As they left the restaurant and made their way toward the theater, Olivia’s mind was racing with frantic calculations.
(Unexpected complications aside, I have successfully fulfilled the essential requirements for the meal portion of the date. I must maintain this momentum and firmly achieve my goals during the play as well. However, my reference materials contained no specific records on theater etiquette. There was only a vague mention of ‘the atmosphere becoming good,’ so some form of action must surely be required. I should treat this as a trial of my powers of insight. Shallow Vernal-sama, who sees through all of creation, must have commanded me to invite Miyama Kaito-sama on this date believing that I could grow by overcoming this ordeal.)
Of course, there wasn't a grain of truth to her assumption, but it was certainly true that simulating a theater visit in advance had proven difficult for her.
Given the nature of watching a performance, her options for active participation were limited. She spent the walk searching for a way to create that "good atmosphere" without disturbing Kaito's experience.
(The literature mentioned holding hands during a performance, but Miyama Kaito-sama and I are already doing that. Therefore, simply holding hands is out... but what else can I do without interfering with his concentration? Wait! Could it be...? The books mentioned that there are stages to holding hands! Above the level of a normal grasp, there is a method of connecting with interlocking fingers... I see! This theater trip is the signal to advance to that next stage!)
If Kaito or Kaori had possessed the power to read hearts, they might have looked at her thoughts and mused, "So this is what happens when someone's earnestness goes off the rails."
However, nobody could read Olivia’s mind. Kaito, who could read emotions, only sensed that her previous anxieties had been resolved; he remained completely oblivious to the specifics of what she was planning.
(Mizuhara Kaori, can you hear me? Simply thinking back is enough.)
(...Eh? W-What is this? Olivia-sama’s voice is suddenly ringing in my head... Is it magic?)
(No, I can barely use magic outside of the Friendly City, so this is not a magical spell. However, as a token of my gratitude for your daily assistance, I have bestowed upon you something akin to a Blessing of the Gods. By tracing that connection and resonating our mana wavelengths, we are in a state similar to the way monsters communicate.)
(Wait a second, there's way too much information here! Or rather, there's nothing but information I don't know about myself! No, well, I’ll ask about that properly later... but what's wrong? If you're talking to me like this, you don't want Kaito-kun to hear, right?)
There were far too many points in that explanation to nitpick, but Kaori decided to put her questions on hold for now. She felt the vague stirrings of a stomach ache, and she judged it would be better to nurse her stomach later in private than to suffer in the middle of a date.
(Yes. It is about how we should act toward Miyama Kaito-sama during the performance.)
(...I see?)
Wearing a complex expression at the fact that she was being so naturally included in the plan, Kaori decided to listen to Olivia until the end. Olivia proceeded to explain the conclusion she had reached.
(...You're either too serious or just being your usual self, Olivia-sama... Uh, so you mean that? Doing the 'lover's hand-holding' thing? Eeeeeh, that’s... as I thought, that's pretty embarrassing...)
(Nevertheless, it is necessary if we are to complete this date perfectly.)
(D-Do you really think so? Do people actually interlock fingers at such an early stage? Well, I guess if we’re already at the point of going on a date, we’re already pretty close... If the situation is 'more than friends, less than lovers,' then maybe... Ugh, I hate my own lack of romantic experience.)
Though she felt Olivia’s logic was flawed, Kaori was equally inexperienced. Her knowledge was centered on fiction, where characters often closed the distance boldly. She concluded that if they were already on a date, it wasn't outside the realm of possibility.
Part of her harbored a faint yearning for such an intimate gesture, so she and Olivia continued to coordinate their actions for the upcoming play.
However, the two of them had overlooked one major factor. Just as Olivia had said, they were communicating in a state nearly identical to the mana-wavelength resonance used by monsters.
Which meant...
(...What should I do? I can hear everything...)
Indeed, for Kaito—who could interpret mana-wavelength conversations thanks to his blessing—their discussion was perfectly audible. He was currently suffering from a severe case of awkwardness.
Serious-senpai: "It’s a situation where two people with zero experience are consulting each other, and a guy with plenty of experience is overhearing it all. He probably feels awkward about interrupting a conversation they think is a secret..."
???: "Kaito-san can eavesdrop on telepathy and mana-wavelengths because of his mana sensitivity. It’s a passive effect of his Sympathy Magic and the blessing, so it only works within a distance where someone touches the mana he's unconsciously emitting... Since he’s close enough to be holding their hands, he’s catching it all loud and clear."
Serious-senpai: "Does that mean Kaito could stop hearing it if he just turned off his Sympathy Magic?"
???: "Not exactly. He can turn off the 'emotion reading' part, but he isn't skilled enough to completely suppress his mana output—the way someone like Zwei-san does. He’s always clad in a thin layer of it. Since the Sympathy Magic is technically always active even if he mutes the functions, he can't really block this out intentionally."