As planned, Kiritsuki, Tomiya—who joined us partway—and I headed to the shopping mall to pick out a birthday present for Kaori.
Even though Kaori’s the type to treat everyone equally without playing favorites, each of us has a different level of closeness and dynamic with her.
“What about hand cream? It’s something a lot of people use, right?”
Tomiya said, holding up a fairly pricey tube of hand cream.
“Eh, that’s a bit beyond me. I’ve never seen her use it, and some people’s skin doesn’t take well to certain kinds, you know…”
Tomiya was focused on practicality, looking for something she wouldn’t buy herself but would be happy to receive.
Meanwhile, Kiritsuki, who’d mostly given up on that approach in the general store, was eyeing clothes and accessories.
“What kind of vibe does Kaori usually go for with her clothes or accessories?”
“From what I know, she basically buys whatever’s on the mannequin. If not, she makes me pick something for her.”
“Mannequin buys… I heard that can be a bit risky. It doesn’t always suit everyone.”
When it comes to fashion, things like facial features and body type play a huge role.
Kiritsuki’s point wasn’t wrong.
But, well…
“Unfortunately, it suits her. Her figure’s better than the mannequins’.”
“Ahh…”
My childhood friend has white hair, fair skin, decent height, and flawless looks.
She’s like a blank canvas. She might not make clothes stand out like a mannequin, but finding something she can’t pull off is the real challenge.
Put her in the exact outfit a brand wants to sell, and she’ll make it look better than average without even trying.
“Kiritsuki-san, do you avoid cute styles because they don’t match your vibe?”
“Yeah, soft and fluffy stuff doesn’t work for me. Frills are nice to look at, though.”
I wonder what would happen if we put Kiritsuki, with her cool looks, in a frilly gothic lolita dress.
Maybe, just maybe, she’d pull it off like an antique bisque doll.
“Anyway, back to Kaori… She’s not the type to fuss over her appearance, so fashion-related gifts are kinda tricky.”
It’s just that her natural charm makes it irrelevant. It’s like biting into a super-sweet cherry tomato.
Like a vegetable so tasty it doesn’t need cooking, Kaori draws eyes and admiration without needing to dress up—that’s Nanami Kaori.
Even animals and babies adore her, but for some reason, her childhood friend seems to keep her at arm’s length.
What happened between them? I haven’t got a clue.
“…Haa.”
“What’s with the sudden sigh?”
“Nothing, just… I knew it already, but your childhood friend’s a handful.”
Thinking of a gift for someone who doesn’t care about material things is surprisingly tough.
“And yet she’s super popular. Being cute really is the ultimate cheat code, huh?”
That offhand comment from the side sparked a random question in my mind.
“Kiritsuki-san, were you popular back in middle school?”
“Not as much as you’re making it sound.”
She’s definitely popular, just overshadowed by Kaori. But I had a feeling talking to her directly wouldn’t get me anywhere, so I turned to Tomiya.
“She stood out quite a bit, I think. Kinda prickly and unapproachable, though.”
“Really? I was pretty plain in middle school. Like, total high school glow-up vibes.”
“Wait, for real?”
“Maybe compared to now.”
“I mean, like I said earlier, my family’s kinda strict. They didn’t let me do anything too flashy back then.”
Got it, that makes sense.
She’s not exactly bubbly now, but there’s probably some kind of standard at home.
“Last New Year’s, we had a middle school reunion or something like that, and it was wild.”
“Well… it was annoying getting swarmed by guys who never gave me the time of day before. But I guess it boosted my confidence a little?”
Even if she’s got questions about it, I wasn’t there, so I’ve got nothing to say.
“Kiritsuki-san, what about these?”
“Huh, earrings? Kaori doesn’t have her ears pierced, does she? I’ve never seen her wear any.”
Come to think of it, I don’t have many memories of these two casually chatting, but seeing them now, they look good together.
I know it’s just Kiritsuki’s default closeness, but if someone told me they were dating, it wouldn’t feel off.
“Does Nanami-san have her ears pierced?”
“Nah, that’d be against school rules.”
I’ve got mine pierced for Kagura dance costumes, though.
Back in the day, I only wore them for performances, and it felt super weird. But since middle school, I’ve been secretly collecting them. Honestly, I just love dressing up—nails especially.
As I was lost in thought, Kiritsuki leaned in close, peering at my face. She reached for the hair near my ear and whispered—
“You’ve got them pierced, don’t you? Pretty subtle, but isn’t that against the rules?”
She’s got a sharp eye. I’d really prefer she pretended not to notice.
While I was thinking that, her hand, which had been touching the hair around my ear, suddenly brushed against my bangs.
Her eyes widened, and she froze with a blank expression.
“What?”
“…No, it’s nothing. Just felt like I recognized something.”
“Recognizing a classmate’s face doesn’t even make sense.”
“I dunno, it’s like I know someone who looks similar… but maybe not. None of my friends have eyes as dead as yours.”
Who’s got dead eyes? And Tomiya, don’t nod and laugh over there.
“Geez… Rude.”
I don’t know anything about Kiritsuki’s acquaintances, so I brushed off her hand, which was still messing with my bangs, and headed to another shelf.
Now that I think about it, there’s not much point in me browsing. The two of them are the ones picking, and I’m just here to give opinions when asked.
Still, maybe I should buy something for myself.
Before I knew it, I was looking at women’s clothing, completely unrelated to anyone’s birthday.
I wonder what kind of clothes Kiritsuki usually wears.
Casual, easy-to-move-in stuff would probably suit her.
Maybe she’d even rock a long dress or something.
Unlike Kaori, who doesn’t care much about fashion, Kiritsuki seems like she’s always got an eye for style.
In that sense, I feel like we could connect a bit.
I was also thinking about maybe getting something for my little sister while browsing other clothes.
“…Hey.”
Suddenly, the two of them, who’d been elsewhere, came back to where I was looking at clothes, each holding a shopping bag.
“Hm? You both decided on gifts?”
“Yeah, pretty much. By the way, Aoi…”
“I couldn’t help but notice from a distance, but Himura-kun, why are you staring at women’s clothes? You gonna wear them?”
I was holding a white lace cardigan, thinking it’d be perfect for the upcoming season.
“No, I’m not wearing it… I was just thinking it’d look good on my sister.”
“…Not for yourself?”
Honestly, I’ve thought about trying something like that before. But, well, there’s no real opportunity.
I’ve never gone out of my way to do it.
“I mean, it might not look bad on you, you know?”
“I’m not wearing it. Anyway, what did you two end up buying?”
When I changed the subject, they both looked away in perfect sync.
“Uh, well, it’s kinda… Why don’t you ask Nanami-san later?”
“Yeah, yeah, it’s a bit weird to know before she does, right?”
I have no idea what’s so weird or why they don’t want to tell me, but if they’re not spilling here, I don’t really care to press.
I checked the time on my phone—it was getting close to dark.
“You two ready to head out? I was thinking of grabbing dinner somewhere before going home.”
“Oh, I’ll come with you then.”
“I’m heading home.”
And so, Tomiya split off.
“Himura-kun, what do you feel like eating?”
“I’m fine with whatever you pick.”
“I can’t think of anything.”
Kiritsuki and I headed to the food court in the mall and ended up at a pasta restaurant.
“Didn’t expect you to pick somewhere this fancy.”
I grabbed the tablet for self-ordering, quickly picked an oolong tea and seafood pasta, and handed it to Kiritsuki.
“You don’t hesitate or get distracted here, huh?”
She said that but didn’t take long herself, swiftly finishing her order and putting the tablet back.
“Hey, Himura-kun.”
“Hm?”
“You mentioned earlier that you and Kaori go to each other’s houses, right?”
“Yeah.”
“So, like… what do you do there?”
“I only go if I’m called and my sister’s not alone, but Kaori just shows up randomly, even if there’s no reason. No idea what she’s there for. Probably just bored.”
Apparently, I’m a short sleeper by nature, needing way less sleep than most people. My average sleep time is less than half the norm, and when I was a baby, I’d stay awake without crying, which worried my parents.
Even now, I can’t sleep more than four hours at most, sometimes less than two. It doesn’t affect my body, but it takes a mental toll.
Kaori knows this and has a key to my place, so she can come and go whenever. Sometimes, when I can’t sleep, she’ll show up in my room in the middle of the night.
And what happens then?
“She falls asleep in my room, so I end up crashing on the living room sofa. It happens enough that I really wish she’d stop…”
Still, I’m always the first one up, so I end up making breakfast or packing lunches for my sister and parents.
“If the guys in our class heard this, they’d probably cry blood.”
If someone wants to take my place, I’d gladly let them, but reality’s not that kind.
“So, doesn’t that mean Kaori’s got a thing for you?”
For a second, I didn’t catch what Kiritsuki meant. She’s suggesting there’s a specific reason Kaori comes to my room at night.
It’s understandable to think that, but I know that’s not the case.
“If she actually had feelings and was acting like that, I’d at least pick a time when her parents weren’t around. I know those opportunities exist.”
“Wow, you sound like a total carnivore for someone with your face.”
“If you’ve known someone for over a decade, you’d at least do that much. She’s so carefree because she doesn’t have any feelings like that. She just takes over my bed like it’s nothing.”
“Is that so…?”
We kept chatting like that while enjoying dinner at the pasta place. Afterward, I walked Kiritsuki home before heading back myself.
☆Afterword──────────────────
I casually checked Kakuyomu and was shocked to see this story hit the single-digit ranks in the daily rom-com leaderboard. Reaching ☆100 this fast is a huge thanks to you all.
The story’s still just getting started, but this really motivates me. If you enjoyed it, I’d love it if you could cheer me on with comments, follows, or reviews—pretty please!
