[Warning 15+]
Author's Note:
I got a review!
Part One
~She Only Acts Like Her Old Self When She's with Me... Wait, Hold Up!~Chapter 32I've Been Dyin' to Go There
The carrier shop they were looking for was just a short walk from the station. Turns out, not just Himeko, but Haruki used the same carrier too.
Hayato was a nervous wreck entering the store for the first time. Between the gadgets he'd never touched and all the jargon and data plans he'd never heard of, he was totally losing it. He was in full-on panic mode.
"Eh, hey, Haruki?"
"Yeah, yeah. Okay, so this one is..."
Hayato looked so overwhelmed that even Haruki felt a bit bad about teasing him.
Haruki might usually be a hot mess, but this was where she showed why she's a top student. She broke down everything the clerk said into plain Japanese for Hayato.
About an hour or so after hitting the shop—and thanks to a ton of help from Haruki—Hayato finally got his hands on a smartphone.
"Phew, you're a lifesaver, Haruki. I never could've done this alone."
"Don't mention it. But for real, are you sure you're cool with getting the same one as me? There were tons of other models."
"Matches are better, right?"
"M-Matches?! Hayato?!"
"I mean, if I don't get how to use something, I can just ask you."
"Oh, right. So that's why. But couldn't you have just gotten the same one as Hime-chan, then?"
"Huh? But Himeko is my little sis, you know? It feels kinda awkward asking her for help."
"C'mon, I don't really get that vibe at all."
Chatting as they went, they took a casual stroll through the city.
The whole point of today was picking out a smartphone for Hayato. Now that it was done, they didn't really have any business left here.
—But, headin' home just like that felt like such a waste.
That was the one thing both Hayato and Haruki could agree on.
Especially for Hayato, this was his very first time in the big city.
Concrete instead of greenery, vending machines instead of unattended veggie stands, and traffic lights and crosswalks all over the place when there's only one in all of Tsukinose—seeing all this for the first time was a blast, and Hayato couldn't stop rubbernecking at everything. He was a total country bumpkin.
Hayato was busy being blown away by the scenery, but when he glanced over, he noticed Haruki was having a bit of a hard time walking. He looked down at her feet and saw she was wearing high-heeled mule sandals, probably a fresh pair she'd broken out just for today.
"Oh, my bad, was I walking too fast? You're not used to those yet, right?"
"Huh? These mules? Nah, I'm fine."
"Don't lie, you looked like you were struggling back there."
"Oh…"
Called out like that, Haruki looked a mix of troubled and embarrassed. Hayato, who was sure it was just her shoes not fittin' right, gave her a skeptical look.
Haruki hesitated for a split second, then stood on her tiptoes, leaned in close to Hayato's ear, and whispered in a pathetic-sounding voice.
"It's just that... ...the skirt is way too short."
"Huh?"
That was the last thing Hayato expected to hear.
Taking a good look at Haruki, it definitely was shorter than her usual school uniform.
The uniform hit right around Haruki's knees—not too long, not too short—a perfect length that brought out her classy vibe. On the flip side, this white summer dress was a mini-length that left her thighs totally exposed.
But it wasn't like it was too short or anything. You see girls in uniforms with this length all the time, and even Himeko has a few outfits like this.
As if seeking some understanding or sympathy from Hayato, Haruki kept going.
"I mean, the fabric is so thin and flimsy, and my thighs feel super breezy. Plus, it feels like it'll fly up with just a gust of wind, and if I try to pick something up off the ground, I gotta be real careful with how I move or everyone's gonna see everything."
"Eh... ...sounds like a lot of work, I guess?"
Haruki said all that with a totally straight face, but it wasn't something Hayato could really wrap his head around.
"I've had an epiphany—mini skirts are basically just tools to force out your girl power. Now, when I see girls in short skirts, they just look like they're undergoing some intense martial arts training."
"O-Oh, really?"
"Seriously. Besides, don't you think it's unfair if I'm the only one dealing with this? Hayato, you should wear one too! Experience my struggle!"
"No way, don't be ridiculous. It wouldn't even look good on me."
"You think so? You're Hime-chan's big bro, so I'm positive it'd look great. In fact, I'd love to style you... ...wait! Now I totally get how Hime-chan felt yesterday!"
"Hey, stop that! Don't 'totally get' me! You have a scary, serious look in your eyes!"
"Ehehe."
While they kept up their playful banter, Hayato slowed his pace and started scanning the area for something specific.
But Hayato's eyes were constantly being bombarded with all sorts of shops, ads, and signs, to the point where he felt like his head was gonna spin.
"Huh? Hayato, is there somewhere else you wanna go?"
"Yeah... ...but with this many shops, it's hard to tell what's what."
"Aha! This is exactly when a smartphone comes in clutch."
"Oh, right!"
"Just type in the shop name and the city, and—"
"Whoa, it popped up! This is sick! Let's see—"
Watching Hayato get all hyped up like a kid, Haruki couldn't help but look at him with a warm, softened gaze.
◇◇◇
About a 10-minute walk from the station, on the outskirts of town, there it was.
Five floors above ground, one below, with a total floor space over 35,000 square feet—it was one of the biggest 💯-yen stores in the country.
"It's freaking huge…"
"Whoa. I heard it was big, but this is way beyond what I imagined."
"Is this your first time too, Haruki?"
"Yeah. I was basically a shut-in at home by myself, you know."
"…Alright, let's go!"
"Wait, Hayato?!"
Seeing Haruki give that slightly troubled smile, Hayato grabbed her hand and pulled her into the store, as if to say he wasn't gonna take no for an answer.
Even though there was a bit of embarrassment and nerves, the moment they stepped inside, they were floored by the sheer, overwhelming amount of stuff on display.
The directory right in front of them showed they had everything—daily essentials like foods, dishes, makeups, toiletries, and bath supplies, plus hobby and DIY gear for cars, gardening, toys, party favors, decor, and even tools.
"No way… …you're telling me all of this is just 💯 yen? How the heck does that even work!?"
"Ahaha, hey, look at the food section."
"Huh… …oh, I see. Supermarket clearance stuff is actually cheaper."
"Fufu, exactly."
As they kept bickering, Hayato found himself getting sucked in by anything that caught his eye.
Hayato'd never seen so many products lined up in one place before, and he started feeling this weird sense of duty—like a shopping itch he just had to scratch.
"Man, I wanna buy new dishes. Like, replace everything. I could get a whole set for every occasion. D*mmit! Even if I swapped out every single plate, it'd barely cost 3,000 yen... ...but still..."
"What are you gonna do with the ones you've got now?"
"That's the thing—they're totally fine, and I have zero reason to buy new ones."
"Well, how about that storage section over there?"
"Whoa, what's this? There are so many different types! I'm actually getting the urge to go on a forced cleaning spree now!"
But Hayato wasn't the only one whose shopping vibes were getting wildly overstimulated.
"Hold up, Haruki, do you really need that moss ball?!"
"Trust me, I know! But this little boy is whispering to me, telling me to take him home!"
"Get a grip! What are you even gonna do with that?! Build a moss terrarium or something?!"
"No, no, Hayato! I just wanna buy it because I wanna buy it!"
"Snap out of it, Haruki!"
Haruki was also getting lured in by all the shiny stuff, and she was seconds away from letting her wallet go completely rogue.
To be blunt, they were just two kids having a blast and messing around.
Just like back in the day when they'd hunt for bugs and wildflowers in the countryside, they wandered through the aisles that caught their interest. Just like when they used to tear through rice paddy paths and mountain trails, they zipped up the escalators to explore the "forest" of display shelves.
They didn't really have a goal; They were just hanging out and playing. And it was a total vibe.
Even if Haruki was a girl now, to Hayato, she was his irreplaceable best friend—and that was the only thing that really mattered.
"…I ended up overthinkin' it and didn't buy a single thing."
"Ahaha, you've always been like that, Hayato. Remember when we'd go buy snacks at Granny Murao's Store? You could never make up your mind back then, either."
"Whenever I got stuck, I'd usually just settle for ramune and ice cream. That kind of became our go-to, huh?"
"Yeah, it really brings me back. Back then, we were—"
Haruki had this nostalgic look on her face, but for a second, a flash of sadness peeked through.
Seeing an emotion Haruki rarely showed anyone else made Hayato's chest tighten up.
"Haru—"
Grumbleee.
"—ki..."
"A-Ahaha, looks like we're hungry."
"Yeah, guess so. No wonder, it's already past 1 PM. Wanna grab a bite somewhere?"
"Oh, if that's the case, there's a place I've been dyin' to go!"
When Haruki turned back to say that, she had that same old mischievous grin on her face.
But for Hayato, that only made him more uneasy.
Looking up at the city sky, it wasn't the hills but the cold, lifeless skyscrapers that filled Hayato's vision.
Bonus
"By the way, Haruki, how'd you pick out that outfit?"
"I went through a bunch of options for today... ...there were actually a few other candidates, you know? But this one just clicked for me. Even Hime-chan gave it her seal of approval, so I went with it."
"Hmm… …why'd you settle on this one, though?"
"Doesn't it look like it'd go perfect with a straw hat?"
"I mean… …Yeah, it does. Wait, why does this feel so familiar?"
"Doesn't it look like something straight out of an eroge cover or a promo scene?"
"Whoa, hold up... ...what the heck have you been watchin'?!"
"Fuhehe."
Author's Notes:
* Just the Author's personal bias.
Readers, help me out!
Stock-chan isn't breathing anymore!!
∩＿∩ /＼＿／)
Lノ ヽ Lノ ヽ
`/ ○ ○| / ○ ○|
｜U (●)ミUミ(▼)彡
彡 Ｕ ノ>_ Ｕ ノヽ
| ＼ /,'3 ヽ-っ |
| ＼ ＼｜ ⊃ ⌒つ /|
| ＼_二二)(二二／ |
By the way, she'll probably come back to life if you bookmark this, turn those ☆☆☆☆☆ into ★★★★★, or leave some comments and reviews. Probably.
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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