"Ardan-ojousama~ I saw a photo booth machine over there. Want to give it a try?"
On their way down to the Chinese specialty store on the first floor, Kagura spotted a square, boxy machine. She vaguely remembered it being a self-service photo booth for taking ID pictures or something similar. She'd never considered trying it when she visited alone before, but today she finally had company, so she thought it might be fun.
Ardan, who had been racking her brains to come up with an excuse to take Kagura to the photo booth, froze on the spot. Kagura's suggestion matched her plans so perfectly that Ardan wondered if Kagura had somehow peeked at her text messages—even though that was completely impossible.
"Yes! Let's do it!"
Anyway, saving her from the trouble of inventing an excuse, Ardan happily agreed right away, squeezing into the booth alongside Kagura.
"It's a little cramped in here... Are you okay, Ardan-ojousama?"
"Mm-hmm~ No problem at all! I don't mind squeezing in with you."
In fact, ever since she'd held Kagura and slept together under the kotatsu that one time, Ardan no longer felt shy about being physically close to Kagura. Besides, this was an enclosed space, so she didn't have to worry about others seeing. It wasn't that tight either—another person could probably squeeze in if needed.
Ah…this despairing height difference…
After Kagura stepped inside and leaned against Ardan, she measured their heights in front of the camera. Immediately, a devastating realization hit her—she and Ardan weren't anywhere close in height. Having already reached honkaku, Ardan was tall and well-developed, utterly dwarfing her petite, barely-140-something figure.
"Pfft..."
Ardan also noticed their comically mismatched heights through the camera's preview and couldn't hold back her laughter.
"What! It's just being a bit shorter!"
Kagura puffed up her rosy cheeks, glaring indignantly at Ardan, who was covering her mouth to stifle her laughter. The cute, irritated expression only made Ardan want to pinch her face even more.
"Hehe~ Who knew the usually calm and mature~ Kagura-san had such a cute side! Makes me want to squeeze you even more... hehe~"
"…Fine, go ahead! Just don't pinch too hard, okay?"
Given Kagura's permission, Ardan hugged her from the side, reached around, and gently pulled at Kagura's soft cheeks. Then she lowered her head, pressing her face against Kagura's cheek and nuzzled her warmly.
Ardan-ojousama really can act spoiled…though her pinching is just a bit too strong…
Seeing Ardan finally take the initiative and relax enough to play around made Kagura feel relieved. Such chances were rare, after all, so she willingly let Ardan enjoy herself.
After a good while, Ardan finally released Kagura's cheeks—which were now flushed red from the pinching—and remembered their original goal of taking photos. She asked casually:
"Kagura-san, your height doesn't quite reach the camera. Shall I lift you up for the photos?"
"Isn't there a stool or something I can stand on…?"
"How could there be something like that in here~? Here we go!"
Without hesitation, Ardan wrapped her arms beneath Kagura's underarms and gently lifted her up.
"How's this, Kagura-san? Are you in frame now?"
Holding Kagura up with both arms, Ardan naturally couldn't check the camera's angle herself.
"All good now, the view's perfect."
"Great! Then Kagura-san, please press the shutter~"
Ardan pressed her cheek against Kagura's, resting her chin comfortably on Kagura's shoulder, wearing the brightest, most relaxed smile she'd had all day. Kagura, in turn, showed her usual gentle smile, snuggling closer as well.
Click!
…
[Ardan]:Kagura-san and I took some photos! Hehe, Kagura-san turned out so adorable!
[Ardan]:[Photo] [Photo]
Very soon, Iris-sama received a reply from Ardan, along with a set of attached pictures. In the photos, Kagura and Ardan leaned happily against each other, striking playful poses. Ardan wore a bright, sunny smile, clearly having enjoyed herself immensely.
"How wonderful… To meet a friend like Kagura must've taken incredible luck."
Looking at the joyful photos of Ardan and Kagura, Iris-sama couldn't help but envy these young ones a little. Still, she was genuinely happy—after all, it had been a long time since Ardan had worn such a carefree expression since returning to Neon.
"They should be moving downstairs now, right? Ramonu, do you have a next step in mind?"
"Not at the moment. We'll have to see if Ardan runs into Rudolf before deciding what to do next."
Ramonu had also received the photos from Ardan. Though delighted, she didn't lose focus, still paying close attention to their situation. Right now, they'd reached a stage where she had no reliable information—it all depended on Ardan's own improvisation.
[Ramonu]:If you finish shopping at the specialty store and don't find anything else to do, there's a restaurant with a nice view on the upper floor. You could have dinner there.
…
"So crowded…"
Maruzensky and Symboli Rudolf had just stepped into the shopping mall, immediately startled by the unexpectedly dense crowd blocking the entrance.
"Many people probably had the same idea as us, buying stuff today. Stay close, Maruzensky, and stop looking around carelessly—you'll get lost easily."
"Alright, alright… I'm not a child in a supermarket! Even if I got lost, I can still find my way back!"
"I wouldn't count on that. What if something interesting catches your eye and you wander off? If you disappear into this crowd, how will I ever find you to carry our purchases?"
As she spoke, Rudolf firmly turned Maruzensky's head forward, stopping her from constantly glancing around.
On the other side, Kagura and Ardan had come down from the third floor, suddenly overwhelmed by the densely packed crowds. Ardan tiptoed slightly, intending to pinpoint the location of the Chinese specialty store, but before finding the store, she spotted two unexpected figures instead.
Rudolf-san and Maruzensky-san?! What are they doing here?
Ardan froze momentarily. The two seemed to be searching for something, scanning around the area. Ardan glanced at Kagura, who was busy checking her phone and waiting patiently for the crowd to thin. Reflexively, Ardan shifted her body slightly to block Kagura from their line of sight.
I'm sorry, Rudolf-san, Maruzensky-san. Please forgive me for my rudeness in not greeting you properly. At least today, I selfishly want Kagura-san all to myself a little longer.
"Kagura-san, I found the specialty store's location! Let's hurry there!"
Saying this, Ardan took Kagura's small hand, guiding her towards the store. Due to the dense crowd and her short stature, Kagura couldn't see the path clearly and simply followed Ardan closely.
As if tapping into some latent potential, Ardan swiftly plotted a route that even she found remarkably efficient, managing to avoid those two with incredible ease.
Soon enough, after weaving skillfully through the crowds, Ardan successfully passed behind Rudolf and Maruzensky unnoticed. She glanced back discreetly and breathed an inward sigh of relief. Turning to check Kagura, she saw only Kagura's usual soft smile—thankfully, Kagura hadn't noticed Rudolf and Maruzensky either.
Whew, good… They didn't see us.
…
[Ardan]:I just managed to get past Rudolf-san and Maruzensky-san without being seen.
"Phew…"
Iris-sama and Ramonu simultaneously exhaled, relieved, leaning back against their chairs.
They'd genuinely worried Ardan would panic and mess up at this crucial moment—her smooth execution had truly surprised them.
But why has Symboli Speed still made no moves at all? Could it be that Kagura didn't mention anything about today to her at all?