Suiren, the otherworld restaurant located in the Friendly City Hikari, was closed for its scheduled holiday. Nevertheless, Kaori and Olivia were inside the shop. Olivia had come specifically to see Kaori, who spoke as she prepared the tea.
"So, Olivia-sama... is it finally finished?"
"Yes. I’ve received so much advice from you, Kaori, and for that, I am truly grateful. Thanks to you, the plan for the date I intend to invite Kaito-sama on is essentially complete. That said, I still feel like some of the finer points might need tightening, so I was hoping for one last bit of guidance..."
"I see. It felt both short and incredibly long at the same time... Well, a lot has happened, but if it's finally taken shape, then my help was worth it."
A considerable amount of time had passed between Olivia's first consultation regarding her date with Kaito and the completion of the plan. This wasn't because two people with zero Romance Experience were trying to build a plan from scratch; rather, the primary issue was Olivia's own over-earnest personality.
Initially, she had tried to script every minute detail of their potential conversations, resulting in a mountain of paperwork that Kaori had immediately rejected. Next, she had taken every dating activity she’d found in books and crammed them into a single itinerary, which resulted in a date that would have lasted half a month. Kaori had rejected that one, too. After many such twists and turns, they had finally settled on a plan that fit into a single day.
"Here are the details."
"Wait... something's wrong. If you actually used my advice, there shouldn't be a document the size of a dictionary appearing right now... Um, Olivia-sama? We agreed on a day trip, right? We talked about not overstuffing it and leaving plenty of breathing room."
"That is correct. I understand your concern, Kaori, but please rest assured. This is not entirely a plan for the day of the date."
"Huh? What does that mean?"
Kaori stared at the stack of papers—which easily exceeded five hundred pages—with a look of pure bewilderment. She tilted her head, unable to grasp what else a date plan could possibly contain.
With an expression that seemed almost proud, Olivia began to explain the massive heap of documents.
"First, we have the rituals scheduled for the ten days leading up to the date. These include a Prayer of Gratitude for the mercy Kaito-sama shows by dating me, a Prayer of Gratitude for the fact that Kaito-sama came to this world, a Prayer of Gratitude for Kaito-sama's very existence, and a Prayer of Gratitude toward Shallow Vernal-sama for creating the world... I have meticulously scripted the content of every prayer and established the precise movements for the Rite of Prayer. This section accounts for 258 pages."
"Oh... I see... right."
"Then, starting the day after the date concludes, we have the post-date reflections. These include a Prayer of Gratitude for Kaito-sama's mercy in spending his precious time on my behalf, a Prayer of Gratitude for being allowed to spend a whole day by Kaito-sama's side, a Prayer of Blessing for the future Kaito-sama will walk toward, a Prayer of Gratitude for every single one of Kaito-sama's actions and gestures, another Prayer of Gratitude toward Shallow Vernal-sama for creating the world, and finally, a Prayer of Gratitude for the divine guidance of Shallow Vernal-sama that led me through this trial... That section is 396 pages."
"So this is what happens when someone’s religious fervor goes off the deep end... It’s terrifying. Look, for now, let’s leave the pre- and post-date rituals to your discretion and just focus on the big day. How many pages is the actual date?"
"Two."
"The discrepancy is so extreme it's making my head spin."
A 656-page manifesto consisting of 258 pages of preparatory prayer, 396 pages of concluding prayer, and a mere two pages for the actual date. Kaori thought to herself that Olivia could have just brought those two pages and left the rest at home, but she kept the comment to herself, her face fixed in a strained, unreadable smile.
Serious-senpai: "So, speaking as a 'Mad God,' what’s your take on Olivia?"
Machina: "She's a girl who understands the fundamentals. I hold her in high regard. Treating My Beloved Child with absolute gratitude is the most basic of requirements, after all. Seeing her execute those basics so faithfully is truly commendable."