Middle-Aged Man Isekai Summoning - Chapter 33

 Date

Today is my date with Aria! That said, we aren't going anywhere fancy like a typical date spot. Since the purpose this time is to learn everyday words and letters in a practical setting, we're simply heading to the market. Still, since a plain trip would be a bit bland for a date, we agreed to meet up at the fountain square before walking over together. As I was waiting, Aria arrived and spoke to me.

"Master Dai, sorry to keep you waiting!"

"I just got here—"

I caught my breath when I saw Aria. Unlike her usual appearance, she was dressed in neat, neat attire, and her look momentarily took my breath away.

"How do I look? Does it suit me? Since today is a special day, I had Lady Maya and Lady Sharon help me dress up a bit."

"Aria, that outfit looks amazing on you!"

"I'm so glad! Thank you so much ❤️"

Seeing me blush as I managed to get those words out, Aria looked delighted. Her bright smile warmed my heart. Being able to share such a wonderful time together made me feel truly happy.

……………… ………… ……

Arriving at the market, we pushed our way through the dense crowds as we made our way through. Aria's eyes sparkled as she looked curiously at all the different stalls. Fresh vegetables and fruits, handmade accessories, spices—everything caught her interest.

"Master Dai, look at this!"

Aria pointed toward a stand lined with colorful fresh vegetables.

"Is this a cabbage?"

"Yes, that's cabbage."

"I see, it looks delicious! How do you write 'cabbage'?"

I wrote 'Cabbage' in her notebook using the script of this world and showed it to her.

"These are the letters for 'Cabbage'. Want to try remembering them?"

Aria nodded with a serious look, tracing and copying the characters over and over again. Impressed by her dedication, we moved on to the next stall.

"Master Dai, let's look over there too!"

Aria pointed toward a stand selling brightly colored fruits. The shopkeeper welcomed us with a cheerful smile.

"Hello there, looking for something?"

"Um, what kind of fruit is this?"

Aria picked up the fruit and asked, looking a bit nervous.

"Hmm? The name and price are written right here. This is a 'mango'—it's sweet and delicious."

"I see. So 'mango' and its price are written like this."

Aria diligently wrote it down in her notebook once more. We visited various other stalls after that. Next, Aria pointed toward a shop selling accessories.

"Shall we check out that shop next?"

"Sounds good, let's go."

Since the shopkeeper had a sullen look on his face, Aria nervously asked her question.

"Um, what kind of ring is this?"

"Ah, that's a bracelet. It's handmade using local materials."

Listening to the shopkeeper's explanation, Aria picked up the bracelet to examine it.

"It's very beautiful. Um, the price is..."

Aria glanced down at her notebook, comparing it with the price tag at the front of the shop. The sullen shopkeeper looked a bit annoyed at first, but seeing Aria's earnest effort, his attitude softened slightly. However, he then tried to pull a fast one.

"The price is written right here. It's 1 silver coin."

Aria looked puzzled. The price he stated was different from what was displayed.

"Um, it looks like it says '8 copper coins' right here..."

Aria pointed it out while comparing her notebook to the price tag. The shopkeeper's face stiffened for a moment, but he quickly forced a smile.

"Oh, is that so? My mistake, 8 copper coins is fine."

Impressed by Aria's calm observation, I was a bit surprised when the shopkeeper admitted his mistake. Aria took the bracelet and carefully handed over 8 copper coins to him. Though still looking somewhat grumpily, he accepted the coins and gave a curt nod. We left the stall and exchanged smiles as we strolled down the market street.

"Aria, impressive catch. That was great."

"Thank you, Master Dai. But I was still a little nervous."

"Even so, you handled it perfectly. Be confident in yourself going forward."

Watching over her from a step behind, I thoroughly enjoyed watching her grow. In this way, as we explored the market, we continued learning characters useful for daily life. Inspired by Aria's earnest attitude, I naturally grew enthusiastic as well, making our time together feel all the more special. After doing a full lap of the market, we felt a bit tired and decided to stop by a nearby café. Once seated and after placing our order, Aria spoke up.

"Master Dai, thank you so much for today. I learned a lot, and it was so much fun."

"I had fun too. Your dedication was really impressive. Let's keep working hard together."

Aria smiled, and I smiled back. With that, our market date ended in success, and we returned to the royal castle.

That night, though Aria's progress was starting to show, there was still plenty left to learn. While studying alongside Iris, Aria asked a question:

"Master Dai, I want to review what I learned today, but how should I go about it?"

"Good question. Try copying down the things you saw and words you heard in the market into your notebook once more. Plus, putting them to actual use is the best way to learn."

"Understood! I'll write them down!"

Aria began writing in her notebook with a serious expression.

"Yup, looking good. Using them in real life like this makes them much easier to remember."

"Yes ❤️Thank you, Master Dai. Also... please ask me out on another date sometime ❤️"

"I'd love to ❤️"

Seeing her efforts begin to bear fruit made me happy too. I pledged in my heart that we would keep learning and growing together. Right beside us, Maya, Sharon, and Yuno were staring over with envious eyes.

"What's with... that...? I'm so jealous......"

"Indeed... They look just like lovers..."

"I'm jealous too... I want to study together with Dai while going on a date..."

"Since a relationship like Aria's is out of reach for us, shall we try a different approach?"

It seems the ladies are plotting something devious. Part of me is looking forward to it, while another part is terrified.

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