Starting with Firefly, Speedrun the World

"Where are we going? Is it far?"

Earlier, she'd only said they were going to browse a mall. Firefly had assumed it'd be one nearby, but now it turned out they needed to take a train. She had no idea which mall Nene Arakawa was planning to take her to.

Still, Tokyo was huge, so there were plenty of options. Though right now, Firefly didn't have any particular thoughts—because she had no money.

"Not too far. Ginza."

Nene Arakawa pulled out her phone and checked the map. This train line went straight there, so it really wasn't that far.

Yeah, right.

It took nearly two hours direct.

"???"

Hearing Nene Arakawa's answer, Firefly was completely baffled.

"Ginza?"

One second she was saying they should save where they could, and the next she was talking about going to Ginza. Firefly couldn't even find the words to complain. It really was a case of "save where you can, splurge where you must."

Ginza was a major commercial district in Tokyo's Chuo Ward, known as "the most expensive place in Asia." It symbolized Japan's prosperity and was famous for its high-end shopping stores.

For a heiress like Nene Arakawa, going somewhere like that was nothing special—it was probably like a bargain market for ordinary people.

But...

"Um... Nene, if we're just browsing, we don't have to go all the way to Ginza, right?"

Firefly hesitated. Right now, she was completely broke.

"If we're going shopping, I think Ginza's better. They have everything there."

"And besides, we don't have to buy anything."

Nene Arakawa didn't think much of it. Maybe in her mind, Ginza really was just an ordinary shopping district.

Plus, it had everything—whatever country you wanted stuff from, they almost certainly had it. It was one of the best shopping spots.

"..."

Firefly still hesitated, but after a few seconds of inner conflict, she agreed. Just looking wouldn't hurt. She'd never been to Ginza before—only ever heard of its reputation.

After who knows how long, the train finally arrived at the station.

Getting off with the crowd, before Firefly could even get a clear look at her surroundings, Nene Arakawa grabbed her hand and pulled her forward at a brisk pace.

There were a lot of people here, coming and going...

In fact, a large portion of them were from other countries. It was bustling and lively.

After all, this place gathered name-brand goods from all over the world. Giant shopping malls lined the streets on both sides, and fashionable, unique outfits were everywhere. It was practically a shopper's paradise.

Entering a massive mall, Nene Arakawa led Firefly straight to the clothing section with practiced ease.

Looking around at all the famous luxury brands, Firefly was still hesitating when the young lady beside her pulled her into a store.

Then she picked out a set of clothes that suited Firefly perfectly and told her to try them on.

"Didn't you say we were just browsing?"

Firefly leaned close to Nene Arakawa's ear and whispered, her conflicted little expression so cute it was almost too much.

It only made Nene Arakawa more determined to shove the clothes into her arms.

"Just try them on. I think they fit your style. Trying doesn't cost anything."

When she'd noticed Firefly only had a few outfits, and cheap ones at that, Nene Arakawa had decided to bring her here to pick out some new ones.

Firefly-chan had helped her so much—she had to give something back.

Even though cheap clothes still looked adorable on Firefly, there were clothes here that suited her better and were more comfortable to wear!

Hearing Nene Arakawa's words, Firefly hesitated, gently rubbing her cheek with her right index finger. Finally, under Nene Arakawa's firm gaze, she took the clothes and headed to the fitting room.

After a while, when Firefly came out in the new outfit, not only Nene Arakawa but everyone else nearby was stunned.

"So pretty!"

"I knew it. It really suits you, Firefly-chan."

Looking at Firefly in her changed clothes, Nene Arakawa praised her from the bottom of her heart.

Firefly-chan, already breathtakingly beautiful, now looked even more stunning. Her petite, delicate figure was like a little deer that made you want to cherish her.

Her skin was fair and smooth, as if it might break at the slightest touch, giving off a refreshing vibe. And her eyes—large and bright, like the brightest stars in the night sky.

Under the soft lighting, her silver hair cascaded naturally, the ends seeming to carry a slight curl, shimmering with a dreamy luster. As it gently swayed, it added a touch of liveliness to her beauty.

The dress, a mix of blue, black, and mostly white, radiated youthful energy, like a summer story.

The fabric was light and airy, as if draping her in a thin veil, making her look even softer and more enchanting.

The collar and cuffs of the dress were adorned with delicate bows and lace, exuding a sweet and elegant aura.

"Is... is that so?"

Hearing Nene Arakawa's praise, Firefly-chan, seeming a bit unsure of herself, looked up at her.

"In that case, I feel relieved."

Her small hands rested nervously on her chest, Firefly-chan's voice sounding somewhat fragile, but at that moment, a beautiful smile bloomed on her face.

"Of course it looks good, but it's mainly because Firefly-chan is beautiful."

Nene Arakawa continued to compliment Firefly with a smile.

It wasn't really flattery—just speaking the truth, because Firefly-chan truly was beautiful.

It made Firefly a little embarrassed.

"Since that's the case, we'll buy this one."

Having confirmed this piece was good, Nene Arakawa directly picked up her bag and turned to pay.

"Huh?"

Firefly was startled.

Wasn't it just supposed to be trying things on?

Was she going to buy it just like that?

She had never planned to buy anything—only to try it on.

Besides, when girls go shopping, don't they usually take a long time to try things? Nene Arakawa's move to pay right away was way too fast.

Chapter 32: There Are Some Things I Should Be Honest With You About...

"In the end, we bought so much."

Firefly held several bags in her hands, all filled with newly bought clothes, and every single one had been chosen and paid for by Nene Arakawa.

After all, Firefly currently had no money.

They had agreed it would just be browsing and looking...

Otherwise, she wouldn't have come here—this was Ginza, where consumption was very high. Plus, everything was from famous international brands, each piece very expensive.

Anyway, Firefly couldn't afford any of it right now; Nene Arakawa paid for everything.

This made Firefly feel very indebted, but she couldn't refuse.

"Firefly-chan has helped me so much; just picking out a few clothes for Firefly-chan is nothing."

Hearing Firefly's words, Nene Arakawa didn't think that way.

Before coming, she hadn't planned to just browse—she intended to fill Firefly's wardrobe. After all, Firefly had helped her so much before, and on top of that, had given her very magical and precious items.

The Fox Mask that could blur perception, and that wondrous item that protected her at critical moments.

She had never had a chance to properly repay her.

But later, Firefly insisted on stopping, so filling the wardrobe was out of the question; they only bought what they had now.

Of course, besides Firefly, she also bought some things for herself.

Otherwise, if she only bought for Firefly, Firefly wouldn't have accepted even the few bags in her hands.

Sigh...

"Actually, I didn't help much."

Speaking of this, a trace of guilt appeared in Firefly's heart. The Oddities she gave her were entirely to use her to lock onto the DGP Grand Prix's location.

Her intentions weren't pure, yet Nene Arakawa valued her so much.

"How can you say you didn't help!"

Hearing Firefly's words, Nene Arakawa's small face turned serious. She didn't want Firefly to think that way.

She put down the bags in her hands, placed both hands on Firefly's shoulders, and affirmed Firefly's help with utmost seriousness.

"If it weren't for Firefly-chan, I wouldn't be as free as I am now. Without Firefly-chan's help before, I might have already been in trouble during the DGP Grand Prix."

"It's all because of Firefly-chan's help!"

"I..."

Meeting Nene Arakawa's gaze, Firefly didn't know what to say for a moment.

She even wanted to confess some things about herself, but she held back—some things weren't suitable to say right now.

She might have ulterior motives, but she had no ill intent!

And many of her actions were sincere.

"I understand."

Stabilizing her mindset, Firefly gave her a slight smile and stopped saying any more words of refusal.

"That's more like it."

Hearing this, Nene Arakawa was very satisfied. She finally let go of her, picked up her things, and continued leading Firefly toward a certain place.

"Let's find somewhere to store these, then keep exploring—there's still plenty of interesting stuff here."

"Mm."

Firefly naturally had no objections.

The two arrived at the mall's luggage storage area, stowed their purchases, and then went on to browse other sections.

This place wasn't just for shopping; it had many other attractions and facilities.

They set aside all their worries, darting here and there, leaving behind pleasant laughter. They had no idea how long they played, but eventually Nene Arakawa took Firefly to a very tall building in Ginza.

The top floor was almost entirely a glass walkway, and it was extremely high—terrifying to look at.

But correspondingly, it was also breathtakingly beautiful.

Especially looking down, you could take in all of Ginza's architecture at a glance.

At this moment, there were very few people here, only a handful, making it incredibly quiet. Though they were in the heart of the city, it felt as if they had escaped the noise.

Firefly slowly walked forward, placing both hands on the railing, her beautiful big eyes taking in the view before her.