Sharing a bath with Kuro was a joy. At the moment, she was perched on my left thigh, leaning back against my chest with a blissful expression.
I did my best to ignore the soft sensation against my leg as I kept our conversation going.
"Oh, right. Since we’re here, I might as well use this."
"Hmm? What is that? A stick with rubber ducks attached?"
Kuro reached into a black vortex in mid-air and pulled out an object that looked like a magic tool. It was a rod tipped with a magic crystal, and three rubber ducks were fastened to it. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was for.
"This is a toy for the bath," she explained. "It’s a magic tool. If you press this... see? The ducks set off across the water and come back to you when they hit the edge of the tub."
"Oh, that’s actually pretty neat. It’s like a duck race."
"Right? A trading company that specializes in toys made this. It’s really meant for the wealthy, though, since you need a large bathtub to use it, and being a magic tool makes it quite expensive."
"You even own a toy company... Come to think of it, I used to play with bath toys all the time when I was a kid."
"Wait, really? I’d love to hear about the kinds of toys they have in the otherworld."
My memories were a bit hazy, but I recalled toys that changed color when dipped in hot water and others that let you draw on the walls of the tub. When I explained them, Kuro looked fascinated. She seemed particularly struck by the idea of color-changing toys, so I wouldn't be surprised if she produced something similar soon.
"...But I see. So you brought those ducks to the bath to test out your company’s latest samples."
"Eh? Oh... right... exactly."
Apparently, that wasn't it at all. She had clearly just brought them along because she wanted to play. I suppressed a chuckle at her unexpectedly childish side as we finished our soak together.
Since we had already spent time in a hot spring in the sanctuary earlier, we didn't stay in the bath for very long. After we dried off and returned to the room, I suddenly noticed something felt off.
It wasn't the fact that Kuro had followed me back—that was only natural since we were together. The issue was something else entirely...
"Um... is it just my imagination?"
"What’s wrong, Kaito-kun?"
"Kuro, those clothes... aren't those pajamas?"
"They are."
"But you don't usually sleep, do you?"
"Hardly ever. It's not like I need to."
"...And what’s that tucked under your right arm?"
"It’s a pillow."
"I see..."
Something was definitely up. Given the flow of the conversation and her outfit, she was clearly planning to stay the night. Had we actually agreed on that?
"Oh, Kaito-kun! Before we go to sleep, let’s go out on the balcony and look at the stars!"
"Eh? Oh, sure."
She caught me while I was still processing things, and I nodded reflexively. Wait, was her staying over just a settled matter now?
Feeling like I was being swept along by her sheer momentum, I followed the cheerful Kuro out onto the balcony. With a wave of her hand, she manifested the veranda tatami.
"This brings back memories..."
"Doesn't it? Back when we first met, we laid out tatami right here and looked at the stars together."
"Yeah. I remember it well."
She had taken me up into the sky shortly after that. Just as she had once said, it really felt like my story had truly begun from that moment. It hadn't actually been that long ago, but because so much had happened since then, it felt incredibly nostalgic.
"Kaito-kun."
"Yeah?"
"Here, come here."
Kuro sat down on the tatami and patted her thighs. Taking the invitation for a lap pillow, I smiled and laid my head down on her lap. The soft, warm sensation was deeply relaxing—the kind of comfort that could make someone fall asleep the moment they let their guard down.
In the quiet night air, I gazed up at the sky while Kuro gently stroked my hair. We spent a long time in peaceful silence until she suddenly spoke in a low voice.
"Do you remember? Back in Rigforresia, when we talked at the spirit shrine."
"I remember. I was getting a lap pillow on tatami back then, too."
"We were... Back then, I only had the faintest of hopes, but..."
Kuro turned her gaze from the sky to me. She wore a smile so gentle and radiant that it was impossible to describe.
"'You found it, didn't you?'"
"——!?"
I remembered. I remembered it vividly. Back then, she had spoken with such a lonely expression, telling me there were things she wanted but could never reach. She had told me that if I were the one to find those things for her, she would be happy. At the time, she looked like she was trying to mask a tiny glimmer of hope with resignation.
Hearing her words now, a strangely ticklish, warm feeling welled up in my chest. Looking at her happy smile—so different from the one she wore that day—I felt an immense sense of pride that I had been the one to find that happiness for her.
"I couldn't say it back then while you were still awake... but I love you, Kaito-kun."
After whispering those words, Kuro slowly lowered her face and pressed her lips against mine.
Serious-senpai: "Look, I’m not trying to be a jerk, but I have to ask... shouldn't you have done this before the popularity poll results came out?"