After finishing lunch.
The two walked into another clothing store.
Only this time, it was Himeno Yuki who wanted to buy clothes, so Hachigaya sat in the rest area.
"Hey, why did you just sit down?"
"Well, even if you asked me to come, I don't have much confidence in my own aesthetic sense. I won't be much help, right? Wouldn't it be better if you chose yourself?"
"It doesn't matter."
Himeno Yuki unceremoniously grabbed Hachigaya's arm and pulled him up.
"You just need to stand by and give your impressions."
"Fine, fine, please let go quickly."
Hachigaya said with a face full of helplessness. Simply giving impressions wasn't that difficult.
Afterward, Hachigaya dutifully followed behind Himeno Yuki, watching her occasionally pick up clothes from the display and hold them up against herself.
"Let's go with this one."
Yuki picked out a white trench coat and held it up. For some reason, a faint smile appeared on the corners of her mouth.
Immediately after, she took a blue shirt and a black pleated skirt into the fitting room.
"No peeking~"
Yuki poked her small head out from behind the curtain.
"I won't."
Hachigaya was speechless.
Besides being treated as a pervert, peeking was completely meaningless.
Why would anyone in the world do something so foolish?
Soon.
Himeno Yuki stepped out of the fitting room.
She was wearing a pure white trench coat, with her lotus-root-like snow-white calves exposed. If not for her hair color, she would look like a pure young girl.
"How is it?" Himeno Yuki put her hands in her pockets and opened the trench coat fully outward.
"Hmm..."
Hachigaya nodded appreciatively: "It suits you quite well."
"Thank you."
Yuki turned her body sideways, looking at her own legs and said: "But I'm actually not used to this style. I feel like it doesn't really match me."
"Then why did you try it on?"
Hachigaya's mouth twitched; he was utterly speechless.
After all that effort, it turned out this person had never even worn this style before.
"It can't be helped."
Himeno Yuki said somewhat helplessly: "If I went with my usual style, Ichinose and the others would probably be a bit troubled."
Unexpectedly.
Even buying clothes required considering the existence of Ichinose and the others.
If she dressed too flamboyantly, even if Ichinose and the others didn't say anything, Himeno Yuki would probably feel like she didn't fit in.
And precisely because she didn't want to seem out of place, Himeno Yuki had no choice but to compromise and restrain herself.
Wanting to integrate into a group.
To some extent, one needs to consider the people around them; this is the price that must be paid.
"That's quite tragic."
Hachigaya nodded sincerely; he would never want to change himself just to fit into a group.
"Forget it, let me show you my previous style."
Himeno Yuki ran off in small steps and soon returned with a pile of clothes. She entered the fitting room and poked half her head out with a mischievous grin:
"You can peek this time."
"I won't."
Hachigaya rolled his eyes.
As he said, peeking was meaningless. This person just liked to tease him; if he actually looked, he'd probably be punched out of there by Himeno Yuki.
A short while later.
Yuki walked out of the dressing room again.
On top was a white tight-fitting T-shirt, and below were blue tight jeans, but paired with a white canvas belt with a large heart-shaped buckle at the waist.
XP (fetish).
It made Hachigaya pause for a moment; it surprisingly wasn't the gyaru style.
Instead, it gave a feeling of being full of vitality, yet the heart buckle gave a hint of a wild and uninhibited gyaru impression.
It was somewhere in between; Hachigaya didn't quite understand it.
"How is it?"
Yuki leaned her delicate body forward, her soft right hand lightly stroking her thigh, showcasing her perfect figure in front of him.
"Even if you ask me that..."
Hachigaya's face flushed: "I can only say it suits you very well?"
This person really looked good in anything.
Although he thought the pure style of the trench coat earlier was nice, he felt this conservative yet slightly "lewd" style fit her better.
"Right?"
Looking at Hachigaya, Himeno Yuki flashed a triumphant smile and struck several more poses.
Then...
She went to try on more clothes...
Soon, more than an hour had passed.
"How is it?"
"Hmm, it suits you quite well."
Hachigaya's face was calm; he felt numb. Just how long was this person going to keep trying things on?
"Ah, how perfunctory."
Yuki was a bit dissatisfied and checked her phone.
"Forget it, feels like the time is about right. Let's call it a day for now."
"Phew."
Hachigaya finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He was curious—she had tried on so many, surely she wouldn't buy them all.
He saw Himeno Yuki take that white trench coat and that set of more gyaru-like youthful attire and walk to the front desk to have them packed.
"Hmm?"
Hachigaya said with confusion:
"You thought one didn't match you, and you thought the other was inconvenient to wear. Why are you buying them?"
As soon as he spoke, Hachigaya saw the clerk at the front desk covering her mouth and giggling.
What?
Did he say something wrong?
"I say."
Yuki turned her head and gave him a harsh glare.
"When a girl is buying clothes, a boyfriend only needs to give compliments."
"..."
Hachigaya was speechless.
Since the other party didn't want to say, he wouldn't ask. The key point was that he wasn't Himeno Yuki's boyfriend.
He really couldn't understand.
What was the standard this inexplicable woman used to choose clothes?
Yuki's eyes were resentful as she mentally cursed him for being a "blockhead."
The Movie Theater.
Hachigaya waited in the lobby.
Although he originally intended to watch a blockbuster, since someone else was treating, he didn't voice any demands.
If Himeno Yuki changed her mind because of his opinion, it would be a bit awkward.
A short while later.
Yuki walked over holding two cups of milk tea, with a bucket of popcorn squeezed in the middle.
"Don't you know to help me?"
"Oh, sorry."
Hachigaya took the popcorn and the milk tea she handed over, feeling a bit apologetic.
He hadn't expected her to not only treat him to a movie but also to drinks.
Himeno Yuki was actually a good person.
He had originally thought she was one of those nasty women who treated men like ATMs; it seemed he had misunderstood her.
"Hmph~"
Yuki raised her nose high: "My points for this month are in a bit of a crisis. It can't compare to the eel rice, but this will have to do for now. Stick with big sister, and I'll guarantee you eat well and play well."
"Ah... okay."
Hachigaya's mouth twitched. This person was definitely a gyaru.
But if she really wanted him to eat well and play well, please buy two portions of popcorn. How was he supposed to eat this one portion?
"If you don't have enough points, can't you ask Ichinose to get them back?"
Hachigaya asked with some concern.
"I could, but..."
Hearing this, Himeno Yuki felt somewhat helpless: "If I asked, Ichinose would basically always agree. But everyone else is working hard to save money, and I'm the only one spending recklessly. I feel a bit guilty."
"Indeed..."
Hachigaya gave a dry laugh.
He originally wanted to mock her, but he could recently relate to this feeling. Every time he freeloaded off the class funds, he felt a bit of guilt.
He almost wished he could just hand the money over.
Ichinose's charisma was truly terrifying; it had them all pinned down.
The most important thing was that Ichinose led by example. Her usual spending wasn't high, and she mostly brought her own lunch, which left others with no good excuse to complain.
"Alright, let's not talk about that. Let's go."
"Oh."
Hachigaya held the popcorn like a little follower behind her.
They entered the theater. Himeno Yuki chose an American spy film, and he didn't have any objections.
However.
Once they were seated.
Hachigaya found himself in a difficult position. Himeno Yuki had chosen seats right in the middle, side-by-side.
Since she was the one paying, he didn't have any complaints about that.
But...
Where should the popcorn go?
Hachigaya placed his milk tea on the left side, and Himeno Yuki's milk tea was on the right armrest.
Holding the popcorn gave him a headache...
If he held it in his own hands, how would Himeno Yuki eat?
If he gave it to her...
Hachigaya could guarantee he wouldn't have the courage to reach into Himeno Yuki's lap to grab popcorn.
"Here."
After hesitating for a moment, while the movie hadn't started yet, Hachigaya handed the whole bucket of popcorn over.
Forget it, since it was Himeno Yuki's money, he just wouldn't eat.
"Oh."
Himeno Yuki glanced at it, leaned her body toward him, turned her small head toward the screen, and picked up a piece of popcorn with her onion-white fingers to put in her mouth.
Wait, that's not what I meant. Why did you just start eating it directly?
Hachigaya looked at Himeno Yuki in front of him, feeling completely bewildered.
He couldn't put this bucket of popcorn down, nor could he give it away.
After a moment of hesitation, he said directly:
"You should probably hold it."
"Eh?"
Yuki said a bit reluctantly: "Holding it is inconvenient. I already treated you to the movie, so you should hold it. Don't be polite, you eat some too."
Hachigaya's gaze was resentful. Just then, the movie began.
He had no choice but to prop the popcorn on the armrest with one hand and watch the screen sideways.
However, Hachigaya couldn't put his mind at ease.
Himeno Yuki's entire body was facing this way, leaning half-on the armrest like a lazy cat. Her beautiful face was inches away from his hand.
The dim light reflected on her body.
It made Himeno Yuki's fair face look even more delicate and tempting. Her translucent lips parted and closed occasionally, and her long eyelashes fluttered slightly.
From time to time, he could even hear Himeno Yuki's faint breathing.
PAGE 6
How is anyone supposed to watch a movie like this? This is a public place; can't this gyaru sit properly?
Hachigaya felt his cheeks heating up. He had an urge to lean in and kiss her, but he would probably be slapped away and shouted at for assault, then forced to withdraw from school.
"Boom."
Just then, a roar rang out through the entire theater.
It gave Hachigaya a fright and instantly cooled him down. Himeno Yuki was focused on the screen, her beautiful eyes shining.
Damn it.
I told you, you definitely have to buy two buckets of popcorn.
The two-hour movie finished.
It was already past five in the afternoon.
It might have been the result of Himeno Yuki's deliberate calculation that they didn't run into any classmates at the theater; after all, Ichinose and the others were mostly preparing for the victory party.
Hachigaya felt physically and mentally exhausted.
This person was basically lying on the chair for the second half, showing no concern for being in a public place.
In fact.
Hachigaya didn't doubt that if it went on a bit longer, Himeno Yuki would have taken off her shoes and gotten onto the chair. She was simply a "follow-your-whims" type of gyaru.
Hachigaya had to admit that Himeno Yuki's acting skills within the class were formidable.
If it weren't for his firm will...
He might have had to go back to the dorm and enter "Sage Mode."
"Hahaha."
Himeno Yuki stood in the lobby, pointing at Hachigaya and laughing hysterically:
"It was just an explosion, and you were actually scared like that. You're too pathetic."
"It's because the sound in the theater is so frightening."
Hachigaya's face turned red. You damn bastard, it was only because my attention was attracted by you.
"Fine."
Yuki patted his shoulder and smiled:
"I didn't expect you to be afraid of such things. Can't be helped. Next time we'll go see something more literary."
"There's a next time?"
"Hmm?"
Seeing Hachigaya's face full of disdain, Himeno Yuki immediately glared at him:
"What's with that expression? Do you hate hanging out with me that much?"
"Not really, I'm just a bit tired."
Hachigaya was somewhat helpless.
While he wasn't afraid of crowded places, he still preferred being alone.
"Hmm."
Himeno Yuki thought for a moment and nodded:
"I did read online that many boys don't like shopping. Then next time we'll go play something else."
"Uh... next time for sure."
A loner doesn't fall into the same trap twice. Hachigaya learned his lesson and tactfully declined.
This damn woman simply didn't listen to a word he said.
So overbearing.