My Childhood Friend, Who I Made a Promise To Spend the Future With, Dumped Me... But Ever Since I Started Dating a Beautiful Girl From School, My Childhood Friend Has Been Acting Strange - Episode 13

“Emi, have you decided what clothes you want to wear?”

“Yeah! I chose them together with Kamiya-san!”

Suzuki Tōma sat on a bench next to his younger sister, Emi, drinking juice from a vending machine while they talked.

“That’s great.”

“Onii-chan, you should buy something here too!”

“I’ll buy mine somewhere else.”

“But—”

“By the way, changing the topic a little, how about we eat somewhere else for lunch?”

“Huh? Not the department store basement?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

Emi tilted her head in confusion.

“I just felt like a change of pace.”

“But I really wanted to eat at the department store basement…”

Emi looked disappointed.

Tōma had been thinking about talking to Saori, but when it came to actually interacting with her, he found himself hesitating. Earlier, when he saw her on the escalator, he instinctively hid instead of approaching her.

Feeling slightly guilty for disappointing his sister, Tōma sipped his juice with a complicated expression.

“…We’ll eat at the department store basement another time. Instead, today, I’ll cover all the costs.”

“If that’s the case… okay. But it’s a promise, okay, Onii-chan?”

“I got it. I’ll keep my promise.”

Tōma looked Emi in the eyes and made a firm promise as her older brother. He didn’t want to see her sad anymore.

“Sorry for the wait. I found some clothes I wanted to buy, so it took a little longer.”

“It’s fine. Oh, here.”

“Orange juice? Thanks! You bought it for me?”

Tōma handed a juice can to Kamiya Suzuha, who was holding shopping bags.

“Also, we’re going somewhere else for lunch. We’ll be eating outside the department store.”

“Huh? I thought we were eating at the department store basement?”

“That’s for next time.”

Tōma spoke casually before standing up from the bench.

“In that case, I have a restaurant I recommend. How about we go there?”

Suzuha made a suggestion.

“It’s a bit pricey, but the food quality is excellent. It’s a hamburger place, but unlike chain restaurants, the portions are huge. They’re American-sized, so just one should be enough to fill you up.”

“A place like that sounds interesting.”

Tōma was intrigued.

“That restaurant is nearby, right?”

Emi, who had been drinking her juice on the bench, joined the conversation.

“You know it, Emi-san?”

“Yeah! I went there once with my friends after school. I want to go there too!”

Her previously disappointed expression brightened, and she looked eager to go.

“Alright, it’s settled then.”

Tōma and Emi decided to follow Suzuha’s recommendation and head to the specialty hamburger shop.

“Welcome!”

The restaurant Suzuha mentioned was only a few minutes’ walk from the department store.

As soon as they entered, the cheerful voices of the staff filled the air.

Since it was lunchtime, there were already a few people waiting.

Tōma and the others took a seat on a bench near the entrance while holding their numbered ticket.

After about five minutes, a waitress rushed over from the back of the restaurant and guided them to an open table.

“Please call me when you’re ready to order.”

The restaurant was crowded.

As soon as she finished speaking, the waitress quickly moved on to another table.

The three of them sat around a circular table rather than a rectangular one like in a family restaurant.

They opened the menu and began discussing what to order.

“This burger place lets you customize your toppings,” Suzuha explained.

“So there’s no pre-set burger menu like at fast food chains?”

“Basically, yes. You order the buns first, then choose what to put inside. After your order arrives, you assemble your burger yourself.”

There were no images of completed burgers in the menu—just a list of available buns and toppings.

Each topping had a price, and the buns came in various sizes, from small to extra-large, with the price varying accordingly.

“So it’s kind of like a sandwich?”

“Yeah, but it’s still a hamburger in terms of size. It’s American-sized but surprisingly low in calories, so it’s a healthier option.”

“That’s pretty unique.”

“Right? Nowadays, people are conscious about calories and allergies. Some people don’t even eat meat. This system lets customers choose their own ingredients. It’s a bit of work, but there’s also a daily special if you don’t want to think too much about it.”

Suzuha pointed at the section of the menu that explained the daily special burger.

“This place is really well thought out,” Tōma said, impressed, as he continued looking through the menu and deciding on his toppings.

“Is your order complete?”

A waitress arrived with a large tray carrying buns and the toppings they had chosen.

“Yes, we’re good.”

“Please enjoy your meal!”

With a polite nod, the waitress quickly moved on to another table after being called over.

“This is really cool. Making your own burger inside the restaurant is a fresh experience.”

Tōma began stacking his ingredients—lettuce, tomato slices, pickles, and a hamburger patty—onto the bottom bun one by one.

By the time he finished, his burger was nearly twice the size of a typical one.

“Onii-chan, if it’s too big, use this to eat it.”

Emi handed him a knife and fork.

It was impossible to hold the burger in his hands.

Following her advice, Tōma cut into his creation and took a bite.

The experience was entirely different from eating at a fast-food chain.

The weight of the burger, the satisfaction of each bite—it was a completely new enjoyment.

Emi, too, looked happy as she ate her own customized burger.

Tōma still felt a little bad that they hadn’t eaten at the department store basement as Emi originally wanted.

But next time, he would make sure to take her there as promised.

With that thought in mind, he took another bite of his burger, using the knife and fork Emi had given him.