I Was Caught up in a Hero Summoning, but That World Is at Peace - Chapter 2296: Miyama Kaito's Birthday Celebration Party Continues ㊵
<Author’s Notes>
I’m on a business trip tomorrow, so the next update will be the day after tomorrow.
When it was with Shiro-san, I could’ve just asked her directly, but with Lilia-san, I found myself unsure when exactly this hot spring dream was supposed to end.
[……I wonder when we’re supposed to wake up from this?]
[I don’t know. It’s not like we’re getting tipsy or overheated, either.]
Yes, we’d been in the hot spring for a fair amount of time already, but neither of us felt faint or dizzy. That probably meant, as expected, that this really was just a dream.
Still, even so, I couldn’t help but wonder how long we were going to stay like this.
And right at that moment, as if answering both mine and Lilia-san’s shared thought, glowing text appeared in the air before us.
“In order for Lilia to enjoy some flirting too, you will wake up once you and Lilia kiss.”
[ [ ! ? ! ? ] ]I see…… so we’re using that kind of setup, returning to the real world upon meeting specific conditions…… Like one of those rooms where you can’t leave unless you do XXX…… I wouldn’t be surprised if this was also one of Shiro-san’s experiments, the fruit of her broad research into romance.
Of course, it’s the ones experiencing the result of that research who have it rough, Lilia-san had just managed to calm down, and now her face was going bright red again, like it might burst at any second.
[……This is definitely Shiro-san thinking she was being considerate.]
[I- I- I- I suppose so. If this is Shallow Vernal-sama’s thoughtfulness…… t- then to reject it would be……]
[Lilia-san, it’s not like…… ah, no, never mind.]
[Hmm?]
[It’s just…… your face is really red, so I was wondering if you’re okay……]
[My face is practically boiling already.]
For a moment, I almost said she didn’t have to force herself, that if she wasn’t comfortable I could talk to Shiro-san about it, but judging from Lilia-san’s expression and the emotions I could sense through Sympathy Magic, that didn’t seem to be what she wanted to hear.
I mean, yes…… of course, she was embarrassed. I could feel her nervousness and fluster too, but strangely, I could also feel a sense of happiness.
How should I say this…… Although she was surprised by how sudden this was, she was using the excuse of “not wasting Shiro-san’s goodwill” as a way to summon the courage to take a step forward, even if she was embarrassed. That’s how it felt, like she was, even if just a little, thankful for it.
[Errr, well then…… Lilia-san, if you’ll excuse me.]
[Y- Yes. P- Please, just…… do it in one go, with confidence!]
Thinking that I should take the lead here, I turned my body and gently placed my hands on Lilia-san’s shoulders. She flinched for a moment, then quickly showed a resolved expression and closed her eyes.
Her hair, tied up to keep it from getting wet, gave her a slightly different look from usual. And being this close, touching her, reminded me all over again…… Lilia-san might be a genius with power rivaling that of a Count-rank despite being Human, but she’s also a lovely woman. That realization made my heart pound in a strange way.
I leaned in, gently pressing my lips against hers. Maybe because we’d been in the hot spring, her lips felt a little moist, and oddly enough, there was something sweet and comforting about it.
Then, at that moment, Lilia-san brought her hands around to my back and pressed her lips to mine just a little more firmly. I had a feeling her mind was probably in full-on panic mode, but still, the way she was doing her best to meet me halfway was just so endearing that, without thinking, I slid my hands from her shoulders around her back and held her tightly.
And like that, we stayed locked in the moment, embracing each other with our lips still pressed together…… until, before long, we gently pulled our faces apart, neither of us sure who moved first.
[……T- The truly fortunate part is that, since we’re here, I haven’t passed out from embarrassment, so I’m grateful for that. My head feels like it’s about to boil over, and if this had been reality, I’m certain I would’ve lost consciousness……]
[Isn’t there a chance you’ll faint after you wake up?]
[……If possible, I’d appreciate it if you could wake me up before the break ends.]
[So you’ve already accepted that you will faint!?]
[Well, um…… for someone as inexperienced as I am, this is all a bit too stimulating…… I- I do understand, though. I know I need to get used to this kind of thing more from now on…… I know that, but this time I didn’t faint, and we’re alone together in a dream, so I…… acted a bit more boldly than usual…… I’m well aware I’ve already gone far beyond my tolerance.]
[I- I see……]
As I thought, or maybe it was inevitable, when Lilia-san is too overwhelmed to faint, she tends to slam the gas pedal to cope with the fluster.
This time too, she must’ve figured well that at least, she won’t pass out, and so she charged forward with actions that she normally wouldn’t dare take due to embarrassment.
[Kaito-san.]
[Eh? ——–!?]
Just as I let out a small, helpless smile, Lilia-san gave me a soft smile…… then suddenly leaned in and kissed me again, catching me completely off guard.
[……I’ve already accepted that I’ll probably faint once I wake up, so I thought I’d do something I normally couldn’t, out of embarrassment……]
[Ahaha, how should I say this…… you’re strangely decisive at the weirdest times.]
[If I keep stacking up experiences like this, I feel like I’ll be able to get used to it a little more……]
Lilia-san said this with a beet-red face and a small, embarrassed smile, and in that moment, I found her unbelievably adorable. The arms I still had wrapped around her tightened just a little.
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai : [Guh…… I- I get it now…… making Lilia unable to faint is a terrible idea…… Please, from now on, don’t put her in a faint-proof state again……]
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