I Was Caught up in a Hero Summoning, but That World Is at Peace

As they left the restaurant and moved toward the theater where the play would take place, Olivia was deep in thought.

(Though there were unexpected developments, I managed to fulfill the essential requirements for a date meal. Riding this momentum, I want to ensure I achieve the objectives during the upcoming play as well. However, the reference materials don’t mention what actions are necessary during a play. That said, there is this ambiguous expression, “creating a good atmosphere”, which indicates I need to make some kind of change. It seems this will test my insight. Surely, the all-seeing Shallow Vernal-sama foresaw that I would grow by overcoming this trial and instructed me to invite Miyama Kaito-sama on this date.)

Of course, none of this was true, but for Olivia, it was undeniable that this play was particularly challenging to simulate in advance.

Given the structure of watching a play, Olivia’s ability to take proactive actions was limited. She was focused on finding a way to create a good atmosphere without disrupting Kaito’s enjoyment of the performance.

(The reference materials mentioned holding hands during the play, but Miyama Kaito-sama and I are already holding hands. Therefore, that action is excluded…… But if so, what else can I do without interfering with Miyama Kaito-sama’s enjoyment of the play……? Ah! Could it be? Yes, that must be it……! The reference materials should have mentioned that there are stages to holding hands. Beyond the current way we’re holding hands, there’s the interlocked fingers style…… I- I see! This play is the perfect opportunity to move to that stage!)

If Kaito or Kaori could read minds, they might have thought “So this is what happens when you take earnestness to the extreme”.

However, no one could read Olivia’s thoughts, and while Kaito, who could sense emotions, noticed that Olivia’s concerns seemed resolved, he had no idea what she was planning to do.

(Mizuhara Kaori, can you hear me? You just need to think in your head to respond.)

(……Eh? W- What’s this? Suddenly Olivia-sama’s voice is echoing in my head…… Is this some kind of magic?)

(No, I can hardly use magic outside Friendship City, so this isn’t a magical conversation. It’s just that, as a gesture of gratitude for all you’ve done for me, I’ve given you something akin to the Gods' Blessing. By tracing that connection and resonating our magic wavelengths, I’m creating a state similar to how monsters communicate through magic wavelengths.)

(…………………………….Please wait right there, hold on. That’s a lot of information, and it’s all stuff about me that I didn’t even know! N- No, well, I’ll ask more about that later…… So, what’s the matter? If you’re talking to me this way, does it mean you don’t want Kaito-kun to overhear?)n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Though there were countless points to retort, Kaori decided to put off verifying everything for now. Feeling a faint premonition of stomachache, she figured it was better to save it for later rather than suffer stomachache in the middle of the date.

(Yes, it’s about what actions we should take toward Miyama Kaito-sama during the upcoming play.)

(……I see?)

Kaori, with a somewhat indescribable expression at being included so naturally, decided to listen to Olivia’s story until the end. Olivia then explained the conclusion she had reached.

(……You're being too serious about this. Well, I suppose that's very much like Olivia-sama…… Errr, so basically, you’re talking about doing that, right? The so-called “lovers’ hand-holding”? That’s pretty embarrassing, though……)

(But it’s necessary for us to perfectly complete this date.)

(I- Is it? Do people usually go for lovers’ hand-holding so early on? Well, I mean, if you consider that dating an opposite gender implies a certain level of closeness, and if the scenario assumes a relationship they're more than friends but not yet lovers…… Maybe that’s plausible…… H- Hmmm. I curse my lack of romantic experience.)

While Kaori found several points in Olivia’s reasoning that could be questioned, she herself was not well-versed in matters of romance. Her knowledge was primarily based on romance fiction, many of which depicted bold advances in relationships. Thus, she concluded that lovers’ hand-holding wasn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility if they were already on a date.

Moreover, Kaori harbored a faint admiration for the idea of lovers’ hand-holding, which made her more receptive to the suggestion. With that, she and Olivia continued to discuss how they should act during the play.

However, the two had overlooked one major miscalculation. As Olivia had explained, their current method of communication resembled the wavelength-based telepathy used by monsters.

And so……

(……What do I do? I can hear everything they're saying……)

Yes, thanks to the effects of his Blessing, Kaito, who could perceive conversations carried through magic wavelengths, could hear their entire exchange. He was now stuck feeling an indescribable awkwardness.

---

<Afterword>

Serious-senpai : [So, we’ve got two people with zero romance experience discussing their plans, while someone with plenty of romance experience is overhearing everything. But it feels awkward to butt into a conversation they think Kaito isn’t privy to……]

? ? ? : [Kaito-san can eavesdrop not only through magic wavelengths but also on telepathic conversations transmitted via magic, you know? But that’s only possible because of a combination of his Sympathy Magic and his Blessing. Unless someone’s within a close range, close enough to interact with the magic power Kaito-san unconsciously emits, he wouldn’t be able to overhear. Since they’re holding hands this time though, he can hear everything perfectly.]

Serious-senpai : [So does that mean Kaito could just turn off his Sympathy Magic and stop hearing them?]

? ? ? : [No, Kaito-san can adjust his Sympathy Magic to avoid reading emotions, but completely suppressing all external magic power, like Zwei-san does, is way too advanced for him. His magic power is still active around him. He’s just turned off the part that interprets emotions. But if there’s a sudden surge of strong emotions nearby, it’ll forcibly reactivate. So, while he can partially deactivate functions, Sympathy Magic itself would still be deployed. In this situation, it’s impossible for Kaito-san to consciously block them out.]