Well, whether our departure method is Pattern A and B, it will not make that much difference. In the end, the Founding Festival is very lively, making it difficult for us to meet up on-site, so it’s more likely to arrange to meet up beforehand.
No, Shiro-san would be able to meet up with me in any way she wanted, but that didn’t mean there was anything wrong with that.
After finishing a delicious breakfast, we chit-chatted a bit, and at the right moment, we set off.
[It’s almost time for the festival to start, so shall we head out?]
[Indeed. It may now indeed be a good time to depart.]Nodding at my suggestion, Shiro-san got up from her seat. Thereupon, the table and chairs disappeared and our preparations for departure were ready in an instant.
All that’s left to do is to head to the venue with Shiro-san’s Teleportation…… but Shiro-san just stares at me, showing no sign of intending to teleport.
I’ll say this now, but it’s impossible for me to teleport the two of us myself. The Sanctuary has strong teleportation inhibitors, so normal Teleportation Magic Tools can’t be used here. I have the gate-type magic tool in my room that allows teleportation to the Sanctuary, but I can only use it to return from the Sanctuary, not to teleport to other locations from there.
[……Umm, Shiro-san? Aren’t we leaving?]
[We will, but before that, aren’t you forgetting something important?]
[Eh? Something important?]
What is it? I just couldn’t immediately think of what she was talking about. It’s just, from my hunch based on my days together with Shiro-san, I just knew that she was going to say something strange.[We can’t leave without our before-departure-kiss.]
[……Hmm?]
Whoa, so that’s what’s popping out huh. I see, I see, that certainly is a classic…… Can I throw my tsukkomi now? That’s for the scenario where one person is leaving and the other person is seeing them off, isn’t it!?
At least, it’s not the kind of thing two people do when they’re about to head out together.
[Fumu, is that how it is?]
[No, well, that scenario is more for newlyweds rather than a couple living together, but it’s certainly a common situation for when they’re about to depart, a classic even. It’s just, it isn’t really the kind of situation for when two people were departing together.]
[Even if it simply said “before departure”, it can have various meanings depending on the context huh. I see, it’s quite complex, isn’t it?]
[Right. Well then, now that the question at hand has been settled, shall we depart?]
[No, we still haven’t had our before-departure-kiss, so we can’t depart yet.]
……Well, that’s strange, are we going on a loop here? I should have explained that that doesn’t apply in the current situation, to which Shiro-san agreed and nodded.
And yet, with you responding with almost the same words, what was that “I see” of yours earlier responding to!?
[No, I understood exactly what Kaito-san meant. Including the fact that it doesn’t apply in the current situation.]
[Eh? Then……]
[Leaving that aside, I still want to kiss, so understanding that and not kissing are two separate issues.]
[…………………]
I probably have a face that clearly looks speechless right now. Without any particular logic or reasoning behind it, it was a simple, straightforward response powering her way forward which can sometimes feel refreshing.
No, I fully understood what she was saying, but when she said “Leaving that aside, I still want to kiss”…… I couldn’t really bring out any counter arguments from my side.
[………………….]
[……Errr, t- then, if you’ll excuse me for a bit.]
[Enough with all that excuse me’s and just go ahead already.]
[No, that’s a bit……]
Faced with Shiro-san’s gaze, expectantly looking at me, I conceded defeat. Following Shiro-san’s request, I placed my hand on her shoulders and gently leaned in for a light, chaste kiss on her lips.
If it’s a before-departure-kiss, then something like this would be appropriate…… Also, kissing Shiro-san is something so pleasurable that it can be dangerous if I don’t consciously decide how far to go beforehand, as it can be hard to stop once I start kissing her.
[It’s not like you have to stop though? These are lips you are free to do as you pleased, you know?]
[……F- For the time being, let’s just depart!]
[Fumu, I understand.]
It’s both charming and somewhat terrifying that Shiro-san can casually say things like that. Feeling my face flush a bit, I headed towards Hydra Kingdom once again, this time to experience their Founding Festival with Shiro-san.
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai : [S- She actually went with a surprise attack. T- Throwing a curveball right from the start, this guy really is dangerous……]
