Buying Clothes

On the other side.

Uesugi Hara was still standing outside the clothing store, at a loss. His brows were slightly furrowed, as if he were pondering something, when Ichinose Honami quietly approached him from behind.

"Excuse me, shop clerk..."

He didn't hear her.

"Excuse me, shop clerk." Ichinose Honami tentatively reached out and gave him a light poke in the back.

"Huh? Were you calling me?" Uesugi Hara spun around. When he saw who it was, he froze for a moment, then nodded. "Oh, it's you, Ichinose."

"Long time no see, shop clerk." Ichinose Honami smiled, her eyes curving, but there was a touch of curiosity in her voice. "You don't seem surprised at all to see me at this school, though."

"I saw you at the opening ceremony," Uesugi Hara replied frankly.

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

"Of course."

"Then why didn't you come find me?" She pouted a little, pretending to be slightly miffed. "I even went looking for you after that day, but the manager said you didn't work there anymore."

"You don't have to keep calling me 'shop clerk,' Ichinose." Uesugi Hara scratched his cheek and introduced himself. "I'm Uesugi Hara. And as for why I didn't keep working there after that day... business wasn't great, so the manager fired me."

"As for why I didn't come find you..." Uesugi Hara paused, then answered honestly. "I didn't think we were close enough to have to go out of our way to meet."

"Aw, Uesugi, you're going to hurt my feelings if you put it like that." Ichinose Honami drew out the words, her eyes still smiling, without looking genuinely upset. Then she switched gears and laughed. "But with your looks, Uesugi, you should be great at attracting customers. How did you get fired?"

Uesugi Hara gave an awkward laugh, skipping over the first part, and went along with her question. "You might not believe me, Ichinose, but I think I have some kind of 'business-killer' curse. Every place I work, business starts going downhill, like I've put a curse on it."

"Seriously?"

While the two of them chatted, someone around the corner was already bubbling over with envy.

"Chihiro, Yume, do you smell something?" Amikura Mako wrinkled her brow and sniffed, looking puzzled. "It smells like vinegar. Really sour."

"Mako, I do." Kobashi Yume sniffed too, just as confused. "It wasn't there a moment ago. I wonder where it's coming from."

As they spoke, Shiranami Chihiro's mind was nowhere near the smell. Her gaze was glued to the two people chatting up ahead, and her thoughts were already in turmoil.

Envy!

Jealousy!

And a little irritation she couldn't quite explain!

Honami had never given her such a soft, sweet smile. What gave that guy the right? Just because he was handsome? She was cute too! Shiranami Chihiro screamed silently in her mind, her little face tense.

On the surface, she looked lost in thought, staring blankly ahead. Inside, though, jealousy had her tied up in knots.

"Chihiro? Chihiro? Are you all right?" Seeing her blank stare, Amikura Mako gently nudged her, looking worried.

"Huh? I'm fine! I'm fine!" Shiranami Chihiro shuddered at the touch and snapped back to her senses.

"Are you sure? If you're not feeling well, we can take you back to rest," Kobashi Yume added.

"I'm really fine!" Shiranami Chihiro hurriedly waved them off. She spotted the two people ahead about to enter the clothing store and immediately tugged at their sleeves. "Look! They're going inside! Let's follow them!"

"All right... But if you start feeling unwell, tell us right away," Amikura Mako reminded her.

"We've been chatting for a while, but I never asked what you came here for, Uesugi." Ichinose Honami smiled.

"Oh, nothing much." Uesugi Hara waved a hand. "I've been at school for ages, but the only clothes in my closet are my uniform. I thought I'd come buy a few casual outfits."

"Would you like some help, Uesugi?" Ichinose Honami offered easily. "I know the shops around here pretty well."

"Well... I don't want to trouble you, Ichinose." Uesugi Hara hesitated. He was only being polite; he didn't actually want to refuse. After all, he really had no experience buying clothes at a store like this.

But—

Uesugi Hara glanced at the flower bed behind him and couldn't help thinking, Could those three back there try a little harder to hide? Especially that white-haired girl. She's practically glued her eyes to me. She's staring like she's dying to see more! What did I ever do to her? Does she have to glare at me like that?

Could I have a passive skill that attracts the hatred of white-haired girls, on top of my "business-killer" buff? Uesugi Hara wondered.

First Sakayanagi Arisu, and now another one. What is going on with this world?

He didn't know the three of them, but he knew they were from Class B. He'd seen them at the opening ceremony, and they were probably friends of Ichinose Honami.

"It's no trouble." Ichinose Honami smiled, her eyes curving like crescent moons. "I said I'd thank you for last time, didn't I? Leave the clothes to me." As she spoke, she ushered Uesugi Hara into a store, giving him no chance to refuse.

Uesugi Hara stumbled inside as she pushed him along. He could still feel that "white-haired girl's gaze" growing colder behind him.

Once they were in the store, Ichinose Honami smiled reassuringly. "These shops may look fancy, Uesugi, but they're not expensive. As long as you avoid the really high-end brands, the prices are about the same as the little shops outside school. Some things are even cheaper."

As she spoke, she turned her attention to the men's section and looked over the clothes. She pointed at items on the racks, quietly commenting, "This one looks old-fashioned. No. This pattern is too flashy, it won't suit you... This one's no good either. It doesn't match your vibe. Pass..."

"This one looks nice." Ichinose Honami stopped at a light gray hoodie and turned to beckon Uesugi Hara over. "Want to try this one? The fabric feels really soft, and the color is nice and fresh. It'd be great for wearing when you don't have class or when you're out on the weekend."

Uesugi Hara followed her gaze. It was a simple, basic hoodie, with only a small embroidered logo on the chest. It wasn't flashy at all. He was about to reach for it when he heard two very soft coughs behind him. From the corner of his eye, he saw that the three people from behind the flower bed had somehow followed them to the shop entrance. They were peeking through the glass, and the white-haired girl was tugging at her friend's sleeve, her lips forming the words, "It's so ugly."

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

As he picked up the hoodie and headed for the fitting room, he heard Ichinose Honami call after him, "A white T-shirt underneath would look great! I'll find you some jeans to go with it!"

Uesugi Hara took the hoodie into the fitting room. He had just taken off his uniform when he heard Ichinose Honami asking a store clerk outside, "Excuse me, do these charcoal-gray jeans come in his size? The ones with a looser waistband."

When he came out in the hoodie, Ichinose Honami was holding up a pair of jeans in front of the mirror. Her eyes lit up at the sight of him. "It really suits you! Light gray with charcoal gray is just right. It doesn't stand out too much, but it's not dull either." She handed him the jeans. "Try these on? The legs taper a little at the bottom, so they'd look good with sneakers or canvas shoes."

Uesugi Hara took the jeans and headed back to the fitting room, glancing toward the entrance. The three heads were still pressed up against the glass.

Shiranami Chihiro was frowning as she whispered to Amikura Mako. Judging by her lips, she was saying, "How does he look that good?" Kobashi Yume was nodding along. A hint of He actually does look pretty good flickered in her eyes, but she still agreed with Shiranami Chihiro, clearly trying to spare her friend's feelings.

Amikura Mako, however, didn't follow along. She glanced toward the fitting room and murmured in disagreement, "I think he looks pretty good. Much better than in his uniform."

At least someone here has taste.

When he had changed into the full outfit and stood in front of the mirror, Uesugi Hara was surprised himself. He usually wore a crisp uniform, so the soft hoodie and loose jeans made him look gentler, less aloof.

"It suits you so well!" Ichinose Honami came over to the mirror and gave him a thumbs-up. "You look even better in casual clothes than you do in your uniform, Uesugi."

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

Ichinose Honami looked toward the sound too. The next second, her eyes met those of the three people peeking in at the entrance. The four of them stared at one another, and the air froze. Amikura Mako still had a hand around Shiranami Chihiro's arm, Kobashi Yume wore a stiff smile, and Shiranami Chihiro, who had just fallen and hurt her hand, went scarlet. Her eyes darted away in a panic.

"Chihiro? Mako? Yume?" Ichinose Honami froze for a moment, then couldn't help laughing. "What are you doing here?"

Shiranami Chihiro opened her mouth, but couldn't manage a complete sentence. Amikura Mako was quick to react. She let go and gave an awkward cough. "Uh... We were just passing by. The display window looked nice, so we stopped to take a look." Her eyes darted around, and she added, "We were just saying that you have great taste, Honami, and anything you picked would be perfect. Looks like we were right."

Kobashi Yume hurriedly nodded along. "Right, right! We were just passing by!"

Shiranami Chihiro didn't say anything, but she shot Amikura Mako a secret glare. Who helps the other person instead of their own friend? But when she met Ichinose Honami's gentle gaze, she quickly looked away. Her fingers picked at the hem of her clothes without her noticing, and she looked terribly flustered.

Uesugi Hara leaned against the mirror without saying a word, watching the little "just passing by" act.

Seeing Shiranami Chihiro's ears turn red while she tried to keep a straight face, he suddenly thought the white-haired girl looked a lot better like this than when she'd been staring at him like she was dying to see more.

"Since we've run into each other, why don't you come in and look around?" Ichinose Honami didn't call them out. She just smiled and beckoned them over. "I was going to help Uesugi pick out a couple more things anyway. With more people, we'll have more opinions."

At that, Shiranami Chihiro looked up sharply. She was just about to say, "No," when Amikura Mako shoved her inside. "Sure, sure! We wanted to check out the men's section too!"

Kobashi Yume quickly tugged at Shiranami Chihiro's sleeve and whispered, "Come on, let's go in. Don't make Honami feel awkward."

Half pushed and half dragged into the store by the other two, Shiranami Chihiro paused as she passed Uesugi Hara and shot him a quick glance. The light gray hoodie did make his skin look pretty fair, and the jeans made his legs look long. And that face of his... No, no, no! What's so good-looking about him? She quickly looked away, though her ears were still red.

Uesugi Hara caught the little movement and chuckled to himself. You little brat. Just watch how I make you fall for me.

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

"Honami, this guy's dangerous!" She kept a straight face as she spoke to Ichinose Honami behind her, not forgetting to shoot Uesugi Hara a glare.

"Chihiro..." Ichinose Honami was at a loss for words. She gently patted Shiranami Chihiro on the shoulder. "Uesugi is a really nice person."

Of course Uesugi Hara was a nice person—except when it came to looking at girls' legs.

Then she stepped around Shiranami Chihiro and smiled as she made the introductions. "Uesugi, these are my classmates from Class B: Amikura Mako, Kobashi Yume, and Shiranami Chihiro, who you just met."

Then she turned to the three of them and said warmly, "This is Uesugi Hara from Class A, Uesugi."

Amikura Mako and Kobashi Yume smiled and greeted him. Shiranami Chihiro was the only one still glaring, with every bit of her wariness intact.

Amikura Mako smiled first, trying to smooth things over. "Don't mind her, Uesugi. Chihiro's just really protective of Honami." As she spoke, she quietly tugged at Shiranami Chihiro's sleeve, signaling her not to be so obvious.

Kobashi Yume nodded along. "Right, right. We were just passing by, and we didn't expect to run into Honami and Uesugi."

"It's fine, it's fine." Uesugi Hara waved a hand.

With the others helping out, they picked clothes much faster. There were a few hiccups along the way—Shiranami Chihiro kept watching from the side, and the moment Uesugi Hara put on a shirt, she would wrinkle her nose and mutter, "Too old-fashioned," and when he picked up a jacket, she would purse her lips and say, "It makes you look bulky." But things went smoothly in the end.

Uesugi Hara became a doll for them to dress up, pulled along by the girls to try one outfit after another.

Shiranami Chihiro's complaints never stopped. She kept saying things like "ugly" and "doesn't match," but whenever her eyes passed over his reflection in the mirror, there would occasionally be a brief, almost imperceptible softening in her expression. Whether she really thought what she said, only she knew.

At last, they finished picking out clothes. Uesugi Hara carried several neatly folded pieces toward the register. He had just raised his hand to call over a clerk when someone gently caught his wrist.

"Uesugi, let me pay." Ichinose Honami stood beside him, her Terminal already in hand. Her eyes curved with a hint of pleading. "Just think of it as... a thank-you for what you did last time."

Seeing the sincere hope in her eyes, Uesugi Hara swallowed the refusal that had been about to leave his lips and simply nodded. "Then... sorry for the trouble."

Shiranami Chihiro had been muttering, "Can you really wear that much?" But when she heard this, her eyes went wide. She was just about to say, "How can you let a girl pay?" when Amikura Mako discreetly tugged at her hem. Can't you see Honami's happy? Don't butt in.

She sulkily shut her mouth, but still shot Uesugi Hara a sidelong glance. Jerk. He lets a girl help him pick out clothes, then makes her pay for them too.

After they left the clothing store.

Ichinose Honami glanced at the sky and smiled as she suggested, "It's still early. Want to go get some milk tea together? I know a great place nearby."

Amikura Mako and Kobashi Yume immediately agreed. Shiranami Chihiro hesitated, then quietly murmured her assent too. At least this way, that guy won't get to be alone with Honami.

"I'll pass. I have something to do," Uesugi Hara said, declining. He was having a hard time putting up with Shiranami Chihiro's stare.

The smile on Ichinose Honami's face dimmed a little, but she didn't press him. She just asked considerately, "Is it something urgent? All right, then. We'll go together another time."

Hearing him refuse, Shiranami Chihiro felt inexplicably relieved, but she only gave a put-on snort. "Go on, then. It's not like we care."

Uesugi Hara didn't take it personally. He just nodded to Ichinose Honami. "Thanks for helping me pick out clothes." Then he picked up the bag of new clothes and headed for the exit of the shopping district, his pace almost seeming like he was "escaping."

Kobashi Yume nudged Shiranami Chihiro. "Chihiro, you looked like your face was about to turn to stone."

"Do you not like Uesugi, Chihiro?" Ichinose Honami asked curiously, her gaze warm.

"Of course I do!" Shiranami Chihiro immediately denied it. She threw herself into Ichinose Honami's arms and wrapped her arms tightly around her waist, her voice muffled. "I just... I just think he looks a little sly. I was afraid he'd steal you away, Honami."

"How could that happen?" Ichinose Honami laughed as Shiranami Chihiro hugged her. She gently stroked her hair to comfort her, her fingers combing through the soft white strands. Her voice was warm and certain. "We're just friends, Chihiro. Don't worry."

Shiranami Chihiro buried her face in Ichinose Honami's shoulder and rubbed against it without a word. Her arms around Ichinose Honami's waist slowly loosened, but she still felt a little jealous and flustered.