The fifteenth day of the Month of Fire—the day after my exhausting audience with the Goddess of Time. I found myself standing before a fountain in the royal capital.
Kuro had caught me off guard with her sudden invitation to hang out yesterday, and before I knew it, I was swept up in the momentum. Now, I was set to spend the entire day touring the capital with her.
She apparently had some peculiar ideas regarding romance, insisting that "it’s not a real date unless we meet at a designated spot." Consequently, I was waiting for her at the very fountain where we had first met.
The sun was high in the sky. A quick check of my pocket watch told me it would be lunchtime in about an hour. That meant there were ten minutes left until our scheduled meeting time.
Setting a formal appointment with someone who usually materialized out of thin air felt bizarre. Being the one waiting for Kuro was a fresh experience in its own right.
It seemed she really wanted to act out the classic exchange: "Sorry, did I keep you waiting?" followed by "No, I just got here myself." After our "thorough planning session" yesterday, it was decided that I would arrive early and wait.
As I passed the time watching the crowds, a familiar voice called out from behind me—right on cue for the trope.
"Kaito-kun, sorry! Did I keep you waiting?"
"No, I just got her—e?"
"Hmm?"
I turned around to deliver the line Kuro had requested, but my train of thought derailed instantly.
The girl standing there wasn't the usual Kuro bundled in a robe-like, oversized coat.
She wore an elegant, short-sleeved top made of white lace paired with brown shorts that showed off legs as pale and smooth as fine porcelain. Her signature black coat had been modified into a sleeveless jacket; its knee-length hem complemented her white top perfectly. It was a light, stylish outfit that possessed an air of refinement.
...Good grief, she was incredibly cute. So cute, in fact, that I found my resolve wavering—I was starting to think that maybe being a lolicon wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.
"Kaito-kun?"
"Ah, no... I was just a bit startled because you look so different from usual."
"Oh, I see! Well? Does it suit me?"
"Ah, yeah. It looks great on you."
"Ehehe, thanks!"
That bashful smile was foul play. Oh man, this was bad. I was starting to get seriously nervous.
It felt pathetic for a twenty-one-year-old to admit, but I could count the number of times I’d gone out alone with a girl on one hand. Since that count included my recent outings with Lunamaria and Sieg, the number was effectively zero back in my original world.
This was the first genuine date of my life. Even if Kuro only saw it as "going out to play," it would have been weirder if I weren't nervous.
Besides, even without my personal bias, Kuro was an extraordinary beauty. No matter how used to her I thought I was, having that adorable smile directed squarely at me made the heat rush to my face.
"B-By the way, Kuro... you're famous, right? Is it really okay for you to be walking around the city like this?"
I decided to retreat to a different topic for the moment. Not because I was a coward who couldn't handle the romantic tension after praising her outfit, of course. Definitely not.
Kuro was the Underworld King, one of the supreme powers of the Demon Realm. Her face was known from past Hero Festivals, making her a massive celebrity. To put it in terms of my old world, it was as if the Prime Minister or the Emperor were just strolling down the street. It should have caused a riot, yet the people around us seemed perfectly calm. I wondered why.
"Hehehe, I’ve got it all under control! I’ve cast Recognition Inhibition and Information Concealment Magic. People might realize who I am if we talk to them directly, but otherwise, they won't even notice me!"
Kuro puffed out her small chest with a triumphant "ta-da" expression. Her smug face was so adorable it was almost irritating.
"I still don't quite get how that magic works, but basically, it means passersby won't realize you're the Underworld King?"
"Exactly. Or rather, they don't feel any sense of strangeness when they see me. They just naturally perceive me as a local girl walking through town."
"I think I understand... maybe?"
"Ahaha! Well, putting that aside, let’s get moving!"
From her explanation, I gathered that Recognition Inhibition Magic essentially smoothed over the unnatural. Even if people saw something out of the ordinary—like the Underworld King walking among them—the magic forced their brains to accept it as a perfectly mundane, everyday sight. Combined with Information Concealment Magic, it ensured she wouldn't be identified unless she engaged in direct conversation.
Well, trying to understand the theory was probably a lost cause. I’d just settle for the fact that magic was incredibly convenient.
"So, where are we heading today?"
Incidentally, Kuro was the one "escorting" me for this date.
Normally, the guy should probably take the lead, but I’d been in this world for less than two weeks and had only explored the city a handful of times. Taking charge was simply beyond me. Since Kuro visited the Kingdom of Sinfonia frequently, she had offered to be the guide.
"There are plenty of shops around here we could check out, but it’s almost time for lunch. There’s a spot a short walk away where all the food stalls gather—let’s head there first!"
"Oh, food stalls... that sounds like fun."
"Mm-hmm! The Kingdom of Sinfonia has a very advanced food culture, so there are tons of delicious things to try!"
Seeing Kuro’s radiant, happy face, I found myself nodding along with a smile of my own.
Her bright, almost innocent personality seemed to mesh perfectly with mine. Being around her just naturally made me feel like smiling. Yesterday had been exhausting, so I decided to fully embrace this little vacation she had arranged for me.
"Alright, let's go~!"
"Wait—whoa, Kuro?!"
"Hmm? What's the matter?"
After her energetic declaration, Kuro reached out and took my hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"N-No, I mean, our hands..."
"Isn't it normal to hold hands on a date?"
"W-Well, I suppose it is, but..."
"Then it's fine! Come on, let's go!"
"...A-Ah, alright..."
Having stated her logic with absolute certainty, Kuro began to pull me along, her pace brisk and eager.
Good grief, her guard is way too low! I mean, her hand is so small and soft... Damn it, I just managed to calm my heart down, and now I'm a nervous wreck again. I have a feeling I won't get a moment's peace today.
Dear Mother, Father—it might be a total cliché, a textbook romantic development, but regardless... my date with Kuro has officially begun.