Aoi had proposed that our characters get married so we could participate in the Bridal Event, but it made me wonder: was marriage between two male avatars even possible?
A character marriage system had existed back when I was an active player, but it had been restricted to opposite-sex pairings. Furthermore, the mechanical benefits were practically nonexistent, so it had always felt like little more than a role-playing feature for in-game couples.
"Aoi, both your character and mine are guys. Can we actually get married?"
"Oh? Ah, yes, it's fine. About two years ago, the marriage system was updated to reflect the recent public focus on diversity. It’s now possible for two male or two female characters to marry."
"I see. Man, even the system changes are making me feel like I’ve been out of the loop forever."
When she put it that way, it made sense. In this day and age, there would likely be complaints if same-sex marriage wasn't an option. Besides, since there were people like Aoi who chose a gender different from their own for their avatars, it was better to have the flexibility.
As I ruminated on the changes, something suddenly occurred to me.
"Come to think of it, if the game is in the middle of a June event... isn't your birthday coming up soon, Aoi?"
Her birthday should have been June 23rd, which meant it was only about two weeks away.
"Huh? Ah... T-True. No, wait a minute! I’m not sure I can accept that. Based on the timing of our summoning, it felt like my birthday had just ended right before I came here. I mean, subjectively, it’s been over a year since my growth was reset once, but I’ve decided to recognize that reset as me returning to exactly how I was before."
"I suppose? I mean, it’s true that we were summoned just before summer in our world, but it was nearly the end of the year over here. There’s definitely a seasonal disconnect."
To be honest, I had intended it as idle small talk, hoping I could figure out what she wanted so I could get her a gift. However, the moment I brought it up, Aoi’s expression shifted into one of visible panic.
It was an objective fact that time flowed differently between our world and this one. Even on my own birthday, I hadn't quite felt like it was actually my birthday yet. Since the timing of Aoi and Hina’s return to this world differed from mine, a discrepancy in our sense of the seasons was inevitable.
"That's why I don't recognize myself as eighteen yet!"
"Eighteen? Oh... I see. Right, so that's why you’re so flustered..."
During the after-party for the Flying Board Tournament, Aoi had confessed that I was her first love and said something along the lines of "Once I turn eighteen..."
Several months had passed since then, but Aoi had clearly been operating under the assumption that her birthday was still a long way off. Now that it was arriving sooner than expected, she was scrambling.
"...Ahem. Listen, Kaito-san. There is a saying: 'A person truly falls in love from the heart only once. That is their first love.' A first love is precious, and it must be nurtured carefully and steadily."
"I... see?"
"Besides, I refuse to let it happen before we've even experienced Christmas or Valentine's Day! I had so many things planned... Therefore, I am officially declaring this upcoming birthday as the 'loss time' for my seventeenth year. My eighteenth birthday won't happen until next year."
"I've never heard of a birthday having 'loss time' before... But well, if you're fine with that, Aoi, I won't argue."
She had pulled some truly bizarre logic out of thin air, but I think I understood her intentions. Ever since our talk at the tournament party, she’d been thinking about things she wanted to do during major holidays—likely as a way to approach me romantically. Since she didn't want to reach the milestone of eighteen before she had a chance to see those plans through, she was simply extending her seventeenth year.
It was a complicated situation given the summoning discrepancies, and I figured it was best for her to handle it in a way that felt right to her. I decided to go along with it.
"Even so, we weren't able to celebrate your seventeenth birthday properly, so I'd still like to do something for you. Is there anything you want, Aoi?"
"Hmm, that's difficult. It's not that I have no desires at all, but everything I need right now is for the adventurer profession or just books... None of it feels particularly romantic."
"In that case, do you want to go shopping together and look for something? If we browse through various shops, you might find something that catches your eye."
"Oh, that's a wonderful idea! Let's definitely do that!"
Since she couldn't think of anything on the spot, I suggested we look for a gift together. Aoi nodded, a radiant, joyful smile spreading across her face.
With the matter settled, we turned our attention back to the game. However, at that exact moment, Aoi suddenly leaned over and rested her head on my shoulder.
"...To be honest, I'm feeling a bit relieved. I mean, even if I'm stretching out the clock, I've already basically told you how I feel. Based on your personality, Kaito-san, I know that if you weren't going to accept me, you would have told me by now to make sure you weren't leading me on. That's why I can relax... and why I'm... really... expecting things."
Her words were barely a whisper, more of a monologue than a statement intended for me. At the very least, I knew I shouldn't react to them here. I wouldn't give her my final answer until she was ready to reach that eighteenth birthday on her own terms.
Still, I couldn't help but feel like the shoulder she was leaning against had become incredibly hot.
Serious-senpai: "T-This girl... what a high-tier heroine move... No, I get it. She’s right. Knowing Kaito, if he intended to reject her, he would have done it sometime in the months following the tournament. The fact that he hasn't... means the confession has effectively been accepted. She just wants to savor the 'pre-couple' phase during Christmas and Valentine's Day... Damn it all!"