Chapter 94
"How silly of you." Ogura Asahi stroked her silky hair. "Clothes are made to be worn. No matter how gorgeous or expensive the clothes are, they're meaningless if you don't wear them."
However, she could understand her feelings; it's only natural to be afraid of your favorite items being damaged.
This kid's hair is really well-maintained, only slightly worse than his, and it feels wonderful to the touch.
"It seems that it's because I didn't give you enough that you're so reluctant to part with it."
She bent her index finger and placed it under her lips, her eyes darting around as she made up her mind.
"Speaking of which, you'll be starting school in a few days, right?" She looked at Shiina Mahiru with a gentle gaze. "I'll get you another outfit then. What kind do you want?"
"Eh?! No need! This is too complicated to make, it will take up a lot of your time!" Shiina Mahiru waved her hands repeatedly in refusal.
"Besides, it's expensive. If I really wanted to give something as a gift, I'd be happy with any practical item costing around 1000 yen!"
"Don't worry, it's not difficult for me, and..." she smiled at her, "The clothes themselves are practical, aren't they, provided you're willing to wear them."
"Since you're worried about breaking it, I'll send you a few more later. That way, you won't still feel bad about it, right?"
"Sister Ogura ..." Shiina Mahiru's pupils glistened with tears, and Ogura Asahi felt as if she was about to shed pearls.
"Well, it's decided then. So, when do you start school?" she asked casually, voicing the question that had been bothering her.
This Sunday.
"Really? Today is Wednesday, there are still four days left...?"
She pondered to herself that while she didn't have much time, she had more than enough time to make one dress, as long as it wasn't an extremely complicated gown.
"That's enough. I'll give it to you at the opening ceremony that day—um, can I attend your opening ceremony?" he confirmed in advance.
"Is there even a question? I'm always happy to have Sister Ogura's word!" Shiina Mahiru nodded without hesitation, her face saying, "What are you talking about?"
"That's good," she coughed lightly twice, then continued, "By the way, which school did you get into?"
Seijo High School
"Wow~ I've heard of it. It's a school with a pretty high college entrance rate, right? No wonder you're so good at it. Did you also get first place in the entrance exam?"
Seeing her interested gaze, Shiina Mahiru nodded shyly and reservedly.
"Our Mahiru is so wonderful!" Ogura Asahi placed her hand on her head with satisfaction, taking the opportunity to stroke her fur. "Looks like I need to give you a reward."
Is there anywhere you'd like to go? I'll go with you.
"Really? It won't take up too much of your time?" Shiina Mahiru's head seemed a little ticklish from the gentle stroking, and she unconsciously shrank back, her eyes cutely closed. Hearing the praise, she secretly looked over.
His eyes held both worry at not wanting to disturb her too much and anticipation at wanting to accept her.
"It's okay, it's okay, I'm free today, just tell me! I'll go with you no matter what you say!"
"Anywhere is fine?" She Kokoro looked up at her.
"Of course, anywhere we can get there today!" Ogura Asahi patted his chest, brimming with confidence.
"Tokyo Tower in Tokyo, Disneyland in Chiba, and if you want to go further afield, Enoshima is also an option."
"Of course, if you really want to, the Uji River in Kyoto is fine too. We can stay there for one night and come back tomorrow or the day after..."
As compensation for leaving her behind, Sakurakoji Talent made up his mind that even if it took a day or two, he would fulfill her wish.
"Well..." Shiina Mahiru took a deep breath and mustered her courage to say, "I want to go see where Sister Ogura lives!"
"Of course... uh?" Ogura Asahi, who was just about to agree, froze after realizing what she had said and looked at her guiltily.
"May I ask why you want to visit me?"
"Because I'm really curious!" Shiina Mahiru crossed her Hands, her face showing curiosity. "Besides, it's really cunning of only Sister Ogura to know where I live!"
"Curiosity and cunning, is that it..." Ogura Asahi frowned slightly, a hint of distress in his expression.
"No way?" Shiina Mahiru's voice sounded somewhat disappointed.
"Well, that's not impossible..." Looking at her with such a weak and regretful expression, she couldn't bring herself to refuse, and reluctantly agreed, "Okay, I agree."
"But let me tell you beforehand, there's really nothing to see here. Are you really going?"
"Mmm! Thank you, Sister Ogura!" Shiina Mahiru was beaming with excitement, completely ignoring her next sentence.
"..."
Ogura Asahi always felt like she was digging her own grave. Although there weren't any particularly noteworthy secrets, it was still better to be cautious, wasn't it?
The most pressing issue we should be thinking about is where to take her.
Should we go to the Ten no Yashiro or the Sakura Mansion?
She focused her gaze on the still excited Shiina Mahiru, and after thinking for a while, decided to choose the Sakura Mansion, which she hadn't visited in a long time, as the location.
Although the penthouse at Ten no Yashiro Loft Apartment more "down-to-earth," and Sakurakoji Talent has been spending more time there recently, -- there are also more problems.
The biggest problem is that you're likely to run into acquaintances. Not to mention Aoyama Nanami and Ashiri, even if you accidentally let it slip, it's not impossible to fix.
But if he were to run into Shiina Mashiro and Kasumigaoka Utaha... he'd really be in trouble!
Although judging by height alone, no one would think that Sakurakoji Talent and Ogura Asahi are the same person, 99% of people would definitely suspect that they have some kind of relationship.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, it's best to avoid it if possible.
Secondly, if you choose the Ten no Yashiro, who knows what kind of trouble might arise if Shiina Mahiru comes to pay her respects and launches a surprise attack later?
She thought, "I should take this opportunity to separate my two identities."
The Ten no Yashiro is Sakurakoji Talent's territory, while the Sakura Mansion is Ogura Asahi's territory. This is also the case when I bring friends back; the two do not disturb each other.
For the sake of their future safety, this seems to be the safest option.
"Let's do it!" she decided in her mind.
"However, I have one request." After careful consideration, she spoke again.
"Requirements?" Shiina Mahiru looked puzzled.
"It's nothing difficult, but, you see," she teased, "I'm always calling you Mahiru, but you've never called me by my name."
"Ah..." Shiina Mahiru suddenly covered her mouth, realizing what was happening.
Because of her shy and timid nature, although the other person always addressed her by her first name, she always responded with her surname.
"So if you want me to take you to my house, I'd also like you to call me by my name."
"... Sister Asahi." Shiina Mahiru placed her Hands between her legs, rubbing them shyly, and responded softly.
"Very good." Ogura Asahi nodded in satisfaction and stood up.
"Let's go to the nearby supermarket and buy some groceries!"
"Huh?" Shiina Mahiru was immediately snapped out of her shy reverie and stared at her blankly with wide eyes.
Isn't this a bit of a jump in topic? We were just talking about something important, and now you're suddenly bringing this up?
"Um, aren't we going to your house?"
"We don't necessarily have to go now, right? We can go after lunch." She walked towards the door. "To make it up to you, I'll cook lunch myself and show you my cooking skills."
Incidentally, she also wanted to take this opportunity to inform Yashiro Ichiyo, so that she could give the maids in the mansion a heads-up and make sure they packed up everything that needed to be packed away, so as not to give anything away.
"Huh? Is Sister Asahi cooking today?" Shiina Mahiru asked in surprise.
"What, you don't think I can cook?"
"No... um, yes." After a conditioned reflex, she still told the truth.
In her mind, she simply couldn't associate her seemingly ethereal, urban beauty with culinary skills.
"Heh, today I'll show you the consequences of underestimating me. Keep up!"
"Please wait for me!" Shiina Mahiru jogged after her.
"What do you want to eat for lunch?" In the supermarket, Ogura Asahi pushed a shopping cart and asked Shiina Mahiru next to her.
"Um, I'm fine with anything." Shiina Mahiru followed obediently beside him, her eyes occasionally glancing at the stroller.
Having frequently shopped at supermarkets to buy what she needed, she was naturally quite familiar with these things. However, this was her first time shopping at a supermarket with someone other than her previous nanny.
Faced with her bombshell answer, which was practically a "whatever," Ogura Asahi couldn't help but feel a bit of a headache. She could only stroll around, picking up a few of the various fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats.
Despite Shiina Mahiru's repeated sweet refusals, I got her some imported fancy snacks from the drinks and snacks section that might not taste good, but were definitely very expensive.
I suddenly remembered that she had just said she was out of tea bags, so I gave her a can of Black tea and a can of Green tea.
Soon, the shopping cart was completely full.
Considering the reality that if they continued shopping, they might not be able to bring the items back safely, she ended this long-awaited shopping trip.
The two chatted and laughed as they walked toward the cashier, attracting the attention of a large number of customers along the way, and the number of people turning their heads to look at them repeatedly broke the local record.
The impact of the two of them walking together on the street is even more exaggerated than a national superstar going out without makeup.
After all, not everyone likes celebrities, but the desire to appreciate beauty is universal.
Even women would be curious about how they could use makeup and magic to become like that.
After enduring another wave of stares at the cashier, they paid the bill and each carried two large bags back to their apartment.
"Oh wow, this is really heavy."
After Shiina Mahiru opened the door, Ogura Asahi walked into the entryway, placed the two heavier bags of food on the wooden floor, and sighed.
"Mo, Sister Asahi, you bought too much! A lot of it you could have just left."
Behind her, Shiina Mahiru also came in, carrying her things and slightly out of breath.
"There's nothing we don't need; it's all food, so we won't waste it."
"But there's so much, how can we possibly finish it all?"
"I'm leaving this to you. I believe you can do it!"
Volume 1: The Daily Life of Attracting Bees and Butterflies: Chapter 128 Examples of Cute Pranks
"Thank you for your hard work. Now it's my turn. You can go watch TV over there." She gave the order as she changed into slippers and carried the things to the kitchen.
"I'll help you too!" Shiina Mahiru followed with small, quick steps.
"No need, no need, you just need to wait quietly."
"But just looking at it makes me restless."
"But if you actually do it, it will affect the taste of the dishes later."
"..."
The game was killed by her words. Even with her Shiina Mahiru temper, Shiina Mahiru could only pout and leave without saying a word, like a pufferfish.
Watching her leave with that awkward expression, Ogura Asahi couldn't help but smile. She wasn't worried that Shiina Mahiru would actually be angry; even if she were, she'd be easy to appease. She faced the kitchen counter, concentrating on preparing the meal.
I sorted the large bags of groceries I just bought into several piles, putting the items I didn't need right away into the refrigerator, and the snacks that could be stored at room temperature into the cupboard.
In this way, less than a third of the original items remained.
After observing the kitchen utensils and tableware here, I had a rough idea of how the dishes would be plated and presented later.
She pulled her long hair back into a single ponytail, unfolded the apron that Shiina Mahiru had neatly folded, put it on, and began her performance.
Let's start with rinsing the rice and washing the vegetables.
During the break, Ogura Asahi took a moment to come to the living room and glanced at Shiina Mahiru, who was still pouting. When she saw her coming over, Shiina Mahiru silently turned her head away.
"What, are you really angry?"
"No!"