Thanks to Olivia-san's Teleportation Magic, we arrived at our destination, Trade City Lufan, Archlesia Empire. Although I had visited this place once before, I had only gone to visit Eris-san's chocolate shop at the time, so I hadn't explored the area in much detail.

As I thought during my previous visit, the city, with its many red-brick buildings, has a charming atmosphere. It's easy to see why it's such a popular tourist destination.

[I've seen it in magazines, but it's a beautiful place.]

[Yeah. I've been here once before too, but I didn't get to explore much then, so I'm looking forward to it this time…… Errr, Olivia-san, are you okay?]

[Y- Yes! I'm fine. I apologize for showing you an unsightly moment, but I'm alright now. I've resolved my inner turmoil by deciding to ignore it for the time being.]

Does doing that really resolve it? Regardless, Olivia-san seems more nervous than I had expected. It looks like I'll really need to take the lead to some extent.

Still, Olivia-san is the one who planned this date, so I want to follow her plan as much as possible.

[……So, Olivia-san, where are we going first?]

[Wherever Miyama Kaito-sama wishes.]

That's strange. It feels like she's thrown all the decision-making onto me right from the start…… As I was a bit taken aback, Kaori-san chuckled and spoke up.

[Ahaha, that's so like Olivia-sama…… She's just not explaining herself well…… Kaito-kun, the plan is to enjoy window shopping until lunchtime. Neither Olivia-san nor I have been here before, though we've seen it in magazines. So we thought it would be nice to leisurely walk around the city and check out any stores that catch our interest.]

[Ah, I see…… Well then, since we're already on a main street, how about we just follow it and see where it takes us?]

I see, so the idea is to shop at stores that catch our eye. Olivia-san probably left the choice of destination———– that is, which stores to visit———– up to me, intending for me to decide freely.

With that cleared up, we were about to set off…… but I could sense hesitation coming from Olivia-san.

[Olivia-san?]

[Ah, umm, Miyama Kaito-sama! Though I am still inexperienced, I have studied various references on dates. I read that during a date, it's customary for date partners to…… to…… to…… to hold hands…… So, umm……]

I think I understood what she was getting at. Whether or not holding hands is truly a custom is beside the point. If she'd been studying romantic novels or magazines featuring dates, it wouldn't be strange for her to come away with the idea that couples should hold hands on dates.

Of course, if I were to say "It's not a strict rule, so let's just go as we are", Olivia-san would likely accept my words…… However, seeing her nervously and shyly trying to express her desire makes me question if that's the right approach.

Fundamentally…… I can confidently say there's no way Olivia-san dislikes me or is opposed to holding hands. From her usual behavior, I know she sees me favorably.

So, her current feelings are probably something along the lines of "It's embarrassing, but I want to hold hands and go on this date".

[Since it's our first time in this area, let's hold hands to make sure we don't get separated.]

[Ah…… Y- Yes!]

When I made the suggestion with a smile, Olivia-san's expression didn't change drastically, but it did brighten noticeably. Olivia-san isn't the type to let her emotions show easily; while she might blush occasionally, her facial expressions themselves tend to be rather subtle.

Of course, compared to someone like Shiro-san, Olivia-san's reactions are much easier to read, so it's not an issue for me at all.

When I held out my hand, Olivia-san hesitantly reached out and grasped it. Her small, soft hand was smooth, slightly cool to the touch, and felt delicate, much like her overall presence.

Speaking of which, Olivia-san's skin is incredibly beautiful. It might be partly because she almost never ventures outside the Cathedral, but her complexion is snow-white———- yet it doesn't give off an unhealthy impression. Instead, it exudes a sense of divinity, one you would really expect from a holy maiden.

As I mused over this, I turned toward Kaori-san and extended my other hand to her.

[Alright then, Kaori-san, should we hold hands too?]

[Y- Yeah. I guess with how this is going, that's what happens…… Ah, not that I'm nervous or anything, okay? I'm an adult, and I've got plenty of life experience. Something like h- holding hands is totally no big deal.]

She seemed rather flustered, but it didn't feel right to tease her about it. In any case, we held hands, and with me in the center, we finally set off on our date.


<Afterword>

Serious-senpai : [Guh, t- this guy, she really can't be underestimated. Even in Sh*tty Noob Mode, she still takes the initiative to make her approach. Unlike Alice, she's proactive, which makes her sweetness level dangerously high……]

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