Just Light Novels
Chapter 2132: Date with Kaori and Olivia ㉑
<Author's Notes>
I wanted to include Olivia's perspective as well, but there wasn't enough time, so I decided to postpone it for the next chapter.
Sitting on the gondola seat and gazing at the words in front of her, Kaori quietly let her thoughts wander.
(H- Hmmm, I- I see, so that's how it is. Wait, wait, wait! Isn't this kind of turning into a pretty intense situation?)
No, the peaceful part only lasted for a moment before her thoughts quickly descended into panic. Still, perhaps thanks to having a decent tolerance for panic situations, her thoughts didn’t become entirely incoherent, nor did her mind drift away completely. Instead, she continued to process the current situation.
(T-This is totally what couples or spouses do, right? Ah, well, it is a Date Course, so I guess that makes sense…… But then again, if a pair like a sweet "more than friends, less than lovers" kind of couple rode this gondola and saw a message like the one in front of me, could it maybe give them an excuse to progress their relationship? Like, "It says it's recommended~~" or something?)
Right in front of the seat, positioned subtly enough to catch the eye without being too pushy, were words suggesting they should embrace each other's shoulders…… Naturally, her thoughts focused on the act of putting an arm around the shoulders.
(I mean, this gondola really has an incredible level of closeness…… Compared to our seats during the play, which at least had armrests, this feels way closer. I can definitely see how it makes it easier to shift into a shoulder-hugging posture, but…… N- No! As expected, putting an arm around the shoulders is way too advanced and embarrassing!)
To begin with, Kaori wasn’t even dating Kaito. Their current date was the result of some inexplicable series of events, and they were nothing more than friends from the same homeworld. At most, he was someone she found slightly more appealing than other guys, someone whose personality and traits aligned with her tastes in many ways. He was also someone who made her heart race every now and then, someone with whom she felt comfortable enough to allow some minor, closer-than-friends actions. But still, he was just a friend.
They're not even in that sweet "more than friends, less than lovers" type of relationship. Just friends. Well, he's a friend she thought was "a bit nice". If Kaito were to confess to her now, she'd probably deliberate on it for a while before barely nodding in agreement. Perhaps, the same amount of deliberation she'd have when choosing between beef curry and chicken curry.(……Well, I won’t deny that there’s something appealing about the scenario of enjoying a beautiful view while having an arm around my shoulders. It feels like it’d be easier than something like a hug. And since it’s Kaito-kun, I wouldn’t necessarily dislike it. So, hypothetically, if Kaito-kun followed the message in front of us and put his arm around my shoulders…… Well, it can’t be helped, right? I mean, it’s written there, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Kaito-kun ended up doing that. As the older one here, I should accept it with grace rather than scolding him.)
Kaori started justifying herself in her mind, though it wasn’t clear to whom. She didn’t dislike the idea of having an arm around her shoulders. The lingering excitement from the earlier conversation about hugs still lingered, and as long as she ignored the embarrassment, she realized she wasn’t entirely against it.
(But, if we actually talked about it, I’d probably refuse out of sheer embarrassment. So, if he really plans to follow the "recommendation", I’d prefer he'd just do it without any weird confirmations———- just boldly go for it. I usually like to act like the mature one, but once in a while, being led by someone assertive doesn’t sound so bad. Yeah. I’ll leave it to Kaito-kun’s judgment! If he puts his arm around me, well, it can’t be helped. Kaito-kun has way more experience in romance than me, so if he reads the recommendation and acts on it, that must mean it’s the best choice…… In that case, I’ll just enjoy the moment of having my shoulders embraced by a handsome younger guy. On the other hand, if Kaito-kun doesn’t move or asks "What should we do?", then I’ll just treat this as a chance to enjoy the scenery as is. Either way, it’s a win-win for me!)Nôv(el)B\\jnn
Kaori ultimately decided to adopt a waiting stance. With her lack of romantic experience, she figured panicking and acting impulsively would only lead to bad outcomes, so she concluded that leaving the decision to Kaito was the best option.
In the first place, Kaori is quite fond of Kaito, finding him to be a highly appealing member of the opposite sex…… She wouldn’t mind something as simple as having her shoulders embraced.
The real issue was that proposing such an act to her or setting it up in advance was far too embarrassing…… So, after resolving to let things flow naturally, Kaori calmed her previously chaotic thoughts and began to enjoy the view.
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai : [She hadn't fallen yet? What are you talking about, hasn't he basically already completed this route already!?]