We stepped outside after lunch, having paid an amount I found difficult to believe anyone would spend on a single meal.
"Whew, that was delicious!"
"I-I suppose… it was worth my arm nearly developing tendonitis?"
"You should’ve been a bit smoother about it, Kaito-san. You know, like, 'It’s a small price to pay to see Alice-chan’s adorable smile,' while looking all cool and dashing."
"…The amount you ate wasn’t adorable at all, though."
I let out a sigh at Alice’s antics, but I naturally took her hand as we began to walk.
Perhaps she had finally grown accustomed to holding hands, as the tension she’d shown at the very start of the date was gone. Her cheeks were still tinged with a faint dusting of red, however.
"Mmm, now I’m really looking forward to dinner! What kind of place are we going to tonight?"
"We literally just finished lunch. You’re already thinking about dinner?"
"Ahaha, well, I can’t help being excited."
"Before that, I think we should decide what to do with the time we have until then."
We were currently quite far from the districts I usually frequented, and truthfully, I had no idea what was in this area.
While I felt a masculine urge to take the lead, I couldn’t act as a guide for a place I didn’t know. I decided to be honest and consult Alice.
Alice thought for a moment after hearing my suggestion… and then a mischievous, wicked grin spread across her face, as if she’d just thought of something terrible.
"In other words, it's that, isn't it? Kaito-san wants to know where the 'Inn District' is… is that how it is!?"
"…Huh?"
"You’re planning to unleash your beastly instincts upon my body as a post-meal workout… Well, I suppose it can’t be helped. The Inn District is just down the street the other way."
"…"
I felt a sudden sense of déjà vu. Oh, that’s right—she’d made a similar joke when we visited the Arclesia Empire, and I’d set Bell on her for it.
…Hmm. I could give her a light chop to the head, but I’d already learned that there was a much more effective way to deal with Alice when she was messing around like this.
"…I see. Then let's do that."
"Eh!?"
"It’s down that street, right? Alright then…"
"Wait, whoa, hold on… N-Nooo!?"
When I pretended to play along with her joke and started walking while pulling her by the hand, Alice fell into a panic, exactly as I’d expected.
"…Hmm? What’s wrong? We’re going to the Inn District, right?"
"N-N-No! T-T-That’s too early! Or rather… I’m not mentally prepared yet…"
"But you’re the one who suggested it, Alice."
"T-That’s true, but that was strictly a joke! Or, you know…"
She was so obviously flustered it was actually adorable, which made me want to keep teasing her just a little longer.
As I continued to pull her along, Alice’s face turned as red as a boiled octopus. She waved her hands frantically, desperate to change my mind.
"I-I mean, I do think we’ll, u-ultimately, end up like that… and since I’m a former human, I d-do have an understanding of those matters, in theory… but these things should happen in stages!"
"Hmm. What kind of stages?"
"Well, you know… For the first time… it should be just the two of us in a cottage by the sea, with the moonlight streaming in… It has to be that kind of atmosphere first!"
"…"
She was surprisingly romantic. Perhaps because she’d spent so long unable to find love, she had a deep-seated yearning for those kinds of classic, cliché settings.
She was probably the type who would insist on a seaside church for her wedding, too.
"I see. I can’t think of anywhere that fits those conditions right away."
"Right!? That’s why we should wait until we’ve… d-deepened our l-love for each other more. We should take it slow…"
Whether she found the word 'love' particularly embarrassing or not, she stuttered over it repeatedly while desperately pleading for us to nurture our relationship over time.
Honestly, I agreed with her. I was only teasing her, after all; I had no intention of forcing anything on her before she was ready.
Deciding to end the joke there, I stopped walking and looked at her.
"…You’re right. There’s no need to rush."
"Y-Yes! We have plenty of time… So, um… for today… please settle for just a kiss."
"Eh? Oh… okay. Sure."
Watching Alice fidget and look down bashfully as she told me that a kiss was okay, my heart gave a heavy throb.
It was supposed to be a joke, but now I was the one feeling strangely embarrassed. This was bad—at this rate, I wouldn't be able to look her in the eye.
To hide my own bashfulness, I decided to come clean.
"…Actually, I was just teasing you a second ago."
"Wha!? …T-That’s mean, Kaito-san! You toyed with my maidenly heart!?"
"Sorry. Though you’re the one who started teasing me first, right?"
"Ugh… T-That’s…"
Realizing she’d been played, Alice put on an indignant expression. However, since she was the one who had brought it up, she couldn't think of a comeback and let the matter drop.
We began walking again in silence. Neither of us was angry; we were both just too embarrassed to figure out what to say next.
After we’d walked for a while, a question suddenly occurred to me.
"…By the way, Alice."
"W-What is it?"
"It goes without saying that you're much stronger than me. If you really didn't want to go, you could have easily shaken me off…"
"…!?"
Exactly. I had been leading her along, but if Alice had truly resisted, there was no way my strength could have moved her an inch.
And yet, she had let me drag her along… which meant she hadn't really been resisting at all.
Hearing my question, Alice looked down and muttered in a voice so quiet I could barely hear it.
"…I-I don’t remember saying that I, h-hated the idea…"
"Eh?"
"It’s nothing! Nothing at all!"
"Alice, what did you just say?"
"I don't know!"
"Wait, Alice!?"
She shouted the words rapidly and turned her face away with a huff.
Her reaction was so incredibly cute that, combined with the words I’d just overheard, I felt the hand I was holding grow remarkably warm.
Dear Mother, Father—it seems that now that we’re a couple, even the same old conversations lead to different results. Perhaps my own perspective is shifting as well, because somehow… I’ve started seeing Alice as a girl.
Serious-senpai: "…Gofuh…"
Bonus: Underworld King Fan Club's Absolute Rules
- Do not cause trouble for Kuromueina.
- Do not speak to Kuromueina unnecessarily.
- Do not spread information that hasn't been approved by the executives.
- The same applies to Kuromueina's friends and family.
- Violating even one rule will result in a sanction from the Chairman.
- Numerous other specific rules exist depending on the situation.
Membership Requirements: - Must pass the annual examination.
Examination Content: - Written Examination: 500 questions (Must score 450 or higher to pass). - Aptitude Test: 8 categories. - Practical Examination: 5 categories. - First Interview: Conducted by staff. - Second Interview: Conducted by an executive. - Final Interview: Conducted by the Chairman.
After Joining: - Training Period (Study of Fan Club rules): 1 month.