Become What You Want to Be (11)

"Was it okay to... run away like that?"

"It's fine, it's fine. They were the ones who let their guard down. Besides, if they'd caught us, we'd be in a huge mess right now. Those guys never listen to what people have to say."

After leaving the shop, Kagami immediately scooped Alice up into his arms and ran at full speed. They'd made it to the area near the main street, where the crowds were thicker than on the street they'd just been walking along—a perfect place to blend in and hide.

The stretch of main street near the end of the alley where Kagami was hiding was so packed with people gathered to watch the parade that he couldn't even see the street from where he stood.

Meanwhile, Kagami bought a hot dog from a nearby stall and handed it to Alice.

"We'll have tomato sauce spaghetti another time. Just make do with this for today."

"Thank you, Kagami-san. ...What is this? What kind of food is it?"

"Huh? You don't know what a hot dog is? It's a simple food made by putting a sausage in a bun. Some stalls use different sauces, and others pile on tons of vegetables, though."

After he explained, Alice murmured an impressed "Ohh," opened her mouth wide, and took a bite of the hot dog. Her eyes immediately widened and sparkled. She looked at Kagami, chewed and swallowed at lightning speed, then exclaimed, "It's delicious!"

Seeing Alice devour the hot dog with the enthusiasm of a hamster eating, Kagami couldn't help smiling. Even when the food was something he ate all the time, seeing her happily enjoy it and say it was delicious gave him a different kind of pleasure. With that thought in mind, he took a bite of his own hot dog...