Spending time with the Occult Research Club and the Student Council at Kuoh Academy tends to mess with your sense of what's "normal." But honestly, this kind of reaction from her... is probably what normal actually looks like.
"Is something the matter?"
Ravel tilted her head slightly, giving me a curious look. I'd been staring at her in silence, and it must've made her wonder.
"Oh, no. I forgot to say it earlier, but… that outfit really suits you. You look beautiful—and cute."
"My, thank you so much. I actually put quite a bit of thought into it, you know? I tried to tailor it to your tastes, Ikki-sama—something not too flashy, but with just a hint of elegance. I aimed to express a mature charm through the design, rather than just decorations."
All I could think was: Good job, self. Seriously, Ravel's sense of fashion is leagues ahead of the rest. The outfit could've easily come off as childish in someone else's hands, but she balanced it out with mature design elements that kept things classy. She really knows my preferences a little too well… Not that I mind.
"Well then, shall we get going, Ravel?"
"Yes♪"
When I offered her my right hand to hold, she didn't take it—instead, she linked her arm with mine and leaned in close.
"Today, Ikki-sama belongs to me and me alone. So I'll be extra clingy, okay?♪"
Too cute. Seriously. That smile of hers was in full bloom… It's like with Kuroka and the others—when someone's genuinely cute, no other word really comes to mind at the moment.
Once inside the aquarium, we started at the touch-and-feel corner. Ravel poked gently at the starfish and sea cucumbers, marveling at the hard and squishy textures, respectively. Honestly, I was more distracted by how close Ravel was than by the marine life.
There's something undeniably different about the intimacy of a date compared to our everyday interactions at home. It's fresh. Sweet.
We then wandered into the section full of colorful tropical fish—always a crowd-pleaser. A bit further in, we found ourselves in front of tanks holding poisonous marine creatures: jellyfish, starfish, and other sea dwellers you'd rather not bump into while swimming.
Because of how hard they are to care for, many were replicas or kept solo in small, specialized tanks.
"Poison, huh? I've heard it can be dangerous when playing in the ocean, but I'm a Phoenix, after all. I'll be fine," Ravel said casually.
"Even if you survive, it'll still hurt, right? Getting stung mid-swim would kill the mood real fast. Jellyfish are probably the biggest risk, I'd say. So even if we go to the beach, keep your distance from anything suspicious, alright?"
"I understand. By the way, Ikki-sama, how about you? Are you resistant to poison?"
"I can use senjutsu to form a detoxifying seal. I can slow the spread of toxins by manipulating my metabolism, but that's not quite the same as neutralizing it outright."
If it were dragon-type poison, I might be able to rely on Samael's blessing to counter it once it's in my system—but I'd really rather not test that out. Kind of a morbid topic for a date at an aquarium, huh?
…Guess that's just the nature of us combat types.
We moved on and reached the theater room. Since we were here to enjoy the full aquarium experience, we went in to watch the feature. Giant screens, immersive sound—way more impactful than peering through glass. The screen's only a bit larger than the average home setup, though, so let's not point fingers.
After the theater, we passed through the shark exhibit and finally arrived at the crown jewel of the entire place: the massive tank housing the aquarium's iconic whale shark.
"Wow! It's huge, Ikki-sama! And its face is just so adorable!"
She wasn't wrong. With its flat, toothless face and slow, graceful movements, it didn't look threatening at all. Especially when you compare it to the shark section we just passed—honestly, that contrast had to be intentional.
We stopped to read the info board nearby.
"Let's see… This big guy is 8.7 meters long. Apparently, whale sharks can grow up to around 20 meters, so this one's probably still a kid, huh?"
"A child…? At this size? But if it gets much bigger, won't this tank become too small for it?"
"Probably. I bet they release them back into the sea once they hit a certain size and bring in smaller ones as replacements."
Maybe there's more info about that in the pamphlet or another display board?
After watching the whale sharks and manta rays swim by for a while, we grabbed lunch at the café inside—'Ocean Blue.' We'd planned our schedule so we'd hit it around lunchtime, using the theater to kill a bit of time earlier.
It was still just about 11:30, but close enough.
We enjoyed a relaxing meal, treated ourselves to coffee with adorable whale shark latte art and some purple sweet potato ice cream for dessert, then exited the café. We passed through the deep-sea fish section and, before long, found ourselves at the exit.
"Oh, we're already at the end? Time really flies when you're having fun."
"I wouldn't call this date over just yet. First, let's stop by the gift shop. If we don't pick up souvenirs for Kuroka and the others, they'll glare daggers at us."
"Fufu, that's true. Both Kuroka-san and Shirone have very healthy appetites."
Ravel giggled, and we stepped into the 'Blue Manta Shop.' We picked out some Okinawan snacks and sweets for the group, and just before leaving, Ravel lingered in front of a soft, fluffy whale shark plush—one blue, one pink. I bought both.
Oh, mailing it all? That's what spatial storage magic is for—hands-free shopping at its finest.
Once we left the aquarium, we continued sightseeing. We explored Shuri Castle—famous now as the last place where the 2,000 yen bill can still be found—and wandered its surrounding historical sites. After that, we visited Bios Hill, a lush botanical park. We cruised down an Amazon-like river on a sightseeing boat and rode a water buffalo cart—taking in the best of Okinawa's unique charm.
By evening, the two of us sat on a rocky outcrop by the beach, watching the sun slowly dip below the horizon. Just the two of us, bathed in the golden twilight.
With senjutsu, it's easy to scout out a quiet spot like this—free from crowds, free from interruptions.
"Ikki-sama… Today was truly wonderful. Living in your home has brought a different kind of joy than when I was at my family estate. Perhaps it's because I get to be with the man I admire so deeply?"
When she says something like that, how could I possibly deny it?
"Yeah… I think that's what being in a relationship is all about. I had a great time today too—but more than the activities, it was being with you that made it special."
"Indeed… Just spending time with you like this makes me happy. And I believe… that one day, this bond will become something even more—like a family. No… a married couple."
She dropped the M-word. I turned to see her face flushed red—not from the sunset, but from her own words.
"Marriage might still be a little ways off, but since we already live together, it's almost the same, right? That said, once we are married, we'll be spending most of our lives as husband and wife. So for now, let's fully enjoy this time as lovers."
Maybe it doesn't make much of a difference in reality, but emotionally—it feels different.
As I thought that, Ravel let out a soft giggle and covered her mouth with her hand.
"Shirone once told me… that Ikki-sama tends to get a little bold when it's just the two of you."
Ugh. That's embarrassing when she puts it like that.
"…It's almost time to head back, isn't it? Before we go… may I ask one little favor?"
As the sun sank just below the horizon and a gentle evening breeze played with her golden hair, she looked up at me and smiled.
"Yeah. Anything."
She didn't say a word. Just closed her eyes.
A moment later, our shadows merged into one beneath the darkening sky.
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Note: And that was Ikki's date with Ravel.