NOVPUBAfter watching Blossom-san’s hidden talent performance, I spun the garapon again.
<SIEGLINDE>
Oh, another lover following right after Fate-san, this time being Sieg-san. Before long, she arrives, accompanied by Ein-san.
[Hello, Kaito-san. Happy birthday.]
[Thank you. How’s the party treating you, Sieg-san? Are you enjoying yourself?]
[Yes. Thankfully, or perhaps I should say luckily, there haven’t been any major incidents, so I’ve been able to enjoy the food and entertainment. Lili, just as usual, still seems to have her hands full though……]
[She’s still acting as a judge after all. Though, if anything, she seems a bit more relaxed right now.]
[That might be because, while she’s acting as a judge, she isn’t being approached by famous or high-ranking people.]
[Ahh, that makes sense……]
Now that she mentioned it, for Lilia-san, being a judge might actually be relatively stress-free. She’s sitting with Chronois-san, who’s close with her, the sociable Kuro, and Canalis-san, who lives in my house and often talks with Lilia-san. So from her perspective, she’s surrounded by people she’s comfortable talking to.
[Well, speaking of busy people, you’re probably the busiest one here, Kaito-san. This party is enormous……]
[Yeah, no kidding…… I wonder if it’ll be like this next year too?]
[Considering an entire world was created just for your birthday party, I imagine it’ll be held here again.]
[That’s…… kind of a stomachache-inducing thought…… But I guess it’s still better than some chaotic disaster breaking out in Trinia, so it’s a bit complicated.]
[Fufu, true enough. Ahh, we’d better wrap this up before the next hidden talent show begins. Here, this is the gift I prepared for you.]
What Sieg-san handed me was a slightly large package…… about the size that could contain clothing. When I picked it up, it felt light and soft…… maybe a sweater?
[Thank you. Just from holding it, it kind of feels like a sweater……]
[Ahh, close guess. Honestly, I didn’t have the confidence to pick something unique with my sense of style, so I intentionally went for something out of season. It’s a scarf.]
I see. That makes sense, my birthday falls in summer…… and even in this world, it's relatively warm around this time. Though the climate in the Symphonia Kingdom is pretty stable year-round, scarves are still more for the colder seasons, which are months away.
So yeah, that makes it less likely to overlap with other gifts.
[It has a similar design to the one I’m wearing…… It’s from the same merchant group, so it’s the same brand.]
[I see, so it would be a pair look? It’s not the right season just yet, but I’m looking forward to wearing it.]
[……Ah, well, um……]
[Unn?]
Hearing my words, Sieg-san seemed slightly flustered, scratching her cheek and glancing away a bit. Then, after a moment, she let out a little laugh and explained.
[……Well, rather than pair look, it’s more of something used by a pair…… It’s a two-person scarf.]
[A- Ahh, yeah, those do exist, don’t they……]
A large two-person scarf, something I’d only seen in romantic dramas or manga…… Yeah, knowing that, it made sense why I mistook it for a sweater based on the size.
I’d heard of them before, but it’s not something you often get to see in person, so I couldn’t help but find it kind of fascinating.
[Yes. At first, I was just going to get a regular scarf, but when I went to the shop, I saw that one…… and I couldn’t help but buy it, thinking how nice it would be to go on a date wearing it together.]
[I’ve heard of scarves like that too, but I’ve never actually worn one. I’m really curious now…… and just like you said, going on a date while sharing the same scarf sounds like it’d be a lot of fun. It’s a bit much for this season, but once it gets a little cooler, let’s give it a try.]
[Yes, I’m looking forward to it.]
Sieg-san’s cheerful smile was contagious, and I found myself smiling along with her. I really am looking forward to that moment. Since we’d have the scarf and all, maybe we could even visit somewhere a bit colder like Archlesia Empire.
In any case, I’m already excited for when that day comes.
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai (Absolute Lovey-Dovey Mode) : [Comrades, I like lovey-dovey romance. Comrades, I adore lovey-dovey romance. Comrades, I’m head over heels for lovey-dovey romance…… (Eh? What the, why is my mouth moving on its own!?)]
? ? ? : [……That so.]
Serious-senpai (Absolute Lovey-Dovey Mode) : [I love one-sided crushes. I love mutual feelings. I love confessions. I love mixed bathing. I love bed-sharing. I love lap pillows. I love dates. I love hugs. I love kisses…… (Oi, you idiot, stop it right now!)]
? ? ? : [……………….]
Serious-senpai (Absolute Lovey-Dovey Mode) : [I love romance blooming in grassy fields, by the seaside, at school, in parks, movie theaters, amusement parks, at home, in the streets, in the bath, in the bedroom…… every possible romantic act performed in this world! I love when a boy and girl, once just friends, suddenly realize their feelings in a fleeting moment. My heart leaps when they get awkward after that realization, or when they become overly conscious of each other over the smallest things. I love when events like Christmas or Valentine's Day push a relationship past the threshold from "just friends" to something more. When someone spends days working up the courage, hesitates, then turns bright red as they finally hand over a gift or chocolates, I feel my heart pound with anticipation. I love the first date after two people officially become a couple. Even if they’ve gone out countless times before, the shift in relationship status makes them both nervous, that kind of change is so moving. And the moment they hesitate, over and over, before finally working up the courage to hold hands? That’s absolutely irresistible. Should they just hold hands normally, or interlock their fingers? That little game of emotional tug-of-war, born of mutual affection and the hope for progression, is the best. I love the kiss that happens after countless conversations and events raise the atmosphere to its peak. It’s positively euphoric. I love how couples, after getting together, become full-on lovebirds, practically inseparable. When each other’s personal space becomes their shared space, and they naturally sit close together and talk sweetly, it’s pure sugar. I love seeing couples blaze through a flood of romantic events. Sure, slow and detailed romantic development is beautiful, but when the scenes shift one after another, rapidly showcasing all sorts of sweet moments, it’s the ultimate bliss…… (This has got to be that lunatic God’s doing!!!)]
? ? ? : [……The massive amount of monologue, is that from whoever tampered with her?]
Serious-senpai (Absolute Lovey-Dovey Mode) : [Comrades, I yearn for more lovey-dovey developments. You, the readers who follow these stories with me, what is it you seek? Do you crave more romance? Do you long for meltingly sweet, saccharine love stories? Do you desire a relentless parade of scenes where lovers take the spotlight one after another?]
Hallucinations : [Lovey-dovey! Lovey-dovey!]
Serious-senpai (Absolute Lovey-Dovey Mode) : [Very well, then let there be romance! The next talent performance will be skipped in digest format! We’re jumping straight to the next lover!!! ……(Wait, what!? Stop it, you idiot! Don’t skip the break, nooooooo!)]
