As soon as I finished my speech, I stepped off the stage and headed towards the entrance, which was blocked by a big red ribbon. Behind the ribbon stood the king and the queen, both holding a relatively large pair of scissors intended for cutting the ribbon.
Upon seeing that I had concluded my speech, the king and queen cut the ribbon, prompting applause from the audience. As soon as they moved aside, the double doors opened, allowing people to enter.
One by one, individuals began to enter, displaying a variety of expressions as they encountered the interior of the mall. Each reaction brought a smile to my face, as it seemed everyone had a positive first impression of the mall.
Subsequently, the mall became very busy, with an unexpected influx of people in the region attracting even more visitors. Everyone was shopping and browsing the various products available.
The king and queen appeared curious about the place, and after expressing their intention to explore, they left us alone. Following suit, my parents also departed, asking me to spend time with Anna, a request I gladly accepted since I had already promised her. All of Emi's siblings left to pursue their own activities.
Before leaving, Albert and Asia exchanged meaningful looks with us, maintaining smiles on their faces. While I understood Aria's motives, Albert's intentions remained unclear. I concluded that he probably wanted to give us some time alone.
Emi's brother Lucas was the last to leave after Albert and Asia. Apparently, the diverse foods that he had never seen before attracted his attention. Feeling comfortable was a good thing, and after everyone else left, only Emi, Anna, and I remained. Although I desired a date alone with Emi, I also wanted to spend time with Anna, now that I was free. Breaking a promise to her would be quite boring.
"Okay, what do you guys think about visiting some stores for a bite to eat?"
I asked, extending my hand to Anna.
"Yes"
Anna exclaimed with an energetic look and an excited expression on her face. Emi also nodded, agreeing with my idea. For the time being, that was our plan. Soon, Emi, Anna, and I were walking through the expansive space that the mall provided. Each store had different items for sale.
We started with a store that sold fried food and eventually found ourselves in a pizza shop. When the food arrived at our table, both Anna and Emi looked at it strangely. Their expressions were amusing.
However, after I took the first bite, Emi and Anna mustered the courage to try it too. The indescribable expressions on their faces afterward were priceless. Anna and Emi were getting along incredibly well, making our walk even more enjoyable and comfortable. With each new food or drink they tried, their faces lit up into huge smiles.
"This place is honestly amazing"
Emi remarked as she looked around, observing the lively atmosphere with people walking back and forth carrying bags.
"Glad to hear it. We all worked hard to achieve this result"
I said, maintaining a soft smile on my face while holding a glass of juice we had bought moments ago.
"Okay, what do you say we head to the food court?"
I asked as I looked at Emi, hearing my words, Emi looked at me with visible confusion in her eyes.
"Food court? What's that?"
Emi asked as she looked at me.
"It's a place where you can get a full meal for a low price. Although it's less luxurious than the other eateries, it doesn't affect much since the main objective is to give you a full meal for a low price"
I said while looking at Emi.
"I see... that's a really interesting concept"
Said Emi, seeming to like the idea.
"Ok, let's go then"
I said as I stood up, taking Anna's hand. After that, the three of us started moving towards the food court. As soon as we got there, there were several chairs with several people sitting down, enjoying their meals.
Looking at the plates, there really wasn't any kind of very elaborate food, but still, people had smiles on their faces as they ate the dishes that were served. For curiosity's sake, the price of a plate at the food court is a little less than the price you would spend buying the separate products.
Sitting at one of the tables, patiently we waited for a few minutes that we spent talking until a waitress came to us and showed us the menu. As I said before, the food here is not very elaborate, but even so, this does not mean that it is less delicious.
As soon as we finished choosing what we wanted to eat, we gave the menus back to the waitress. The food didn't take long to arrive, less than 15 minutes after we had placed our order. The same waitress that had served us before was approaching us while carrying a tray in her hands.
As soon as she handed us our plates, we started to eat while we talked about random things. Anna, whenever she could, talked about what she liked to eat the most and what she liked to eat the least. It seemed that pizza had taken the first place in her list of most delicious foods. This would probably be a day that I would keep forever in my memory.