The gondola had stopped once again, and to get it moving, I had to fulfill Shiro-san's request. But... well, I assumed a normal kiss would be enough?
"...Hmm."
Wait, no. Please don't look like you’re contemplating something... let's just stick to a regular one! A normal one! Kissing Shiro-san was already dangerous enough because of how incredible it felt; if she came up with some weirdly elaborate scenario, I’d be in real trouble.
She was likely searching for an ideal situation from those romance manga she’d read beforehand. Since this pensive look was usually a prelude to her suggesting something utterly bizarre, I had to act before she could come up with anything dangerous.
"Shiro-san! I don't think you should rely on reference materials for this. What matters is the affection, you know? It’s better if we just do things our own way instead of following someone else's lead... Uh, I'm losing my own thread here, but let's just forget about the references for now!"
"I see. So, Kaito-san, are you saying you’ll give me a Sticky and Plenty Lovey-dovey Kiss filled with affection?"
"...Maybe not 'sticky and plenty,' but I'll definitely put my heart into it..."
"Very well. In that case, I shall leave the lead to you."
My argument had been a bit of a reach, but Shiro-san accepted it. She was going to let me handle the kiss my way.
...Wait, this actually made the hurdle even higher, didn't it?! Wh-What was I supposed to do? I felt like she was expecting something a bit more stylish than just pulling her close and kissing her.
We were sitting right next to each other in the gondola, so the distance was already negligible. Perhaps because I was so hyper-aware of her, Shiro-san’s soft-looking lips seemed remarkably vivid.
Struggling with the decision, I reached out and put my arm around Shiro-san’s waist, pulling her toward me. It was the same way I’d held her earlier when I told her I loved her. Our bodies were pressed close together, which seemed to satisfy the lovey-dovey requirement well enough.
Then, instead of putting my other hand on her head, I reached for her chin. I gave her a light Chin Lift, tilting her face toward mine. Doing a chin lift while holding her by the waist felt a bit like I was trying too hard to be suave, and it was embarrassing.
Still, this kind of slightly forceful vibe was a departure from my usual self. I hoped it would be enough to satisfy her. With that thought, I slid the hand on her waist up to her back, pulling her into an even tighter embrace as I pressed my lips against hers.
"...Mm."
As always, Shiro-san’s lips were melt-in-the-mouth soft and tasted faintly sweet. It was so intoxicating that I felt like I’d lose my mind if I didn't stay focused. I lost myself in the brain-melting pleasure for a while, continuing the kiss before finally pulling away.
"...U-Uh... how was that?"
"I like that you were a little more forceful than usual, Kaito-san. It was a nice change. I liked it very much."
"I-I'm glad."
"Now then, please do that 99 More Times."
"...You're kidding, right?"
Wait, what? Was she making the "100 times" rule from the confessions the default for this, too?! No, no, no—she couldn't just make 100 times the standard for everything!
Seriously, 100 kisses was... a lot. It would take forever, and since kissing Shiro-san made my head spin with pleasure, doing it that many times was actually dangerous.
She stared at me expectantly. With incredibly hopeful eyes, she stared right at me while literally saying "ji~" out loud. Guh... wh-what was I supposed to do? I didn't want to just reject her, but 100 times was...
"...Settle for 10 Times?"
"Then, please do it 9 More Times."
I offered a compromise, and Shiro-san accepted it with surprising ease. Wait... had I been played? Knowing the recent Shiro-san, I wouldn't be surprised if this had all been part of her calculation.
"It is true that I want to kiss you many times, Kaito-san. It makes me very happy."
"Ugh, being that straightforward is cheating... Sigh, fine, only nine more. But after that, don't stop the gondola again, okay?"
"I understand."
Seeing how happy she looked, I let out a soft sigh. Even so, I realized I didn't actually mind being led around by her. It was probably because I knew that at the heart of it all, she had a pure, unwavering affection for me. I was troubled, yes, but deep down, I was also quite happy. Thinking that, I reached for Shiro-san’s chin again and brought our faces together.
Serious-senpai: "I knew it! Isn't the sugar content way too high when it comes to this Natural God?! She’s so aggressive and proactive, and combined with Kaito's inability to say no, the lovey-dovey factor is getting painful!!"
???: "...Setting aside Serious-senpai's suffering, which I couldn't care less about, I bet things are getting pretty chaotic outside again."