The night of the sixth day of the Six Kings Festival. Tomorrow would be the final day of this incredibly dense event... Many things had happened, and as the end drew near, I felt a touch of melancholy. However...
Well, let's put that aside for now. There was a much more pressing matter at hand.
"...I have a vague idea of the answer, but may I ask? Why was I 'abducted to the Sanctuary' the moment I finished dinner?"
"Today is my turn."
"I-I see..."
"Kuro and the others established a rule: the person who has a date with Kaito-san the following day is allowed to bathe with him the night before. Therefore, I should naturally have that right as well."
I hadn't even had a moment to soak in the lingering atmosphere of the penultimate night before Shiro-san whisked me away to the God Realm. Well, I supposed I should have seen this coming.
"...I take it that since Kuro didn't stop you, she’s already been informed... and either way, I don’t really have the option to refuse, do I?"
"Yes. That is correct."
"Understood... In that case, I have a condition."
"Hmm?"
Yes, I had expected this. From the moment Kuro and the others established that rule, I knew Shiro-san wouldn't let the opportunity pass. Because of that, I had already prepared a countermeasure.
I hadn't expected to be brought to the Sanctuary instead of the Central Tower, though...
"Shiro-san, do you remember when we went to the beach together?"
"Yes, of course."
"Then, please 'wear that swimsuit' when we get in. That is my condition."
"Mmm... but no one besides the Phantasm King wore a swimsuit while bathing with Kaito-san. Even Kuro didn't wear one. That is unfair."
Shiro-san protested with her usual monotone voice, though she sounded somewhat dissatisfied. I had expected that response too.
"That might be true. But I want you to consider something. I don't know what you think of yourself, Shiro-san, but you are an incredibly beautiful woman. If we went in together without you wearing anything, I’d be far too nervous."
"..."
"If that happened, I wouldn't have the composure to enjoy our conversation. This is a rare opportunity, and I want to enjoy this time alone with you."
"Mmm-mmm..."
For once, Shiro-san was at a loss for words. It felt incredibly novel to have the upper hand in a conversation with her.
Regardless, my point seemed to have gotten across. Shiro-san remained silent for a while, her face as expressionless as ever.
"...Very well. I shall wear a swimsuit."
"Thank you! Oh, and please don't try any clever tricks like 'wearing it only when we enter and then making it disappear once we're in the water'."
"..."
I made sure to warn her just in case, and her eyes blinked twice in rapid succession. She really had been planning on doing that. It was her tell for whenever she was surprised.
For once, my prior planning and countermeasures had paid off. Shiro-san obediently put on her swimsuit.
I soaked in the same hot spring I had visited before in the God Realm, sitting beside the swimsuit-clad Shiro-san. But man... I really felt Shiro-san was being unfair. She was just too beautiful. Even with the swimsuit on, if I let my guard down for a second, I felt like all the blood in my body would rush to my head.
"...I feel like I have lost somehow. It is frustrating."
"I have no idea what counts as winning or losing here, but... if I did win, I suppose this would be my first victory against you?"
"...No, it is your second victory."
"Wait, really?"
I tilted my head. My second win? She was always the one leading me around by the nose, so I didn't recall winning even once... Oh, wait. Was she talking about when we first met?
"Exactly."
Shiro-san was referring to our first meeting. I had refused her when she said, "I shall give you whatever you desire."
Honestly, it didn't feel like a win to me, but apparently, it counted as a loss in Shiro-san’s book.
"...I could not prepare the thing you truly desired. Therefore, it was my defeat."
"Is that how it works?"
"That is how it works."
After saying that, Shiro-san produced a sake cup and a sake bottle out of thin air. Without a word, she handed me the cup. Come to think of it, she had served me drinks like this when we bathed together before, too. It shouldn't have been that long ago, yet for some reason, it felt strangely nostalgic.
"...This is delicious."
"Is that so? I am glad."
"...By the way, Shiro-san?"
"Yes?"
"Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but... do you feel 'a little down' today?"
"What makes you think that?"
"It's just a hunch, I guess."
"..."
Kuro had told me before that Shiro-san never tells lies. Her silence was as good as an affirmation.
To be honest, I hadn't been sure. Just as I told her, I had no real basis for it. I had never seen her look depressed before; it really was just an intuition.
"...Kaito-san, are you able to read my emotional shifts from my expression?"
"...Huh? O-Oh, well... yeah, somewhat."
It was true that Shiro-san’s expression almost never changed and her voice remained monotone. However, after spending so much time talking to her, I had started to notice subtle variations.
When she was enjoying herself, the corners of her mouth rose by a few millimeters. When she was surprised, she blinked twice. When she was pouting, her lips drew in slightly, and when she was troubled, her eyelids dropped just a fraction.
Perhaps I’d finally cracked the code, because I could now read her emotions through her face.
"...You... truly..."
"Shiro-san?"
"No, it is nothing."
"..."
Shiro-san started to say something, but stopped herself and shook her head.
Then, shifting her gaze to the sky above the God Realm, she whispered in a tiny voice.
"...What if..."
"Yeah?"
"...What if I were trying to take away your... 'precious things'? Would you... hate me then?"
Dear Mother, Father—was I just imagining it? Her voice was as monotone as ever, and her expression had barely shifted. Yet, for some reason, it sounded to me like Shiro-san's voice was—on the verge of tears.