Even though the voucher for the seaside cottage had essentially been handed to me by Alice herself, I decided to put it out of my mind for the moment.
Dwelling on it too much would only make things awkward between us, so I refocused my attention on the Founding Anniversary Festival.
"I hadn't even noticed, but the sun has already begun to sink below the horizon."
"Hahih!? Y-Y-Yes, you're right. It’s nearly t-t-time for the moon to rise-ssu."
"Calm down. Let’s set that topic aside for now and just focus on enjoying the festival."
"Ah, right... Phew... Okay, I'm ready!"
Alice was so visibly self-conscious that anyone could have seen it, so I did my best to settle her nerves. Since we planned to stay for the fireworks display, we still had a fair amount of time left.
It would be a problem if she stayed this wound up for the rest of the night, so I urged her to relax. Perhaps realizing this herself, Alice took a long, deep breath and managed to regain her usual composure.
"The fireworks start at 8:00 PM, don't they?"
"Yes, in about an hour and a half."
"Then how about we grab some dinner?"
"Oh, that sounds great-ssu! Let's go!"
Whether she had truly recovered or was simply forcing herself to stop thinking about what came next, Alice returned to her usual high energy. Her eyes sparkled at the mention of food.
The question was what to eat. We had been grazing on festival stalls since morning, lunch included, so I found myself craving something a bit more substantial.
"The street food has been great, but I'm in the mood for a proper meal now."
"I figured you might feel that way, Kaito-san, so I've already secured tables at a few high-end restaurants."
"Wait, they're actually open today?"
"Yes. They're located away from the main festival stalls, so it’s reasonably quiet. I also made sure to book a place with a perfect view of the fireworks, so it might be nice to watch the show from our table."
I wasn't sure whether to be impressed or slightly intimidated by her preparation. She had anticipated my every move—sensing I would eventually want something other than street food—with her usual terrifying efficiency.
The only problem was that none of that strategic brilliance ever seemed to translate to her love life... wait, actually, considering this was for a dinner date, I suppose she was putting those brains to good use.
"Let's have dinner there, then. A restaurant with a view of the fireworks sounds exactly like the kind of setting you'd love, Alice."
"Wh-!? I mean, well... I do like it... I did want to toast the evening at a window seat, but..."
"So you did reserve a window seat."
"...Well, actually... I booked the whole place out. I... wanted us to have some... well, lovey-dovey time together-ssu..."
Alice averted her eyes in a flush of embarrassment. She looked so genuinely adorable that a smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.
Serious-senpai: "Hie, the title..."