybe we should choose something to eat," he muttered, still hiding behind his menu.
Pao, still flustered, nodded quickly. "R-Right..."
For a moment, the only sound between them was the quiet rustling of pages as they skimmed through the menu. Amukelo barely registered what he was even looking at—everything seemed ridiculously expensive, but at this point, he was too deep to back out.
Just as they were settling down a bit, the waiter returned with his usual poised smile. "Can I take your order?" he asked, pen and parchment ready.
Amukelo swallowed and tried to sound normal. "Uh... yeah. I'd like the, um... pasta with cheese on it." He winced slightly at how unimpressive his order sounded compared to the restaurant's elegant setting.
Pao, still recovering, finally looked up from her menu. "I'll have the fish with smoked vegetables," she said, her voice steadier than before.
The waiter nodded, quickly jotting it down. "Any drinks to go with your meal?"
Both of them responded at the exact same time. "Water."
The waiter's smile widened just slightly, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Of course. I'll return shortly."
As he walked away, Amukelo let out a deep breath. The weight of the moment settled again, leaving them in an awkward silence. He fidgeted with the edge of his sleeve while Pao lightly traced a fingertip along the edge of her grimoire.
Then, Amukelo remembered—Pao had wanted to talk to him about something. That was the whole reason they were here, wasn't it? He took a deep breath and forced himself to ask.
"So... Pao," he started, trying to sound casual.
She jumped slightly at the sound of her name. "W-What?" she asked, her voice just a little too quick.
He leaned forward slightly, watching her expression. "You said you wanted to talk to me about something, right? What was it?"
Pao's gaze flickered downward, her fingers tightening around the grimoire's spine. Her face softened slightly, but there was something... hesitant in her expression.
"You know, Amukelo..." she started slowly, her voice quieter now.
He waited, his brows knitting together slightly in concern. "Yeah?"
She hesitated for a long moment, then finally lifted her eyes to meet his. "Are you... meeting with someone?"
Amukelo blinked. "Someone?"
Pao nodded, looking away again as if the words were difficult to get out. "I mean... with a girl." She swallowed. "Do you have a girlfriend?"
Amukelo tilted his head, completely confused. "No. Why would I?"
She then took a deep breath and asked, "Well... You remember that time you did quests while we took a day off?"
Amukelo nodded. "Yeah, it wasn't that long ago."
Pao gave a small nod and looked down, her hands fidgeting slightly. "So, at one time when I was coming back from the magic shop... I saw you with a girl." Her voice wavered slightly, but she pressed on. "And you were laughing... and calling her by her name." She swallowed, then quietly said, "Sara."
Amukelo blinked. His mind rewound to that day, trying to remember the exact moment she was talking about. Then it clicked—Sara, the girl he had met during his quest, the one he had helped set up a party for her grandmother. He looked at Pao again, who was now keeping her gaze firmly on the table, her fingers anxiously tracing invisible patterns on the wooden surface.
Pao took a deep breath before asking, her voice barely above a whisper, "Do you... have any kind of relationship with her or something?"
Amukelo just stared at her for a moment, completely silent. He was caught somewhere between disbelief and amusement. That's what this was all about?
Pao, mistaking his silence for something else, fidgeted even more, her grip on her grimoire tightening.
Then, before he could stop himself, Amukelo burst into laughter.
Pao immediately scowled. "What's so funny?" she snapped, her face turning red.
Amukelo shook his head, still grinning. "So this is why you've been acting weird and avoiding me?" He chuckled again, rubbing his temple as if trying to process the sheer ridiculousness of the situation.
Pao's scowl deepened. "Yes? What about it?" she huffed, folding her arms across her chest, clearly irritated now.
Amukelo finally calmed down and leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on the table. "Pao, I met Sara during the quest. I was helping her set up a party for her grandma—that's it. We started talking, and that's all there was to it." He raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you just ask me straight away instead of avoiding me all this time?"
Pao's cheeks reddened further as she looked away. "Well... ugh..." She sighed heavily, her fingers still fidgeting. "I mean... I just... worried that you were meeting with her."
Amukelo's smile softened as he shook his head. "Pao," he said gently, "next time you have an issue like this, just ask me. I'm not going to hide anything from you."
She nodded slightly, but she was clearly still embarrassed.
Amukelo leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath. "I can't believe this..." He laughed again, shaking his head. "You went through all this trouble—setting up this whole meeting, stressing over it, avoiding me—for just one question?"
Pao lowered her head even further, her voice barely above a whisper. "Dumbass... don't laugh at me..."
Amukelo suddenly flushed himself, her soft, embarrassed voice hitting him in a way he didn't expect. He stared at her for a moment, taking in her flushed cheeks, the way she fidgeted under his gaze, and for some reason, his heartbeat quickened. She's actually really cute when she's flustered...
Before he could say anything else, the waiter arrived with their food. He placed the plates in front of them with practiced ease, then set down two glasses of water. Amukelo and Pao both quickly sat up straight, trying to shake off the awkward tension.
Then, with a polite smile, the waiter added, "And because we are celebrating the anniversary of our restaurant, couples get a complimentary bottle of wine."
Both Amukelo and Pao snapped their heads up in unison. "Couples!?" they both blurted out at the same time, their voices slightly higher-pitched than usual.
The waiter's smile didn't waver. "Yes, it's our way of celebrating romance," he said smoothly. "A free bottle for those enjoying a lovely evening together."
Pao's face turned completely red. Amukelo tensed slightly, his fingers gripping the edge of the table. He opened his mouth to protest, to say something—anything—but before he could, the waiter was already pouring the wine into their glasses, his expression calm and professional.
"I hope you enjoy," the waiter said with a knowing smile before walking away.
A long, awkward silence stretched between them.
Amukelo, still staring at the glasses, cleared his throat. "So... uh..."
Pao, her face still flushed, quickly grabbed her glass and took a sip, as if hoping the wine would drown out her embarrassment. Amukelo followed suit, taking a small sip himself, though he wasn't even sure what he was doing at this point.
Finally, Pao muttered, still avoiding his gaze, "Th-this isn't a date..."
Amukelo nodded quickly. "Yeah. Not a date." And then a long silence followed.
"...But," Pao said after a moment, her voice softer, "if it were... it wouldn't be that bad..."
Amukelo nearly choked on his drink.