I was taking it easy in my room after dinner and a bath when Kuro dropped by, baby castella in hand as usual.
"Kaito-kun, I’m here!"
"Come on in. I’ve already brewed some coffee..."
"Thanks!"
I had prepared some of the coffee I’d received from Ozma-san. Thinking about it now, drinking coffee right before bed probably wasn't the best idea, but perhaps thanks to Shiro-san's Blessing, I couldn't remember ever suffering from caffeine-induced insomnia.
We settled into our usual routine of eating baby castella and sipping coffee, but Kuro’s demeanor was noticeably different. She was restless—or rather, she kept casting flickering, expectant glances in my direction.
"You know what's going on, don't you, Kuro?"
"Wh-Whatever do you mean...?"
When I asked without specifying exactly what I meant, Kuro averted her eyes. She was so easy to read. She almost certainly knew I had been making Original Accessories to give to my lovers. It was likely an effect of her necklace... though I’d sensed she knew for a while now, so it wasn't worth worrying about.
Regardless, she seemed to be eagerly anticipating a gift of her own. Come to think of it, she had arrived a bit earlier than usual today.
Seeing her act like a child waiting for a present brought a wry smile to my face. I reached into my Magic Box and pulled out Kuro's Accessory.
"I decided to make a bracelet for you. I already gave you a necklace, and since you once gave me a bracelet-type teleportation magic tool... well, they aren't exactly a matching set, but I tried to give it a similar design."
"Ah, you're right! It looks just like your teleportation magic tool. And the magic crystal part is Sera's Diamond. The shape is so elegant, and the craftsmanship is incredible. I can't believe this is your first time making something like this. You're amazing, Kaito-kun."
"Ahaha, thanks. I’m just glad you like it."
Kuro beamed as she accepted the bracelet. She slipped it onto her wrist and began comparing it to my teleportation tool, looking thoroughly delighted. Seeing her so happy warmed my heart, and her gentle words of praise were music to my ears.
"...Thank you, Kaito-kun. I’ll treasure it."
"Of course."
"I'm still wearing the necklace you gave me, too. See?"
"Ah, you really are."
Kuro leaned in to show me the necklace I’d given her in the past—the one Alice-chan had helped me touch up.
"It hasn't actually been that long, but it feels a bit nostalgic. That was the gift I gave you before we were even a couple, wasn't it?"
"Yeah. I was so happy when I got this, but since I thought Kaito-kun was going to leave soon back then, it also made me feel a little lonely. But now, it’s just a wonderful memory."
"I guess so. Hmm?"
As we basked in the nostalgia, Kuro suddenly closed the distance and threw her arms around me. I was a bit taken aback by the surprise attack, but since I was in the mood for a little intimacy myself, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into a firm embrace.
Because of our height difference, she fit perfectly against me. As she pressed close, I felt an indescribable surge of affection for her.
"I don't know why, but I feel like just relaxing with you like this today, Kaito-kun."
"I agree. Shall we just stay like this and have a quiet chat?"
"Yeah!"
We didn't do anything else in particular. We simply stayed in each other's arms, savoring the warmth of the moment. In a way, it felt like the ultimate luxury. Even without anything dramatic happening, just being together was enough to make me feel truly happy. As Kuro occasionally rubbed her face against my chest and I idly stroked her hair, we savored our private time together to our heart's content.
???: "Let's see, with that, the remaining ones are... Isis-san, Fie-san, Fate-san, and Alice-chan, I suppose?"
Serious-senpai: "...There are still that many? I'm already at my limit..."