The Hidden Talent Show was proceeding at a surprisingly brisk pace. The schedule was quite well-managed: I would act as a judge for a performance, and since there was a relatively long interval before the next one, I would use that time to spin the Garapon and receive a gift. By the time I finished accepting the present, the next talent act would be just about to start. It was incredibly efficient.
Alternating between judging and receiving gifts provided a nice change of pace, which made the whole experience feel very engaging.
With that thought in mind, I gave the Garapon lottery machine a spin...
"Fate."
"It’s here! It’s my turn! Okay, Shaltan, I’m heading out for a bit, so I’ll leave the rest to you."
"Got it. Have a safe trip."
The next person was Fate-san. Even before Ein-san could call her name, Fate-san had seen the result from the live commentary seat. She spoke to Alice and appeared before me a split second later.
"Kai-chan! It’s me! Happy birthday!"
"Ahaha, thank you very much."
She offered her congratulations using the exact same phrasing she had used when the live commentary first started—likely on purpose—and I thanked her. The fact that she seemed to be genuinely enjoying the event rather than treating it like a chore was a testament to how much she had changed.
"Fate-san, thank you for all your hard work as the moderator."
"Seriously. It’s not fair, you know? I have a feeling Shaltan and I are going to be the permanent MC duo from now on. If it weren't for your birthday, I’d definitely be slacking off."
"That sounds like you, Fate-san. But the moderation by you and Alice has a great tempo, and it’s fun for the audience, so I really appreciate it."
"...Hmm. Well, if Kai-chan says so, then I don't mind being the MC for your birthdays in the future. I’ll flatly refuse for anything else, though!"
When I offered those words of praise, Fate-san replied with a look of pure delight.
"Oops, I have to give you your present. Here it is!"
"Oh? This is a huge package... but it doesn't feel that heavy. What on earth is inside?"
What Fate-san pulled out was a package larger than I was; its scale was impressive.
"Remember that human-ruining cushion you gave me before? Well, I tried making an even bigger version of it."
"A cushion this size? That’s incredible. It looks like my entire body would disappear into it."
"I wanted it to be a size that would fit both of us lying down together, so it ended up being that big. I worried it might be a bit too large, but you can just toss it in a Magic Box when you aren’t using it. Since it won't take up any floor space, I figured the size didn't really matter."
Indeed, as Fate-san said, even for a large cushion, as long as I kept it in a Magic Box when not in use, it wouldn't clutter the room or ruin the decor. Furthermore, having it in a Magic Box meant I could potentially use it while traveling. A bead cushion of this scale sounded exceptionally comfortable.
"I see. Sinking into a cushion this size does sound like it would feel amazing."
"Right? Let's roll around and laze about on it together next time~"
"Ahaha, definitely. I’ll look forward to it."
I thought that was the end of the exchange, but Fate-san suddenly flashed a mischievous, teasing smile.
"Also, as your lover, I have to do something extra. Kai-chan, give me your hand for a second."
"Eh? My hand? Like this?"
"Exactly. Now... hop!"
"Wh—!? Wait, Fate-san!?"
Because she had asked for my hand, I reached out toward her, only for her to grab it and press it directly against her chest. I was too stunned to react; I was currently cupping Fate-san's breast in my palm. As usual, it had incredible volume and softness, with a perfect amount of elasticity—wait, that wasn't the point! Why was this happening!?
"Look, doing something myself is a pain, but I still wanted to do something that would make Kai-chan happy... so, you can go ahead and knead them, okay?"
"No, no! Why would you suddenly do something so outrageous...?"
"It's fine, it's fine. I'm using Fate Manipulation right now so that no one else looks this way, and they’ll ignore the sound of our voices. Aside from the people it doesn't work on, we won't draw any attention, so you can enjoy yourself. You like them, don't you?"
"It’s not a matter of like or dislike! This is the kind of thing we should do when we’re alone..."
"Oh, I see~ Let's do that, then."
Hearing my words, Fate-san easily let go of my hand, a satisfied and joyful expression on her face.
"Then, just as Kai-chan requested, we’ll do the rest next time we’re alone~"
...I’d been trapped! So that was her real aim. I mean, it wasn't that I'd hate it, but I definitely felt like I’d been played.
"Well then, I'm heading back to the commentary booth~"
"A-Ah, okay. Thank you very much."
"Bye-bye~"
With a wave, Fate-san returned to her seat. She really had a knack for making these wild, casual approaches that left me reeling. But... well, the texture really was amazing. Yeah.
Serious-senpai: "Guaaaaah!? I-If it’s come to this... Serious-senpai, Mode Change!! Anti-Lovey-Dovey Mode!!"
???: "!?"
Serious-senpai: "..."
???: "..."
Serious-senpai: "...Dammit, I don’t have a function like that!"
???: "Eeeeh!? You were shouting about a mode change you can't even do!?"
Serious-senpai: "Well, I thought maybe there was a one-in-a-million chance I had some mysterious biological trait I didn't know about... but no. How disappointing."
???: "...Actually, it would be scarier if you could transform without knowing it yourself. Though you do tend to dissolve into sugar, Senpai."