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Page 337
Volume 10, Part 2: As usual, Yukinoshita Haruno is causing trouble again.
The monorail travels across the clear winter sky.
Komachi, standing beside her, watched the departing train and let out a long, white sigh, looking very tired.
Sorry for dragging you into this again.
"yes……"
She responded with a loud "humph." This is exactly what our house cat, Xiaoxue, would do. That guy always hisses angrily when I call him, just like his owner…
"However, Komachi also wants to buy the gift first."
As soon as Komachi opened her mouth, white smoke billowed out again.
"...Besides, this might be the last time we go out together."
Why are you wearing that forlorn smile? It's like I'm about to die...
I was treated like a terminally ill patient leaving behind their final memories. If this were made into a movie, it would definitely make the audience cry their eyes out. Then again, even if my brother were healthy and didn't have any serious illness, he still wouldn't be able to go on living if Komachi disliked him…
"That's not what I meant... Komachi won't be going out with her brother again next time!"
She gave me a slight glare and warned me like that.
Actually, I know it very well myself...
I also understand that there will definitely be a "next time" as Komachi mentioned. While I'm not sure if it counts as a promise, at least we've agreed on it. The next question is when, where, how to bring it up, and what to say. People lacking social experience are at a disadvantage in situations like this. I really wonder how everyone makes plans when going out?
Let's put this issue aside for now.
Today's tasks should be prioritized.
After finishing my shrine visit yesterday and returning home, I was contacted by Hihama via text message about buying a birthday present.
We agreed to meet in front of the large electronic display screen at Chiba Station. That was the most conspicuous meeting point; the other person would see us as soon as they exited the station, and vice versa. Thinking of this, I began to exhale more frequently.
Finally, Yuihama emerged from the ticket gate. She spotted us and immediately waved vigorously.
"Hi-lo—"
"oh."
"Hi, Yui-neechan!"
"Sorry I'm late!"
She rushed over, her boots clicking rapidly, her wool coat flapping wildly, revealing a waist-length knit sweater and skinny jeans underneath.
Where are we going today?
"I'm thinking, how about I wander around and browse?"
Yuihama Oki roughly compares the area near the station and walks in that direction.
"Okay, where should we start?"
Komachi followed behind her, and I followed too.
Chiba can be described as a shopping paradise; high school students will definitely not miss PARC0 when shopping.
PARC0是千叶市年轻族群的好伙伴。既时髦又青春洋溢的少男少女，可以依照买衣服的地方分成PARC0跟LaLaport两大教。千叶市内几乎只容得下这两个大头分高下。PARC0教底下又有千叶PARC0和津田沼PARC0派别，进行着丑陋的骨肉相残。
Stop it right now! We're all on the same side, why can't we get along better?! Even though Tsudanuma is in Narashino City!
As they walked, Yubin pointed to a place.
"Ah, let's start with C·one (Note 10: a shopping center located in Chiba City)!"
C·one? I know that. There's a Lana ramen in there, right?
When it comes to Ichiran Ramen, everyone will think of the "Flavor Concentration System," which separates the counter seating and allows customers to focus on the food. Incidentally, this design is already patented. This suggests that Lone Ranger likely also has its own "Life Concentration System." Act fast! Make sure to get the patent license!
I think the "(C)" in C·one comes from the first letter of the Romanized spelling of Chiba. In other words, it's "initial C." This is also evident from the naming convention of the local Chiba hero, "Captain☆c." By the way, Chiba Batman isn't considered a local hero. Don't get it wrong!
Upon entering C·one, you'll see rows of shops and eye-catching promotional signs for their spring sales. Located beneath the elevated tram tracks, the building has a long and narrow layout. Currently, they're holding a grand spring clearance sale, making it more bustling than usual.
Among them, the girls are particularly talkative when they're shopping. They chat about makeup and trends the whole way, getting incredibly excited. The boys, of course, can't join the conversation and end up lagging behind several steps, completely left out.
"Komachi, look! Look! Isn't this super cute?!"
"Wow, it really is! The fleece on top is removable, and it's super easy to style!"
"Right! If you take it off, you can wear it in the spring too~"
The two girls were happily chatting, each holding a piece of clothing. Although it's not very important, let me remind you: you're here to buy Yukino's birthday present, not a gift for yourself!
However, the way they chose their clothes made them look incredibly youthful.
Yuhihama put on a fleece-lined hooded jacket and twirled in front of the fitting mirror.
As a man, I didn't really dare to step into the store, so I chose to stand at a distance and watch.
Just then, Komachi walked over. Her expression was different from usual; she appeared exceptionally serene.
"Shopping with Yui-san makes me feel so safe and secure..."
"Compared to Yukinoshita, indeed..."
A few days ago, when Komachi, Yukinoshita, and I went to buy Yuihama's birthday present, we were quite surprised to find that she was seriously lacking in the manner that a high school girl should be these days.
"Yeah, it's about the same as going out with my brother... But Yukino-neechan is cute even like that! Right?"
Komachi stared at my face, eagerly seeking my consent.
"Yeah, I'm not cute at all if it were me."
"Brother, you're so cute..."
I want you to take care of it.
Besides, comparing Yukino to me is quite rude.
Yukinoshita at least knows what suits her and isn't completely indifferent to fashion trends. However, she was racking her brains that day over Yui's birthday present, probably because she didn't know how to help others choose things.
Stubborn and clumsy—that kind of personality is indeed very much like Yukinoshita.
However, how she will express her awkwardness when she receives the gift is also a question.
"I'll also take a look around the neighborhood."
I'll temporarily separate from Yuigahama and Komachi and wander around on my own. Having actual objects as references might give me some ideas.
A birthday present under the snow...
What should I give as a gift...?
Yukinoshita, oh Yukinoshita, your clumsy side is really a headache... Besides her own interests, she likes practical items. Even if she wants to match Yukinoshita's reading interests, she will buy whatever books she wants to read herself; in addition, since she lives alone, she must have a full range of daily necessities and cooking utensils, and she even always has a washboard hanging around her neck.
Sigh... what should I give as a gift...?
I strolled around and passed by a Tesconi store.
How are Johnny the Panda's products? But she knows hundreds of times more about them than I do, so never mind...
If you continue walking down, you'll find a pet supply store.
Cat supplies… but she doesn’t own a cat. If she likes cats so much, why doesn’t she have one? Maybe her building doesn’t allow pets? Or how about a cat photography collection? Forget it, I bet that person already has a huge collection at home.
The jewelry store next door... probably doesn't have any ideal gifts either.
I racked my brains while looking around at the various shops. Finally, finding nothing, I simply returned to where I had been.
When they returned, Yuihama was holding several pieces of clothing and looking around.
"Huh, where's Komachi?"
"Isn't he with you?"
"I thought she went to find you..."
She bent down slightly to observe my reaction.
Ugh, it was that guy again...
I knew perfectly well that calling Komachi wouldn't have helped in this situation. I was already quite grateful that she was willing to come out today, so there was nothing more to say.
But you should at least say something. I need time to prepare myself, you know? Don't try to stand me up again...
"Hmm..." Yuihama thought for a moment, then carefully held up the clothes in her hands, tilted her head, and looked at him, saying:
"These clothes are so hard to decide on. I was thinking of asking Komachi for help... Could you help me?"
"If you don't mind that I can't help."
"Hmm! No, I still hope you can help me."
I'll try my best.
So, Yui walked towards the fitting mirror in the store, and I followed behind her.
"You can just wear the sweater and vest over it, and you can wear it to school too—"
As she spoke, she took off her coat and the knitted sweater underneath.
I felt like I was seeing something I shouldn't have, so I quickly looked away. Isn't there a changing room nearby...? Or are you just not concerned because there are other people getting dressed inside? You may not care, but I will. Please stop right now.
Music was playing in the store, but the rustling of the fabric was unusually loud, and Yuihama's breathing was impossible to ignore.
"Hey...how was it?"
Only after hearing those words did I dare to turn my head back.
She was now wearing a thick, warp-knitted cardigan.
"How is it... Hmm, not bad."
There's nothing particularly good or bad about it. In short, it suits her very well.
If there's any problem, it's that this isn't an outfit Yui-hama is going to wear; it's a gift for Yukino. If Yukino wore it, a certain part would probably be too loose... As for which part, I certainly won't say.
"But don't you need to consider Yukinoshita's size?"
When choosing clothes, the first thing to pay attention to is whether the size is right. Never underestimate the importance of the garment's silhouette—well, I actually learned this from Komachi.
By the way, my outfit today also went through her inspection; she only let me go after making sure it looked presentable. I had originally chosen the clothes myself, but she criticized them terribly, almost saying, "I'm going to stomp on this!" (Note 11: A line often used by fashion critic Katsuaki Sugiura. Katsuaki Sugiura (Peeko) and film critic Takaaki Sugiura (Asugi) are twin brothers.) Wait, isn't that Peeko's line? Or Asugi's? Whatever, it doesn't matter at all.
"size-……"
Yuihama repeated the word she heard once, then pinched her own stomach.
"It seems a bit too big..."
Her face fell. Then, her hand, which had been pinching her stomach, moved to her upper arm, her expression turning even more desperate. Don't worry! It's not big at all! Ah, it is quite big, that's true… Anyway, it's really not big! But it's not small either!
"Ah, no. I mean... don't worry, it's just right..."
Even though I wasn't trying to comfort her, I still stammered an explanation. However, this only made Yui Hama suspicious, giving me a "What are you thinking?" look. Ugh! What am I supposed to say in a situation like this?!
"Anyway, it suits me quite well, I think it's good."
Finally, I managed to squeeze out those words.
"...Hehe, thanks."
Yui finally smiled, took off her cardigan, and quickly folded it. I couldn't just stare at her like that, so, feeling awkward, I turned to Miyoshi. At that moment, another question occurred to me.
"However, Yukinoshita follows the school rules very well, she probably wouldn't wear this kind of clothing to school."
Although school rules have become almost purely for reference, they still exist. And school rules, of course, also dictate how students should dress. For example, sweaters and cardigans can only be the styles specified by the school. In our school, not many students obediently follow the rules, so it's not a big problem, but there are still people like Yukinoshita who truly abide by the rules.
"Oh right, I almost forgot. In that case..."
Yuihama tucked her cardigan under her arm, thought for a while, and then walked toward the shelf where scarves, gloves, and other small items were placed.
She was halfway through her search when she suddenly exclaimed "Ah!"
"So cute! It would be so much fun playing with this and the cookies!"
She took a liking to a pair of cat paw-shaped gloves and a pair of dog-shaped mittens. The cat gloves looked exactly like a pair of cat paws; as for the dog gloves, the arms were shaped like a dog's face with a pair of ears, and the thumbs were shaped like a jaw. Yui-hama put on the gloves and started playing with them.
"It's not easy to carry things..."
"That's what mittens are like."
"Um……"
She seemed to think of something, and suddenly raised her head, opening her clenched hands wide.