Buying Clothes

On the other side.

Uesugi Hara was still struggling outside the clothing store, his brows slightly furrowed as if pondering something, when Ichinose Honami walked up behind him on tiptoe.

"Clerk-san..."

She heard no movement.

"Clerk-san." Ichinose Honami tentatively extended a finger and lightly poked his back.

"Huh? Are you calling me?" Uesugi Hara turned around abruptly, froze upon seeing who it was, and then nodded. "Oh, it's Ichinose-san."

"Long time no see, Clerk-san." Ichinose Honami smiled with her eyes curved, though her words carried a hint of curiosity. "But Clerk-san, you don't seem surprised at all to see me at this school?"

"I saw Ichinose-san at the entrance ceremony," Uesugi Hara said candidly.

"Is that so?" Ichinose Honami tilted her head.

"Of course."

"Then why didn't Clerk-san come to find me?" She pouted slightly, pretending to be a little annoyed. "I even went to look for you after that day, but the manager said you weren't working there anymore."

"Ichinose-san doesn't have to keep calling me 'Clerk-san'." Uesugi Hara scratched his cheek and took the initiative. "Let me introduce myself properly; my name is Uesugi Hara. As for why I stopped working there... business wasn't great, and the manager fired me."

"As for why I didn't come to find you..." Uesugi Hara paused, his tone honest. "I didn't think we were close enough to warrant a special meeting."

"Eh—if Uesugi-kun says that, I'll be sad." Ichinose Honami deliberately dragged out her tone, her eyes crinkling without any real anger, before she changed the subject and laughed again. "But with Uesugi-kun's looks, you should naturally be a big draw for customers, right? How could you get fired?"

Uesugi Hara gave a dry laugh and skipped over the first half of her sentence, following her lead. "Ichinose-san might not believe this, but I seem to have a 'business killer' constitution—every place I work at, business starts to decline, as if I've been cursed."

"Really?"

While the two were chatting, someone behind the flower bed at the street corner was already bubbling with sour jealousy.

"Chihiro, Yume-chan, do you smell something?" Amikura Mako wrinkled her nose and sniffed, looking puzzled. "It smells like vinegar, all sour."

"Mako, you're right, there is." Kobashi Yume sniffed along, equally confused. "It wasn't there a moment ago; I wonder where it's drifting from."

While the two were talking, Shiranami Chihiro's mind wasn't on that at all—her gaze was glued to the two people chatting and laughing ahead, and her heart was already in turmoil.

Envy!

Jealousy!

And a bit of inexplicable irritation!

Honami had never shown her such a soft, gentle smile, so what right did that guy have? Just because he was handsome? She was clearly cute too! Shiranami Chihiro shouted fiercely in her heart, her little face pulled tight.

On the surface, she looked like she was daydreaming with a blank stare, but inside, she was twisted with jealousy.

"Chihiro? Chihiro? Are you okay?" Seeing her eyes fixed, Amikura Mako reached out and gave her a gentle push, looking worried.

"Ah? I'm fine! I'm fine!" Shiranami Chihiro shuddered from the push and snapped back to reality.

"Really? If you're not feeling well, should we take you back to rest first?" Kobashi Yume chimed in with advice.

"I'm really fine!" Shiranami Chihiro waved her hands hurriedly. Catching sight of the two ahead about to enter the clothing store, she immediately tugged at their sleeves. "Look! They're going in! Let's follow them!"

"Alright then... but if you feel uncomfortable anywhere, you have to tell us immediately," Amikura Mako reminded her.

"We've been chatting for so long, I haven't asked what Uesugi-kun is doing here?" Ichinose Honami asked with a smile.

"Oh, nothing much." Uesugi Hara waved his hand. "It's just that I've been at school for a while now, and other than my school uniform, I don't have any other clothes. I thought I'd come buy some casual wear."

"Does Uesugi-kun need any help?" Ichinose Honami suggested naturally. "I'm quite familiar with the shops around here."

"This... wouldn't it be too much trouble for you, Ichinose-san?" Uesugi Hara was a bit conflicted—he spoke politely, but he didn't refuse in his heart, as he truly had no experience buying clothes in this kind of store.

However—

Uesugi Hara's peripheral vision swept over the flower bed not far behind him, and he couldn't help but complain internally: Can those three behind us try to hide a little more convincingly! Especially that white-haired girl, her eyes are practically glued to me, and that look is so intense it's like she wants to bore a hole through me! I don't have a grudge against you, do I? Is it necessary to glare at me like that?

Could it be that besides his "business killer" buff, he also possessed a passive skill for "attracting white-haired hatred"? Uesugi Hara speculated.

First Sakayanagi Arisu, and now another one; what is wrong with this world?

He didn't know the three of them, but he knew they were from Class B; he had seen them at the entrance ceremony, and they were likely Ichinose Honami's friends.

"It's no trouble at all." Ichinose Honami's eyes curved into crescents. "Didn't we agree last time that I'd thank Uesugi-kun? Leave the clothes shopping to me." With that, she pushed Uesugi Hara into a store, giving him no room to refuse.

Uesugi Hara stumbled as he was pushed along, still feeling that "white-haired gaze" from behind grow even colder.

Once inside the clothing store, Ichinose Honami first smiled to put him at ease: "Uesugi-kun, don't let these stores look so high-end; they aren't actually that expensive. As long as you don't pick those top-tier brands, the prices are about the same as the small shops outside the school, or even cheaper."

As she spoke, she turned her gaze to browse the men's clothing, her fingers pointing at the items on the rack as she commented softly: "This one looks too old-fashioned, no; this pattern is too flashy, it doesn't suit... this one isn't right either, it doesn't match Uesugi-kun's temperament, pass..."

"This one is nice." Ichinose Honami's fingertips stopped on a light gray hooded sweatshirt, and she turned to beckon Uesugi Hara. "Uesugi-kun, want to try this? The fabric feels soft to the touch, and the color is fresh. It's suitable for wearing when you're not in class or just hanging out on the weekend."

Uesugi Hara followed her gaze—the sweatshirt was a simple, basic style with only a small embroidered logo on the chest; it really wasn't flashy. Just as he was about to reach for it, two very soft "coughs" came from behind him. He caught a glimpse of the three from behind the flower bed having followed them to the store entrance, peeking in through the glass. The white-haired girl was still secretly tugging at her companion's sleeve, her mouth moving as if saying, "It's so ugly."

Uesugi Hara: "..." Fine, it's not like I'm wearing it for them anyway.

As he picked up the sweatshirt and headed toward the fitting room, he heard Ichinose Honami adding from behind: "It would look great with a white T-shirt underneath! I'll help you pick out a pair of jeans to go with it!"

Uesugi Hara took the sweatshirt into the fitting room. Just as he finished taking off his uniform, he heard Ichinose Honami asking the clerk outside: "Excuse me, do you have these charcoal gray jeans in his size? The kind that's a bit looser at the waist."

By the time he came out in the sweatshirt, Ichinose Honami was standing in front of the mirror holding up a pair of jeans. Her eyes lit up when she saw him: "It really suits you! Light gray and charcoal gray go perfectly together; it's not too loud but not dull either." She handed him the pants. "Try these? I see the cuffs are slightly tapered, which looks good with sneakers or canvas shoes."

As Uesugi Hara took the pants and headed toward the fitting room, the corner of his eye caught movement at the entrance—those three heads were still pressed against the glass.

Shiranami Chihiro was frowning as she whispered into Amikura Mako's ear; judging by the shape of her lips, she was saying, "How is that even good-looking?" Kobashi Yume nodded along from the side, though a flicker of "it actually looks pretty good" crossed her eyes, she still forced herself to agree—clearly looking out for her best friend's feelings.

Amikura Mako, however, didn't play along. She glanced toward the fitting room and retorted in a low voice, "I think it looks pretty good. Much easier on the eyes than the uniform."

She had good taste.

When he finished changing into the full outfit and stood before the mirror, even he was stunned. He was used to wearing stiff, crisp uniforms, but suddenly switching to a soft hoodie and loose jeans made him look much gentler, shedding that sense of aloofness.

"It suits you perfectly!" Ichinose Honami leaned in beside the mirror and gave a thumbs-up. "Uesugi-kun looks even better in casual clothes than in his school uniform."

Uesugi Hara was just about to say "It's alright" when he heard a soft "thud" from the entrance, as if someone had lost their grip on the glass and slipped. Then came Amikura Mako's hushed voice: "Keep it down!" He didn't need to turn around to guess who it was.

Ichinose Honami followed the sound, and a second later, her gaze locked with the three peeking figures at the door. With four pairs of eyes meeting, the air instantly froze—Amikura Mako was still stuck in the motion of pulling Shiranami Chihiro's arm, Kobashi Yume's smile was stiff, and Shiranami Chihiro, who had just fumbled her hand, had her cheeks turn bright red, her eyes darting away in a panic.

"Chihiro-chan? Mako? Yume-chan?" Ichinose Honami blinked, then couldn't help but laugh. "What are you all doing here?"

Shiranami Chihiro opened her mouth, but couldn't manage a complete sentence. In the end, Amikura Mako reacted the fastest, letting go and coughing twice. "Ah... we were just passing by. We saw the window display looked nice, so we took a couple of looks." As she spoke, her eyes darted around, and she added, "I was just telling them that Honami, you definitely have a good eye, and the clothes you pick are always spot on—I wasn't wrong."

Kobashi Yume hurriedly nodded along. "Yes, yes! We were just passing by!"

Shiranami Chihiro didn't say a word, but she secretly glared at Amikura Mako—how could she take the side of an outsider! But when she met Ichinose Honami's gentle gaze, she quickly looked away, her fingers unconsciously picking at the hem of her shirt, looking incredibly awkward.

Uesugi Hara leaned against the mirror without a word, watching this "passing by" act unfold.

Seeing how the roots of Shiranami Chihiro's ears were bright red while she still tried to keep a straight face to appear calm, he suddenly felt this white-haired girl was much more pleasant than that longing look she had earlier.

"Since we ran into each other, why don't you come in and browse?" Ichinose Honami didn't call their bluff, smiling as she beckoned the three of them over. "I was just thinking of picking out a few more things for Uesugi-kun; it's better to have more opinions."

As soon as those words left her mouth, Shiranami Chihiro looked up sharply. Just as she was about to say "No," Amikura Mako shoved her inside. "Sure, sure! We were just wanting to check out the men's section anyway!"

Kobashi Yume also quickly tugged on Shiranami Chihiro's sleeve, whispering, "Let's go in, let's go in. Don't make things awkward for Honami."

Shiranami Chihiro was half-pushed and half-pulled into the store by the two. As she passed Uesugi Hara, her footsteps faltered, and she shot him a quick glance—the light gray hoodie really did make his skin look fair, the jeans made his legs look long, and that face... Pfft, pfft, pfft! What was there to look at! She quickly looked away, her ears turning red.

Uesugi Hara took in her little actions, secretly laughing to himself—Little thing, I'll make sure you're head over heels for me.

Shiranami Chihiro hurried over to stand between Ichinose Honami and Uesugi Hara, shielding Ichinose Honami behind her like a mother hen protecting her chick.

"Honami, this guy is dangerous!" She said with a tense face, speaking with extreme seriousness to Ichinose Honami behind her, not forgetting to shoot a glare at Uesugi Hara.

"Chihiro-chan..." Ichinose Honami was left between laughter and tears by her protection, gently patting her shoulder. "Uesugi-kun is a very good person."

Of course Uesugi Hara was a good person, except when he was looking at legs.

As she spoke, she moved around Shiranami Chihiro and smilingly began the introductions: "Uesugi-kun, these are my classmates from Class B—Amikura Mako, Kobashi Yume, and this one here is Shiranami Chihiro."

She then turned to the three of them, her voice soft: "This is Uesugi Hara from Class A, Uesugi-kun."

Amikura Mako and Kobashi Yume both greeted him with smiles, but only Shiranami Chihiro continued to glare at him, her wariness not diminished in the slightest.

Amikura Mako stepped in to smooth things over with a laugh: "Don't mind him, Uesugi-kun. Chihiro is just too protective of Honami." As she spoke, she secretly tugged on Shiranami Chihiro's sleeve, signaling her not to be so blunt.

Kobashi Yume nodded along: "Yes, yes. We really were just passing by, we didn't expect to run into Honami and Uesugi-kun by such a coincidence."

"It's fine, it's fine," Uesugi Hara said, waving his hand.

With the addition of the others, the efficiency of picking out clothes increased significantly. Although there were small ripples along the way—Shiranami Chihiro would always stare from the side, and whenever Uesugi Hara put on a shirt, she would wrinkle her nose and mutter "too old-fashioned," or pick up a jacket and pout, saying "it looks bulky"—the end result went smoothly.

Uesugi Hara became a doll to be toyed with, dragged by the girls to change into one outfit after another.

Shiranami Chihiro's complaints never ceased, her mouth saying "ugly" or "doesn't match," but when her eyes swept over him in the mirror, there would occasionally be a fleeting, imperceptible softening. Whether she truly felt that way in her heart, only she knew.

The clothes were finally picked out. Uesugi Hara carried the several folded items toward the register. Just as he was about to raise his hand to call the clerk, his wrist was gently tugged.

"Uesugi-kun, let me pay for these." Ichinose Honami stood by his side, her terminal already in hand, her eyes curved with a hint of pleading. "Consider it... a thank-you gift for that matter the other day."

Uesugi Hara looked at the genuine anticipation in her eyes and swallowed the refusal that had reached his lips, only nodding slightly. "Then... I'll trouble you."

Shiranami Chihiro, who had been muttering "Can he even wear all these?" nearby, immediately widened her eyes. Just as she was about to say, "There's no reason to let a girl pay," she was secretly tugged on the sleeve by Amikura Mako—Can't you see Honami is smiling happily? Why are you meddling?

She closed her mouth in frustration, but couldn't help but glare at Uesugi Hara—"Scumbag," buying his own clothes, needing girls to help pick them out, and then needing a girl to pay for them too.

After leaving the clothing store.

Ichinose Honami looked at the sky and suggested with a smile: "It's still early, do you want to go get some bubble tea together? I know a place nearby that's really good."

Amikura Mako and Kobashi Yume immediately agreed. Shiranami Chihiro hesitated for a moment, then followed with a soft "mm"—after all, she couldn't let this guy stay alone with Honami.

"I'll pass, I have something else to do," Uesugi Hara refused; he really couldn't handle Shiranami Chihiro's gaze anymore.

The smile on Ichinose Honami's face faded slightly, but she didn't insist, only asking considerately, "Is it something urgent? Alright then, let's meet up another time."

When Shiranami Chihiro heard him refuse, she felt a strange sense of relief, though she huffed in a fake, pretentious way: "Fine, go then. Who even cares."

Uesugi Hara didn't bicker with her, only nodding toward Ichinose Honami: "Thank you for helping me pick out the clothes." With that, he carried the bags of newly bought clothes, turned, and walked toward the exit of the shopping street, his pace looking almost like he was "fleeing."

Kobashi Yume poked Shiranami Chihiro: "Chihiro, your face was almost stiff as a rock just now."

"Does Chihiro not like Uesugi-kun very much?" Ichinose Honami also looked over curiously, her eyes filled with a gentle confusion.

"Not at all!" Shiranami Chihiro immediately denied it. As she spoke, she lunged into Ichinose Honami's arms, wrapping her arms tightly around her waist, her voice muffled: "I just... I just think he looks a bit cunning, and I'm afraid you'll be led astray by him, Honami."

"How could that be?" Ichinose Honami laughed as she was hugged, raising her hand to gently stroke her hair to soothe her. Her fingertips combed through the soft white hair, her tone gentle and firm. "We're just ordinary friends, don't worry, Chihiro-chan."

Shiranami Chihiro buried her face in the crook of her neck and rubbed against it, saying nothing, but the arms wrapped around her waist loosened slightly, though there was still a sour, awkward feeling in her heart.