The experience of being hand-fed by Shiro-san was surprisingly comfortable, provided I ignored the sheer embarrassment of it all. Since she could read my mind, she offered exactly what I wanted to eat at the perfect moment, maintaining a pace so natural it felt as if I were eating on my own.
"Thank you for the meal. It was delicious."
"In that case, I am glad."
The portion size had been perfect. I’d thought the bento looked a bit small at first, but after snacking on street food throughout the morning, it was just right. I felt a pleasant sense of fullness.
To be honest, a light nap would have been the perfect way to cap off the meal, but I couldn't exactly do that. Still, taking a short break to digest seemed reasonable enough.
"Shiro-san, do you want to head back to the festival right away?"
"No, let’s rest here for a while."
"Understood. I wanted to sit and digest for a bit anyway, so that works for me."
It didn't seem like she was in any rush to leave, so I took her up on the offer and decided to relax. At first, I’d felt a bit of incongruity between the wharf and the manifested lawn, but sitting on the leisure sheet and watching the ocean wasn't bad at all. The sea breeze was pleasant, and the water was so clear it seemed to sparkle.
"Kaito-san, we have an emergency."
"Eh? What’s wrong?"
"My thighs are currently free."
"............Huh?"
We’d had exchanges like this a few times in the past. It was the way Shiro-san voiced an indirect request... wait, was it even indirect? Regardless, it was her way of telling me she wanted something. And in this case, the fact that her thighs were free meant...
"Wait, do you mean you want to give me a lap pillow?"
"My thighs happen to be unoccupied. And you are in the mood to lie down and rest... How remarkable. Our interests are perfectly aligned. So, what do you think?"
"What do I think? Well... I mean, I’d be grateful, but if I let you give me a lap pillow now, I’m almost certain I'll fall asleep."
I’d experienced Shiro-san’s lap pillows before, and they were incredibly soft and comfortable. Given how full I was, lying down now would be a one-way ticket to dreamland.
"I don't mind. I will wake you after a little while has passed, so it is fine if you sleep."
"...Um, well then, if you're sure, I'll take you up on it."
"Yes. Please, go ahead."
In truth, the offer was incredibly tempting. I really did want to sleep a little, I was happy to receive a lap pillow from my lover, and since we were alone, I didn't have to worry too much about the embarrassment. It was nothing but benefits for me.
And so, I ended up resting my head on Shiro-san’s lap. As expected, her thighs were soft and had a faint, lovely scent.
"I really feel like I'm going to drift off immediately."
"That is fine. I shall enjoy the sight of your sleeping face to my heart’s content."
"That’s a bit embarrassing in its own way..."
I gave a wry smile at Shiro-san, who seemed quite pleased with herself, and prepared to surrender to the heavy drowsiness washing over me. As I did, my hand moved almost unconsciously and grasped hers.
"Oh?"
"Ah, sorry. I just... grabbed it without thinking."
"No, it was sudden, but I actually prefer this. One hundred points. Let us stay like this."
"Ahaha, what are these points for...?"
I felt the warmth of Shiro-san’s hand as she gently squeezed back, and my consciousness slowly began to sink into a daze. Shiro-san had mentioned being in a pampering mode, but it felt like I was the one becoming quite spoiled by her.
Ultimately, the fact that there was no one else at the wharf was the biggest factor; it created an environment where it was easy to be affectionate with her.
"...Hmph. I see. When we are alone, Kaito-san is much more willing to be lovey-dovey... I shall adjust the afternoon schedule slightly."
Just as my consciousness faded, I thought I heard her murmur those words.
Serious-senpai: "My stomach hurts. I finally understand exactly how Lilia feels."
???: "You're saying that like it’s a new experience, but is this 'sweetness deals damage to the stomach' thing a real character trait? Or is it seriously just a new setting that sprouted recently?"
Serious-senpai: "............W-Well, putting the romance aside, I feel like an additional stomach pain flag just went up for the other Gods too."
???: "............Is she evolving, or just devolving further every day? This senpai..."