Between the princess carry and Shiro-san’s lethal remarks, my sense of shame felt like it had taken boss-level damage right at the start... but sadly, this was only the beginning.
Even if I tried to look on the bright side, there was no way it would all be over after clearing just two challenges. It went without saying that the upcoming tasks would be much like the ones before—essentially, a series of hurdles designed to force a couple to flirt.
With that resignation weighing on me, I turned my weary eyes toward the third challenge.
"Before you lies the Legendary Stick-shaped Cookie. Two lovers must begin eating from opposite ends simultaneously. The door shall open only when they have eaten exactly half each. Should the cookie break midway, a new one will be automatically replenished."
It was the Pocky Game. From the cookie’s shape to the instructions on the wall, no matter how I looked at it, this was clearly the Pocky Game.
"I see. This seems like quite a formidable challenge. Fortunately, however, our height difference is negligible, which should reduce the physical strain of the task."
"...You seem to be having the time of your life, Shiro-san."
"Yes. I am enjoying myself immensely."
To be honest, I was incredibly embarrassed. I had never actually played the Pocky Game before, and I would have preferred to decline if I could, but the atmosphere made it clear that "no" wasn't an option.
Steeling my resolve, I took the stick-shaped cookie, held it lightly between my teeth, and leaned toward Shiro-san. Without a hint of hesitation, she began eating from the other end.
Wait, she was way closer than I expected! Unlike a normal kiss, the tension was through the roof because she was slowly, steadily closing the gap. Since I had my eyes open, I could see Shiro-san’s face even more clearly than usual.
Golden eyes that felt like they could swallow me whole, and pure white skin without a single blemish... No matter what part of her face I looked at, her features were so dazzlingly beautiful that she truly looked like a god.
My nerves were already shot just from that proximity, but Shiro-san ate through the cookie at a rapid pace—and then stopped dead just short of the center.
This was it. It was a hidden—no, not hidden at all, but rather a blatant, full-throttle message that she wanted me to be the one to bridge the final gap.
This was bad. Unlike the surprise attack when we were sharing juice, the flow of the game dictated that I had to be the one to slowly initiate the kiss.
However, I didn't have any way to avoid it. Shiro-san would likely wait for me forever without moving a single millimeter from where she had stopped. Considering how sad she would look if I pulled away, I couldn't exactly break the cookie to brush it off.
In the end, I really only had one choice.
"...Mnh."
The moment our lips met, I heard Shiro-san’s breath with startling clarity. The next thing to wash over me was a sense of comfort that felt almost overwhelming.
Moist and clinging with an almost magnetic pull, Shiro-san’s lips held an irresistible charm even without her doing anything special. Once we touched, it was nearly impossible to pull away.
I somehow managed to finish the cookie and tried to retreat, but...
(Kaito-san, please wait. Just a little longer... I want to stay like this with the person I love... Is that not okay?)
Words that were impossible not to be happy about were hammered directly into my brain. When she looked up at me with those pleading eyes, I found myself unable to move.
I stayed like that for a long time, savoring an exceptionally deep kiss with Shiro-san.
The trials continued one after another after we finished the Pocky Game. There was an I Love You Game, a trial where we fed each other parfaits, and various other hurdles that were as sweet as they were humiliating.
Those numerous trials dealt massive damage to my rationality and my dignity, but even then, I realized I might have still been naive.
I knew about "it" as a concept, and I understood that "it" was something very dangerous. However, I had no personal experience with "it," and because it was a game from my old world, part of me assumed it wouldn't show up here.
But I had forgotten. Alice, who was needlessly well-versed in otherworld affairs, was the one pulling the strings from the shadows. I had not yet fully grasped what that meant.
Having overcome a gauntlet of trials, we finally reached the last room. As I looked at the setup prepared for us, my face must have been the picture of despair.
This was the bad one. This was the really bad one. If I did this with Shiro-san, I didn't know if my self-control would survive the encounter.
The game sat in the middle of the wide space, radiating an eerie presence. Circles divided into colorful sections were lined up in an orderly fashion—a sight that could be called beautiful at a glance.
But it brought me nothing but terror. I knew this game well.
Yes, there was no mistaking it. It was the Twister Game.
In contrast to my dazed shock, Shiro-san’s excitement had clearly broken through its limits; she was practically glowing with a dazzling smile. Since Alice would be the one giving the instructions on where to place our hands and feet, I couldn't see a future where this ended sanely.
"Now then, I will be the one designating the body parts and the colors! Let's begin the final trial! Titled: The Heart-pounding Lovey-dovey Twister Game!"
...Please stop. My rationality is going to die.
Serious-senpai: "...Please, just stop already. I'm going to die. Seriously, when is this ever going to end?"
???: "According to the schedule, the date with Shallow Vernal-sama will conclude in a few more chapters."
Serious-senpai: "...The date with Shallow Vernal-sama 'will'?"
???: "(Smiles)."