Olivia arrived shortly after. It made for a truly bizarre gathering inside Kaori's shop: Olivia, the Pope of the Friendly City; Noin, the First Hero; and Kaori and I, a pair of otherworlders.
The relationship between Noin and Olivia was what intrigued me most. Kaori seemed to feel the same way, as her gaze bounced back and forth between the Pope, who had just walked in, and Noin, who was already seated.
"It has been a long time, Olivia-sama."
"Kujou Hika—pardon me, you go by Noin now, don't you? Has it really been a thousand years? It has been quite a while."
They began with brief, polite greetings. Given that Noin avoided the Friendly City and never participated in the Hero Festivals, this was their first meeting in a millennium. They surely had a lot to catch up on.
As the leader of a city dedicated to honoring the First Hero, Olivia must have had so many thoughts on the matter...
"Now, if you will excuse me... Kaori, I apologize for dropping by before you've opened. And once again, Kaito-sama, I am delighted that we could meet like this. Please accept my apologies for the slight delay in coming to greet you."
"Huh? Oh, no, it's fine. Hello, Olivia-san."
Or so I thought, but after a quick nod to Noin, she immediately cut the conversation short and made a beeline for me! To her credit, the ever-earnest Olivia didn't ignore Kaori entirely, offering a brief word of greeting before pivoting toward me.
"I am overjoyed to see you in such high spirits today. It is a curious thing; whenever you visit, it feels as though the very air of the Friendly City grows a bit brighter."
"T-That feels like a bit of an exaggeration..."
"No, not at all... Ah, on a different note, word has reached me that your black tea brand is performing remarkably well. It is a very happy development. Then again, a man of your caliber is bound to achieve great results regardless of the field you choose to enter."
As Olivia spoke, her eyes were filled with the intent of "I respect you." Her expression seemed much richer than I remembered.
She was a regular at Kaori's shop and they were on good terms, so perhaps that had helped her develop a more human side. It felt like a wonderful change.
However, I also detected a trace of nervousness. Olivia tended to pile on the praise even more than usual when she was feeling anxious, so there might have been something on her mind.
"...The sheer level of enthusiasm she has for him is on a completely different scale compared to when she's talking to us," Kaori muttered. "In fact, did she save her greeting for Kaito-kun for last just so she could talk to him the longest? That’s the Olivia we know and love."
"I must admit, I am surprised," Noin said. "I had imagined her to be a quiet, stoic individual, but she is far more talkative than I expected."
"No, when it’s anyone other than Kaito-kun, she’s exactly as you imagined—cool and detached. It’s only when it involves him that she becomes like a different person, full of emotion."
"I see."
"...But she does seem a bit more restless than usual today," Kaori added. "Is it just because Kaito-kun is here?"
Since Olivia was a regular customer, Kaori seemed to understand her quite well. Like me, she had picked up on the tension in Olivia's demeanor.
"Restless? She seems to be speaking quite fluently to me..." Noin remarked.
"Hmm, even so, she's talking too much. Like she's obsessing over something... Oh... I get it now."
"Do you know what it is?" I asked.
"I have an idea, but it’s a bit of a complicated situation, so I can't really be the one to say it... Sorry."
Kaori clearly had an inkling of what was going on with Olivia, but since she wasn't going to share, the specifics remained a mystery.
Still curious, I decided to address Olivia directly.
"Olivia-san, if there's ever anything troubling you, please let me know. I might not be able to do much, but I'll always be there to help however I can."
"Thank you. Your kindness, Kaito-sama, radiates with a divine brilliance, like sunlight that cuts through the cloudy sky. While I certainly long to bask in that light of mercy, and I know that you would receive me with a warmth like a sunny spot... I must apologize. It is not exactly a 'trouble,' but rather a matter of my own resolve... Please, forgive me for the time being. I shall speak of it once I have properly steeled myself and finalized my plans."
"Ah, right. I understand."
Despite her characteristically extravagant praise, she promised to explain everything later. It didn't seem like anything dire, and since Kaori—who likely knew the truth—was wearing a gentle, knowing smile, I figured it was fine. I was curious, but I decided not to pry any further.
Serious-senpai: "Ah, it's just that her date plan for Kaito isn't fully set yet. She can't bring herself to invite him out right now, but just imagining the moment she eventually does is making her a nervous wreck..."