Chapter 1649: Within the Night As It Grows Late ③

After purchasing the Couples-Only Drink, we moved to the subspace Alice created. Holding the purchased drink in her hand, Alice had a forced smile on her lips.

[H- Hou…… It even has a heart-shaped straw huh, they’ve really done it. T- They’ve got a very good processing technique……]

[No, rather than that, Alice…… What is with this subspace? Why is there a building like that here that looks like a café?]

In the subspace Alice created was a stylish and sophisticated café-like building, with elegance and stylishness that wouldn’t be out of place in fashionable areas like Aoyama.

I think it would be fine if we just have a desk and chairs for us, but what’s the point of expressly creating a café in this subspace?

[Haaahhhhhh……]

[Eh? The heck is with that face, as if you’re looking at some clueless idiot……]

[Good grief, you really don’t get it at all.]

[Ah, you seriously said it out loud.]

It seemed my earlier question was quite off the mark for Alice, as she made a thoroughly exasperated expression on her face, she responded with a sharp gaze.

[Of course, you’re supposed to drink something like this on the terrace of a fashionable café!]

[……O- Ou……]

She’s being over the top again…… I’ve thought of this before, but Alice can be quite the stickler with such situations…… What she liked were clichés that seemed to come straight out of shoujo manga though……

[Even so, this feels so stereotypical that it’s quite over the top……]

[Huh? Please don’t underestimate me. I’ve said this many times before, but I’m a total wreck when it comes to romance. I’m a hopelessly inexperienced, sh*tty noob when it comes to romance! A woman who was distorted by her virginity for years! Of course, I’ve got all the textbook clichés down pat, that’s all where my knowledge is from after all!]

[No, like I said, why are you acting all impressive while saying those lines……]

Wryly smiling at Alice, who was filled with strange tension as usual, we moved to the terrace seats of the café. We sit facing each other and place our drink in the center of the table.

The table is small enough for this purpose, and drinking it at the same time doesn’t seem to be a problem. Well, there may be a problem with Alice’s mental state……

[……Then, let’s get on with it.]

[Can you please wait!?]

[Unnn?]

[I- I still need some preparations! Like, preparing my heart or settling my mentality! Ah, I’ve made sure to cast State Preservation Magic on it, so it won’t get lukewarm!]

[……Well, I’m fine waiting until when Alice thinks you’re ready…… but is this really something to be so overly dramatic about? I mean, come on, we’ve already kissed before……]

[Compared to a kiss, doesn’t this have a different kind of embarrassment to it!? This one’s, you know…… Gives you this itchy, bittersweet feeling…… You get what I mean?]

Hmmm. Well, I can’t say I don’t understand what she meant…… but yeah, it’s still a bit unclear to me.

At any rate, after waiting for a while, Alice, looking ready, nodded her head.

[Alright, I- I can do this! LET’S DO THIS!!!]

[Like I said, this isn’t really something you need to be that prepared for…… Whatever…… No, wait?]

[Unnn? What is it?]

[Since we’re facing each other like this, wouldn’t it be better to drop the mask?]

[Hah!?]

At the sudden thought I just had, Alice visibly showed astonishment and agitation in her eyes.

[N- No, no, Kaito-san…… A- About that. It’s a bit of a hurdle, like there are various high thresholds I need to pass for that…… My carefully gathered courage is wavering here……]

[It’s not like there are other people watching us, so it’s a little less embarrassing, right?]

[Do you think I don’t get embarrassed when Kaito-san looks at me like that!? Y- You plan to expose what I usually hide, intending to lick me with your gaze and put me to shame, don’t you!!!]

[Phrasing!?]

She isn’t really wrong. The content itself isn’t exactly wrong but…… those words could lead to an extremely outrageous misunderstanding. I was really glad that it was just the two of us here.

[……Haahhh…… No, well, I simply wanted to look at Alice with your mask off, and I’m not really forcing you to take it off, so don’t worry.]

[Hauu…… Guhh……]

[Then, let’s just drink……]

[……I’ll do it.]

[Unnn?]

[W- Well, like I said…… if Kaito-san wants to see it…… I’ll take it off.]

Muttering shyly in a small voice, Alice removed her mask and placed it on the table. She would usually jokingly call herself a Transcendental Beauty, but in reality, she is a beauty. Seeing her like this without her mask, I truly found her lovely.

Thereupon, Alice, who seemed restless as she fidgeted about, forcibly changed the topic with a mischievous smile.

[Ahh~~ Kaito-san, looking at the unmasked Pretty Alice-chan, you must be thinking how much of a beauty I am huh?]

[……Unnn. That’s exactly what I was thinking.]

[Howaaahh!? Ahehh!? Ah, u- umm…… Errr……]

[Ahh~~ No, well, for the time being, how about we drink?]

[……Yes.]

The atmosphere felt kinda strange. Because I had affirmed her teasing words, there was this subtle awkwardness around us, with a strangely embarrassing tension filling the air between Alice and me.

Just like that, we drank our drink together, facing each other, but perhaps, because she’s being strangely self-conscious…… I’m also feeling a strange sense of embarrassment on my end.

<Afterword>

Makina : [Unnn. As expected of Alice. For my beloved child, such weakness is seen as cute, right!?]