A short while after Alice vanished, Fate-san—who had finally calmed down, or perhaps just resigned herself—let out a heavy sigh and turned toward me.
"So... what brings you here, Kai-chan? D-Do you have some kind of business with me?"
"Oh, no... I heard you were sick, Fate-san, so I came to see how you were doing."
"...Sick? Um, Kai-chan? I am a god, you know. A Supreme God. It's impossible for me to catch a disease."
"Eh?"
Wait, that was different from what Alice had told me. Still, even if she wasn't physically ill, there was no doubt that something was wrong with her.
"I mean, in the first place, on what grounds would you think I’m sick...?"
"Well, I heard it from Alice..."
"From Shaltan? Honestly, she’s just saying whatever she wants again..."
"Besides, Fate-san... you're actually working!"
"...You’re right. I might be sick."
In any other context, that would have been incredibly rude, but Fate-san readily agreed that her being productive was a symptom of illness. I suppose that was very much like her, in its own way.
It felt like she was slowly returning to her usual self.
"Anyway, I’m glad you seem to be okay. You haven't come by to visit lately, so I was a little worried."
"Ah... ugh... that’s, well..."
"Fate-san?"
"I-I see. I finally understand what Shaltan meant by 'illness.' I mean, I knew of such things intellectually, but... ugh."
For some reason, Fate-san looked flustered again. It wasn't that she looked physically unwell, but she still felt different from the usual Fate-san. She was normally the type to speak her mind bluntly, so seeing her hesitate like this was rare.
I tried to organize the information while she brooded. Her behavior was clearly abnormal. Alice had called it an illness in a metaphorical sense. Fate-san herself seemed to have some idea of what was going on, despite her earlier claim that gods couldn't get sick.
Considering all that, her "illness" was likely something emotional. I decided to ignore the fact that she was working for a moment, assuming it was just a side effect of her confusion.
It was hard to imagine her being depressed, and she didn't seem that way.
Wait... could it be? No, surely not... but maybe I should just ask. If I was wrong, we could just laugh it off.
"Um, Fate-san."
"Yes? W-What is it?"
"Is this illness of yours... 'lovesickness,' or something like that?"
"Wha—!? W-W-W-What are you talking about!?"
Judging by her reaction, I might have hit the nail on the head.
"I-It’s not! It’s not like I've decided that's what it is... it’s just that it feels like it might be something close to that..."
The part after her denial was whispered so softly I could barely catch it. So, she wasn't certain it was love yet, but she felt a faint romantic spark beginning to bud? And that was why she was so bewildered.
But wait. In that case... who was the person she was interested in? Was it... me?
It wasn't a certainty, of course, but Fate-san had mentioned before that she was only interested in people who were immune to her powers. If that was the case, the list of candidates was very short. Suddenly, I found myself feeling incredibly embarrassed too.
"..."
"..."
Neither of us could find the words to continue, and a heavy, awkward silence filled the room. Eventually, it was Fate-san who spoke up.
"...You're right. Just like Shaltan said, this isn't like me at all."
"Um, Fate-san?"
"Kai-chan! I have a wish. Please, listen to it."
"A wish?"
Her face was flushed deep red, but she looked at me with a gaze full of resolve.
"I might... be in love... with you, Kai-chan. But I don’t know. I don't know if this feeling is really love or not. So, I want you to let me find out."
"Find out?"
"...Go on another... date with me."
Those words must have taken an immense amount of courage. She was clearly struggling with this alien emotion that had taken root in her heart—she might have even been afraid of it.
Yet, she chose to face that anxiety head-on. Even though her small frame was trembling, she made her request.
"I understand."
I felt that if I looked away or gave her some vague, non-committal answer, it would be a betrayal of her courage. That was why I accepted her proposal.
And Fate-san wasn't the only one who would have to face their feelings during that date. When she finally reached her answer, I couldn't afford to be half-hearted in my response.
Dear Mother, Father—A date. On the surface, the word had a sweet, romantic ring to it. But contrary to that image, this promise felt more like a formal challenge to a duel. Both Fate-san and I knew it. No matter the outcome, this date would bring a change to our relationship.