After ordering and placing their order.
Haru and Bronya had only chatted for a few sentences when the waiter brought up several pre-prepared dishes.
"Braised duck gizzards in wine, spicy duck neck and wings, and duck floss lettuce wraps..."
Haru examined them with a chef's eye and was the first to pick up his chopsticks.
The first two common braised dishes were nothing special, with average taste. If Haru were willing to cook, he could definitely make them better than this restaurant.
However, the duck floss lettuce wraps had some novelty.
The duck meat was chopped fine and stir-fried with diced carrots, onions, garlic slices, and water chestnuts. After cooking, it was plated and sprinkled with green onions. When eating, you wrapped it in lettuce - it was fresh, fragrant, and crispy without being greasy.
"This dish is somewhat like Hong Kong-style cooking, combining the characteristics of Cantonese cuisine and Western food."
Haru tasted a few bites of the duck floss lettuce wrap, then wrapped some duck floss for Bronya, who seemed puzzled by this way of eating.
"Bronya, you can try this. It should suit your taste."
"Thank you. Speaking of which, Haru, are you also well-versed in cuisine?"
Bronya bit into the lettuce wrapped with duck floss. The deliciousness blooming on her tongue made the girl nod, then she asked knowingly.
"I know a thing or two. If there's a chance, I'll cook a meal for you to try."
Haru smiled at Bronya, his tone modest yet carrying a hint of pride.
Don't forget that he had also dated Bronya in the loops.
Haru knew better than Bronya herself what the girl in front of him liked to eat.
Right now he and Bronya weren't that familiar, but when their relationship became closer in the future, treating the girl to a feast that completely suited her preferences wouldn't be impossible.
This wasn't to curry favor with his boss, but simply out of consideration for their acquaintance across so many loops. If it were Kiana or Mei, Haru would definitely not be stingy about cooking personally.
"Then I really hope that opportunity comes soon. Bronya is very much looking forward to your cooking!"
The girl's throat moved slightly, her gaze toward Haru somewhat hungry.
Bronya really missed the days when the captain personally prepared meals for her every day, but to recreate such daily life, she had to taste the captain's body first.
Let Bronya try to see if she could take down the captain using the dinner opportunity...
The girl thought secretly, waiting for the waiter to bring up the remaining dishes one by one.
"Duck feet in abalone sauce, duck leg confit, pan-fried orange duck breast, and finally duck blood vermicelli soup. Now all the dishes are here."
Haru had just finished counting when he saw the waiter bring up two fist-sized glass cups filled with light brown liquid.
"What's this? Complimentary drinks?"
"Not exactly complimentary. I ordered oolong tea when I placed the order."
Bronya's lips curved upward, gracefully lifting her hand to actively pass one of the cups to Haru.
"So it's oolong tea. You're really thoughtful, Bronya. Restaurant food has lots of seasoning and makes you thirsty easily. Drinking tea at this time is perfect..."
Haru took the oolong tea and brought it to his lips, about to take a sip, when his nose detected a strong alcoholic aroma.
Wait, hold on.
Haru dipped his finger in the liquid from the cup, then watched as the liquid quickly evaporated in the air, his facial muscles twitching involuntarily.
"This oolong tea of yours... isn't the alcohol content a bit high?!"
"Normal. This is flammable oolong tea, mixed with vodka and whiskey in a 9:1 ratio. Quite a few people in Siberia like to drink it this way!"
Bronya said matter-of-factly, elegantly lifting her glass for a light sip.
"I think getting the studio fully equipped is something worth celebrating, so we should have a few drinks. Of course, if you don't like alcohol, I can finish your cup too."
Haru looked at Bronya, who swallowed the oolong tea without changing expression, and took a sharp breath.
In past loops, because Bronya wasn't of drinking age yet, he had never drunk with her and couldn't possibly know what the girl's alcohol tolerance was like.
Now it seemed...
You could only say that Bronya was indeed a Russian girl - she really had genetic talent when it came to drinking.
Looking at himself, his physical condition had already deteriorated to that of an ordinary person, unable to hold a thousand cups without getting drunk like when Honkai still existed.
Fortunately, Eden liked to drink, and Haru and Elysia often drank the good wine Eden sent over. One cup of oolong tea was still acceptable for him.
Thinking this, Haru raised his glass.
"Then let's celebrate the fruits of our hard work this afternoon. Cheers!"
"Mm, cheers."
Bronya raised her glass and lightly clinked it, watching Haru bring the oolong tea to his mouth.
Drinking vodka straight was like consuming ethyl alcohol with no special flavor, but after mixing in some whiskey, the taste became delicate and smooth, with a faint oak fragrance.
However, as the alcohol slid down his throat, all the taste and flavor turned into a flame-like burning sensation rising up, and his whole body's blood seemed to boil along with it.
Strong - this stuff was really too strong!
Haru exhaled a breath of wine-fragrant hot air and looked at the girl with a bitter smile.
"Bronya, do you all drink like this in your Siberian hometown?"
"No, I didn't drink alcohol in Siberia because there were several younger sisters around, so Bronya couldn't set a bad example."
The girl seemed to think of something and coughed lightly: "So I didn't learn this way of drinking oolong tea from my hometown, but rather learned it from an alcohol-loving teacher at St. Freya."
Haru's heart stirred.
Bronya's younger sisters must be Seele and those two troublesome twin sisters, and that alcohol-loving teacher should be Himeko!
"Wait, your teacher taught you to drink?"
Haru suddenly realized the blind spot, looking at Bronya with confused eyes.
Although Himeko's drinking habits weren't great and Theresa often confiscated her bottles, she wouldn't go so far as to drink with her own students, right?!
"Not exactly. I was in a bad mood for a while, so I secretly learned to drink a bit following Teacher Himeko's example."
Bronya shook her glass, watching the amber-like liquid ripple inside.
That was when she discovered she had been reborn but couldn't find any trace of the captain anywhere. Her heart was restless and uneasy, so she needed alcohol every night to help her fall asleep.
Fortunately, those days had passed.
Bronya took another sip of oolong tea, a shallow blush appearing on her smiling cheeks.
Now, the captain was sitting right in front of her, real and substantial, no longer needing to relive memories over and over again in dreams!
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