After telling the driver their destination, the car immediately fell into silence. After a while, Rita could no longer stand the atmosphere. She glanced at Shiina Mashiro, who was sitting quietly beside her, took out a pack of gum she had bought earlier, picked out two pieces, and held them before Shiina Mashiro's cherry lips.
"Shiro, open your mouth..."
"..."
Shiro turned her head toward her, her clear gaze slanting upward at Rita as though she did not understand what Rita was feeding her.
"Gum. Don't you like it?"
"Oh, I like it..."
Only then did Shiina Mashiro open her mouth. Rita successfully fed her the gum. Shiina Mashiro was starting to look more and more like a little pet she had raised!
Thinking that, Rita took a few pieces of gum for herself as well.
But as Rita gently chewed her gum, Shiro continued to watch her silently. It was her first time in Japan, and she should have been unfamiliar with the scenery around her, yet Shiro seemed completely uninterested in everything around them. She only stared at Rita, as though a flower had bloomed on Rita's face.
"What are you looking at? Is there a flower on my face?"
Out of habit, Rita rubbed Shiina Mashiro's head.
"There is."
Letting Rita touch her head, Shiina Mashiro nodded seriously. But after saying that, she seemed to realize something was off. "Rita is prettier than flowers!"
"..."
After nearly an hour, the taxi finally reached Rita and Shiina Mashiro's destination. But... when it came time to pay, Rita looked at the price...
Even though Rita did not consider herself short on money, she still felt a little pained. It was far too expensive! It seemed... she needed to buy a car. Otherwise, taking taxis every time she went