A hot embrace from a lovely beauty—it sounds wonderful when you put it into words. But as someone who’s fainted in the middle of one, I can say with certainty that I’m now traumatized.
Since coming to this world, I’ve been traumatized by baby castellas, and now, I’ve been traumatized by the embrace of a beauty… I feel a little ashamed of myself.
But seeing Lilia-san apologize repeatedly, half-crying and looking genuinely regretful, made me feel sorry for her. There’s no way I could stay mad at her, but…
Anyway, I’ll be attending the meeting with the Goddess of Time, even though the thought of it makes my stomach churn. However, I still need the Goddess of Time’s permission before I can attend.
There’s a high chance I’ll be going, but we’ll have to wait until she contacts Lilia-san to set a date for the meeting.
After dinner and a quick chat with Kusunoki-san and the others, I took a bath and returned to my room.
[Welcome back~]
[………]
Ah, that’s right. Speaking of which, this bundle of absurdity always shows up in my room every night…
As frustrating as it can be, there’s no denying that I’m relieved to see her usual bright smile. I’m not sure if I’m getting used to it, or if Kuro’s smile is just that sly…
[You met Shiro today, right? What do you—Arehh?]
[Unnn?]
Kuro spoke to me with the usual bright smile, but for some reason, she suddenly stopped in the middle of her story and stared at me intently.
After a moment, an expression of surprise crossed her face—an unusual one, or at least one I hadn’t seen before.
[Kuro?]
[…Kaito-kun. What happened when you met Shiro?]
[Hmm?]
[Well, I think Shiro may have told you that I asked her to grant you her Blessing. It’s just that the Blessing you received wasn’t what I expected… I thought Shiro’s Blessing would be safer than the Blessing of an inferior, Low-ranking God, even if it was just a noncommittal one… But for her to seriously grant you her Blessing? That Shiro did?]
Apparently, Kuro was surprised by the Blessing I received from Shiro-san. It seems she expected Shiro to just casually grant me her Blessing, which would have been better than receiving a Blessing from a low-rank God. In fact, at first, Shiro did grant me her Blessing in a noncommittal way—I’m not mistaken about that, since she herself mentioned it. But then, she canceled it and granted me her Blessing again, this time earnestly.
When I explained everything to Kuro—the events of today and the conversations I had with Shiro—Kuro’s eyes widened in surprise once again.
[…Ku—Kukuku…]
[Unnn?]
[Ahahahahahaha!]
[Eh?]
She suddenly started laughing, genuinely enjoying herself.
[Kaito-kun, you really said something like that? Ahaha, Shiro probably never expected a human to say, “It’s something you can’t do.”]
[Errr… Is it really that funny for me to say that?]
[You could say it’s really unusual, but it’s definitely impressive! You should be proud of that! It’s not every day someone catches Shiro’s interest!]
Kuro praised me with a smile that seemed oddly pleased.
Eh? Did I really do something that outrageous? Thinking back on it, I guess it could have been a rather bold or rude thing to say to a God.
After a moment of laughing, Kuro began to explain to me, still smiling, as I remained confused.
[If I were to describe Shiro, I’d say she has an extremely impartial view when it comes to everything. It might sound strange, but she’s truly one of a kind.]
[Yeah, she definitely has that mysterious vibe…]
[For example, normally, there’s a clear distinction between what you like and dislike, right? For me, I prefer sweet, delicious desserts over those that taste bad. If someone asked me which one I like, I’d easily say the sweet and tasty ones.]
[Mm.]
[But Shiro is different. To her, whether something is sweet and delicious or bitter and awful doesn’t matter… She views everything—whether it’s the sweets, the lives in the world, or the scenery—on the same level. To her, everything holds equal value. There’s no sense of superiority or inferiority. In a way, you could say she’s extremely benevolent, but it also means she shows no particular attachment to anything. She sees the world and all that exists in it as equal, and that’s the kind of Goddess Shallow Vernal is.]
When I heard Kuro’s explanation, the first thing that came to mind was the image of that baby castella with a horrifically bad taste… Even though Shiro-san said it was terrible, she didn’t seem to care at all and continued eating it like it was just a normal teacake.
And then there were those eyes—the ones that gave me chills the first time I saw them, eyes that made it impossible to tell if they were looking at me or the surrounding scenery. That meant, to Shiro-san, I was no more significant than the scenery around her, or the flowers and grass in that hanging garden. It was, in a way, something completely natural for her to feel.
[But even Shiro said that “she’s interested in you,” Kaito-kun. That’s even more incredible than you think. After all, it means that Shiro recognizes your existence. She has clearly placed you above everyone else, those whom she views as all having the same value.]
[E-Errr…]
[Shiro rarely shows interest in anything. The things that do catch her attention could probably be counted on one hand.]
What can I say to this… The story seems to be getting bigger and bigger.
To be honest, my head was getting pretty dizzy as I listened to all these words one after another. Or rather, Shiro-san seems to be an even more outrageous Goddess than I thought. I now understand why Lilia-san and Lunamaria-san were so surprised that I had tea with her. And with that understanding, a sense of unease suddenly came over me.
Hmm. That’s right… To be honest, instead of feeling like I’ve accomplished something great, I’m more anxious about what’s going to happen now.
[That’s why what you’ve achieved today is amazing, Kaito-kun… However…]
[…Eh?]
I was caught in a whirlwind of confusion and thoughts, but then, with a gentle tone, Kuro suddenly pulled on my hand.
Due to the difference in our heights, I was pulled down, too confused to resist, and ended up in a position where it looked like I had fallen into her body. Kuro embraced me with her soft touch.
My face brushed against Kuro’s chest, and I could feel the warmth and softness of her body through her clothing. The sweet scent filled my nostrils, sending a wave of comfort through me as her gentle voice resonated in my ears.
[I don’t care about that… I’m much happier that you were able to think about what you wanted and put them into your own words, Kaito-kun.]
[ ! ? ]
[…You’ve worked really hard. The Kaito-kun just now was really cool.]
As expected, she really is sly.
The confusion and anxiety I felt just moments ago, all of it erased in an instant by that warmth and security I can’t seem to contain—like she effortlessly spoke the very words I needed to hear the most.
I’m sure I was exhausted after everything that happened today, but somehow, I can’t shake the feeling that I want to do my best again.
Uuggghh… But this position, where a little girl is hugging me while gently stroking my head, feels incredibly embarrassing. Yet, I can’t bring myself to resist it. I feel like I’ve already lost the moment I wanted to indulge in this comforting sense of security, even if it’s just for a little while longer.
I managed to speak my mind to the Goddess. I somehow managed to rouse myself even in the face of a noble. I managed to prepare myself for a meeting that made my stomach churn.
But against her… it’s impossible. Or rather, just the thought of resisting never even crossed my mind, and any lingering trauma I might have had from hugs was completely washed away.
Instead, it might sound overly simplistic, but I’m genuinely happy to think that this hug is the best reward I’ve gotten today.
Dear Mom, Dad—I’ve been caught up in so many things today. But when it comes to Kuro—it seems like I’m no match for her.
<Author’s Note>
I think that a comprehending little girl is the best.