By the fourth act of the Hidden Talent Show, the atmosphere in the venue was in full swing. Even so, I never expected Fia-sensei and Funf-san to team up for a manzai routine. On top of that, I hadn't expected Funf-san to be the boke.
Aside from the comedy itself, Tre-san was standing offstage with her arms crossed, nodding with a smug, satisfied expression as if to say, "I’m the one who raised them." It was honestly hilarious. Since Tre-san and I are fairly close, I could tell—she probably had nothing to do with the act; she just wanted to strike that "master mentor watching from the wings" pose.
She didn't even go up on the dais, just stayed in the shadows... still, it was entertaining, unexpectedness and all. Now, for the next draw from the lottery machine...
"Illness."
Oh? Following Fate-san and Sieg-san, that made three lovers in a row. It wasn't as if that held any particular significance, but seeing my lovers come one after another made me feel genuinely happy.
A short while later, Illness-san arrived.
"Kaito-sama... happy... birthday... to you..."
"Thank you. That's a beautiful dress, Illness-san. I’ve seen you in your maid uniform and your casual clothes, but this is the first time I’ve seen you in a gown. It’s a fresh look. The darker tones create such a chic atmosphere; it really suits your calm, mature image."
"Kuhihi, thank you... Since it is Kaito-sama's... birthday... I dressed up... a little..."
Though Illness-san was petite, she possessed the aura of a composed, mature woman, and the subdued colors of the dress looked wonderful on her. It didn't feel like the dress was wearing her; she wore it with such poise that while the look was new, it also seemed perfectly natural.
"For your birthday present... I have prepared... perfume... this time. Here... it is..."
"Thank you. Come to think of it, I didn't own any perfume at all. Knowing your tastes, Illness-san, is it something like rose?"
Receiving perfume as a gift felt mature and novel... and a bit exciting. I had never worn perfume before, but while I might not use it daily, it might add a touch of refinement when wearing formal attire for parties and such.
"It is true... that I like roses... but as for perfume... roses have... a strong scent... so opinions are often divided... I thought that if I were to give it to Kaito-sama... who is not used to wearing perfume... a subtle scent... would be better... so I focused on a citrus scent... this time. I did use... a little bit of rose... though..."
"I see. I like the refreshing scent of citrus, so that sounds great."
"Yes... I blended a citrus fragrance... for the top note... a floral fruity type... for the middle note... and a woody type... for the last note. I used a little bit of rose... in the middle note..."
"...I don't know anything about perfume, so I don't really understand the details, but you made this yourself, right, Illness-san? If so, I’m sure it’s amazing and I’m looking forward to using it... but since I’m a complete amateur, I’d appreciate it if you could teach me how to apply it when the time comes..."
"Yes... please leave it... to me..."
I-I remember now. I think I read it in a manga once—the combination of the top note that hits immediately, the middle note that emerges after some time, and the last note that lingers after an hour is vital, and people have preferences for which part they emphasize.
Well, since I really don't know the first thing about it, I'll just have Illness-san teach me when I actually use it.
"By the way... do lovers... do something a little... special... here...?"
"There's no set rule, but it does seem like things have been heading in that direction."
"However... there is little... that can be done immediately... in this place..."
"That's true, so you don't have to push yourself—!?"
I was cut off as Illness-san drew close with a fluid motion that seemed to slip right through my guard. She gave me a light kiss, the soft sound of our lips meeting echoing for a brief second before she pulled away.
It was a complete surprise attack, but the soft sensation of Illness-san's lips and the faint, wafting scent of her rose perfume made my head feel like it was melting.
"I am wearing... rose perfume... myself... How... was it...?"
"Eh? Ah, um, it smelled really good and... it made my heart race."
"Kuhihi, then... I am glad... Once again... happy... birthday..."
Illness-san laughed happily as she spoke. She seemed more emotionally expressive than before, showing feelings like joy and happiness more openly. Being the recipient of those feelings made me feel deeply honored... and happy.
Serious-senpai: "Guaaaah?! Wait, the mode reverts to normal during lovey-dovey scenes?! You gave me the absolute worst specs... That crazy god, I’ll never forgive her..."
???: "You totally asked the wrong person... or rather, wouldn't it have been better to ask Sharo... I mean, the Natural God?"
Serious-senpai: "The Natural God rarely ever comes here! Machina visits about five times a week and drags me into her crazy stories, so she's easier to talk to... or rather, easier to ask... She's convenient because she gives me almost anything if I ask for it..."
???: "Aren't you two just regular friends at this point...?"