I had made decent progress, having already received gifts from over a hundred people, but I still hadn’t even reached the halfway mark. Since there wasn’t any specific time limit, I figured I could just keep moving at a relaxed pace.
"Canalis."
Oh, next up was Canalis-san. Since I had already accepted five EX presents from her on behalf of others, it felt like she was appearing for the sixth time, but I hadn’t actually received a personal gift from her yet. Knowing her, I doubted it would be anything bizarre, but since she was capable of manifesting just about anything if she put her mind to it, I couldn't even begin to guess what it might be.
"Oh, it looks like it’s my turn. Tahaa~ I’ve already handed over several gifts including those EX presents, so this feels like an extraordinarily lucky perk. Anyway, let me say it properly: Kaito-sama, happy birthday."
"Thank you. You were at the heart of all the preparations, not just the EX gifts. I really appreciate everything you've done."
"Don't mention it. I might not look it, but I’m a total hardcore enthusiast when it comes to my loyalty to you. It was no trouble at all. Tahaa~ I’ve actually been enjoying myself. Besides, Shallow Vernal was the one who started all this; I’m just an assistant helping out here and there."
As usual, her expression didn't change in the slightest, yet I could sense her excitement through her bright tone. As an Almighty Class God, she was immune to Sympathy Magic, but she wore her heart on her sleeve through her voice, making her moods surprisingly easy to read.
"Now, as for my gift... since this is a special occasion, I decided to let a little bit of my god power loose and make something incredible. Tahaa~ please forgive this god for her lack of restraint! But don't worry—I’ve already explained everything to Shallow Vernal, Machina-san, Kuromueina-san, and Alice-san and obtained their permission."
"Since you got Machina-san’s approval, does it have something to do with the world I used to live in?"
Shiro-san was the god of Trinia, and the reason Canalis had asked Kuro and Alice for permission was likely to check if the gift was too much for this world's balance. On top of that, since she had also obtained permission from Machina-san, I figured it had to be something related to Earth.
"Your insight is as sharp as ever. Yes, this is what I’ve prepared for you."
"Wait... is this a tablet terminal?"
What Canalis-san pulled out was a flat, board-like object. There was no point in dancing around it; it was a fairly large tablet terminal.
"Indeed. There’s no point in dragging out the suspense, so I’ll just come out with it: you can watch movies on this device."
"Wait, movies? From the world I used to live in?"
"Exactly. I set up the interface like a standard subscription streaming site to make it easy to find what you want or browse by genre. Tahaa~ my apologies for shamelessly ripping off a famous service! And since I thought you might feel awkward if everything was free, I used the game console Shallow Vernal gave you last year as a reference. You charge local currency into the tablet to buy them. Through mysterious god power, that money is then paid to the proper parties back on Earth. It’s a one-time purchase system, so once you buy a film, you can watch it as many times as you like. You can even create your own playlists."
"Wow, that’s incredible! I’m actually really excited. There are so many movies I’ve been wanting to see again."
I was genuinely happy. Trinia had only recently developed basic video magic tools, and they lacked any real content. When it came to that kind of entertainment, my old world was light-years ahead. It had been a long time since I'd seen a movie, and I’d missed them more than I realized.
"Canalis-san, thank you so much."
"Ah, so precious... directing a Geki-mabu smile like that at a hardcore fan like me is enough to make my heart skip a beat. Is it okay if I just go ahead and have a kyun-death? Honestly though, I’m just happy you’re pleased. Tahaa~ let me know if you find any good ones."
"Of course. Since we have the chance, why don't we watch something together sometime?"
"Oh my, what an irresistibly charming invitation! In that case, I’ll be sure to come running with the popcorn and drinks ready."
As I spoke, I realized that watching movies with others sounded like a great idea. I could even simulate a movie theater date with my lovers. The possibilities were endless, and I couldn't wait to start using it.
Serious-senpai: "...Um... please... stop expanding the ways he can go on dates... give me a break..."