Airi's Reward for Kiyoharu

Kiyoharu returned to his private room, which came with a bathroom. This was where Kiyoharu usually showered; the large bathroom at home was exclusively for Airi.

As she watched his retreating back disappear around the corner of the hallway, a hazy, slightly lost mist settled over Airi's eyes.

Lately, the frequency of strange emotions she felt when facing Kiyoharu had been increasing, making Airi wonder if something was wrong with her.

Fortunately, she had more important things to consider, so the confusion was fleeting. She quickly moved on to the process of picking out an outfit for going out.

Even after Kiyoharu returned from his shower, Airi still hadn't chosen an outfit she liked.

"I think someone as easygoing as Ayano won't care too much about what you wear," Kiyoharu suggested, trying to keep his tone gentle.

Normally, friends of the same gender wouldn't pay much attention to what their friends wore. Even if girls occasionally felt jealous of their best friends' beauty, this wasn't an issue for Airi and Ayano, as both were flawless beauties.

Airi, however, shook her head. "No, she… rather than caring, it's more like she always looks down on my taste in clothes."

"Huh?"

"Ayano is fundamentally a proud person, and she's very confident in her own taste. In her eyes, I probably just pile on luxury brands."

As she spoke, Airi let out a scoff. It wasn't to the point of grinding her teeth in anger, but it was clear that their friendship wasn't without its friction.

It seemed some unpleasant incident had occurred.

Kiyoharu immediately offered comfort, "I think it's fine. The Young Lady might not know much about fashion, but she's definitely capable of being generous and dignified."

"Generous and dignified," Airi repeated sarcastically. "That's the absolute bare minimum requirement."

"Besides, the Young Lady is busy with her affairs every day. How could she have the leisure to pay attention to fashion trends? Only students or girls in unimportant, leisurely positions would particularly care about that… Everyone has their own aspirations, so it's normal for opinions to differ."

"Tsk."

Airi idly flipped through the dazzling array of luxurious outfits on the clothing rack brought by the stylist, her mood feeling as if it had been massaged, easing her tension.

"If the Young Lady is having trouble deciding, I can help you pick."

"You?" Airi glanced at him in surprise. "Go on."

She didn't think Kiyoharu had any expertise in women's fashion.

Kiyoharu had never offered her advice in this area before.

However, the truth was that Airi maintained her usual assertiveness in life, and Kiyoharu, considering his emotional intelligence, had never pried.

What does what my boss wears have to do with me, an employee?

But now that the boss was hesitating about what to wear, he, as a subordinate, should understand how to share her worries.

Recalling the experience gained from his many ex-girlfriends in his past life, Kiyoharu cleared his throat and said, "First of all, it has to be black sheer stockings."

"Tch, you men seem to have a particular preference for stockings."

"But the Young Lady really suits them. She's beautiful and has an air of noble distance."

High emotional intelligence: noble distance. Low emotional intelligence: looks fierce and unapproachable.

Next, Kiyoharu moved to the mobile clothing rack and selected a strapless sheath dress, along with a cropped halter top to wear over it.

"The top will add layers and make your overall style more casual and lively, suitable for going out with a friend."

Surprisingly, it actually sounded plausible.

Airi nudged Kiyoharu with her chin, and he wisely turned his back.

She needed to change, and since she needed Kiyoharu's guidance, she couldn't just send him away and call him back; that would be too deliberate.

Even so, the stylist looked at their interaction and couldn't help but smile knowingly.

The Young Lady and the Mister had been engaged for three years, yet they were still as shy as a couple in the early stages of love.

Soon, Airi changed into the outfit Kiyoharu recommended and walked in front of the mirror. Her eyes immediately lit up.

It was a departure from her usual flashy, formal style. Even her usually sharp and stern face seemed to have softened a bit. For a moment, Airi wondered if the person in the mirror wasn't herself.

Kiyoharu-kun, you've got some skills.

Airi couldn't help but look at him, only to find that Kiyoharu was still honestly facing away from her.

"What are you spacing out about?"

"Oh, I was waiting for your command to turn around… Hmm, not bad. The effect is better than I expected. It would be even better with a small accessory."

Kiyoharu rummaged through the stylist's equipment locker again, finding a polka-dot bow hairpin and placing it on Airi's head.

The slightly childlike hairpin was just right to soften Chihaya Airi's sharp demeanor.

Since they were going shopping, the atmosphere should be more relaxed. It would be too incongruous for her to be as cold and elegant as she was at the company.

Kiyoharu was very good at dressing up girls. In his past life, he often helped a certain girlfriend get dressed in her boudoir, making her happy. Then, under her loving gaze, those clothes would quickly flutter to the floor, one by one.

With Airi, of course, there were no subsequent events.

Kiyoharu simply wanted today's Airi to amaze Ayano.

Based on Ayano's muttering that he had overheard during his time stop, Airi's assessment of her was completely correct; Ayano did indeed look down on her taste.

However, this time, Ayano was likely to be disappointed. With Kiyoharu's styling, the Young Lady was no longer just a vase adorned with luxury brands!

Kiyoharu wouldn't miss an opportunity to frustrate that arrogant woman.

Kiyoharu quickly finished choosing his own outfit, as he had his own style habits.

Airi had been pursing her lips, her eyes filled with suppressed anger. Only after the stylist and costumer left did she coldly say, "Who gave you permission to put a hairpin in my hair?"

"My apologies. But I was careful not to touch you."

"Then I'm just warning you, don't act on your own initiative in the future."

"Understood."

When Kiyoharu stood before her at a very close distance to put the hairpin in her hair, his face was filled with gentle composure. His clear eyes held no impurities of desire, like a gardener carefully tending to a flower bed.

At that moment, Airi's strange emotions surged again, and even more intensely.

She was very displeased!

"Kiyoharu-kun~"

"What is your command?"

Uncle Tsuchiya drove the luxury sedan smoothly. In the back seat, Airi suddenly and slyly linked her arm through Kiyoharu's: "Today, you're with my best friends, so don't you dare look around with your eyes."

"I know."

"If you behave well, there's a reward tonight."

Her slender legs, encased in black stockings, crossed. The foot nearest Kiyoharu gently tapped his knee twice.

Airi's gaze held a hint of ambiguity, and she licked her lips.

This scene made Kiyoharu feel a bit overwhelmed, but he managed to hold on, especially since he had emptied his clip last night.

Thank you, Mira-chan, thank you, Shimaura Hitomi... Well, it seems he didn't need to thank Shimaura Hitomi. The dream was Kiyoharu's subjective experience. Instead, meeting Shimaura Hitomi and recalling the absurd events from last night's dream made Kiyoharu feel a bit guilty.

Having such dreams about a pure female friend by his side would make any normal man feel a little guilty.

Shimaura Hitomi felt similarly, her eyes involuntarily darting away. However, she always had a timid demeanor, so it didn't seem unusual.

"Huh? Did Airi change her stylist? I feel like today's style is completely different from usual."

Ayano exclaimed with expected surprise.

"I had a sudden idea today and asked Kiyoharu-kun to help design the styling... Kiyoharu-kun, who hasn't accomplished much, can occasionally shine." Airi said lightly, subtly observing Ayano's reaction.

The other person merely clapped her hands in admiration, "That's amazing, Kiyoharu-kun! It's so rare to see boys who understand fashion so well these days. If that's the case, I can ask Mr. Chihaya for advice in the future."

As soon as she finished speaking, Airi shot Kiyoharu a sharp glance. He quickly responded, "I wouldn't dare. Miss Kitahara is a professional artist; I shouldn't show off my meager skills."

Airi withdrew her gaze with satisfaction.

Alas, Kiyoharu sighed inwardly. As the saying goes, serving a ruler is like accompanying a tiger. The Red-Eyed Devil hasn't officially become the successor to the conglomerate yet, but she already has the aura of someone in power.

Ayano is even more of a heavyweight. Her seemingly normal words hide a full-blown ambition to poach talent, a pure schemer.

It's much better with our Shimaura Hitomi, who is obedient, cute, and harmless.

Just as Kiyoharu was having these thoughts, Shimaura Hitomi was considering what to steal from Kiyoharu today as a catalyst for her "Dream Wanderer."