Extra chapter
I'll be posting an extra chapter tonight, either three or five chapters in total, but there's no need to wait.
Since I probably won't post it until the early hours of the morning, there's no need to wait unless you keep an unholy schedule.
By the way, how about showing some support? Asking for some data in exchange for an extra chapter isn't too much, right?
I should be adding more chapters next week too, though the exact number will depend on how many chapters I can write.
Incidentally, the moderation on Cat With A Thorn is ridiculously absurd.
Any chapter with Hiratsuka Shizuka in it has to go through review.
Chapter 36: Kitagawa Marin Was Very Unhappy
Ota Ward, Rabbit Mountain Shopping Street.
As a world-class metropolis, Tokyo had countless large shopping streets, such as the famous Ginza, Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Asakusa, and other bustling districts.
Compared to those prosperous commercial centers, Rabbit Mountain Shopping Street had no competitive edge at all.
Whether it was the size of the shopping street or the fame and number of its brands, it fell far behind.
The reason Kitagawa Marin had chosen Rabbit Mountain Shopping Street was that it was very close to where Kira Yoshikage lived.
Inside a clothing store, Kitagawa Marin ran her fingers over the texture of each fabric in turn. Her eyes lit up.
"Hey, Kira-kun, what do you think of this?"
Kira Yoshikage reached out and touched it. The fabric felt soft and smooth, like a girl's skin.
"Pretty good."
Kira Yoshikage pondered for two seconds, then glanced at another piece of purplish-black fabric.
"Both of these will do."
Kitagawa Marin felt each one with her hands and asked in confusion:
"What's the difference?"
"The silk fabric you were looking at is smooth and soft to the touch. It's generally used for evening gowns or stage costumes, and under flickering lights, it creates a dazzling, luxurious visual effect."
"This one, on the other hand, is thick woolen fabric. Although it's just as soft, it's heavier and better at maintaining a stable shape. If you're making a princess-style dress..."
Kitagawa Marin hesitated.
"Wouldn't this one be better?"
Although her attributes were those of a ball of felt, Little Shizuku was a genuine young lady, and her clothes were princess-style dresses as well. According to Kira Yoshikage, the fabric he had chosen was obviously more suitable.
Kira Yoshikage gently shook his head.
"In theory, yes, but when it comes to clothing, comfort is even more important."
"Huh?" Kitagawa Marin tilted her head in confusion.
Kira Yoshikage explained:
"Clothes made from this fabric might be heavier than you imagine. It doesn't breathe very well, either, and summer will arrive in a few months..."
Kira Yoshikage paused, and Kitagawa Marin understood.
Lightweight clothes were definitely better for summer. Wearing something too thick would not only be uncomfortable, but could also lead to heatstroke.
Even after understanding the pros and cons, the girl did not hesitate.
"Then I'll take this one!"
For the sake of recreating Little Shizuku as accurately as possible, the mere risk of heatstroke was nothing!
After paying at the counter, Kitagawa Marin left the clothing store with the fabric she had bought and sighed.
"I feel like Kira-kun knows how to do everything~"
Kira Yoshikage replied calmly:
"That's because I used to work part-time at a clothing store, so I know a little about the types and selection of fabrics."
"I see."
Kitagawa Marin nodded thoughtfully, then asked softly:
"Working part-time must have been hard, right?"
"I'm used to it."
Kira Yoshikage's tone was utterly calm, but Kitagawa Marin felt a pang in her heart when she heard it.
She had heard some of Kira Yoshikage's circumstances from Miura Yumiko. Precisely because she understood them, she felt increasingly sorry for what he had gone through.
"For some people, simply staying alive already takes everything they have."
Kitagawa Marin inexplicably thought of a famous saying circulating online and silently mulled it over in her heart.
Her family could not be considered especially wealthy, but at least she never had to worry about tuition. She also received twenty thousand yen in pocket money each month, which was why she had enough money to support her interests and hobbies.
The girl pressed her lips together slightly. As she lowered her head, the corner of her eye caught sight of a flower shop by the roadside, and her eyes lit up.
Kitagawa Marin affectionately linked arms with Kira Yoshikage, blinked at him as he looked at her in confusion, and spoke in a spoiled tone:
"Kira-kun, will you accompany me to buy some flowers?"
Kira Yoshikage glanced at the flower shop with the sign "Florist Princess" hanging outside and thought for a moment.
"You can pay for it."
"Huh~ Kira-kun, you're so unromantic!"
Kitagawa Marin rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath.
Though the girl complained with her mouth, her body honestly pulled Kira Yoshikage into the flower shop.
The slender flower shop owner, who had brilliant golden hair and wore a pink apron, smiled.
"Welcome. Is there a particular flower you'd like to buy?"
Kitagawa Marin asked politely:
"Can we look around first?"
The florist nodded with a faint smile.
"Of course."
Kitagawa Marin took small steps over to the flower racks, which were covered with flowers of different varieties and colors. The air was filled with their fragrance, lifting the spirits.
Kitagawa Marin was almost instantly drawn to one of the potted flowers and waved to Kira Yoshikage.
"Kira-kun, look at this. Isn't it beautiful?"
"Hmm~, the fragrance doesn't seem very strong, though. Is that because of the variety?"
Kira Yoshikage walked over to the girl and looked at the potted plant before them. Its stem was nearly a meter long, with milky-white flowers blooming at the top.
"This should be tuberose."
"Tuberose?"
Kitagawa Marin repeated the word softly, feeling that the name was beautiful.
The flower shop owner introduced it with a smile:
"That's right. Its name is tuberose."
"Just like its name suggests, this is a variety that only blooms at night."
"Its fragrance isn't very noticeable during the day, but it gradually grows stronger after sunset."
Kitagawa Marin's eyes lit up at that, and she said without hesitation:
"Then I'll take this one!"
"It's very expensive."
Kira Yoshikage reminded her.
Kitagawa Marin smiled brightly.
"It's fine. It's not like Kira Yoshikage is paying for it, right?"
Kira Yoshikage shrugged. You're paying, so you call the shots.
Kitagawa Marin looked at the florist.
"Can you deliver it to my home?"
The slender flower shop owner nodded with a smile.
"Of course. Please wait a moment while I get the order form."
The florist turned and walked toward the back. Kitagawa Marin shifted her gaze back to the flowerpot and spoke softly.
"It's really beautiful."
Suddenly, the girl's gaze grew somewhat confused.
She seemed to have seen something white among the green stems...
"Eek!"
Kitagawa Marin cried out and jumped back.
The potted flower had suddenly "moved," and a white object shot straight toward her.
Boom!
In a soundless explosion, the parrot that had burst out of the flowerpot was blown to ash.
The girl beside him had instinctively closed her eyes in fear, so she happened not to see any of it.
"What happened?"
Kira Yoshikage naturally lowered his hand and asked in some confusion.
Kitagawa Marin hesitantly looked around, then pointed at the flowerpot and said softly:
"There seemed to be something inside..."
Kira Yoshikage leaned closer and took a look, then shook his head.
"There's nothing there. You might have seen it wrong."
"Hmm~"
Kitagawa Marin pursed her lips slightly and stepped forward to inspect it carefully. There really was nothing inside.
At that moment, the florist returned to the shop and called the girl over to the counter to fill out the form.
Kira Yoshikage glanced at it and pointed to the address field.
"Did you write the address incorrectly?"
He did not know Kitagawa Marin's address, but the form listed Apartment 520, 117 Morioh Street, Ota Ward—and that was clearly Kira Yoshikage's address.
Kitagawa Marin looked up, blinked at Kira Yoshikage, and smiled brightly.
"No~. This flower was meant for Kira-kun in the first place~! You work late every day, right? Tuberose also blooms at night, so wouldn't it be wonderful to smell its fragrance as soon as you got home?"
The florist covered her mouth and chuckled at the sight.
Ah, youth was wonderful.
Kira Yoshikage remained silent for a long while before speaking softly.
"Thank you."
A pleased curve formed at the corner of the girl's lips—until she heard Kira Yoshikage add after a moment of thought:
"You're paying for it, right?"
"Kira-kun!!!"
Chapter 37: At This Very Moment, She Wasn't Fighting Alone
Shuchiin Academy.
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