Once everyone had successfully gathered, our seaside excursion finally began in earnest, with everyone splitting off into the pairs we had decided on beforehand. My role was to drift between the different groups and participate as I pleased, but I already knew exactly which pair I had to visit first.
Naturally, it was Shiro-san and Lilia-san. Unless I could get them to a point where they could at least manage a basic conversation, I couldn't in good conscience leave for the other groups.
To be fair, I felt that I didn't need to worry quite as much about the current Shiro-san compared to how she used to be. However, Lilia-san was likely a bundle of nerves, and I figured I needed to provide some initial backup to help her relax.
With that in mind, I scanned the area to check on the other pairs while making my way toward Shiro-san and Lilia-san.
Kuro and Sieg-san had produced things like an inflatable boat and a beach ball from somewhere and were already chatting away happily. Both of them were quite social, so I had a feeling that pair wouldn't have any issues at all.
Isis-san and Fate-san weren't heading for the water just yet; instead, they were strolling along the shoreline. Seeing them from a distance, they both seemed a little tense, but it didn't look like an awkward sort of tension, so they seemed fine too.
As for Alice and Anima... what were they up to? Anima was bowing deeply toward Alice, who wore a bit of a wry smile. I could only guess, but it looked like Anima was asking Alice for some kind of training or advice. I was a little curious, so I decided to make them my second stop after checking on Shiro-san and Lilia-san.
...Now, as for the problematic duo. As expected—or rather, exactly as I had feared—the phrase "a frog pinned by the gaze of a snake" immediately sprang to mind.
The two of them stood facing each other; Shiro-san remained utterly expressionless, while Lilia-san was sweating like a waterfall.
"Shiro-san! Lilia-san! I'm joining you two first!"
"Kaito-san!?"
I called out to them, trying to sound as cheerful as possible, and Lilia-san’s face lit up with relief, as if she had just encountered her Messiah.
I definitely made the right call by coming here first. To ensure they could actually talk to one another, I decided to start by tossing them a topic.
"So, have you two decided what you're going to do for fun yet?"
"No, not yet. There is something that must be done before that."
"Something... before that? Creator God-sama, what exactly do you mean...?"
Shiro-san answered my question in her usual monotone, but since neither Lilia-san nor I understood her meaning, we both tilted our heads in unison.
Shiro-san shifted her gaze from me back to Lilia-san and spoke slowly.
"The objective of this trip is to deepen our friendship. If that is the case, we should first close the mental distance between us to some degree. I do not believe that taking action while maintaining such a distance will lead to favorable results."
"I-I see..."
Oh... that was actually a very sound opinion. Shiro-san had grown so much mentally that even Alice acknowledged it; she really was on another level now.
It seemed Shiro-san had correctly perceived that Lilia-san was overwhelmed and was trying to resolve that first.
Perhaps I really had been worrying too much. If Shiro-san was showing this kind of willingness to reach out, I had a feeling they would have gotten along just fine even without my interference...
"Therefore, we shall start with how we address one another. Lilia... formalities are waived for today. Thus, I permit you to address me by my nickname, Shiro."
"......"
For a moment, it felt as though all sound had vanished from the world. Okay, so here was the thing—Shiro-san was trying. She was genuinely trying her absolute hardest to bridge the gap with Lilia-san.
Unfortunately, in this world, good intentions don't always translate into good results.
It was truly bizarre. Shiro-san was definitely reaching out, yet from an outsider's perspective, it looked as though Lilia-san’s first great trial had arrived. In fact, Lilia-san’s complexion was looking significantly worse than it had just a moment ago.
"U-Um... Creator God-sama, t-that's a bit too..."
"I permit you to address me by my nickname, Shiro."
"B-But that would be far too disrespectful..."
"I permit you to address me by my nickname, Shiro."
"It's... it's a very difficult task for me..."
"I permit you to address me by my nickname, Shiro."
"...Yes. Shiro-sama."
Lilia-san’s eyes lost their light! She was completely steamrolled! Well, it was only natural... I knew from experience that an infinite loop delivered in that expressionless, monotone voice possessed a unique and terrifying pressure.
Yeah, I take back what I thought earlier. I’m definitely glad I came here first. This was going to be a much longer road than I had anticipated.
Machina: "And so, since Ali... ??? seems to be busy, I’ll be Serious-senpai's partner for a while!"
Serious-senpai: "...Well, I don't necessarily need a partner, but... fine. You seem more sane than ???, at least."
Machina: "Then let's start by deepening our friendship, just like my child's lovers are doing in the story! To get to know each other, let's share our 'My Child's Cute Points Best 100' lists!"
Serious-senpai: "...Huh? No, wait, that's a bit... if we're deepening our friendship, shouldn't we do something else?"
Machina: "Ah, right, you're absolutely right. Sorry, that was my mistake."
Serious-senpai: "...Good, you understand."
Machina: "I thought I was being considerate because you're a beginner, but Best 100 is far too few. If we want to truly deepen our bond, we need to cover at least 'My Child's Cute Points Best 10,000,' otherwise our answers will just end up being too similar!"
Serious-senpai: "???!!! Please, come back!! You're the only partner for me! Actually, even if you don't come back, someone just take this crazy person away from me!!"
Machina: "All right, I’ll start! I'll keep the explanations for each point brief, so I think I can finish in about 4,800 hours. Then it'll be your turn, Serious-senpai! Don't worry about the time! I'll just alter the flow of time for us."
Serious-senpai: "Noooooo!? I'm going to be brainwashed!?"