I understood what Shiro-san wanted, more or less, but understanding a request and actually executing it were two very different things. She simply stood there, staring at me with an indomitable resolve—or perhaps it was better described as silent pressure.
"...Um, well, I just want to be sure... what exactly am I supposed to do?"
"I want the happening where Kaito-san pushes me down."
"..."
I knew her request was inspired by the tropes of romance manga, but the fact that she had explicitly stated her intentions meant it wouldn't be a "happening" anymore. It would just be me pushing her down on purpose.
Honestly, the bar was just too high. Even if I went through with it, the context was all wrong. While I didn't think we needed to go to the extremes Alice usually did, I still felt like the atmosphere mattered.
"...Hmm."
Wait, was that... a positive sign? Shiro-san wore a rare, contemplative expression. She clearly wanted to experience a classic rom-com moment, but she seemed to be considering the logic behind my argument for a better setting.
If she was capable of being this reasonable, I really wished she had shown some of that flexibility during our earlier standoff in the dressing room.
"Shiro-san, I know you can read my mind, so you probably already get the gist of what I'm saying, but the situation is vital for stuff like this. If I were to push you down right now, sure, my heart would race, but the lack of spontaneity would make me feel awkward and self-conscious. It would kill the romantic mood, wouldn't it? That would defeat the whole purpose."
"...Mmm... You have a point."
"Besides, our main goal was to enjoy the hot spring together. Let's focus on that first. I've been looking forward to this, and since we're already here in the dressing room, I really want to head in. We'll have other chances for those rom-com scenarios later; there’s no need to rush and force it into a template right now."
"..."
For once, I actually seemed to have the upper hand. Shiro-san looked conflicted, but I could feel my persuasion taking hold. After a short silence, she gave a quiet nod.
"I understand. As Kaito-san says, there is no need to rush, and our primary objective is the hot spring. We shall save the Happening Operation for another time."
"I'm glad you see it my way."
"Yes. Therefore, I will settle for a Passionate Hug this time."
"...Huh?"
That was strange. How had the conversation shifted to that? Shiro-san was already spreading her arms, waiting for me to embrace her. Well, I suppose she had compromised in her own divine way. I let out a small sigh, stepped toward her, and pulled her into my arms. Since she had specified a "passionate" one, I held her a little tighter than usual.
Shiro-san wound her arms around my back. As always, the soft, warm sensation of her embrace filled me with a sense of peace and happiness.
...All that being said, I wondered when we would actually make it into the hot spring.
Serious-senpai: "Guh... I can still... endure this... Wait, if I keep enduring, won't the suffering just last longer?"