Alice and I wandered through the festival grounds, chatting idly as we went. Since we’d already managed to grab a light bite in the first area, I was hoping to check out some of the events next.
The capital was bustling with the energy of the founding anniversary, so there was no shortage of entertainment. Events were being held all over the place, and the atmosphere was wonderfully lively.
"Is it impossible to see the Sea Dragon Procession without a ticket?" I asked. "I’m a bit interested, but..."
"I’ve got tickets right here," Alice replied.
"...You say that like it’s the most natural thing in the world."
"The capable transcendent beautiful girl Alice-chan prepared them in advance, just in case a moment like this arose!"
Her preparations were beyond thorough—they were pinpoint accurate. Knowing her, she had probably predicted I’d take an interest in the procession from the very start.
I’d take her up on the offer, but since the event wasn't scheduled until the afternoon, we still had plenty of time to kill.
"Until then, should we check out some of the petit events going on?"
"Sure! There’s plenty to see. They’ve got eating contests, auctions... it’s a real mixed bag."
"Well, that kind of chaotic variety feels very Hydra Kingdom, doesn't it?"
I scanned the area while we talked, trying to decide what to do next. The auctions sounded interesting, but it wasn't like I had anything specific I wanted to buy. Maybe watching some kind of competition would be more fun.
As I weighed our options, a thought suddenly occurred to me, and I turned to Alice.
"By the way, Alice. Just to be clear... this is a date, right?"
"...W-Well, I guess. I mean, since Kaito-san and I are lovers, it’s only natural that being out together like this would be... a d-date? I suppose you could say that."
"You’re getting way too flustered over a single word."
"F-Flustered? Me? Not a chance. You’d have to do a lot more than that to rattle me..."
I had a feeling she had been intentionally trying to keep the thought buried deep in her mind to avoid thinking about it. Her eyes were darting around conspicuously, and her voice had climbed to a much higher pitch than usual.
She could be bold when she was the one taking the initiative, but she turned into a wreck the moment I was the one to say it. In a way, it was just the usual Alice, and I found it quite cute.
"Well, putting aside whether you're rattled or not, since we're on a date, how about we walk hand-in-hand?"
"In broad daylight? Isn't that a bit too scandalous?"
"...Wait, haven't we held hands on dates plenty of times before? You're reacting way more than usual today."
"N-No, I’m not! Not at all! Really, seriously! Hands? That’s fine. Totally fine! Come on, let's hold hands!!"
"O-Okay..."
Yeah, something was definitely off. Alice had always been shy, and she often got embarrassed or turned red when we did couple-like things.
But today, it felt like she was being way too conscious of everything. It was just... strange. It didn't feel like she was plotting something malicious, though. I didn't have enough info to figure out what was actually going on.
Tilting my head in confusion, I took Alice's hand and started walking again.
"...Alice, you’re definitely acting weirdly tense. You’re completely different from how you were a few minutes ago."
"It's nothing. It's really nothing. Nothing at all! Now, come on! Let's get our heads back in the game and have some fun!"
"That is exactly what someone who is hiding something would say..."
I let out a sigh as Alice pulled me along with uncharacteristic force, deciding it wasn't worth trying to pry an answer out of her. I had a feeling I’d find out sooner or later... so for now, I decided to just enjoy the festival and see what happened.
Serious-senpai: "Hmm. I have a bad feeling about this. I wonder what on earth she's planning..."