Chapter 176

I tried to sound casual.

“……A Christmas present.”

As I said this, I carefully handed Ria the small, wrapped gift.

“……A present!?”

Ria was taken aback, as if she hadn’t expected anything like this. It was amusing to see her jump excitedly yet cautiously as she received my gift.

“Can I open it?”

Her expression was like that of a child on their birthday, making me nervous. What if she doesn’t like it? It would be a bit sad if her face fell the moment she peeled away the wrapping.

But I couldn’t back out now.

Nervously nodding, Ria beamed and began unwrapping it slowly.

It revealed a long box.

Inside was a necklace.

A delicate silver thread adorned with a gem similar to the one on our ring shimmered at the end.

The gem I infused with Saint Power glowed pale white.

“……Wow…”

Ria stared at the necklace silently for a moment, seemingly lost for words.

“Uh, what do you think?”

“It’s pretty.”

My heart fluttered at her answer.

“Can you help me put it on?”

Ria asked with an obviously excited tone. Before I could even respond with a “Huh?”, she had already turned around, showing her back to me.

As she brushed aside her flowing red hair, her white nape was revealed. The sunlight hit her neck in such a way that it seemed to sparkle. Or maybe it just appeared that way to me?

…Why just the nape? I’m not some teenage boy or anything.

I stifled a sigh and cautiously slipped the necklace over her head.

I thought about how nice it would be to touch it a little while I was at it, but I only thought about it.

As Ria turned back around with her hair falling down, the necklace sparkled above her nun robe. The white gem stood out even more against her dark attire.

“How does it look?”

“It suits you well.”

Ria’s bright smile in response shone brighter than the gem of the necklace.

*

The ring on my hand was unavoidable, but the necklace stood out for sure.

Plus, Ria’s chest was a bit… I don’t know how to put it, more accentuated, so seeing the bouncing gem resting on her bosom made me feel odd.

Maybe Ria felt that way too, as she tucked the necklace under her clothes.

Since our last trip to the seaside, we had been trying to refrain from wandering around too much. It was because we felt a bit self-conscious after the news of a nun running around in a bikini circulated the church.

But Ria didn’t want to let today just pass by, and she took me around here and there. After all, we had some justification, didn’t we?

We explored the busy streets of the year-end and took photos in front of the undecorated Christmas tree.

We tried delicious street food and ended up at a fancy restaurant.

“……This is a present.”

Ria handed me something.

Inside was a smartphone. Oh, right. I hadn’t gotten one of these in this world yet. I hadn’t really thought I needed one.

“Thank you.”

When I said this with sparkling eyes, Ria scratched her head and turned her gaze away with a slightly awkward expression.

So that’s what it was.

She was probably pondering what I truly needed.

“Then, please give me your number, Ria.”

As I said this with a smile while handing her the smartphone, Ria blushed a bit and took it with a bashful and shy face.

Thus, for the time being, my smartphone only had Ria’s number saved in it.

*

As evening began to fall, I went back to the convent and spotted Mari and Anna alone in the common area.

Both of us felt like we should conceal ourselves for some reason, and we quickly ducked behind the corner of the hallway.

The two were engaging in a conversation.

“……I see. You knew everything.”

Mari said.

“Yes, I knew everything.”

“……So, the present was something like this.”

Mari lifted her left hand to show something.

There was a ring. It seemed the gift Anna had hinted about that was meant for me was a ring.

“Thank you, truly.”

“……”

“For being alive. For protecting me.”

“No, I just did what I was supposed to—”

“I know everything. I heard it all.”

Mari was momentarily silenced by Anna’s words.

However, Anna didn’t seem to want the silence between them to linger.

She jumped into Mari’s arms, wrapping her arms around Mari’s neck and stood on her toes.

Their lips met.

“……Anna.”

Mari spoke in a slightly dazed voice.

“From now on, I want to make sure there’s nothing left to regret.”

“…….”

“How about you, Mari?”

“……Me, too.”

At that, Anna smiled brightly.

For some reason, I felt her expression resembled that of a predator.

*

“……I just witnessed something remarkable.”

After I returned to my room and sat in silence for a while, I finally spoke up.

Well, it was a good thing. Obviously, a good thing. It’s a union between people who love each other.

Yet, why did it seem awkward for us?

…….

Oh, of course, it’s obvious why.

It’s awkward because it’s a couple with the same name as us.

“How happy it must be for lovers to share their first kiss!”

I tried to keep the conversation going to ease the strange atmosphere.

“Someday, I want to share one with someone I like—”

And then I fell silent.

I felt like I had just said something unnecessarily awkward.

“Someone you like?”

Ria asked, looking at me.

“Um, well. Someday, I guess. Not right now.”

I hastily made up an excuse, and Ria looked at me with a complicated expression.

“Your first kiss, huh.”

Ria said in a tone that gave off a strange bitterness.

“Uh, yeah, but…”

As I glanced at Ria, she proudly lifted her chin.

“Well, about that? It might be a bit troublesome. Your first kiss has already been taken by someone else.”

“……Huh? Who?”

The remark thrown back at me was so outrageous that I couldn’t react properly.

“That would be me.”

Ria made an absurd statement.

“……You?”

“Yeah.”

“When exactly?”

“……”

Ria’s face slightly flushed.

“Um, remember the day you collapsed? That day.”

“……Ah, the chocolates.”

“Well, something like that.”

I burst into laughter.

What the heck. So, it was like mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or something. Chocolate is practically impossible to swallow all at once unless it’s melted, so, yeah.

This made me feel it was a little risqué, too?

“Is that so?”

“What? Not surprised?”

“You did it to save me.”

Standing in front of Ria sitting on the bed, I said.

And with both hands, I made her look at me by gently holding her slightly puzzled cheeks.

“……”

My first kiss.

Not remembering it felt a bit off, but if Ria was my partner, I was okay with it. After all, it was something I had wished for.

But still, it was a bit vexing.

I still didn’t quite understand why I acted that way. Perhaps I had drunk a bit too much of the pre-dinner beverage, and the alcohol might have still affected me, making me giddy. Not to mention the dessert was abundantly sweet and then another drink was served, probably ramping up the buzz.

That atmosphere, too. We exchanged gifts. I recalled the conversation I had with Anna earlier, and I had just witnessed those two a moment ago.

If there’s a parallel universe, I thought perhaps I might have a chance too.

And maybe I was being a bit mischievous, thinking of that as ‘justification’.

“Still, I feel a little annoyed.”

Yeah, this was just a joke.

A playful jest between friends. A little tipsy from the drinks, caught up in the moment, swept along.

A peck.

My lips barely brushed against Ria’s cheek.

Ria stared at me in shock.

“Hahaha!”

Seeing her face, I burst into laughter and threw myself onto the bed.

Ah, I crossed a line.

That thought crossed my mind.

Yet somehow, my heart felt lighter.

……Hmm.

Maybe I just drank a bit too much by myself. I was feeling somewhat sleepy.