I sit on the couch in the changing room with my burning body and exhale deeply, wondering if it's due to the hot spring or something else.
　The air passing through the gaps in the yukata slowly cools my hot body, and it's kind of comforting.
　But, well, it was really ... a long and arduous battle. I don't know how many times I thought about giving up.......but I still made it. I got through it.
　I'm not Alice, but the bath is going to be traumatic for me. I don't know why I have such a connection to the happenings in the bath... I miss thinking about how there was no such thing as a Lucky Snake when I first came to this world.

　As I was thinking about this, a bottle of milk was held out in front of me while I was in a daze.

"Kite, would you like some cold milk?
Thank you. Where are Black and the others?
Oh, it looks like we're going to have 'fireworks' of all kinds, so I've moved to go get ready first. I'm in charge of picking up Kite.
Well it's good...
I guess I'll have to do this after my bath.

　Apparently Kuro and Isis-san are all excited about the fact that we're all staying overnight, and they've gone to prepare the fireworks.

　Alice, who has come to pick me up, is wearing a yukata and her usual mask, making her look somewhat unbalanced.
　Despite the fact that she was coming for you, she took out a bottle of milk from out of nowhere and sat down right next to me.

'..............Puh-hah~. Well, Younger Kite-san seems to be tired, so let's take a breath before we go.
'Yes. I certainly feel like taking a break.

　It may be because of the fact that it was the end of the bath, but there was a kind of calmness in the air.
　Alice drank the milk without saying anything else, and after a while, she muttered to herself.

''........Kite. There's one thing I just don't understand, can I ask you something?
Yeah?　It's rare that Alice doesn't understand something.
Of course there are things I don't know. You can't look into the depths of people's hearts unless you want to.
You could look into it if you wanted to...
"Ha-ha.
So.....
Oh, no, it's not that big of a deal.

　After making that preamble, Alice turns her gaze towards me and slowly spins her words.

''........Kite, why are you 'holding back'?
Huh?　What?
'No, well, it's about that kind of action. It's a good thing that you're not the only one who can do this, because this is a pure person, and I can understand why it's difficult for you to step in. As for Ayn-san, she's not even a lover.
Yes.
''As for the Duke of Lilia, I can understand it because he has that personality, but what about Zeke-san?''

　I know what Alice wants to hear. She's probably wondering why I still haven't had physical contact with anyone, and that's what she's asking.

''No, well, I'm sure you have your heart ready for that, Kite, and I don't mean to be bitter or anything, but.......I simply wondered why.........
...why do you think...
''Well, it's not something to hide now, and I'll say it... I know that Kite-san sometimes secretly handles it herself. Yeah, of course, if I'm in a situation like that, I move it out of sight.
Really, now that you mention it... where's my privacy?

　
　Alice doesn't have any intention of making fun of me at all, she seems to be asking the question out of pure interest.

Well.........well, that's it. I'm sorry to say it, but isn't Zeke-san just the right person for the conditions?　Personality-wise, Kite will accept it if you ask for it, and age-wise, 38... he hasn't been a virgin sultry for tens of thousands of years like me.
Mmmm.
'We live under one roof and have a lot of conversations about taking care of our pets and such. Unlike Black and Isis, the elves also have a decent amount of s*xual desire due to the preservation of their species.
....

　Well, if you put it that way, you could certainly say that Zeke-san is perfectly suited for the job. In fact, Zeke-san seems like a kind older woman, and in that sense, she's a lover I've made to the point of being a waste of time.
　Still, the reason why I haven't touched her........

''........Oh, no, if it's hard to answer, it's not that......''
'You know Alice, don't you?　He said I went back to my world once, and he's trying to come back to this one.
Yes, I've heard about it from Kite herself.
"Well yes. My purpose in returning is simple. I want to say goodbye to the people who helped me in my former world. That's all I want to do, but it's very important to me. Only when I do this properly can I say with confidence that I will live in this world.
.........is that what you call "kekkaji"? Until it's over...?
Yeah.

　I'm sorry, Alice. I lied now.
　No, maybe not a lie, but the aunt and uncle who took me in and raised me are the ones I owe a debt of gratitude to.
　I'd like to have some closure with Black and the others before we get even deeper into that kind of relationship, and that's the way I really want it to be.

　But there is a part of me that doesn't talk about it intentionally. The biggest problem I have right now is....

　I haven't told anyone about it yet. When I visited the God Realm before, Shiro-san told me what I needed to know. White-san compared himself to me as the 'rascal' in my one story. And when he gave me the final test he told me to try and defeat him.

　There was one part of Shiro-san's words at that time that felt strange to me.
　Shiro-san said that if I couldn't get past the ordeal, my only choice was the same as any other Otherworlder..............to stay or go back.
　He wouldn't be lying about that.......but is it 'really just that'?

　I think it's safe to say that the final trial is a match between me and Shiro-san, based on his statement that he should win.
　What I'm asking for is to return to this world once I've returned to my former world.......an unprecedented act.
　If you call it a match, what is the 'what do I lose' if I lose?

　Overthinking, perhaps. No, it's more likely that White-san is really simply imposing an ordeal and not asking for a price from me.
　However, I can't help but be curious. The challenging look on his face when he told me to 'show my worth' and his words, 'If you want more, be prepared to do more.
　If I don't reach the standard of value that White-san is looking for, what will he do with me then?
　I don't know, and I'm sure White wouldn't answer me if I asked.

　Well, it's really possible that I'm thinking too much....

Well, we can't let Black and the others get tired of waiting, so let's get moving.
...Yes.

　I'm not telling anyone about this yet. It's just a gut feeling, but I think the ordeal that White-san is giving me...is a 'Nanika' that I have to overcome myself.

　I got up from the couch and was about to start walking alongside Alice when Alice pulled my sleeve.

''........Alice?''
'Kite, you see, I told you to wait until I got up the courage...'
Yes.
"I, you see, I'm a sultry virgin and it's going to take me a little while yet.
....
I'll take it. 'A romantic cottage by the sea' ... promise me?
Yeah, I promise.

　Dear Mom, Dad - as they say, I'm not very good at lying, apparently. So, surely Alice knows. She knows that I'm hiding something, and that it's not an easy thing to do, and she said she's waiting for me. What can I say, yes - I fell in love with her again.