The photo taken by the magic tool perfectly captured the moment Alice kissed my cheek. I looked a bit dazed, having been caught completely off guard, but as far as romantic photos went, it was top-tier.
The only real issue was the size. It wasn't the pocket-sized print I was used to from my old world; it was roughly the size of a sheet of A4 Paper. Between the technical limitations of this world and the fact that standard photo sizes probably weren't a thing here yet, it was somewhat unavoidable.
"...N-No, I mean, Kaito-san... isn't this a bit much? I think we went way overboard. It’s shameless... or maybe just way too suggestive..."
"...You're the one who did it!"
"I-I know, but... well, I was just caught up in the moment! Now that I've calmed down, the embarrassment is hitting me like a ton of bricks..."
As we moved away from the line and started walking, Alice spoke in a tiny voice, blushing furiously and fidgeting with her fingers while staring at the photo. Despite her lingering embarrassment over her own actions, she looked genuinely happy.
"W-Well, since we went through the effort of taking it, let’s keep it as a memento. Oh, I have your copy ready too, Kaito-san. I bought an extra just in case."
"Oh, you could buy extras? Sorry about that, thanks... Wait."
I took the photo she held out, but it wasn't just a loose sheet. It had already been placed in a beautiful frame.
When did she find the time to get this? The frame was remarkably ornate—a real piece of intricate craftsmanship. But what was I supposed to do with it? I couldn't exactly display a photo of us kissing on my nightstand. If I actually did, she’d probably be the first one to freak out... I guess I'll just hold onto it as a souvenir for now.
"...Alice, you actually really like this photo, don't you?"
"What are you talking about? Oh, I've already applied Status Preservation magic to it, and I bought ten spares just in case. Let me know if you want another."
"...Right."
Yeah, she definitely loved it. She was putting up a front of being embarrassed a second ago, but she was clearly satisfied with how it turned out, given how her mood was steadily climbing. She probably thrived on this kind of romantic atmosphere. For all I knew, she’d probably find a way to shrink them down and pin them all over a corkboard.
Still, seeing her this happy made me happy too, so I wasn't complaining.
Serious-senpai: "..."
Machina: "Are those the eyes of someone who's steeled her resolve? No... her hands are just shaking."