At another round table.
Ibuki Mio flipped through a few pages of the menu and checked off the special curry rice.
Shiina Hiyori noticed and asked curiously, "Mio, there are so many dishes here we don't usually see. Don't you want to try some?"
"Curry's fine."
"But this kind of curry... we can get it anytime in the school cafeteria."
Ibuki Mio glanced at the picture on the menu and explained, "My mom used to make it a lot. I've loved it since I was little, so I'm used to eating it. When I eat out, I usually order curry if it's on the menu."
"I see. Are you looking for a taste of home, Mio?"
"Something like that. I've tried it at so many restaurants, but I still think my mom's is the best."
Shiina Hiyori nodded in understanding, and the meals her own mother worked so hard to prepare came to mind.
Hmm...
When I'm out, I miss home cooking. When I'm home, I want to eat out.
I'd better skip the dishes Mom always makes. Just remembering them is enough.
Actually eating them would be another matter.
She opened the menu again and continued choosing her lunch.
Having already chosen her main dish, Ibuki Mio flipped a few pages farther back, intending to add a side dish.
A picture of snail shells caught her attention.
[Izu-style baked snails]
She asked the knowledgeable girl beside her, "Hiyori, what about this? Is it good?"
Shiina Hiyori took a look, her expression hesitant. "I tried French baked snails once at a Western restaurant. The texture and flavor were both pretty strange... but I don't know just how special this supposed Izu style is."
Ibuki Mio was about to turn the page when Morishita Ai eagerly leaned over.
"Snails? That looks