255 Melon Bread

"Hmm..." 

At the music store in Kawaramachi, Mizuto stared at the variety of oboes from local brands to foreign brands, and as expected, whether it was Taki, Reina, and the others didn't lie to him by how expensive the oboe was. 

"Which one do you think is the best, Senpai?" 

"This one." Mizore didn't hesitate and pointed at the Yamaha YOB431B. 

Mizuto looked at the price and saw that it was about 1.1 million yen. If it were others, they might hesitate since this price was about more than three months of the average salary of the salarymen in this country, but he never hesitated. "Okay, I will take this." He also confirmed that this oboe was great with his skills, so there was no need to search for other instruments. 

"Thank you very much." 

The staff was happy with Mizuto's decision and quickly served him politely, especially when he paid the money directly. 

Watching all of this, Mizore was quiet and didn't say anything. While she was surprised, she also didn't think too much, considering how well off her family was, too. 

As the two waited for the staff to prepare his oboe, Mizuto asked, "By the way, I know that it is a bit late to ask this, but are your parents okay for you to go out late like this?" 

"Hm... it's okay." Her parents were busy working anyway, so there was no need to worry. If there was something that she was worried about, then it was her cat, but as she had given it as feed before she went to the school, it should be okay.

"Do you have a cat, Senpai?" 

"Yeah." Somehow, Mizore became excited when she talked about her cat. "Do you want to see it?" 

"Can I?" 

"Um." Mizore took her smartphone and showed him a picture of her cat before she was startled to talk excitedly about it, telling him how much she loved it. 

Nevertheless, watching how excited Mizore was, Mizuto sighed inwardly, thinking how innocent this girl was. At the same time, he thought that it was so easy to get a girl. As he looked at the picture of her cat, he could imagine that he would use the excuse of her cat visiting her home, and when they were alone, she was as good as his. 

Yet, as expected, even if he was a scumbag, he wouldn't do something so outrageous such as taking Mizore's innocent and deceiving her. He still had a bottom line, and frankly, it would have been quite troublesome if he hadn't explained his current situation as he did with Yume. 

However, if Mizore still stuck to him, even if she knew all of that, why should he refuse?

Anyway, Mizore was cute, easy to push, like a cat, and also had good lips that had been trained with her oboe skill for so many years, so why should he refuse?

Many might disdain him for thinking so, deceiving such a girl for his unscrupulous action, but if she did nothing to him and didn't feel anything, then he wouldn't do anything. After all, like what he had said before he became a high school student, he wouldn't take the initiative to make a move on girls. 

"Besides playing with a cat, what do you usually do, Senpai?" 

"Hmm... a study and learning oboe." 

"Besides that?" 

"Playing a game?" 

"Oh, what kind of game?" 

"It's this." Mizore took her smartphone again and showed her the rhythm game on which she was hooked. 

Watching how Mizore's fingers moved dexterously, yet her face was still as plain as ever, Mizuto was speechless. However, when he looked at her slender fingers, which moved skillfully, his gaze became subtle. 

'As expected of a musician...' 

Mizuto sighed, thinking that Reina's fingers and hands were also great. 

Still, their conversation stopped when the staff member brought his oboe with his box. 

Mizuto checked the oboe and also bought other necessary items such as a reed, books, and many other things. Not only was it expensive, but the oboe was also kind of spoiled since it needed a reed, which he needed to prepare himself. Somehow, he understood why Mizore was the only oboe player in the concert band club. 

Well, with the concert band club's situation, it was already amazing that there was one oboe player to begin with. 

With everything done, the two didn't stay any longer, but before they left, Mizuto decided to treat Mizore first. 

"Are you okay with something sweet, Senpai?" 

"I like it." 

"Then, let me treat you to that. What flavor do you want?" 

"Hmm?" Mizore followed his finger and saw a store that sold an ice cream called "Melon Bread." "No, you don't need to..." Yet even if she said so, her eyes were looking at the store, and her nose twitched slightly as the sweet smell of the bread was just too tantalizing, especially when she could see the bread was freshly baked. It made her gulp somehow. 

However—

"Okay, then." Mizuto nodded and didn't force her. "Don't stare at me or ask me for a bite if I get one later." 

"..." 

Mizore was speechless. 

Should he try to coax her kindly, telling him that he would feel uncomfortable if he didn't treat her like a gentleman? 

Why did this underclassman of hers treat her so cheekily like this?

Still, with her nature, how could she say that?

However, her cheeks were slightly bulging somehow. 

"Don't pout at me? You want it, right? Come on. I will treat you. Just think of this as a payment to help me buy an oboe and study with the oboe in the future." 

"...okay." 

While hesitating, Mizore decided to accept his kindness, especially when she heard that Mizuto wanted to repay her. Moreover, if she refused him, she could imagine that he would just leave her and eat the ice cream melon bread by himself in front of her, torturing her by eating such delicious food, knowing that she didn't have the courage to buy one herself. 

"Can we get two?" 

"Yes, what flavor of ice cream do you want?" 

"I will get chocolate." Mizuto looked at Mizore and asked, "What about you, Senpai?" 

While Mizore was nervous due to being stared at by the staff of the store, she felt calm as Mizuto was by his side. Subconsciously, she also reached the hem of his uniform, holding it weakly as she looked at the list of flavors for the ice cream. "I want cookie cream." Still, when she said her order, she didn't look at the staff and looked at Mizuto as she said those words quietly. 

"The other is cookie cream." 

"Okay, please wait for a moment." 

As Mizuto gave his payment, the staff soon prepared their order. "Here's your order." 

"Thank you." Mizuto accepted the two ice cream melon breads and gave one of them to Mizore. "For you, Senpai." 

"Thank you, Irido-kun." 

The two didn't stay and walked to the nearby bench as they wanted to taste their ice cream melon bread soon. The fresh bread was warm, and the ice cream was cold. The two sensations were mixed into one, creating a harmony of sweetness. 

"It's good." Mizuto nodded. 

"Yeah..." As always, Mizore answered quietly as she stuck out her small tongue, lightly licking the ice cream before she took a small bite of her cookie cream melon bread that was so sweet that it made her smile, especially when Mizuto was by her side. 

As for Mizuto?

Mizuto ate quietly as he put his oboe bag on his lap.