A beautiful field of flowers, bathed in sunlight. Blossoms of every color were in full bloom, their sweet fragrance tickling her nose and bringing a gentle peace to her heart.
Alongside the shimmering rays of the sun, music like a divine gospel echoed through the meadow, inviting those who heard it to the heavens.
Olivia had never set foot in the God Realm herself, but she imagined the legendary land of the gods must be as magnificent as this. Truly, it was a beautiful land where the Creator lived, a place of supreme blessing. Her eyes sparkled as they reflected the vision.
Olivia was certain now. She felt a bliss that filled her soul—yes, she had discovered that faith was defined by one’s devotion.
For a single second, Olivia’s mind soared to another world. However, she could not remain in a daze with Kaito sitting right in front of her. Through sheer grit and determination, she dragged her consciousness back to reality.
(Hah?! My consciousness drifted away because of that overwhelming sense of bliss. This is... this is far too dangerous! Just the act of offering food to Miyama Kaito-sama and watching him eat it fills me with such happiness—the realization of my devotion is intoxicating. Furthermore, feeling Miyama Kaito-sama’s warmth through my fingertips is extremely, extremely perilous... If I continue doing this, my brain will surely melt.)
Strictly speaking, Olivia’s faith was already capped—or rather, it had long since shattered the ceiling and was rising into the stratosphere without limit. Given that she praised Shallow Vernal and Kaito in her heart daily, there was no room to doubt the depth of her conviction.
For Olivia, the act of doing something for Kaito and having him accept it—the tangible feeling of serving him—brought her an immeasurable sense of joy.
"...Olivia-san? Are you all right?"
"Y-Yes, please forgive me. That gesture was a goal I had established beforehand, so I feel a profound sense of accomplishment now that I have successfully completed it."
She wasn't lying. She truly felt a sense of achievement for having carried out what she had planned, researched, and mentally rehearsed so thoroughly. It was simply that the happiness accompanying it was far more intense than she had anticipated.
(But I am truly glad. Because I spent so much time reinforcing the image while suppressing any stray thoughts, I managed to get through it without embarrassing myself. This doesn't mean I’ve achieved every goal for this date, but I’ve certainly cleared one major midpoint peak. As expected, preparing for every scenario is vital.)
While Olivia was settling her heart, Kaito picked up a canapé from his own plate. He held it out to her just as she had for him, supporting it with one hand.
"Well then, since we're at it, I'll return the favor. Here, have some."
This was a perfectly natural reaction for Kaito. He had already guessed the sequence of events—that the serious Olivia had researched dating etiquette, mistakenly believed that feeding each other was mandatory, and worked up the courage to do it—so he was merely following through to spare her any awkwardness.
However, he had made one miscalculation. As Olivia had just said she had "completed" the task, in her mind, the objective was already over.
(...Eh? T-That... I didn't... plan for this.)
Indeed, Olivia had planned meticulously for how she would serve Kaito and what she would do for him. But the concept of "having Kaito do something for her" practically didn't exist in her repertoire.
To her, Kaito was the object of her worship, and she believed her role was solely to offer him everything in her possession.
(W-Why? H-Have I performed some great feat? Not only am I being granted food intended for Miyama Kaito-sama, but he is feeding it to me directly? I have no memory of doing work worthy of such a reward... C-Could this be a prize for planning the date? But if so, the reward is far too generous! N-No, I can't just sit here troubled while Miyama Kaito-sama is holding the food out... I can't keep him waiting... Ah, um... I-Is it really okay for me to eat this?)
From Olivia’s perspective, an ultimate reward had just come flying at her from a completely unexpected direction. Her gaze darted back and forth between the canapé and Kaito, but since he was already waiting for her, she couldn't hesitate any longer. With an expression of extreme tension, she opened her mouth and accepted the food he offered.
"Was that a bit much for one bite?"
"Ah, no, not at all... It is completely different from the bite I ate myself. I can only marvel at whether Miyama Kaito-sama’s hands possess the power to elevate even simple food to a higher dimension. The sight of you offering the dish is so divine that I feel a sculpture of this moment should be enshrined within the cathedral..."
"Ahaha, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but I’m glad you liked it."
Olivia had entered her "praise-killing" state—the mode she defaulted to whenever she was flustered. Kaito could only give a wry, heartwarming smile at her hyperbole.
(Ah... He is so sublime... Is this... what happiness feels like?)
Because she had just been fed, they were still quite close. Seeing that gentle smile from such a short distance caused Olivia’s mind to soar back to another world for several more seconds.
Serious-senpai: "Guh... th-that’s some destructive power. Olivia doesn't even realize her feelings are romantic, but she’s so head over heels for Kaito that her entire perspective is drowning in affection."