The 19th day of the Month of Wind. Having finished Bell's daily brushing, I stood gazing up at the cloudless blue sky, wondering how to spend the rest of the day.
Since the weather was so pleasant, maybe I should go shopping? No, I didn't really have anything I wanted at the moment... and both Kuro and Isis had seemed strangely busy lately, so I felt a bit bad about dropping in just to hang out.
I figured wandering around aimlessly for once wouldn't be a bad idea. But the moment that thought crossed my mind, a familiar voice called out.
"Kaito-kun-san! Kaito-kun-san!!"
"...Raz-san?"
I turned toward the voice and saw Raz—the fairy with thirty-centimeter pink-blonde hair—hurrying toward me from the direction of the gate, calling out that peculiar name of hers.
It had been a while since we last met, but she was still calling me "Kaito-kun-san." It was probably past the point of being able to correct it. I might as well just give up.
"Kaito-kun-san! You have to lend Raz your strength!!"
"Huh? My strength? For what?"
"The limited is a couple for the parfait! Please, you have to help me!!"
"...Wait, what?"
The limited is a couple for the parfait? Was that some kind of code? No, I needed to stay calm and think... maybe she just had the word order wrong.
The limited is a couple for the parfait... Couples are limited for the parfait...
"...A 'Couples-only Parfait'?"
"That’s it! That’s the one! Please, Kaito-kun-san, help me out!"
"Look, I'm sorry. Even if I understand the words, I have no idea what's going on. Can you explain the situation?"
"U-Um... Oh, here!"
I had deciphered the phrase "Couples-only Parfait," but I still didn't understand why Raz was coming to me for help. When I asked for clarification, she produced a flyer from out of thin air.
I took the flyer—which was nearly as tall as she was—and scanned it. Printed in large letters was: New Arrival: Couples-only Special Fruit Parfait! Below it was a map showing a location near Central Street in the Kingdom of Sinfonia.
"...Right. And what exactly do you want me to help with?"
"Raz... Raz really, really wants to eat this fruit parfait. But they told me I can't have it unless I'm with my partner as a couple."
Well, it was a couples-only parfait, after all.
"So, Raz tried to ask Acht... but he told me he couldn't because he was already going with Eva."
"I see... Wait, what?"
It sounded like Raz had originally asked Acht to go with her to eat a couples-only parfait. Wait... did that mean Raz and Acht were in that kind of relationship?!
I had no idea. That was one hell of a height difference.
However, looking at it from that perspective, I thought I finally understood what she wanted from me.
"...I see. You want me to help you convince Acht, right?"
"Huh? No, that's not it."
"...It's not?"
"I want you to go eat the parfait with Raz!"
"...Excuse me?"
Seeing the beaming smile on Raz's face, I froze.
What on earth was she saying? Was she asking me to go with her just because Acht turned her down? Was she trying to get back at him? Or was she jealous of Eva?
I had assumed people in this world didn't really experience that kind of petty jealousy, but I guess it really does depend on the individual.
I could certainly understand Raz's frustration at being turned down by her partner when she really wanted that parfait. But going in his place felt like a massive betrayal to Acht.
"...Now, hold on, Raz-san. You shouldn't act rashly."
"Rashly? About what?"
"I mean, don't let your temporary emotions carry you away. If you and I go together, think of how Acht would feel. It would be terrible for him, wouldn't it?"
"Why?"
As I tried my best to talk her down, Raz tilted her head as if she genuinely found my question baffling.
"...Because, if we go together, everyone around us will think we're a couple."
"But Raz and Kaito-kun-san are a 'couple'?"
"Exactly... Wait, what? Sorry, could you say that again?"
"Geez! Raz and Kaito-kun-san are a couple, so it's fine!"
...This was a shocking revelation. Apparently, Raz and I were a couple. Since when? I had absolutely no recollection of this.
Did I do something while I was drunk? No, I have Shiro-san's Blessing, so I shouldn't be able to get drunk.
Did something happen that I just completely blocked out? No, there was no way I had ever looked at the tiny Raz in that way.
In that case, there was only one possibility...
"...Um, Raz-san. This is a bit of a blunt question, but... do you actually know what a 'couple' is?"
"Of course I do! It's when a boy and a girl really like each other and are the ve~ry best of friends!!"
Broadly speaking, she wasn't entirely wrong, but she was missing the most crucial part!
It seemed that in Raz's mind, a "couple" was simply a term for close friends of the opposite gender. I mean, technically she wasn't wrong, but the flyer clearly meant "lovers."
As I racked my brain trying to figure out how to explain the misunderstanding, Raz seemed to realize something, and her expression shifted to one of pure shock.
"...R-Raz... loves Kaito-kun-san and thought we were best friends... b-but... does Kaito-kun-san... d-dislike... Raz?"
"That's not it at all! I like you, and we're definitely friends! So please, don't look like you're about to cry!!"
Her small body trembled as tears welled up in her eyes. At that point, any option other than total agreement vanished.
"Th-Then... are Raz and Kaito-kun-san a couple?"
"Y-Yes, that's right! My mistake! You and I are definitely a couple!"
"Yay! I'm so happy! Hooray, hooray!"
"..."
This was hopeless. I couldn't bring myself to make a literal fairy like Raz cry, and I certainly couldn't take back my words now that she was this happy.
Deeply cursing my own spinelessness, my shoulders slumped in defeat.
"So, so, Kaito-kun-san! Will you go eat the parfait with Raz?"
"...Yes. Let's go."
"Yay! I love you, Kaito-kun-san!"
Stretching her tiny body as far as it would go, Raz cheered and fluttered her small wings as she flew around. She was so lethally cute that I couldn't possibly argue with her anymore.
Dear Mother, Father—I already had a feeling she was overwhelmingly clueless about this sort of thing, but I never imagined she would be this innocent and spontaneous. Anyway, apparently, Raz and I—are a couple.