As Olivia was guided to her seat in the restaurant, she could feel her nerves beginning to fray.
(I knew this would happen, yet I am still so immature. I simply cannot maintain my composure.)
Olivia had handled the restaurant selection and reservation herself. Her social standing made it impossible to visit in person beforehand, but she had gathered information from numerous magazines, meticulously vetting several candidates before settling on this establishment.
She understood that Kaito didn’t care for simple luxury. Drawing on her own knowledge and the advice she’d received from Kaori, she had tried to choose a place that perfectly aligned with his tastes.
(I have confidence. My only regret is that I couldn't perform a preliminary inspection, but I collected as much data as possible. I researched the menu, and I even tried cooking similar dishes myself so I could taste them. I’ve already confirmed that they don't use any ingredients Miyama Kaito-sama is not good with.)
As a side note, Kaito had already informed both Olivia and Kaori of his dislike for green peppers. While he was somewhat embarrassed by this and usually avoided mentioning it, he had made an exception when Olivia told him she would be handling the restaurant arrangements.
His reasoning was straightforward: he knew that if Olivia unknowingly ordered a dish containing green peppers and his reaction showed on his face—which it often did—she would undoubtedly be overcome with a crushing sense of responsibility. Compared to that, a bit of personal embarrassment was a small price to pay. Thus, he had warned her about the peppers in advance.
By the time they reached their table—undoubtedly the best in the house, a window seat on the second floor with a stunning view of the red-brick townscape—Olivia’s tension had begun to seep into her expression.
Since they had pre-ordered the food, the waiter only came by to take their drink orders. Kaito handed over the introduction card received from Elis and requested the special juice.
"This is a lovely atmosphere. You picked this place out, didn't you, Olivia-san?"
"Y-Yes."
"Olivia-sama did a lot of research. She asked for my opinion constantly."
Kaito spoke with a gentle smile, trying to ease her nerves. Olivia offered a strained but polite reply. When Kaori mentioned how much effort Olivia had put into the search, Kaito’s expression softened. He reached out and lightly patted Olivia on the head.
"Is that so? It must have been quite a challenge. Thank you."
"---!?"
It wasn't a calculated move; he was simply trying to reassure the visibly anxious woman. She happened to be within reach, and because her behavior throughout the day had reminded him of an eager puppy, he had unconsciously reached out to reward her hard work.
(Eh? Ah? Kaito-sama is... petting me? What is this feeling? My thoughts are melting away, and a blissful warmth is flowing down from the top of my head... My body feels like it's dissolving... I can't think straight! C-C-Calm down...)
Naturally, no one had ever patted Olivia’s head before. To have it done by Kaito, the man she so deeply revered and adored, was a profound shock. While it felt heavenly, the sheer scale of her happiness sent her mind into a state of total chaos.
"Ah, sorry. I did that without thinking."
"N-N-No! I am very happy—no, that's not it! P-Please, don't mind me!"
Olivia was more flustered than she had ever been in her life, but the gesture proved effective in resetting her frozen thoughts.
Having now learned the sheer bliss of his touch, there was a danger she might find her heart constantly troubled by the expectation of it in the future. For now, however, it served as the perfect catalyst to help her shift gears.
Once the mental fog cleared, she was able to think a little more rationally.
(……It's fine. I have read the reference materials, and I have simulated this in my head countless times, even while distracted by stray thoughts. I will surely see this date through to a successful conclusion.)
However, a significant misunderstanding remained. Kaito had noticed her extreme tension since their arrival and assumed she was worried about whether or not he would enjoy the food.
He was wrong. While she did have some lingering anxiety about the meal, Olivia had carefully studied Kaito’s tastes through their past interactions and their letters leading up to the date. She was actually quite confident in her choice.
Furthermore, she knew Kaito well enough to understand that he would never dream of punishing her if a meal wasn't to his liking. Had it failed, she simply intended to perform a severe ascetic training of reflection later to ensure the mistake was never repeated. No, her true source of tension lay elsewhere.
The crucial factor was that Olivia’s research on dating had been entirely based on romance novels and romance magazines.
The real reason she was so incredibly nervous was that she was planning to execute a specific scenario: feeding your date. Unfortunately, at this stage, Kaito hadn't a clue.
Serious-senpai: "I-I see. So Kaito can only grasp broad strokes of emotion... He can read the tension, but he might be totally wrong about the cause. Dammit... is she really... increasing her heroine power?"
???: "Is heroine power some kind of system where you can just raise and lower it like combat power?"