Chapter 2121: Date with Kaori and Olivia ⑩
The theater we arrived at was another stylish red brick building, and the interior was spacious and clean. The décor had a retro feel to it, but I believe it was intentionally designed that way to give off that atmosphere.
There were also posters for the theater troupe performing this time, and there were quite a few people, so as Kaori-san said, it seemed like a popular troupe. I came here without knowing what performance we would be watching, but from the posters, it seemed like a story about the love between a Spirit and a human.
[This theater troupe is apparently making use of amazing magic effects.]
[Hehh, that sounds like something to look forward to then. I've seen a few performances with magic effects, and they always have so much more impact and presence compared to those without.]
[Unn, unn. They definitely has a different kind of intensity than in movies~~]
Receiving the tickets that Olivia-san had prepared in advance, we stood in line for entry while talking. At this point, I had let go of Kaori-san's hand and was holding the ticket with an open hand, while I was still holding hands with Olivia-san.
The reason for this is that, even in casual clothes that were different from her usual appearance, Olivia-san still had this sort of holy aura, like she had this unique presence that made people realize right away that she was the Founder. This had been the case even at Eris-san’s chocolate shop.
That’s when I remembered the Recognition Inhibition glasses that Shiro-san had given me a little while ago, thinking I might not be able to hide changes in my expression. If I wore them while holding hands, the magic would prevent Olivia-san from being recognized, so she wouldn't draw attention from the people around us.
[……My apologies. I didn’t consider the recognition inhibition until now.]
[No, I didn’t think of it either until just now. But if we keep holding hands like this, there’s no worry about Olivia-san getting noticed and attracting attention, so it's reassuring. Though, Olivia-san might find it a little inconvenient if we keep holding hands during entry……][N- No, that’s not the case at all! In fact, I feel that being able to feel the warmth of the great Miyama Kaito-sama’s hand is the greatest happiness, and if possible, I’d want to stay like this forever. There is no inconvenience at all.]
Olivia-san can’t use Recognition Inhibition Magic outside of Friendship City, and even though I thought of lending her the glasses, they were customized for my face size, so they’d be too big for Olivia-san. So, we decided to just continue holding hands.
(……Mizuhara Kaori, I’d like some advice…… When would be the appropriate time to carry out the thing we discussed?)
(Eh? Ehhh, you’re asking me? H- Hmm…… W- Well, I guess it should be when the atmosphere of the performance is really getting good, right?)
(I see…… And by "atmosphere getting good", what do you mean specifically?)
(S- Specifically!? E- Errr, maybe when the romance starts to progress……)
Kaori-san seemed a bit troubled by the question, but just like before, I could hear everything. I do plan to tell her later that I've been overhearing their conversation, but if I bring that up now, Olivia-san might panic, so I guess I’ll wait until we achieve Olivia-san’s goal first.
No, but come to think of it, maybe it’s a good thing I knew about this in advance. Transitioning from just holding hands to interlocking fingers might go smoothly if both parties are aware of it, but if only one person tries to initiate it, it could end up making things feel awkward……
Fortunately, it seems that neither Olivia-san nor Kaori-san have noticed from my expression that I can hear their conversation. They’re probably too nervous, focusing on timing and thinking about how to execute their plans.
With those thoughts in mind, we entered the theater and took our assigned seats. It looked like Olivia-san had managed to secure really great seats, offering a clear view of the stage.
We sat in the order of Olivia-san, me, and Kaori-san, and at this point, you could say everything was ready. From Olivia-san, I could sense an intense resolve that seemed to scream “This is the decisive battle” but…… isn’t she taking this a bit too seriously…… W- Well, for Olivia-san, initiating handholding with interlocked fingers might really feel like a battle of epic proportions.
W- Well, anyway, I hope I can respond in a way that supports her……
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai : [Now that he mentioned it, if she were to try transitioning from simply holding hands to interlocking fingers without Kaito realizing it, moving her hand might make him think she's trying to pull away. In that sense, maybe it's actually better that he knows about this……?] R̃n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om