We had already finished most of the wine back on the hill, so before long we shifted over to ripple wine. I’d had it once before, when we went to Rigforeshia, and its refreshing taste felt pleasant.
[Speaking of ripple, today I heard something about a golden ripple.]
[Golden ripple? That’s something I’ve never heard before. Is it supposed to be a gold-colored ripple?]
[No, it seems to be more like a rumor spread for marketing purposes. It apparently doesn’t actually exist, but people say it’s the most delicious ripple in the world. If, just hypothetically, it did exist, do you think ripple wine made from it would taste good?]
[There’s a certain romance to the idea. But in reality, it might be difficult. I’m not an expert, so I can’t say for sure, but something that tastes good to eat doesn’t necessarily make good wine.]
[Ah, right, like grapes. Wine grapes tend to have stronger acidity or stronger flavors, so personal tastes vary. Ripples might be the same.]
Just as Sieg-san said, a ripple that’s delicious to eat and a ripple that’s delicious as a wine probably aren’t the same, and the world’s tastiest ripple wouldn’t automatically make the world’s best ripple wine……
Well, the golden ripple itself is basically an urban legend, so this was just idle chatter anyway……
[Kaito-san, you said you like ripple pie, but do you also like ripple as a fruit?]
[It might be my favorite among fruits. Otherwise, mikan…… errr, oranges are good too. Maybe I just like fruits with a bit of sourness. Ah, but I like strawberries as well, so it’s hard to narrow it down to just one.]
[I see. I like fruits in general too, but if you ask me which is the best, I’d have to think about it. Among fruit wines, though, ripple wine is my favorite……]
[Really? Now that you mention it, you were drinking ripple wine in Rigforeshia too.]
Sieg-san usually drinks either fruit wine or simple wine, and it seems ripple wine is her favorite. I don’t know much about fruit wines myself, but I’ve seen orange, muscat, peach, strawberry…… and apparently there are mixed varieties as well.
But now that she mentioned it, I realized she really is almost always drinking ripple wine.
[……To be precise, it became my favorite because of the ripple wine we had that day in Rigforeshia.]
[Eh?]
[It was the drink we shared during the memorable trip where I became your lover. Thanks to the happy memories, I’ve grown to love it even more than before.]
[……I see…… But now that you say that, the ripple wine I drink with you does feel especially delicious.]
[Fufufu, then we feel the same.]
Sieg-san leaned against me happily, and I wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. She was lightly dressed, so the closeness felt intense, and whether it was the alcohol or simply being aware of her warmth, I felt my heart racing.
It’d be a lie to say there wasn’t anything about it that made me overly conscious, but including that, it was a warm, blissful moment with someone I loved, a forting happiness shared between lovers.
We spent a while drinking and chatting, and when we finished the bottle of ripple wine Sieg-san had prepared, our evening drink came to an end.
After that, we each got ready for bed in a simple, quick way, then got under the covers together and dimmed the lights. The only light left was the small illumination magic tool by the bedside, set to its weakest glow, so it wasn’t pletely dark.
[……e to think of it, when we went back to Rigforeshia, we also slept in the same bed.]
[Yeah, thanks to Rei-san and Fia-san fooling around…… It feels kind of nostalgic now.]
We did indeed sleep in the same bed when I stayed at Sieg-san’s home. Back then, we slept back-to-back, both of us trying desperately not to be conscious of the other.
Now we were lying face-to-face, and as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could clearly see Sieg-san’s face looking at me.
[I asked a strange question back then…… Do you remember?]
[Yes. I remember being at a plete loss for how to answer.]
I remembered that conversation clearly. Because Rei-san had teased her about her underwear, Sieg-san ended up asking me something like “If you hypothetically saw me in my underwear, would you get excited?” and I had been forced to answer.
At the time, Sieg-san’s self-esteem had been pretty low. She seemed to think she didn’t have much charm as a woman. Well, I also got called out for having low self-esteem myself.
[Back then, we were both kind of lacking in confidence, weren’t we?]
[Fufu, that’s true. But now, I fully understand, through experience, that what you said at the time was true. So perhaps…… I’m able to feel just a little more confident than before.]
[You can have all the confidence in the world…… Sieg-san, you were charming even back then, but now you’re even more charming, an absolutely wonderful woman.]
[……I’m sure…… it’s because you made me that way.]
As her gentle, sweet voice drifted to me, I felt Sieg-san’s arm slide around my back…… And from there onward, no further words were needed.
Serious-senpai : [Fugwah…… ah…… ggh…… I- I can’t…… I’m gonna die…… wait, what the heck!? My body, turning into liquid!? And even though it’s liquid, my body’s still properly shaped!?]
Makina : [……Well, I was thirsty, so I turned you into mixed juice……]
Serious-senpai : [You——— You can’t just mess with people’s bodies however you want! Hey, stop that!!! Don’t stick a straw in me!!! You’re always treating people like snacks…… wait! I- Is the reason my body sometimes turns into sugar…… because of you!?]
Makina : [No, I don’t know anything about that. I didn’t do anything.]
Serious-senpai : [……Ah…… o- okay then……]
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