I arrived at Shiro-san’s side with her custom accessory in hand, and she was already visibly in high spirits.
I gave a wry smile at how easy she was to read. Since she clearly knew why I was there, I decided to get straight to the point.
"Shiro-san, I made a custom accessory with your image in mind. I’d be happy if you’d accept it."
"Thank you very much. I am delighted."
The item I’d prepared for her was a necklace crafted from a Rainbow Diamond. Back during the Six Kings Festival’s Art Showdown, I’d given birth to a truly tragic creature, but I could say with some pride that this necklace was an excellent piece of work.
Well, that unfortunate creature had ended up with a massive promotion to become a sacred object of worship, so in a sense, it was a huge success...
Anyway, unlike during the festival, I’d had reference materials and Alice’s advice to guide me this time. It was properly shaped like a flower, and I thought the final result was quite impressive.
When I held out the necklace, Shiro-san spoke while maintaining her blissful smile.
"Oh dear, this is a problem. My hands happen to be occupied at the moment."
"Eh? What are you—when did you get those staves?! And why are you holding one in each hand?"
Before I knew it, Shiro-san was gripping two staves, each as massive as Iris-san's Apocalypse. Her hands were definitely full—or rather, she had filled them on purpose. What was she even trying to do?
"Therefore, Kaito-san, would you mind putting the necklace on me with your own hands?"
"Wait... you did this just because you wanted that, didn't you?"
"Whatever do you mean? My hands just happened to be full."
It seemed she’d staged a little performance because she wanted me to fasten the necklace for her. In a way, it was so typical of her that I couldn't help but chuckle.
Since I had no reason to refuse, I stepped closer to her. We were roughly the same height, so it should have been easy, but... actually, putting a necklace on someone else was surprisingly difficult.
"...Alright. There, it's done—"
I’d struggled with the clasp but finally got it secured. Just as I went to pull my hands away, Shiro-san closed the distance in a surprise move and gave me a soft, fleeting kiss.
Caught completely off guard, I froze in shock. Shiro-san gave a mischievous, happy smile and spoke.
"...Thank you. Does it look good on me?"
"Y-Yes, it looks great."
"Fufu, that makes me happy."
It was frustrating, but she was incredibly cute. Perhaps she was growing mentally, because lately she had started using these heart-fluttering surprise attacks. She was becoming quite a handful.
Still, even though it was just an amateur's craft, seeing her this joyful made me feel good.
As I watched her admire the necklace, Shiro-san spoke again.
"By the way, Kaito-san... I was the first, wasn't I?"
"If you mean the order in which I'm giving them out, then yes. Alice said she wanted her gift later when we were alone, not at the stall, so I haven't given her one yet."
"I see, I see."
Shiro-san nodded with an expression of profound satisfaction. I always had the impression she cared about being special, so the fact that she was the very first seemed to thrill her.
In fact, the pure sense of "great satisfaction" radiating from her expressions and gestures was almost funny.
"...And it is your best work, isn't it?"
"Yes. The designs are all different, so I can't really compare them directly, but personally, I think this is the one I made the most successfully."
"I see... Is that so?"
Wow, she looked delighted. She wasn't hiding her joy at all—if anything, she had no intention of doing so. A sense of absolute bliss emanated from her.
She was truly adorable. Seeing her express her happiness so openly made my own affection for her swell.
"...Kaito-san, this is terrible."
"What is?"
"My hands are now empty. To reconfirm your affection for me, is this not the perfect moment for a hug?"
"Pfft, haha... Even without 'reconfirming' it, I have plenty of affection for you. But regardless, I think I’d like a hug too."
I burst out laughing at the typical Shiro-san request, but I did want to hold her, so I accepted the proposal.
I took a step forward and pulled her into an embrace. Shiro-san looked giddy as she wrapped her arms around my back.
Feeling her warmth and softness as we pressed against each other, a profound sense of happiness washed over me. I stayed like that for a while, savoring the hug with Shiro-san.
Machina: "Yes, yes. As expected, my beloved child is so considerate. Making accessories for his lovers... for his lovers... his lovers... Eh? What about me?"
Serious-senpai: "...Ah. (I know that look.)"
Machina: "He has one for me, right? After all, I am his mother. In a sense, I am closer and more intimate with him than any lover!"
Serious-senpai: "No, he explicitly said he prepared them for his 'lovers,' so anyone who isn't a lover is excluded—Eek! Her eyes... the highlights are gone..."
Machina: "...Hmm? Did you say something?"
Serious-senpai: "O-Of course he has one! Hahaha..."