It might have been a bit late in the game to mention this, but even though Kuro and Shiro-san had polar opposite personalities, there were moments when they seemed strikingly similar.
They both frequently got facts about the other world wrong, but more than anything, the way their "natural ditziness" increased alongside their excitement made them seem like two sides of the same coin.
Shiro-san was a given, of course, but even Kuro—who usually acted as the voice of reason when others were running wild—often took actions that made me wonder what she was thinking when her energy was high. It was especially obvious whenever Baby Castellas were involved, but she could be quite the airhead in other situations too, which was always a bit worrying.
"I heard they have something called a 'Banana Boat' in the other world!" Kuro announced.
"...Yeah, they do."
"And so, since we’re here, I thought we should play with one! I even prepared it!"
Hmm. Honestly, that was a more sensible suggestion than I’d expected. In short, she was suggesting that the three of us go for a ride on a banana boat.
I figured we would probably need something to pull us, like a Jet Ski, but I had a feeling Kuro could manage that part with magic.
As I was considering this, Sieg-san glanced at me and asked, "Should I imagine this as something different from a regular boat?"
"Y-Yes. I think the sensation of riding it is quite different."
I understood Sieg-san's feelings well. A word she didn't know had come up, and I, the person from the world where that thing originated, was standing right there. I understood why she wanted to ask me, and I felt a little happy to be relied upon.
However, unfortunately... I had never actually ridden one myself, so my explanation was based entirely on my imagination. I was a former loner, after all—I didn't have any memories of hitting the beach with friends during my school years. For that matter, the last time I’d gone for a swim was with my parents back in elementary school.
Therefore, my knowledge was almost entirely limited to what I had seen on TV or in books. It was just a banana-shaped boat with handles that got pulled along by a Jet Ski or a ship.
Since I didn't know the specific safety precautions either, I would have to rely on Kuro's knowledge for that...
"And so, ta-dah! This is it!" Kuro shouted.
"That's just a literal banana!"
"Eh? Yeah. It’s a Banana Boat, so... it’s a banana, right?"
Kuro tilted her head in confusion. I lightly pressed a hand to my forehead. What Kuro had manifested was exactly what she’d promised: bananas. However, these were super-sized individual fruits, each several meters long. No, that wasn't right at all.
"...They certainly are big," Sieg-san noted.
"Yeah! I went looking for them just for today, but even in the Demon Realm, it was hard to find this size. It was quite a struggle!"
I supposed it would be. No matter how much of an other world this was, bananas the size of houses weren't exactly growing all over the place.
No, that wasn't the point I should have been nitpicking.
"...No, uh, Kuro... this is wrong."
"Eh? Wrong?"
"A banana boat isn't 'turning a banana into a boat.' It’s a 'boat shaped like a banana'..."
"It is?!" Kuro cried.
I’d had a feeling this was the case, but it seemed she hadn't been joking; she truly thought the activity used actual fruit. Honestly, I was more impressed that she’d managed to find bananas large enough for several people to sit on comfortably.
"Eh? Then what should I do with these bananas?"
"...Well, we can all eat them later, but first we have to get a real banana boat."
At any rate, I had to follow up on this situation. The one person I could rely on in a scene like this was...
"Sorry, Alice. Can I have a second?"
"Yes, yes, what is it?" Alice replied, appearing instantly.
"Do you happen to have a banana boat?"
Yes, Alice. Given how well-prepared and business-minded she was, I figured she’d have sea bathing supplies ready. Furthermore, I had zero concern that Alice might not know what a banana boat was. She definitely knew.
As if to affirm my conviction, Alice reached her hand into empty space and pulled out a banana boat as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Is this size okay for three people?"
"Yeah, that helps. Um... how much?"
"Hmm. Personally, I'd like to rip you off as usual, but..."
Alice shifted her gaze with a conflicted expression, glancing at the massive bananas Kuro had brought before looking back at me.
"...Looking at that mess, I can pretty much guess what happened. You know what? This one’s on the house."
"...Yeah, thanks."
"Kuro-san really becomes a total idiot sometimes, doesn't she? Well then, I'll be heading back. See you later~"
I watched Alice wave and disappear to return to Anima's side, then turned back to Kuro and Sieg-san.
"Anyway, this is a real banana boat."
"Heh... so this is it. It really does look like a banana now that you mention it."
"The Phantasm King-sama said it was for three people... but how do we ride this?"
"Uh, I'm not that well-versed in it either, but..."
Kuro picked up the boat with one hand and examined it from various angles, while Sieg-san stared curiously at the craft she was seeing for the first time.
While explaining how to use the boat to the two of them, a certain thought occurred to me.
Kuro could handle the propulsion, but... wasn't this a ride where everyone sat very close together?
"Kugh, I messed up!" Kuro suddenly shouted.
"What's wrong, Kuro?"
"If it's that kind of equipment... a Baby Castella-shaped one would have been fine too, right? I should have made one!"
"..."
Alice was right. Kuro was generally reliable, but she really did turn into a total idiot sometimes.
Serious-senpai: "...Middle Part 1? (Despair)"
Machina: "How nice, a banana boat ride with my child... It looks like the next one will be just as lovey-dovey, won't it?"
Serious-senpai: "...Middle Part? There's a Latter Part too?! (Despair)"