I Was Caught up in a Hero Summoning, but That World Is at Peace

At the cake shop where I came with Hina-chan, both of us stood in front of the display case, wearing troubled expressions.

Fortunately, the situation I had worried about, where there wouldn’t be many cakes left, wasn’t the case. While some cakes were sold out, there was still a good variety and quantity available, making it easy to choose from.

So then, why were Hina-chan and I struggling to decide……?

[……The whole cakes definitely have that special look to them.]

[Right? They’re stylish and cute, and the candles and message plate would definitely look better on a whole cake.]

That’s right. Originally, we had planned to go with an assortment of cut cakes. But now that we were at the cake shop, we saw that they also had whole cakes. One of them, decorated with plenty of fruit, had a stylish appearance that seemed just like something Aoi-chan would love. We started to think that maybe this would be the better choice.

A whole cake would definitely stand out more as a birthday cake, but an assortment of cut cakes would be more convenient. Since it was going to be just the three of us, Hina-chan, Aoi-chan, and me, having the option to pick different flavors might be nice.

But then again, the special feeling that comes with a whole cake…… The way it embodies the spirit of a birthday celebration was a big advantage. If we added a message plate and candles, it would feel even more like a proper birthday cake.

[……It’s different from what we originally planned, but I think a whole cake might be the better choice.]

[I agree. This big, grand presence gives it a special feel. Excuse me! Can we get a message plate for celebrations added to this?]

[If it’s just the plate, we can do that as a complimentary service. If you’d like a message written directly on the cake in chocolate or additional sugar decorations, there will be an extra charge.]

The store clerk responded to Hina-chan’s question with a smile while showing us some samples of the sugar decorations.

[……Hina-chan, doesn’t this one kind of look like a Golem?]

[Ah, I thought the same thing. It’s cute in a chibi style, and since Aoi-senpai is all about Golems, let’s add this one!]

We added the Golem-like sugar decoration, got a chocolate message plate that said “Happy Birthday”, purchased the whole cake, stored it in my magic box, and left the store.

[With this, the cake is all set. We’ve got plenty of time left, so before we go buy the present, how about stopping by that café you were curious about, Hina-chan?]

[Yes! Let’s go!!]

I had already promised to go shopping for a present with Aoi-chan but…… there wasn’t a rule saying I could only give her one gift. So I planned to prepare something separately as well.

Something small and not too bulky would be ideal. After visiting the café, I figured we could check out a general store or something.

As I watched Hina-chan’s eyes sparkle, probably thinking about parfaits, I found it adorable and headed toward the café we found in the food guide.

Since the café was already close to the cake shop, we arrived quickly. However…… an unexpected situation arose once again.

As I watched Hina-chan excitedly looking at the menu, I was thinking of just getting a coffee when———–

[K- Kaito-senpai! Look at this!!]

[Unn? What is it……? “Couples-Only Deluxe Parfait”? Eh? You want to eat this?]

[Yes. Because you can’t order it alone! This is definitely something I want to take the chance to try. It’s just, since it’s a parfait meant for couples…… it’s probably pretty big, right? So, I was hoping you could help me eat it……]

[It does seem big, but considering it’s a couple’s menu item, meant for dates and such, I doubt the size is anything too crazy…… Well, if that’s what you want, Hina-chan, let’s share it.]

[Yes! Ehehe, that means while we’re here, I’m Kaito-senpai’s girlfriend.]

Beaming with a bright, cheerful smile, Hina-chan looked like she was having a great time. She might not even be aware of it, but when a cute girl suddenly says something like that, it’s enough to make any guy’s heart skip a beat.

Well, Hina-chan may seem sociable, but she actually has a bit of a shy side. She probably wouldn’t say something like this to someone she wasn’t close with. The fact that she lets her guard down around me like this, I suppose it means she trusts me that much.

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<Afterword>

Serious-senpai : [Rather than just trusting him, I think it’s pretty clear that she has romantic feelings for him…… The real question is how aware Hina actually is of those feelings. It’s not like she’s completely oblivious, but compared to Aoi, for example, her approach feels less like romantic affection and more like fawning on a kind senpai. I’d say her self-awareness is still pretty low.]

? ? ? : [That’s a pretty sharp analysis…… Like you’ve been studying this a lot…… as if you’re a love expert.]

Serious-senpai : [……When something has the potential to threaten your own well-being, you can’t help but learn about it in detail……]