Kaori sat in her gondola seat, her gaze fixed on the words before her as she processed the situation.
Oh... I see. Right. That’s how it is. Wait, wait, wait! This is getting way more intense than I expected!
Her initial silence didn't last long before her mind shifted into a full-blown panic. Fortunately, she possessed enough mental fortitude to keep her thoughts from fraying into total incoherence or blacking out, allowing her to analyze their current predicament.
Isn’t this something only established couples or married people do? I mean, I know this is a Date Course, but still... If a pair of teenagers with that "more than friends, less than lovers" vibe rode this, a sign like that would definitely be the push they needed to change their relationship, wouldn't it?
Directly in front of the seat, written in a spot that wasn't overly flashy but naturally caught the eye, was a message recommending that passengers put their arms around one another. Naturally, Kaori’s thoughts revolved entirely around that specific act.
The physical proximity in this gondola is incredible... The theater seats had armrests, but here, we're practically glued together. It would be so easy to just reach out and put an arm around someone. No! No, no, no! That’s way too high-level! It’s too embarrassing!
The reality was that Kaori had ended up on this date through a series of events she didn't quite understand; she and Kaito weren't actually a couple. They were just friends from the same world. He was simply the man she liked most, someone whose personality happened to be exactly her type, someone who made her heart flutter constantly, and someone she felt it might be okay to be a little bold with—but at the end of the day, they were still just friends.
They didn't even have that bittersweet "more than friends" dynamic yet. At best, they were friends where she thought, "I could see this working." If he were to confess right now, she’d probably give him a nod after some serious soul-searching. In the grand scheme of romance, the distance between their current status and being a real couple was as distinct as beef curry versus chicken curry.
...Not that I'm saying I don't find the idea of looking at the scenery with his arm around me romantic. It's probably easier than a full-on hug, and since it's Kaito, I wouldn't actually mind. If he decided to follow the sign's advice and put his arm around my shoulder... well, it wouldn't be his fault. It's written right there. It’s only natural for him to act on it. As his senior, I shouldn't scold him—I should have the maturity to just accept it.
Kaori began making excuses to an imaginary audience in her head. She did long for that kind of intimacy, and she was still carrying some of the heart-pounding excitement from their earlier conversation about hugs. Once she looked past the issue of it being "too embarrassing," she found herself—much to her own surprise—actually quite enthusiastic about the idea.
But if we were to talk about it, I’d be too embarrassed and would definitely end up refusing. So, if he’s going to act on that recommendation, I’d rather he just be forceful about it without making any weird confirmations. I’m the type who likes to act like the mature senior, but I think it might be nice to be led by someone acting a bit assertive every now and then... Yeah. I’ll leave the decision to Kaito. If he puts his arm around me, then it just can’t be helped. He has way more romance experience than I do, so if he sees that recommendation and acts on it, it must be the best course of action. If that happens, I’ll just savor the situation of having a handsome younger guy’s arm around my shoulder. Conversely, if he doesn’t move or asks me something like "What should we do?", then I’ll just take it as the arm-around-the-shoulder situation being saved for next time and enjoy the scenery as we are. Yeah, no matter which way it goes, I won't lose out. Let's go with that!
Kaori eventually settled on a "wait-and-see" approach. Since she was a complete amateur when it came to love, any move she made while flustered would likely end in disaster. It was better to leave the decision entirely up to Kaito.
At the end of the day, she genuinely liked Kaito. She liked him enough that she was perfectly willing to accept his touch. The only obstacle was her own embarrassment at being the one to initiate. Having made her decision to surrender to the flow, Kaori calmed her racing heart and turned her attention to the passing scenery.
Serious-senpai: "Is she for real? She's basically been conquered already, hasn't she?"