The theater we eventually reached was an elegant red-brick building with a spacious, beautiful interior. The decor had a retro feel to it, though I suspected this was a deliberate choice to cultivate a specific atmosphere.
Posters for the troupe's current production were displayed prominently, and the crowd was quite large; as Kaori-san had predicted, they were clearly a popular group. I had arrived without any prior knowledge of the play, but judging by the posters, it seemed to be a romantic tale centered on a spirit and a human.
"I heard this troupe’s magical special effects are incredible," Kaori-san noted.
"Heh, that sounds promising. I’ve seen a few plays with magical effects before, and they always provide an intensity and immersion that traditional performances can't match."
"Exactly. It has a different kind of impact compared to a movie, doesn't it?"
I took the tickets Olivia-san had prepared in advance and we chatted while joining the admission queue. For the moment, I had released Kaori-san’s hand to hold the tickets, but I remained hand-in-hand with Olivia-san.
There was a specific reason for this. As we had discovered at Elis-san's chocolate shop, even in casual wear, Olivia-san possessed a saintly aura—a unique presence that made people realize she was the Pope almost immediately.
To address this, I had turned to the Recognition Inhibition Glasses Shiro-san had given me a while back, which I'd initially used to hide my facial expressions. By holding her hand while I wore them, the effect of the Recognition Inhibition Magic extended to Olivia-san as well, preventing those around us from noticing her true identity.
"I am terribly sorry," Olivia-san whispered. "I failed to give any thought to the need for recognition inhibition."
"No, I didn't think of it until just now either. But as long as we keep holding hands like this, we don't have to worry about you being recognized and drawing unwanted attention. It’s actually quite a relief. Though, since we'll have to stay like this even during admission, it might be a bit inconvenient for you..."
"N-No, not at all! On the contrary, for me, being able to feel the warmth of Great Miyama Kaito-sama’s hand is a happiness beyond measure. If it were possible, I would wish to stay like this forever; there is no inconvenience whatsoever."
Since Olivia-san couldn't use Recognition Inhibition Magic herself outside of the Friendly City, and since the glasses were sized specifically for my face and would be too large for her, we proceeded into the theater with our hands firmly joined.
(Mizuhara Kaori, I require your counsel... Regarding that matter, when would be the best time to strike?)
(Eh? Eeh, you're really asking me? U-Umm... I guess... it should be when the play reaches a romantic peak?)
(I see... Specifically, what constitutes such a peak?)
(Specifically!? E-Err, like when the lovers in the story finally make progress...?)
Kaori-san seemed quite flustered by the interrogation, but as usual, their secret exchange was perfectly audible to me through the mana wavelengths. I intended to come clean later about being able to hear them, but doing so right now would likely send Olivia-san into a total tailspin. I figured it was best to wait until after she achieved her goal.
Actually, on second thought, it might have been a good thing that I knew in advance. Shifting from a normal hand-hold to a lover's hand-holding—interlocking fingers—might go smoothly if both parties are expecting it, but if only one person tries to force it, the whole thing can end up feeling awkward.
Fortunately, both Olivia-san and Kaori-san were so preoccupied with the logistics of the "strike" that they hadn't noticed I was onto them.
With those thoughts in mind, we entered the theater and took our assigned seats. Olivia-san had secured prime tickets; we were in a perfect spot with a clear view of the stage.
We sat in the order of Olivia-san, me, then Kaori-san. The stage was set. I could feel a surge of incredibly intense determination radiating from Olivia-san, as if she were facing a decisive battle that would split the world... but I couldn't help but feel she was getting a bit too fired up. Then again, for her, initiating a lover's hand-hold might truly be as momentous as marching onto a battlefield.
In any case, I just hoped I could respond to her appropriately when the time came.
Serious-senpai: "But come to think of it, if she tried to shift into a lover's hand-hold without Kaito knowing, her moving her hand might make him think she wanted to let go. In that sense, isn't it actually for the best that he's aware of her plan?"