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Chapter 5 : She’s Starting Her Date – Part 3
Inside the store, Shoichi ordered an iced coffee and Amiru ordered an iced tea, and the two of them sat down and started chugging away. There were many young people in the store ordering only drinks, probably for the same purpose of taking a break.
As she looked around, Amiru let out a somewhat cheerful voice. “I think this is the first time I’ve been to a place like this with someone other than Mea-chan and the others. I’ve never been here by myself. Somehow it feels different and fresh.”
“That’s good. It’s good to be stimulated by new senses, because it leads to the development of the brain. All right, I’ll ask you to write an essay on the specific stimulus you’re experiencing when you get home.”
“Sho-chan, you meanie. No need to talk about studies now~.”
Boo. Seeing Amiru’s pouting face, Shoichi laughed.
While laughing, he looked at the tray that had brought him his coffee. On the paper luncheon mat that laid there, there was some information that caught his attention.
“Hmm, a Feng Shui special. It’s got some pretty interesting information in it.”
“I know Feng Shui. It’s some kind of color or something that brings you luck. Are you interested?”
“Yeah, it’s in the occult. I’m doing a lot of research.”
“Is that so? Mea-chan and others said that these things are just superstitions. Do you believe in them, Sho-chan?”
To Amiru’s question, Shoichi thought for a moment before answering. “I think I’ve said this before, but it’s not about believing or not. I think it’s best not to give an answer until you’ve done your own proper research that you’re satisfied with. But…”
“But?”
“There are many people who assume that the occult doesn’t exist, not just Feng Shui. I don’t want to be one of those people. Because, once you’ve made up your mind, there will be no room for research. If I doubt that it exists, I wouldn’t say ‘it can’t be,’ but I’d say ‘it might be.'”
“Heh~. That’s kind of complicated.”
Amiru raised her eyebrows subtly, perhaps because they were getting into an academic topic.
However, Shoichi sipped his coffee and continued to speak.
“It’s not that complicated. For example, in the past, people believed in the ‘celestial motion theory’ that the sun and other stars revolve around the earth, and they didn’t doubt it. The geocentric theory that the earth revolves around the sun, which is common knowledge today, was in the occult category at that time.”
“Ah, I see. So the earth is the one moving, not the sun.”
“You didn’t even know that…? Well, depending on the premise of which point of view you take, the star or the earth, both theories are actually correct… Anyway, it’s a shame to dismiss the unbelievable as impossible. Even from something that seems to be a lie, you may be able to make a great discovery.”
Even occult stories may contain some truth. To put it bluntly, even Feng Shui may have scientific effects that humans have yet to discover that could be bringing good luck.
What is needed to tackle the occult is a flexible mind that can consider and accept any possibility. This is what Shoichi believed.
Accordingly–he took off the paper luncheon mat, folded it and tucked it into his pocket. And with a very serious face, he gave one big nod. “I’ll try this at home next time. Everything is a test.”
“Okay, if Sho-chan is going to do it, I’ll help too!” Amiru also gave a nod and smiled carefreely.
○ ○ ○ ○ ○
After a short rest at the fast food restaurant, Amiru regained her energy. After that, she continued her window shopping again. Sometimes she played crane games at the arcade, but basically she just looked at various stores. It was all about products that were relevant to everyday life and special deals.
Eventually, satisfied, Amiru stretched out with a hmm and happily said, “Yahh~, I’ve seen a lot of interesting things today. When I’m with my friends, I usually go along with everyone’s interests, so I end up looking at cosmetics and fancy clothes and stuff like that.”
“Are you not good at that kind of thing?”
“I’m not bad at it, and I like it actually. But I wanted to take a closer look at something that would be useful in my life. It’s as fun as I thought it would be. I’m tempted to buy interesting ideas and things that are on sale at a discount.”
“You really do sound like an old lady.”
“As I said, say a housewife.”
Boo, when Amiru puffed out her cheeks, Shoichi chuckled and said, “I get it.”
As for himself, he thought it was still more fun and easier to keep up with looking at daily necessities than topics that would only be understood among her gal friends.
Fun? Yes. Before he knew it, Shoichi found himself enjoying his date.
They looked at the products, drank tea, and chatted with each other. When he was with Amiru, whose expression would change rapidly while doing various things, he strangely didn’t feel tired or nervous.
When she was little, she used to be a little afraid of things, and I don’t think she was this expressive. I guess she’s changed since she entered junior high school.
Suddenly, he thought about this.
If she met her current friends and is able to make these kinds of expressions, then maybe being loud and boisterous is not so bad after all–really, not so bad at all.
After that, they had nothing more to see, and decided to take a stroll down the street. Eventually, the sun went down, and they naturally returned to the station without indicating anything to each other.
It was time to collect the luggage and head back home.
With a somewhat regretful feeling, Shoichi deliberately raised his voice cheerfully. “Ahh, it’s been a while since I’ve had fun all day. Maybe it’s time to call it a day.”
“Yeah…”
“Since you didn’t study at all today, I’m going to start giving you strict instructions again tomorrow. You’d better keep that in mind.”
“Yeah…”
“…? Oi, Amiru. Are you listening to me? Amiru.”
When he looked at Amiru with suspicion as she gave an absent-minded response, he saw that she was looking at the showcase of a nearby store.
There was a mannequin in the corner of her eyes, clad in a loose-fitting dress. It was pure white and looked like something the heroine of a shoujo manga would wear.
But it wouldn’t suit Amiru, who wears only flashy clothes–after thinking this far, Shoichi suddenly remembered.
‘To tell you the truth, feminine and girly outfits suit me better than these casual ones.’
‘It’s more loose-fitting. I like it better that way.’
So this is what you call feminine or girly?
Thinking about this, Shoichi asked Amiru, “Do you want that?”
“Hmm? Ah, yeah, well, you know. I’d love to have it, but the price is…”
“Let’s see.”
Seeing more zeros on the clothes tag, Shoichi thought that girls’ clothes were expensive after all. He couldn’t understand why they would spend so much money on something that they could only wear.
But Amiru’s eyes, staring at it as if dumbfounded, were shaking sadly. She must really want it. When he thought about it, Shoichi couldn’t help but say.
“…You want me to buy it?”
“Eh?”
“Look. You’ve been taking care of me almost every day. I don’t think teaching you how to study is enough to repay you. Well, it’s just a light thank you.”
“No, no, no! Besides, Sho-chan doesn’t have that much pocket money either, right?”
“No, for a price like this, I can get by with a little extra on the living expenses I’m getting…”
“You can’t do that. Use your living expenses properly. No, absolutely not. Spend it for yourself.” Amiru pointed her finger at him and said.
She’s really good at this kind of thing. Shoichi couldn’t help but chuckle and say, “Yeah, you’re right.”
Amiru also laughed and said, as if she was trying to follow suit, “I’ll save up and buy it. Maybe today’s just not the day.”
Having said that, she still seemed to be straining to smile. He was a little unsure of what to do, and his gaze was pulled towards the dress.
Shoichi pondered for a while and then asked her, “Hey, do you mind if it’s not especially this dress, but one that looks like it?”
“Eh, ah, yeah. It depends…”
“I see, how about…this, for example.”
He took out his phone and operated an app. He swiped at it for a while, but eventually turned the screen to Amiru. What she saw was a dress similar to the one displayed in the showcase window.
“Yeah, I guess this is okay. But the price… Eh, three hundred yen?”
“This is something I can afford on my allowance… And, order.”
“Eh, wait? Sho-chan, what did you just do?”
When Amiru panicked, Shoichi shrugged his shoulders.
“What I just showed you is a flea market application. The products being sold are second-hand, owned by private individuals. That’s why you can buy the same item at a very low price. The other party is also selling things they no longer need… You should at least know this.”
“Th-Then isn’t that awesome and convenient?! If that’s the case, I could have used that app without Sho-chan buying it!”
“Well, that’s right. I bought it on the spur of the moment. Nothing I can do about it… Oh, don’t bother making me cancel. I don’t like to be unreasonable like that.”
After saying that, Shoichi placed his hand gently on Amiru’s shoulder.
“And like I said before, you’ve been a big help to me. You’ve been studying hard. Well, this is as a thank you and a memorial… Take it.”
He felt a little embarrassed by his own words and tried to smile.
Amiru saw this and blinked, but eventually her eyes welled up and she covered her mouth with both hands.
“Thanks, Sho-chan… I’m happy…”
“O-Oi, don’t cry just because you’re happy.”
“Be-Because, uehh… Ah, no! If I cry, I’ll ruin my makeup! Sho-chan, stop, no looking~!”
The sobbing turned into a mournful cry halfway through. Feeling like something had been ruined in many ways, Shoichi couldn’t help but chuckle.
But still. Amiru’s happy, so that’s good.
He let his thoughts drift to that point and suddenly shook his head in panic.
No, no, no. What are you thinking? Me! There’s really no need for you to do so much for her. In the first place, she’s taking care of you as a way of thanking you for helping her study. If you were to offer even more to her, it would be unbalanced and unreasonable!
Even though he thought so, seeing Amiru still crying with joy, Shoichi was a little troubled because there was no room for regret for that gift.
○ ○ ○ ○ ○
The next day, Shoichi was surrounded by a group of boys.
“Oi, Kashima. I heard you were with Yuzuki-san yesterday?”
“I also heard that you were walking with her in casual clothes.”
“Moreover, Yuzuki-san was seen crying.”
“””Explain to me what the h**l is going on here!”””
Ah, I knew I shouldn’t have offered that gift…
While dodging their pursuit, he belatedly regretted his decision.