Harem Protagonist’s Sidekick

"Well, that was a bust." 

I glared daggers at her back. "I don't suppose you have any other brilliant ideas?" 

She spun around to face me while continuing to walk backward; the girl appeared to have a sixth sense for weaving around any obstacles the mall threw her way. "Nah, I'm all out, but it's cool. You're the brains behind this operation, after all." 

That sounded about right. Rika expected me to somehow know what Ethan wanted. Honestly, I didn't have a clue. He was tough to shop for because his hobbies were eccentric and constantly changing. I mean, if it were me, I’d buy him a gift card and be done with it. Nothing more, nothing less. Although, something so impersonal probably wasn't what she had in mind. 

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I closed my eyes for a brief moment in concentration. Yet, nothing sprung to mind. Like it’d be that easy. With a sigh, I opened my eyes again only to notice her scrutinizing me. "What's up?" 

"Nothing." She flipped back around in the nick of time to swerve out of the way of a woman glued to her phone. "It's just that you're taking this a lot more seriously than I thought you would." 

I rubbed the back of my neck. "The sooner we get him something, the sooner I can go home." 

"Whatever you say. Anyway, let's take a break from that for now and find something for your sister." 

"You don't—" 

I was ignored by Rika. "What's she into? Stuffed animals? Drawing? What about dolls or action figures?" 

"Well, I guess she's into stuffed animals more than anything. Got a big collection at home." 

"A girl after my own heart, huh? Well, maybe if she were older that is." 

I didn’t bother correcting her. The truth was sometimes I couldn’t understand this girl. Like what the hell did that even mean? Had she never heard of phrasing before? 

She abruptly turned on her heels and started in the direction we came from. I trailed behind, while we passed the same storefronts from earlier. Peering into the bookstore this time around revealed nothing suitable for a gift. While the rows of best-sellers and unique trinkets are things I'd enjoy, they'd get little other than a passing glance or chuckle from Ethan. 

It's when we went by the pharmacy that I noticed Rika had been looking back at me from time to time. I shot her a questioning glance, but she carried on without any explanation. 

"Is something wrong?" I asked. 

Shrugging her shoulders, she responded. "Not really. Just didn't realize you were so shy outside of school." 

"Me?" I croaked out, my voice going an octave higher than I cared to admit. 

"Yeah, you. You act so calm and collected there, but here you can't even walk next to me. You've been dragging your feet back there the entire time." She laughed as the food court came into view. "I don't bite if that's what you're afraid of." 

My face heated up at being called out. Grumbling about her constant mocking, I nonetheless picked up the pace to catch up to her. I'm still a step behind her but close enough that I could brush her hand with my own if I wanted. 

She stuck out her tongue. "See that wasn't so hard. Now people might even mistake us for lovers. Lucky you!" 

Yeah, lucky me alright, being stuck with you constantly messing around. That's fine though. Revenge would eventually be mine, and it would be sweet.

When we came to a stop again, it was so sudden that I nearly stepped on the heel of her shoes. She pointed to the stand from earlier, the one with the stuffed animals. "I think I'll get her something from there." 

"Sounds good." 

When we approached the stand, the old man's face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. "I was hoping you two would be back." He directed his attention toward me. "Did you decide to buy something for the Little Miss?" 

Rika donned an easy smile and shook her head. "Actually, I want to get something for his sister." 

He gave her a once over before nodding in approval. "I see. How generous." A bony finger of his juts out in my direction. "It's not every day someone as kind and beautiful as her comes along. You better treasure her, lad." 

I grunted in response, trying to figure out his deal. Little Miss? Lad? Felt like this guy snuck right out of an old black-and-white movie. 

"Ah, that starfish is adorable. How much is it?" 

"It's supposed to be thirty-five dollars." He leaned in and lowered his voice. "But between you and me, I'll give you a couple's discount." 

"We're not—" 

A sharp elbow to the side cut off my statement. "We're not about to say no to a deal. Thanks." 

"Don't mention it." The old man twirled a stray strand of his gray beard. "Now which color do you want?" 

While she decided between the purple and the blue, I rubbed my side, regretting opening my mouth. I couldn’t fault her for wanting to save some money, but was it right to con the old man? We weren’t a couple, no matter how you looked at it. 

Cash and the stuffed animal were exchanged, and he bid us a hearty farewell. Despite her arms overflowing with goods, Rika attempted an enthusiastic wave in response. It looked incredibly stupid and almost caused the contents of her bag to spill forth, which must make her reconsider her actions. "I need to sit down real quick." 

With that being said, she plopped herself down on the same bench she sat on when I first met up with her. Most of the onlookers from earlier were gone, and we could sit without their judgemental murmurs and stares. Not that she cared either way. 

"Here. Grab this." She held out the stuffed animal to me. Scooting closer to close the distance between us, I grabbed the large starfish from her and settled it on my lap. I ran my palms over the stuffed animal, appreciating the feel of the soft cotton. 

"Thanks. She'll go crazy over this." 

Rika nodded, a tiny grin forming on her face. "Tell her it's a gift from her big sis." 

"Do you hear yourself when you talk?" 

Another nod. "Yep, and I sound sexy." 

I wasn’t able to hold back from rolling my eyes at her ridiculousness. "You're exhausting to be around." 

"You'd be bored otherwise. Admit it." She yawned, stretching her arms high above her head, and causing her sweatshirt to rise slightly above her midriff. I averted my gaze as she readjusted her clothing. "Hey, got any ideas yet? Otherwise, we can chill out here and think for a bit." 

I barely processed her offer, thinking about her earlier statement. Bored? That was when my brain made a tremendous leap to form an inane connection. 

"I think I know what to get him."