Shiro-san had been refreshingly direct about her desires, but perhaps because we were in a dream of sorts, I found it easier to be proactive as well.
After spending some time holding and kissing her, we headed back toward the shore. I felt like we hadn't actually done much swimming, but wading in the ocean had been refreshing enough that I didn't mind.
"By the way, Shiro-san, do you have any other requests for what we should do next?"
"I have several. For example..."
As she spoke, a remarkably vivid image blossomed in my mind. It looked like a scene from a romance movie, showing a couple playing a chasing game across a white sandy beach.
When the man finally caught the woman, the two of them tripped over their own feet and tumbled onto the sand, leaving the man pinning the woman beneath him.
In the vision, they stared at each other in silence for a long moment before slowly bringing their faces together... that was the gist of it.
"I would like to try something like this," she said.
"I mean, it's definitely dramatic, but isn't that a bit too hard to pull off on purpose?"
If it happened naturally, that would be one thing. But if we planned it out beforehand and tried to force it, it would definitely be awkward. We’d have to time the fall perfectly, so the difficulty level would be way too high.
Honestly, trying to intentionally recreate a "happy accident" felt like it would be more trouble than it was worth.
"I see... Then how about this one?"
Shiro-san nodded as if accepting my logic, and once again, a movie-like image flooded my head. It showed a couple sitting side-by-side on the beach, bathed in the glow of the setting sun. Without a word, the man pulled the woman close by her shoulder. Though startled for a second, she leaned into him.
Then, the two of them gazed into each other’s eyes and shared a kiss against the backdrop of the sunset.
"...You've got a lot of these movie-esque ideas, don't you? Shiro-san, have you been watching romance films?"
"While studying how lovers interact, I watched several romance movies. I also researched the standard romantic events for couples in other worlds... though many of those proved difficult to apply here."
"Wait, really? Since it's another world, do they do things completely beyond my imagination?"
"It depends on the world, but many behaviors are rooted in their specific biology. In some cases, making their biological radio waves resonate is the equivalent of a kiss. In others, they physically fuse their bodies together."
"That’s... quite a lot to take in. I mean, it might be perfectly normal for the people of those worlds, but I certainly have some resistance to actually doing that."
I knew those worlds actually existed, and I was sure Shiro-san could replicate those sensations if she wanted to... but even if we did physically fuse our bodies or whatever else she found, it would just be a bizarre experience for me. I definitely wouldn't recognize it as "flirting."
"It is indeed difficult. Conversely, Kaito-san, do you have anything you would like to try with me? Perhaps a situation inspired by a romance movie?"
"Me? Uh... let's see."
Being asked so suddenly made it hard to come up with an answer. If I were at the beach with my lover and wanted to do something "couple-y"... seashell hunting, maybe? Or fireworks? I could think of plenty of leisure activities, but were they romantic?
If I had to pick, the sunset kiss she just suggested felt more appropriate.
Still, it was surprisingly hard to think of something we could do right this second. I could probably give Shiro-san a princess carry, but we didn't necessarily need to be at the beach for that. Plus, with her in a swimsuit, the stimulation would be so high that I'd probably get too flustered to function.
I mean, Shiro-san was gorgeous with a perfect figure, and she was already showing a lot of skin. If I picked her up in that bikini, the sheer amount of skin-on-skin contact would be incredible... I can't say I wasn't interested, but the embarrassment would be...
"Oh...?"
"Ah..."
Hearing Shiro-san’s intrigued tone, I realized my blunder. In fact, it was entirely possible she had calculated this entire conversation just to lead me here.
She had made me think about how I wanted to flirt with her, just so she could make it happen.
"In other words, Kaito-san, you wish to pick up my swimsuit-clad body and hold me in your arms. Is that it?"
"Was that even what we were talking about!?"
"It cannot be helped. You are my lover, Kaito-san, so you naturally have the right to do so. Since it is your desire, I must respond. Please, feel free to enjoy the experience to your heart's content."
"The momentum is already unstoppable... Wait, Shiro-san?! Your see-through overgarment is gone!"
"I believed you would be happier if there was more skin contact, so I have adjusted accordingly."
No, I was thinking about how it would be embarrassing because of the skin contact... but it was too late. I was already trapped in the "execution" phase.
Machina: "Man, this is starting to feel like the lead-up to something explicit. I'll step in if this 'break' stops being a break in the usual sense, but for now, I'll call it safe."
???: "Wait, where's Serious-senpai?"
Machina: "Right over there. She's turned into the Sandy Beach of Sugar."
???: "So... that's what a white sandy beach meant..."