Chapter 307: [A Restaurant Where I Cant Order A Small Portion]


    ‘Misunderstanding’ is terrifying.


    This happened at a certain diner.


    In this restaurant, you can freely choose the amount of rice.


    Small, regr,rge, extrarge.


    I eagerly ordered the extrarge and devoured it. However, I was left with an awkward amount of leftover side dishes.


    But no worries. At this ce, refills are free.


    I gauged my stomach''s condition and ced my order with the waiter.


    "More rice, please. ‘Komori’!"


    "Aye!"With a lively response, the waiter took my bowl. Thirty secondster,


    Thud! A cartoonishly huge bowl was ced on my table.


    "?!?!?!"


    "Here you go! ‘Tokumo’!"


    I immediately realized. I was misunderstood!?


    An extrarge portion when I was only 80% full. It was an undeniable hell.


    But if I left it, this rice would be thrown away.


    Despite the misunderstanding, I ordered it…


    "Ugh, sob…"


    The little bit of side dish disappeared quickly.


    By the end, I was literally crying a little as I ate the extrarge portion of in white rice. It was really tough.


    And I swore to myself.


    Next time I order, I will make sure there is no misunderstanding.


    ***


    Then, another day.


    I was at the same diner, about to order a refill.


    I remembered my previous mistake clearly and had a perfect n in ce.


    To avoid any misunderstanding this time, I said,


    "Refill. ‘Shomori’!"


    "Aye!"


    With this, there was no way I’d be misunderstood as ordering an "extrarge".


    And maybe… in this restaurant, a ‘small portion’ was called "shomori".


    That''s why they didn''t understand when I said "komori".


    Yes, it was a very usible theory. Satisfied with my own brilliant deduction…


    "Here you go! ‘Oomori’!"


    Why, why was I misunderstood again!?


    It''s better than extrarge, but it''s still too much!?


    Once again, I ate it all while crying.


    Eating only in white rice, I began to wonder, "Maybe it''s my fault? Maybe my artiction or pronunciation was bad?" and started doubting myself.


    ***


    This would be thest time.


    I visited that diner for the third time.


    …Why do I keep going back to the same ce despite being misunderstood so much?


    The reason is clear.


    The restaurant’s name was the same as my favorite VTuber!


    By the way, a certain VTuber created an original Geo-Guessr map featuring ces rted to VTubers from their agency as a summer project.


    You can actually y it, so feel free to try it.


    Back to the story… well, half the reason I kept going there was because of the name.


    I was also determined, and it was such a delicious diner that I wanted to go back even considering the misunderstandings.


    "…Alright"


    This time, I was confident. I had practiced vocal exercises so much that I memorized the "Uirou Uri" and improved my artiction. I also had a secret weapon.


    "Waiter, refill. ‘Mini-mori’!"


    This was myst resort.


    ‘Mini-mori’ wasn’t on the menu.


    That''s why, if they understood it, it would definitely mean ‘small portion’.


    And if they didn’t, they would just ask me again… avoiding the worst-case scenario.


    "Aye!"


    It worked! I closed my eyes and waited anxiously for the result.


    Sure enough…


    "Here you go! ‘Namimori’!"


    I hit my head on the table.


    How could this also be misunderstood!?


    So close! Just one step away from being right!


    Extrarge → Large → Regr, I was getting closer.


    But I could never reach the small portion.


    Is this infinite?


    It sounds like aedy sketch, but it actually happened.


    Thus, Ipletely lost the ‘refill war’.


    ***


    And then,ter.


    There I was, as usual, ordering a refill at that diner.


    "Waiter, refill please."


    "Aye."


    I handed my bowl to the waiter without specifying the size.


    Thirty secondster, there it was…


    "Here you go."


    A bowl with regr-sized rice was ced.


    I ate it deliciously and was exactly 80% full.


    …Yes. I know what you want to say.


    Actually, after eating a regr portion as a refill, I realized… my stomach had grown bigger, probably because I was made to eat beyond my limit every time.


    So, in the end, I never ordered a "small portion" at that diner, and to this day—


    ***


    《Hey, Iroha. What''s wrong? You seem distant.》


    《…Rice》


    《Rice?》


    《Oh, no! It''s nothing.》


    My current body is small and I have a small appetite.


    If I get misunderstood, I won''t be able to finish it this time. No, I probably won''t even ask for a refill.


    《What''s the matter? Homesick? I have some leftover packed rice from someone returning to Japan after their study period ended. Want some?》


    《Oh? Japanese ‘rice’!? Shitenno, could you share some with me!?》


    《Huh? Well, I don''t mind.》


    As we talked, the bus arrived at the high school.


    Everyone started getting off.


    I stood up to follow them… and stumbled.


    I tripped and fell.


    "Ouch…"


    It seemed I had stepped on the scarf a girl had loosened.


    As always, this body is clumsy.


    I slowly got up.


    Shitenno looked at me.


    《Hey, are you alright? Seriously, be careful—》


    In the middle of his sentence, the scarf fell to the ground.


    Time stopped.


    《《《Oh》》》


    Me, the girl, and Shitennou gasped. Our voices ovepped.


    His gaze was fixed on my neck.