To put it plainly, things weren't looking good. Shiro-san and I were all alone inside this cramped box, and I didn't know how much I could trust that twenty-minute estimate... In short, I was trapped.
Actually, it wasn't as if I’d had any escape even outside the gondola. Regardless, what was clear was that to resolve this situation, I had to satisfy Shiro-san. In fact, there was a very real chance the gondola would never reach its destination as long as she remained unsatisfied.
“...Um, so, Shiro-san, what exactly am I supposed to do? Should I just say what I promised earlier?”
“Yes. First, you will wrap your arm around my waist and pull me toward you.”
“...”
Wait, that was strange. Was that how the conversation had gone? I thought the plan was for me to speak the words of affection I’d been holding in my heart out loud. What did wrapping my arm around her waist have to do with any of that?
“This is extremely important.”
“I wonder about that. I hate to say this when you have such a dead-serious look on your face, but based on past experience, I have a feeling the reason isn't going to be important at all.”
“A book I used for reference featured a scene like that, and I wish to experience it as well.”
“See? I knew it!”
Was she trying to squeeze in extra requests under the cover of the moment? Yes, I was certain that was the case... Ugh, but I did have the impression that those kinds of situations appeared fairly often in romance manga. It was less common than putting an arm around someone's shoulder, but it seemed quite appropriate for creating an intimate atmosphere.
“...Setting aside for a moment whether I'll actually do it—and I mean setting it aside—is that all? If I pull you close by the waist and speak the words as I promised, will you be satisfied?”
“No, there is more.”
“I'll ask, just in case. Go ahead...”
“First, you will wrap your arm around my waist and draw me close. Then, you will use your free hand to cradle the back of my head and pull me against your chest. Finally, it would be wonderful if you whispered words of love into my ear.”
Something about seven times more difficult than I had expected had just come out. I felt like that was the kind of situation that only worked if the guy was exceptionally handsome, and actually doing it was incredibly embarrassing.
If a cool, mature man with adult sex appeal like Ozma-san did it, it might look natural, but I felt like I’d just look ridiculous. That realization felt like a follow-up strike of embarrassment...
“To me, you are the coolest person in the world, Kaito-san. Surely there is no issue with the requirements?”
“Ugh...”
She said such embarrassing things so casually and directly, as always. When she put it like that, I didn't have the heart to grumble anymore. To be honest, I was actually quite happy... Hmm, I couldn't really talk about Alice; I was just as easy as she was.
Since Shiro-san was showing me such straightforward affection, I felt like I wanted to grant her request. Well, I guess I’d better prepare myself. We were alone, after all, so it wasn't like I’d be drawing a crowd.
Having made up my mind, I sat beside Shiro-san as she requested, wrapped my arm around her waist, and pulled her close. She was incredibly soft, and even through her clothes, it felt as though my fingers were being drawn to her. She was a being made of cheats, as always.
Then, with my other hand, I pulled her close, cradling her head against my chest. Her hair felt amazing to the touch and smelled wonderful. My heart was racing.
Feeling my face heating up, I brought my mouth close to Shiro-san's ear and whispered.
“...Shiro-san, I love you.”
I spoke those words with as much of my feelings for her as I could muster. Now, what would her reaction be? As I thought that, Shiro-san raised her face from my chest, her expression changing in a way that was unusually easy to read. She was beaming. Apparently, she had taken a liking to it.
“This is much better than I had imagined. It is truly wonderful.”
“A-Ahaha, I was a bit embarrassed, but if it made you that happy, Shiro-san, then it was worth doing.”
“Yes. Therefore, I would like you to repeat that approximately 100 More Times.”
“Wha!?”
There was no doubt she liked it very much. However, she apparently liked it a bit too much, and an order for seconds had come in.
Glancing outside the gondola, I noticed that the scenery wasn't moving at all. It seemed the gondola wouldn't be moving an inch until I completed my 100 More Times.
Serious-senpai: “Turning my heart into complete nothingness... By turning my heart into complete nothingness, I will mitigate the damage. I... I won't let myself perish in a place like this...”
???: “Even after turning it into complete nothingness, ‘mitigation’ is the best you can do, I see-ssu.”