Sonia blushed a bit at the prospect of treating herself. She lived in the lap of luxury but when it came to edible treats, things that deviated from her usual menu and diet arranged by royal physicians (who lived a life perpetually on call in case a member of the Royal Family became seriously injured or, more likely, gained ten pounds or more) were very rare. Her dining out with Ryuji, sheâd come to realize, was probably the least constrained when it came to what appeared on her plate, when, and in what amount. âNot very often, no,â She admitted, accepting her plate but pausing before taking her first bite. âDesserts are usually reserved for formal dinners or an afternoon tea: itâs uncommon to eat sweets daily in my family, unless itâs fruit. For as important as chocolate is as a national export, we eat remarkably little of it at home. So I like to indulge when I can.â
That mostly meant âwhen no one is around to tell me otherwise,â which, even in her mid-twenties, happened more often than Sonia would have liked. In Japan, reaching the age of 20 meant someone was a full-fledged adult capable of making their own decisions. Sheâd reached that age, and the European equivalent of adulthood two years before that, and she still had her every move watched, scheduled, analyzed, and corrected, when needed. It became more and more apparent, she thought as she gathered a modest piece of her cake slice onto her fork, that sheâd probably have to be Queen in order for the scrutiny to end. Behind closed doors, anyway: there was little to be done about the press.
Sonia shrugged, just a little, giving caution to the wind as she took a bite for herself. Vanilla cake and layers of fresh fruit made up the inside, while the outside looked, well, just like a bowl of ramen. If it was stone cold, that is: no amount of baking wizardry was going to make it steam at the table. Dry ice, perhaps, but that was likely too flashy for a cafĂ© like this. âMmmâŠitâs good!â She declared, though she made a small face at Ryujiâs suggestion. âI like to believe that I am open-minded with food, as all members of my family should be. But I admit that I do not find the prospect of a ramen-flavored cake to be appetizing. But yes, there is a show like that! One where contestants must determine if an object is chocolate or not chocolate by biting into it, and another where judges must determine if an object is cake or not. It sounds like a fun opportunity! Though if we cannot try it ourselves, we should watch the programs at least. Perhaps with real food that isnât made of cake?â
She had a feeling Ryuji would choose ramen. He almost always did, save for the instances he selected another noodle dish or a casual dish from the Japanese equivalent of a pub. Plenty of meat and carbs, to be sure. Not that she minded: it was an entirely different side of life than she was accustomed to, and she found that she enjoyed it. Far more than her own birthday at times, and even then the day itself was a fortunate coincidence with Novoselicâs fall holidays. Her eyes widened then at the prospect of ordering her own cake, midway through a slice of the ramen cake they shared. She chuckled, shaking her head.
âOh, I donât need an entire cake!â She insisted, smiling as she declined. âI doubt I could finish it before it went bad and my staffâŠwell, my family would find out one way or another and it would be a problem. And I do not have enough friends nearby to help me finish such a thing on my own. But you should get a cake, Ryuji-san! For your next birthday. You have plenty of friends in Tokyo, yes? Iâm sure they would celebrate with a sports-themed cake.â
âSo, what kind of desserts do you get to eat at these fancy dinners? I bet the cakes must be a lot more elaborate than this,â He gestured in a circular motion at the remaining cake around them, whilst his hand that was still clutching onto his fork continued to stab at the cake, continuing to eat it away at him. âYou know, I can kind of relate to not eating sweets every day too - maybe not for the exact same reasons as you and your family,â He was quick to add, now reaching to wipe the corners of his mouth with a napkin. âBut I like to save desserts for a special treat - not just because itâs healthier but in a way, I think itâs nice to have a special treat to look forward to, donât you think so? Besides, fruits are as good as any cake or treat - theyâre still sweet and theyâre a lot better for you too,â
When he was younger heâd had more of a sweet tooth, being particular fond of anything with a lemony tang to it - straight up chocolate had always been far to sweet for him, sweet to the point of excess at times. Growing up, his sweet tooth had gradually waned over the years - mainly because he had found a new favourite food but also just his natural athletic mindset which warned him off of sweets and kept his mind pointed in a more healthy direction. He didnât have anything against sweets - didnât dislike them even. This cake was undeniably delicious and sweet but as far as he was concerned, it was just a special treat - not something he wanted to make a habit of, even if it was damn tempting.
âThis is really good,â He was quick to agree with her there, chuckling at her honest observation. âIf anyone was actually looking forward to eating a ramen cake, Iâd honestly be a little worried.â He joked, digging his fork into a corner of the slice shaped like little noodles. âBut itâs definitely good to keep an open mind when it comes to food - I think it definitely makes going out more fun,â He smiled at her suggestion, nodding his head in agreement with it. âWell, if weâre just watching it on television from the safety of our couch, then I donât mind watching people gamble on whatâs chocolate or what isnât. Might even be interesting. We should make a little viewing party of it - why donât you see if you can find a night that itâs on and weâll be sure to get together that night?â
That sounded like a fun enough outing for them - most of their interactions had been at the convenience store he worked at - or going out to various places - and it had all been pretty great, no doubt about that - any time he had with Sonia was a great time as far as he was concerned. Still though, he was excited at the prospect of a simple and quiet night in - they could order some food or even try something easy like ramen. Bundle up with some blankets on the couch and watch this show together. That sounded pretty nice, really. Just as long as he could keep his apartment clean before Sonia arrived!
âWell, if youâre sure - but I donât think I need a cake either, Iâd never been able to finish it.â He waved off the suggestion cheerily enough, briefly frowning at the mention of his friends. âIâm sure my friends would do something like that for me - theyâre about the best friends around, but itâd be hard to plan a get together, you know...? Theyâre...all across Japan and the world, living their lives and planning their futures and Iâm...â He trailed off, shrugging helplessly. â...Still here, you know?â
