Chapter 51: Gifts
Nagi and the others headed to the largest shopping mall in Kawanohara City.
All kinds of facilities were available.
Whether for shopping or entertainment, one could easily spend a lot of time here.
Falling behind the group and being with the girls, Nagi noticed that Kanade and Ryo were acting a bit sneakily today.
The frequency of their whispered conversations had noticeably increased.
The two boys were clearly scheming something, which piqued Nagi’s interest.
Moreover, Kanade’s gaze intentionally or unintentionally kept drifting toward himself…
Nagi judged that their conspiracy was related to him.
So, as the considerate and gentle childhood friend, he should take the initiative to create opportunities for them…
“Could it be… Hinata-san?”
Alice’s voice interrupted Nagi’s thoughts.
As the group passed by a shop window.
The program playing on the television inside made Alice stop in her tracks.
The screen displayed a variety show.
Among them, a striking figure of a Nordic-style girl with platinum blonde hair stood out.
“Ah, it really is her~” Ryo, who had turned around upon hearing, affirmed Alice’s question.
“So, this is the Hinata-san that Hoshimi-chan has mentioned before?”
Chika seemed to be amazed by the mixed-race beauty on the screen.
Having long known about this childhood friend from Nagi and Kanade, she couldn’t help but glance at Kanade.
It seemed that the presence of such cute girls around Kanade evoked a hint of a romantic comedy vibe.
“Really, it’s Mana-chan~” Nagi responded with a smile.
Only Kanade appeared a bit worried as he subtly glanced at Nagi’s reaction.
Alice, upon hearing this, looked incredulous: “Is it really her? Not a twin sister or something?”
Alice’s reaction made Ryo chuckle in understanding.
Anyone who knew Mana’s true self would be astonished by her appearance on screen.
[“Oh, I wonder what Mana-chan usually does during holidays~”]
[“Emmm~ Well, during holidays, Mana…”]
…
On the variety show, Mana displayed an innocent smile, answering the host’s questions with a cute voice, which elicited laughter from the audience.
Her platinum blonde hair and adorable demeanor perfectly matched her nickname of “Pure White Fairy.”
“I heard that Hinata-san is an actress… I thought she would have a more aloof style…”
It was understandable for Alice, who usually saw Mana with a cold and serious expression, to have this thought.
However, Mana’s every movement on the screen was as if two different people were being portrayed.
It’s no wonder that she could be mistaken for a twin.
But Alice vaguely felt that this naturally cute demeanor was somewhat familiar, almost like another…
…
…
After strolling through a few shops, Ryo saw the timing was right and took the initiative to suggest:
“By the way, how about we temporarily split up for a bit?”
“Actually, Kanade and I have been looking forward to trying out a fighting game for a long time, and we thought it would be awkward to have everyone around us while we figure out the winner.”
“Actually, we wouldn’t mind watching from the sidelines…”
Alice and Chika exchanged glances and replied.
“No, no, that would be too much pressure. You girls can go check out the shops you’re interested in~”
“Kanade is unexpectedly competitive, so it might just turn into overtime, which would be a bit boring for everyone to watch me dominate him again~”
“Hey!? Ryo, you’re really bold to say that—”
“（Hey, hey, hey, what’s with you taking this seriously?）”
Taking all of this in, Nagi thought it was time for him to step in and give the two boys some time to execute their plan.
So, Nagi smiled brightly and wrapped his arms around Alice and Chika’s.
“Shall we take this opportunity to check out some clothes?”
One of the usual activities for girls going shopping.
But among the girls present:
One was Alice, who was completely uninterested in fashion;
One was the shy and introverted Chika, who didn’t understand how to dress up;
And the last one, Nagi, was someone who internally identified as a male and was very resistant to wearing female clothing.
But Nagi, as the apparent “yang,” had to take the lead and issue commands.
Thus, the boys and girls split up and agreed to regroup after a while.
“Alright, let’s head to the arcade now. I need to show you my skills…”
“No, no, no! Why did you suddenly get serious, Kanade? Isn’t that obviously an excuse?”
After bidding farewell to the girls, Ryo couldn’t help but complain to the eager Kanade beside him.
“R-right! I almost forgot…”
“And we really don’t need to declare a victor, right? I’m completely no match for you in fighting games…”
Ryo sighed helplessly.
He was very aware of the gap between him and Kanade.
No matter how bad Kanade was at other things, he had an astonishing talent in fighting games.
Ryo had known Kanade for so long and had never won a single match against him in fighting games.
It often made Ryo internally grumble: “Where did you even come from, Nobita? The only things you’re particularly good at are shooting and doing tricks with a rubber band.”
“Let’s go. Kanade, are you planning to buy a gift for Nagi today?”
Kanade, upon hearing this, shyly nodded.
The two had privately agreed that today, while they were at the big mall, they would give Nagi a gift.
Kanade, lacking confidence in his taste, hoped to receive Ryo’s advice here.
Although Ryo felt that no matter what Kanade gave Nagi, she would be very happy.
But since the opportunity was rare, he accompanied him to browse around.
The stores in the mall were dazzling for Kanade.
Especially when the two boys entered a shop that catered to girls, Kanade’s heart raced.
The good news was that Ryo, as the outgoing “yang,” helped him deal with the enthusiastic shop assistants.
The bad news was that the shop assistants always assumed Ryo was a girl and thought the two were a couple.
This left Kanade feeling inexplicably exhausted every time he had to explain.
“This is…”
Finally, Kanade and Ryo found a simpler, less flashy little shop.
The only male owner inside quietly sat at the counter, seemingly sensing that these two customers didn’t want to be disturbed.
After finally relaxing, Kanade’s attention was drawn to a piece of jewelry on the shelf.
“This… unexpectedly fits well~” Ryo also followed Kanade’s gaze.
“And let me tell you, as someone who’s been abroad, this item has a special pun in its pronunciation overseas, you know?”
“Ha? What do you mean?”
“Well, let me keep it a secret for now. If it’s for Nagi, she would definitely be happy with the meaning of this pun~”
At the same time.
The girls’ group.
Ever since the three entered a shop aimed at women, Alice appeared extremely nervous, as if facing a formidable opponent.
This made Nagi and Chika very curious.
“This place is a battlefield for me…”
“B-battlefield?”
Nagi and Chika both looked puzzled at this response.
Just then, the sound of high heels clicking against the floor grew louder as it approached.
“Welcome~ What kind of clothing are you looking for, customers… Wow~ Ah, sorry about that~”
The shop assistant approached with a business smile.
Then she was taken aback by Nagi’s stunningly beautiful face.
Her gaze then fell on Alice, who had blonde hair and blue eyes.
“Oh my, such a cute little sister… But we don’t have children’s clothes here?”
The shop assistant, seemingly concerned that Alice might not understand, repeated herself in English.
Repeat it again…
Alice’s face darkened, and she knelt down—
—Clearly, she was the oldest one here…
