After Eden-san left, Neun-san and I stopped after walking a considerable distance away from Kuro and Dr. Vier.
[Ahh, speaking of which... We were brought here with Eden-san's power, but we forgot to tell Lilia-san and the others that the battle was over...]
[Ahhh, you don't have to worry about that.]
It was Alice, not Neun-san, who answered the question that suddenly popped out of my mind.
[I have left Alice-chan Clone #44: Phantasmal King Version over there, so she'll tell the people over there what happened.]
[I- I see, thank you.]
[Yes, yes. Well then, if you still have any other orders, just call me~~]
After she said that she told Lilia and the others about how the situation was alright now, Alice disappeared again.
Alice is someone who immediately understands the situation and instantly works on it, and that's why I could really rely on her.
As Alice disappeared, Neun-san began to restlessly look around.
After that, Neun-san fluidly knelt down and placed three fingers of both of her hands on the ground... and bowed down in a dogeza.
[...Kaito-san, I apologize for all the trouble I brought you!]
[Ehh? Ah, errr...]
[I'm sorry for the inconvenience I caused by being blind of my own weakness. I will definitely apologize for this!]
[N- No!? I'm fine with the apology, so please raise your head!]
[H- However...]
Apparently, Neun-san was very concerned about having antagonized me before, as she kept lowering her head, letting it almost graze the ground.
I didn't really mind about what happened, so I tried asking Neun-san to raise her head, but she wasn't raising it at all.
How should I say this, being bowed down to in a dogeza like this feels kinda awkward... I'm not even asking her to apologize...
[A- Anyway, I don't mind it, okay!?]
[...Yes.]
After a few more words, Neun-san reluctantly raised her head, but she still looked like she was concerned about it.
H- Hmmm. The air feels heavy….. I- Is there any good topic that we could divert the conversation to? Something that could change the current mood...
[...S- Speaking of which!]
[Yes?]
[If this is the Hero's Hill, the "Friendship City" should be nearby, right!? S- Since we're nearby... How about we kill some time and look around...]
[Wha!?]
It was just a distraction I suggested in desperation but... Neun-san's reaction was very different from what I expected.
The moment Neun-san heard my words, her face looked full of despair, as if the world had ended. As she began to sweat profusely, she muttered.
[...K- Kaito-san... Y- You were that angry...]
[...Ehh?]
[I- I'm really sorry! I- I will do anything! Anything but that...]
[Eh? Ehhh!?]
For some reason, Neun-san bowed her head again, more vigorously than before. Eh? Why? Did I say something strange?
As I was being puzzled by her actions, Alice's voice came out of nowhere.
[...As expected of Kaito-san, trying to take Hikari-san to "the place she least wants to visit in the world". It certainly is a punishment that does immense damage to her sense of shame.]
[U- Unnn? W- What do you mean?]
[Eh? Well, after all, in the Friendship City Hikari, there were many statues of Hikari-san erected...]
[...….]
Ahhhhhhhh!? Oh sh*t! I- I see... The Friendship City is, in essence, a place where they honor the First Hero...
So to speak, it's something like a head temple for a cult that worships the First Hero, and it's a place that Neun-san would never want to go near.
And then, even though I was completely unaware of all this, I still invited Neun-san who was feeling responsible for what happened earlier to the city.
In other words, for Neun-san, what I said earlier was... "As punishment, I'm going to make you feel the greatest shame of all. You have no right to refuse."... or something like that.
[T- That's not it! Neun-san, I never meant such a thing when I said that... P- Please raise your head! It's alright!]
[H- However, Kaito-san is mad at me...]
[I'm not mad at you! I'm telling the truth, okay!?]
[In that case, I should really offer my apology...]
[Do my words not make any sense in your mind!?]
[A- As I thought, you're angry...]
[No, no, like I said, I'm not angry!]
[Then, my apology...]
[What the heck is with this infinite loop!?]
...This won't do. Once she starts thinking in a negative direction, she's stubborn as hell. I certainly was at fault because I said something carelessly, but it seemed like in Neun-san's mind... Me refusing her apology = Me being angry.
I felt like this would go on and on until I received some kind of apology... Should I just get her to do something?
[...E- Errr, then...]
For now, I thought of something safe for her to do as an apology. Approaching Neun-san, who was still bowing her head, I whispered to her.
What I was making her do wouldn't be too much of a burden to Neun-san, and I was also going to be grateful to her for it... I guess it would be a good request for something I thought impromptu huh?
However, Neun-san's response to it... was also different from what I expected.
[...Fueehhh? T- T- T- That is, perhaps... A- Aahhh... I- I've heard of it before... I- It was a secret code, right...?]
[Errr... Neun-san?]
For some reason, Neun-san raised her bright red face, stared at me with a worried look on her face. Eh? What's with her reaction?
Thereupon, Neun-san puts her hand on her chin. Looking down on the ground, she began mumbling something.
[...P- Premarital intercourse... H- However, I did say I'd do anything... Aahhh, but doing such a thing before our marriage is... No, but I can't just retract my previous statement... H- However, that's embarrassing.... But then...]
[...Neun-san? Neun-san!]
[Hyaahhh!?]
[A- Are you alright?]
[I- I- I'm awwieright!?]
...Eh? What did she say?
[...E- Errr, you could just say it if you don't want to, you know? If you don't like it, I could just think of another thing to ask...]
[N- No! I- I don't mind! I know I'm not knowledgeable about this, but I'll do everything in my power to "make amends with my body"! I don't mind doing "that" as my apology!]
...Something's wrong. As I thought, something was definitely wrong.
Why the heck did it look like she was ready to face her death?
Just now... I said "I'm going to go visit you, so please prepare something tasty for me" to her...
H- Hmmm. With the way Neun-san was looking right now, was she planning to cook me a fancy meal? It's not like she needs to prepare that much...
[Ah, well, you don't have to get that worked up about it, you know?]
[N- No! This is an important matter, so I'll make sure I'm prepared!]
[I- Is that so...]
[Ah, s- should I prepare a bath as well?]
[Eh? You don't really have to go that far... but if Neun-san doesn't mind.]
What a surprise. Not only a meal, she's asking me if she should prepare a bath as well. She doesn't have to be that considerate though... I wonder if the bath at Neun-san's home is something like a cypress bath? If that's the case, I'd like to take a bath in it.
[...U- Ummm... Kaito-san... Which do you like better, a kimono or a yukata?]
[...E- Errr, I guess I like yukata better?]
To be honest, I don't even know the difference between a kimono and a yukata... Rather than that, why was she asking such a thing?
Dear Mom, Dad———- As an apology for this matter, I asked Neun-san to treat me to a home-cooked meal. However, I wonder if it was just my imagination? Somehow, I feel like Neun-san's reaction———– feels strangely jittery.