I made the rounds at the stalls with Alice. Our plan was to enjoy the attractions while stocking up on food for the fireworks show.
However, an unexpected situation arose: Paradise-san was nowhere to be found.
"They're gone from all the stalls..."
"Yes, but it looks like the food was left ready for us. It seems they've automated some Status Preservation Magic, so everything is still piping hot."
"The game stalls like the shooting gallery are set up for us to use freely, too. There are even notes saying 'Please help yourself.'"
"Hmm. I bet they did this as a favor to us. You know, so we could have the place to ourselves..."
In other words, the entire festival venue had been essentially reserved for the two of us. While it felt a little surreal, it was likely a godsend for someone as shy as Alice.
Even so, it wasn't as if there was much more we could do to act like lovers beyond what we were already doing. I wondered what even came after walking with my arm around her shoulder.
"...What about a princess carry?"
Alice jumped, her eyes widening in shock.
"Sorry, I was just thinking about what would be a step up from holding your shoulder, and that was the only thing that came to mind. Well, for now, let's just keep going like—"
"..."
Wait. For a fleeting moment, I thought I saw a flicker of disappointment cross Alice's face. Now that I thought about it, Alice was a surprising romantic—or rather, she had a deep-seated longing for those kinds of classic, cliché scenarios.
As that realization dawned on me, Alice looked down bashfully, twiddling her fingers in front of her as she spoke in a tiny, whispered voice.
"U-Um... if it's okay with you, Kaito-san... even just for a little bit... I'd really like it if... you did that... or something..."
Good lord, could she be any cuter? Between her bashful expression, her tiny voice, and the way she had to look up at me due to our height difference, she was heart-stoppingly adorable.
At this point, I had no choice but to acknowledge her self-proclaimed title of Transcendent Beautiful Girl. Seeing her like this, refusing her request wasn't even an option.
"I'm not exactly used to doing this, so wrap your arms around my neck so you don't fall."
"Ah, yes... Um, like this?"
"Yeah, that's fine. Here we go."
"Ah...!"
My heart throbbed at the pleasant scent wafting from her as I lifted her up. Once I confirmed she had her arms around my neck, I settled her into a princess carry as requested.
She was even lighter than I had imagined. Being so petite, she fit perfectly in my arms—it felt incredibly natural.
"...I'm not too heavy?"
"Not at all. You're light as a feather. Alright, I'm going to start walking."
"Hyaaa, your face is so close... Y-Yes. Please do."
I started walking, careful of my footing so I wouldn't trip. Alice seemed a bit restless, her eyes darting around as if she didn't know where to look. I could see that even her ears had turned bright red, and she was clearly mortified... but just as much as that, if not more, she seemed to be genuinely enjoying herself.
"How is the ride, Your Highness?"
"Pfft! What was that all of a sudden? Ahaha, that really doesn't suit you at all, Kaito-san."
"Yeah, I guess it’s a bit out of character for me..."
I had tried to act a bit suave, but she just laughed at me. Still, it seemed to have helped Alice relax, so I considered it a success.
As I took comfort in that positive thought, Alice looked up at me and smiled happily.
"As for the ride... well... I'm happy."
"I'm glad to hear it."
"Though, my only concern is whether Kaito-san's thin arms can withstand the weight of all the food we're about to pile up..."
"Hey, please just put those in the Magic Box. Not just because of the weight, but they'll block my view."
"I'll do my best."
"That's exactly what people say when they have no intention of doing it."
"Ahaha!"
Drawn in by Alice's cheerful laughter, I walked on with a smile of my own. There was something truly wonderful about this atmosphere. It made me feel profoundly lucky.
After securing enough food from the stalls, I headed toward the shrine grounds with Alice. Since it was predictably difficult to navigate the stairs leading to the shrine while carrying her, I had Alice step down so we could climb the rest of the way hand-in-hand.
Alice seemed to have regained her composure. She didn't panic like she had earlier, and she looked like she was having a great time the whole way up.
When we finally crested the stone stairs and reached the grounds, however, an unexpected sight unfolded before us.
The shrine building was exactly as I had imagined, but the area in front of it—the space that should have been paved with stone or packed earth—was a lush carpet of grass.
"...What is this? The mismatch is incredible."
"They probably did it so it would be easier to sit down and watch the fireworks. While some shrines do have grass, there's usually a path. Since there's a torii gate here, well... it feels like they’ve covered the entire path of the gods with turf."
"This feels incredibly sacrilegious."
"Kaito-san, the person responsible for this is the one who hands out the divine punishment."
"...Oh right. I forgot."
Alice and I looked at each other and chuckled. Still, it certainly seemed like a comfortable spot to sit or lie down while watching the show.
Serious-senpai: "...This is hell. The sugar content is so high I feel like I'm going to die. B-But, since they've already reached the fireworks, it shouldn't go on much longer... It ends once the fireworks start, right? They aren't going to go back to the stalls after this, are they? Right!? Tell me I'm right!!"