Three days later.
Kanzaki Kumo and Kanae strolled hand in hand through the bustling streets.
"So these past few days of spending time with me really were on the list of presents you prepared for me, Kanzaki-kun?"
Kanae tilted her head toward him. Her tone sounded reproachful, but there was not a trace of anger in her eyes. They were as gentle as ever, even holding a hint of amusement.
Just as Kanzaki Kumo had said before, even if his present were only a few days of companionship, Kanae would have no objection. She was only teasing him now.
"The plan for these past few days really was to take you shopping, enjoy some food and drinks, and pick up a few little things that caught your interest along the way. But that doesn't count as a present."
"Hmm?" Kanae tilted her head in confusion. Then something flickered in her eyes, as though she had understood, and a little more sweetness mingled with helplessness in her heart.
"This is my way of making it up to you."
Kanzaki Kumo's next words confirmed Kanae's guess.
"Honestly, you're as stubborn as ever, Kanzaki-kun. Didn't Shinobu tell you? Whether you're with me or the others, you shouldn't feel indebted to us, because you don't owe us anything."
"But in the three years and more since we met, I've never properly gone shopping with you like this."
Kanzaki Kumo's answer left Kanae a little stunned.
Yes, although the two of them had gone out together before, they usually had some other purpose. They spent their journeys hurrying to their destinations, never stopping to stroll leisurely through the bustling streets.
It was just that Kanae had never minded any of that. As long as she could stay by Kanzaki Kumo's side, as long as his