Kaori was momentarily thrown by the sudden development, but she quickly reoriented herself with her usual mental flexibility.
Calm down, Kaori... I’ve seen enough romance stories to know how this goes. I might have zero actual experience, but I’ve got plenty of book smarts! This is that specific trope—the one where the guy has absolutely no ulterior motives. If I panic now, I’ll just be the idiot who jumped to conclusions and embarrassed herself. Kaito-kun only asked if I wanted to stay after he saw that reply on his Hummingbird, so...
Drawing on her knowledge of romance tropes and her understanding of Kaito’s earnest personality, she concluded he probably didn't have a hidden agenda. She tilted her head slightly, affecting an air of casual curiosity as she asked for clarification.
"Staying the night? You mean... here, at your place, Kaito-kun?"
"Yeah. I just got a message from Illness-san. She was asking if she should get a guest room ready in case you decided to stay the night, so I thought I'd ask what you wanted to do."
"Ah, I see..."
It all made sense now. When he had requested dinner earlier, Illness-san must have sent a follow-up inquiry asking if he needed a room prepared for his guest. He was simply passing the question along.
Okay, if I were to nitpick, I’d say he really needs to work on the order of his sentences! I know he doesn't have a single impure thought, but it's almost frustrating in its own way. Normally, when a boy suggests a sleepover to a girl his age, shouldn't there be at least a little part of him hoping for a "chance"? I know he’s not that type, and I know I’m being selfish, but a girl wants to feel like she’s actually seen as a woman, you know?
Technically, he was talking about a guest room, not sharing his own bed, but the fact that he seemed to have absolutely no hidden agenda left her maidenly heart feeling a complicated mix of relief and lingering dissatisfaction.
...I won't say it out loud, but for the record, there’s a total "chance" here! My affection for him is high enough that if Kaito-kun actually made a serious move, I’d probably just go with the flow. I know I’m just projecting, but at least let me grumble about it in my head... No, focus. I have to decide if I’m staying or not.
Realizing her thoughts were veering into dangerous territory, Kaori pushed aside her romantic daydreams and focused on the practicalities.
"I don't want to impose if it's going to cause trouble for your shop tomorrow..."
"Oh, don't worry about that. I’ve already finished the prep work and the food is safe in my Magic Box. My shop doesn't open until noon anyway, so I'm totally fine."
Since her preparations for the restaurant were already complete and the dishes were stored away, there were no professional obstacles to her staying over.
I can just use my teleportation magic tool to grab a change of clothes. If I stay, it means we could probably watch two more movies... and above all, there's one thing that is incredibly tempting. My expectations are actually pretty high for this.
Kaori thought for a moment before her expression turned dead serious.
"...Kaito-kun, I have to ask. Is the bath at your house... big?"
"It's extremely spacious."
"Then... yes, I’d like to stay. To be honest, I’ve been dying to soak in a proper, large bath."
"Ah, right. Baths are expensive since they're high-end Magic Tools."
"Exactly. As a Japanese person, a bath is essential to me, so I worked hard to buy one for my place... but it's not very big. I can't even stretch my legs out in it. Even if I wanted to buy a new one, I’d run into space issues at my house, and I don't really want to remodel the whole place just for a tub. That's why I’ve been craving a large bath. It's not like this world has many hot springs, after all... I mean, they exist, but they’re all in remote regions or out in the middle of nowhere. It's a real ordeal to get to them."
"Oh, come to think of it, I did hear that hot springs are fairly obscure here."
Just as Kuromueina had mentioned when they were making bath salts, hot springs were relatively rare and far from the Friendly City. Kaori rarely had the chance to enjoy a proper soak.
"Are public baths not really a thing here either?"
"Most people are fine with just a shower. And for those who really want a bath, they can usually afford a basic magic tool tub if they save up, like I did. So, there isn't much demand for public facilities. A lot of people still think of soaking in a large bath as a luxury for the nobility."
"Well, they say the Japanese are obsessively fond of baths. I guess it's just a difference in cultural sensibilities."
"That's definitely true. Anyway... since I really want to use a big bath, if you're okay with it, I’d love to stay over."
"Of course, that's no problem. I'll let Illness-san know so she can get the guest room ready."
"Thank you!"
With that, it was settled: Kaori would be spending the night. Now that the time constraint was gone, the two discussed watching another film and began browsing through the movie selection.
Serious-senpai: "Her heroine power is through the roof... and this sugar content... wait! M-My hands are swelling up...!"
Machina: "...Just a bit more until it pops?"
Serious-senpai: "If I'm being turned into popcorn, you're actually going through with the popping phase?! Isn't that a bit graphic?! Am I going to look all gory? This series is R15! My body exploding is way over the line!!"