After Eden-san left, Alice and I spent our time together only with each
other again, leisurely looking after the store.
[Fuhehe… For white gold coins, there's one, two… so many… Fueee——
Fugyaaahhh!?]
[You really are…]
[Isn't it fine? It's been a while since I sold a lot. With this much money…
I could "lose" about 200 times— Fugyaaahhhh!?]
[Why the heck are you trying to lose on purpose…]
I knocked Alice on her head, as she counted the large number white
gold coins she received from Eden-san with an ugly grin on her face.
Even though you don't have to lose on purpose anymore, why the heck
are you calculating on the instance that you would lose purposely…
How should I say this… Alice really is Alice huh.
[…Ahh, speaking of which, I almost forgot. I had something to give
Kaito-san.]
[Something to give me?]
[Yes… Errr, I think it's around here somewhere… Ahh, found it!]
[…What's with this money?]
Saying that she has something to give me, she hands me a cloth bag full
of gold coins.
However, I don't know why she's handing me this… Or rather, I can't get
my head around this unusual situation where Alice is giving me money.
Seeing my expression, Alice explained with a smile.
[You see, I got the idea for the futon that I made before from Kaito-san…
Those futons were selling like crazy. No, well, this shop isn't getting any
customers as usual… but I heard that Kuro-san's shop they're selling so
much that they can't keep up with the production. So, that's 20% of the
profit.]
[Fumu… Hmmm. I don't really know what I would do with them even if
I get more money…]
[Kaito-san should learn how to be extravagant too~~ Like you know,
buying Alice-chan a meal, buying Alice-chan clothes, or buying Alicechan some accessories… Something like that.]
[All rejected.]
[Can't you at least think about it for a little bit!?]
I threw a tsukkomi at Alice who was joking around again. Somehow,
even though this is just our usual exchange, it was strangely fun.
It seems like Alice was feeling like that too, as Alice and I looked at each
other and laughed.
[Ahaha, ahh~~ As I thought, it's this feeling. However, I feel like it's
been a rather long time.]
[That's just because Alice turned a bit strange.]
[Ahh~~ I'm sorry about that. But you see, I'm also growing up to
become the new Alice-chan, you know?]
[Fumu, and what exactly changed?]
[I didn't hit that stupid God.]
[…H- Hmmm.]
That's quite the subtle growth you have there. Or rather, if you hadn't
become the new Alice-chan, you would have hit her huh…
As I looked at her with a doubtful expression on my face, Alice chuckled
again and lightly snapped her finger.
Thereupon, I heard the sound of the door of the miscellaneous goods
store being locked. And then, I don't know if it's the sign that changed
from "Open" to "Close", but I heard the sound of something hitting the
door.
After that, Alice takes off her mask to reveal her face, and as her cheeks
blushed red from embarrassment, she spoke.
[…Well, all jokes aside… If it had been the me from before, I would have
been more acrimonious with that God. Thinking that I need to protect
Kaito-san… But thinking about it like this, I could clearly see it. That I
had lost my presence of mind back then.]
[…And now, it's different, right?]
[…Yes. The thought of protecting Kaito-san hasn't changed but… even
though it's just a bit, something has changed.]
As she said this, Alice gently laid her hands on mine. Holding each
other's hands with our fingers interlocked, she continued.
[…Now, I stopped pushing myself. What I want to do is "to protect this
happiness I have together with Kaito-san"…That means I also have to
make sure that I myself am safe.]
[…Unnn. That's right…]
[Well, but as Kaito-san knows… I'm an idiot, so I'll be needing Kaito-san
to save me a lot of times too.]
[Yeah, me too… I don't think it's impossible for me when it comes to
situations that need strength, but I want to be able to support Alice's
heart. I want to protect the feeling of happiness Alice has for being
together with me.]
Hearing Alice's determination, I tell her my thoughts, tightly squeezing
back her hand.
Thereupon, without saying a word, Alice slowly leans against me.
The gentle warmth I feel from my hands and shoulder, and without
saying a word, I also lose myself in the happiness that seems to spread
from the depths of my heart.
Our first meeting was a coincidence for me, and something contrived by
Alice. The impact I felt when I first saw her, wearing that stuffed cat
costume, in the miscellaneous goods store is still very clear in my
memory.
Looking back on it now, it may have been partly because she wanted to
leave an impression to me.
In fact, I continued to visit Alice's miscellaneous goods store afterwards
and developed a friend-like relationship with her.
I was repeatedly taken aback by her idiotic behavior, and I even
lectured her for not planning ahead. But when I think about it, Alice is
the second person, after Kuro, that I've talked to in a natural way
without any pretense since I came to this world.
Was that the reason why? As for Alice, she was planning to sever our
connection when I was abducted… when Alice betrayed me. But even
when that happened, rather than resent her, I was more inclined to
forgive her.
Perhaps, at that time… Alice has already become very important to me.
Even after I found out that Alice was the Phantasmal King, my attitude
towards her didn't change… No, I never planned to change my attitude.
To me, Alice is more than just one of the Six Kings… As expected, my
impression of her being my important friend was stronger…
At least, not at that time, I didn't expect that I would become lovers
with Alice.
I thought our relationship where we make silly snide remarks and
chuckle together would last forever… No, I may have just been
convincing myself that it is the case.
I've been aware of Alice as a woman for some time now, and not once or
twice have I thought that her casual gestures were cute.
The reason I pretended not to notice it was because with the change of
our relationship to one of lovers… It was because I was subconsciously
thinking, and perhaps, Alice as well, that the easygoing relationship we
had before was going to change.
However, in the end, it turned out to be just needless fear and the
relationship we had changed for the better. Even now, we are still
carefreely talking and laughing with each other… and with the addition
of love in our relationship, everything we do with each other brings us
happiness.
I'm sure it will continue to be like this in the future. My easygoing
friend, my beloved lover… She's protecting me, while I protect her, the
both of us walk side by side…
Needless to say, that's happiness… That's why I'm also going to do my
best to protect Alice's heart.
I wish for this relationship filled with happiness… to last forever…
[…Kaito-san.]
[Unnn?]
[I just want to call your name.]
[…What the heck?]
[Fufufu.]
[Hahaha.]
[…Kaito-san.]
[…Unnn?]
[…Please stay with me forever. Please don't leave me alone.]
[It's alright. I won't let you be alone. I promise you that.]
[Yes.]
[...…]
[...…]
[…Kaito-san.]
[What is it now?]
[…I love you.]
[…I love you too.]
Dear Mom, Dad—— She would sometimes say stupid stuff with a smile
on her face, and even utter things that makes me feel astounded. I think
I've let out a lot of sighs after I met her, and I think I will still be sighing
in the future. However, I don't dislike it. That's because, indeed— Alice's
heart and mine are connected.