NOVEL NEXT chapter 24
24. Necklace
We spent a delightful time at the café.
Miyashiro hesitated to drink from the cute cat latte art, and I playfully teased her about it.
Finally mustering her courage, she took a sip, and her surprise at the deliciousness exceeded her expectations. I watched her with a smile as I brought my own coffee to my lips.
After that, we enjoyed our ordered lunch together, relishing the flavors, and then indulged in pancakes for dessert while engaging in cheerful conversation.
It was truly a joyful and happy time.
Though we felt a twinge of reluctance to leave, Miyashiro and I exited the café. She seemed to really like the place, and after stepping out, she cheerfully said, “Let’s come here again, Ryusuke!”
Next, we headed to the largest shopping mall in the area.
Being a holiday, the mall was bustling with people, and at first, both Miyashiro and I felt a bit overwhelmed by the crowd, but as we started walking, we quickly adapted to the lively atmosphere.
“Hey, Ryusuke. It’s been a while since we came to a crowded place together like this in the afternoon.”
“Yeah, it’s not that unusual at night, but you’ve been going to school regularly, and on weekends, you often passed on our invitations during the day.”
“Well, of course. I have to stay home and study at least on weekends. I’m trying to tackle all the assignments I’ve piled up!”
“You were studying during the day on weekends? I didn’t know that… So that’s why you always turned us down.”
“Because I can’t afford to fail tests, and I have to submit my assignments properly. You, on the other hand, were just playing around without a care. I was really worried about you!”
“I have no comeback for that… I’ll just say I’ll do better from now on.”
“That’s good to hear. Oh, by the way, I want to look at clothes as well as dinner ingredients. I haven’t been able to shop at all lately.”
“Ah, I’m on board with that. Since it’s a good opportunity, I want to check out various things too.”
I had a bit of a crisis this morning trying to find something to wear, and with Miyashiro around, I might get some valuable advice on clothes from a female perspective.
To escape from the role of a villain, it would be best not to neglect preparations such as clothing.
Thus, we decided to explore various shops lined up in the shopping mall instead of the grocery section.
The first store that caught our eye was a stylish little boutique.
“Let’s take a look inside,” Mashiro said, tugging at the sleeve of my shirt, and I obediently followed her into the store.
Inside, there was a rich assortment of items, including accessories, stationery, and tableware.
Mashiro’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she looked at the displayed products. Her movements, as she wandered around, were adorable like a small animal.
“Hey, hey, Ryusuke, look at this. It’s so cute!”
“Hmm, let me see.”
What she showed me were charming rose gold earrings. They were simple heart shapes, and they might make a nice accent.
“Ah… but I’ve stopped wearing earrings. Oh no, I completely forgot about that!”
“Speaking of which, Mashiro hasn’t worn earrings since she dyed her hair black again.”
“Yeah. I thought if I’m aiming to be the type of girl Ryusuke likes, I probably don’t need earrings. Since my hair is down now, they wouldn’t stand out anyway.”
“I see… so it’s to become the type of girl I like, huh?”
At my somewhat murmured words, Mashiro responded softly. Looking into my eyes, she said bashfully, “That’s right. For you, Ryusuke.”
With a mischievous smile, she winked at me.
Feeling my face heat up all at once from her words and gestures, I instinctively averted my gaze.
What should I even say in response? Should I thank her for working hard for me? No, that’s way too embarrassing to say out loud. What should I do?
As I hesitated, I glanced at Mashiro, and it seemed she too had become embarrassed by her own words, as she looked down with flushed cheeks.
Seriously… this childhood friend of mine is just too cute.
Then, as if to collect herself, Mashiro cleared her throat and reached for a necklace nearby.
“I don’t need earrings, but maybe I’ll buy a necklace instead. How about this one? Isn’t it cute?”
Saying that, Mashiro held up the necklace to show me, fitting it around her neck.
It was a silver necklace, with a crescent moon charm sparkling at her chest.
The price wasn’t too high, so it wouldn’t be odd for a high school student to wear it. It suited the now elegant black-haired beauty that Mashiro had become very well.
“I think it looks good. Do you want it?”
“I’m thinking about it. I tend to choose things on a whim, so if you push me a little, I probably will.”
“Then I’ll give you a little push.”
“Ehehe, please do!”
I took Mashiro’s hand, smiling, and lifted the necklace that was in her small hand.
“Ryuu, Ryuusuke? When I said ‘push,’ I didn’t mean I wanted you to buy it…”
“I know that. It’s just a thank you for all the help you’ve given me. Let me do something manly for once.”
“W-wha…!?”
I took Mashiro’s bewildered hand and led her to the register.
After handing the necklace to the clerk, I quickly pulled out my wallet.
“Excuse me, could you wrap that as a gift, please?”
“Of course. I will wrap it for you, so please wait a moment.”
The clerk skillfully began wrapping the gift with practiced ease.
Watching this, Mashiro’s mouth opened in surprise as she stared.
She probably never expected me to do something like this. I was aware that it wasn’t really my style either.
But still, I genuinely wanted to show my gratitude. After hearing from my sister, I realized I needed to give something back to Mashiro for all her hard work up to now. So this was just my way of being a bit meddlesome. A return of favor from someone who has always been there to help me.
After settling the payment, I received the beautifully wrapped box.
Handing the cute box tied with a red ribbon to Mashiro, she looked at it resting in her small hands before hugging it tightly to her chest.
To hide her expression softened by joy, Mashiro leaned in and pressed her head against my chest.
“Thank you, Ryuusuke. I’m really happy.”
“Is that so? I’m glad you liked it.”
To be honest, I was quite nervous since I’m not used to giving gifts, but seeing Mashiro so happy eased my anxiety.
However, there was a problem: we were in a crowded store, right in front of the register. It was only natural that we would attract attention being so close like this—
The surrounding customers were looking at us with warm smiles, as if witnessing something heartwarming, and it was incredibly embarrassing.
Noticing the gazes around us, Mashiro looked up, her cheeks flushed, and hurriedly pulled away from me.
“R-Ryuusuke… shall we go to the next store…?”
“Ah, yeah… sounds good.”
We hurriedly exited the shop, with Mashiro clutching the box containing the necklace as she tugged at the hem of my shirt, and we made our way to the clothing store next.