Chapter 127: Shopping

Because Ayashiro feeling pitiable as ever, so I decided to call Suo.

"Suo? Where are you now?"

"I'm in Kichijoji. Do you need something?"

"Got it. I'll come over there now."

"Huh? Now? But I'm with Ri..."

Now that I knew where she was, so I hung up.

"Ayashiro! Suo is in Kichijoji! Let's go meet her!"

"Tokiwa! Thank you!"

Ayashiro hugged me tightly. She seemed really happy. I hope we can smooth out our somewhat awkward relationship.








We arrived in Kichijoji with just one train ride. Suo was waiting in front of the arcade shopping street, wearing a denim mini skirt and a tank top, looking quite sexy.

"Oh, it's Tokiwa! Hello!"

And, for some reason, Igarashi was there too. Why? Oh, she was talking about "Ri" on the phone, but it turn out "Ri" for "Ririse."

"Why are you standing next to her?!"

Ayashiro confronted Igarashi with a very frustrated look.

"Huh? What's wrong, Ayashiro? Today, Suo is accompanying me for shopping."

"Even me never done such a thing with her!"

Ayashiro began sobbing uncontrollably, which was quite embarrassing, to be honest.

"Tokiwa! Edileza is being NTR-ing me with Igarashi!"

On top of her filthy tearful voice, she's sulking and giggling like a unicorn. Looks like Ayashiro is beyond help.

"Kanata ... why is Himena here?"

Suo looked at Ayashiro with an almost disgusted expression.

"Because Ayashiro seemed so lonely and wanted to see you, so I thought it would be better if I let her to see you."

"I see..."

There's something different about Suo's reaction. Maybe there's something more to it. Let's just see how things develop.

"Anyway, how about the four of us go shopping together? Ayashiro, Suo, is that okay?"

Ayashiro nodded, looking somewhat happy. On the other hand, Suo seemed a bit dejected.

"Well, can I start with my shopping? I'm going for job interviews soon, so I need to buy a suit. I'd like to hear everyone's opinions. It sounds fun! Fufufu."

Igarashi took my left hand naturally. Then, Suo took my right hand. Ayashiro clung to Suo's right hand.

"Wait a minute! What's with this huddle? You're bothering everyone around!"

Igarashi, me, Suo, and Ayashiro stood side by side. From an outsider's perspective, it looked like we were taking up too much space, and in various ways, it appeared intimidating. It's kind of annoying, but I think it's really bothersome to others when a group like us walks together, almost like a gang.

"But I'm always like this, aren't I?"

You're certainly always like that.

"At times like these, a man should escort a lady."

Well, I can't say that's an invalid point. Having beautiful women on both sides is quite stylish.

"And Edileza only has her right hand available."

Yes! I've found a new weird one here!

"Ayashiro. Spreading out too far to the side is a nuisance to the others."

We unclasped our hands.

"Heh? I'm not allowed to cross arms with Edileza?!"

"I didn't say that. I'm saying that you shouldn't spread them too wide. Come on. Me and Igarashi will cross our arms and Sou and Ayashiro will cross theirs."

That was the moment I was about to say that. Suo grabbed my left hand firmly with both hands. And with great strength.

"Ow! Ouch! That's strong! Too strong! It's gonna break!"

"I'll never let go of your hand!"

You sound like a hot-blooded protagonist, but you just don't want to join forces with Ayashiro, do you?

"Tokiwa! Why are you taking both of Edileza's hands? Release one!"

Ayashiro was being awfully loud. We couldn't even start shopping.

"Oh dear. Do you want to join with me, Ayashiro? It's good sometimes, right?"

Saying that, Igarashi took Ayashiro's right hand and partnered with it.

" ... All right. Once in a while, it can't be helped ... if it prevents Edileza from being NTR-ed by someone else."

The last thing she mumbled was terrifying. But finally, we could go shopping. Right from the beginning, there were some trouble, and Ayashiro turned into quite an annoying woman ... her usual good-girl demeanor has disappeared.








Kichijoji has plenty of shopping spots. We entered a department store to find a suit for Igarashi.

"But, isn't it a year early for job hunting? What are you doing?"

"I'm going to a seminar for aspiring TV announcers organized by a television station. There's a rumor that attending from the first year gives you extra points in the actual interview."

"Oh, I see. Job hunting is quite complex, isn't it?"

Igarashi's obsession with becoming a female announcer is beyond my comprehension. Given the knowledge of the future, isn't it all a waste of time?

"Yeah, it's complicated. Hey, should I go for a skirt or pants for the suit?"

Igarashi showed us both skirt and pants options.

"Well, for a female announcer, I think a skirt would be better."

"Yes, you're right. Just as Edileza said. But, you know, if you're as career-driven as Edileza, wouldn't it be better to go for pants here? I think it would look cool."

"Wait a minute, Ayashiro."

Ayashiro looked puzzled.

"What's the matter? Did I say something strange?"

"You didn't say anything strange, but the conversation took a really weird turn. It's going way off-topic!"

"I think Edileza looks good in a pants suit, right? It's not off topic!"

"I wonder if it would look good on Suo? This isn't Suo shopping, you know!"

Ayashiro, who usually reads the air properly, has become an idiot. Her head is full of Suo.

"Ahaha. Ayashiro, you're so fond of Suo, aren't you?"

I'm sure that Igarashi and Ayashiro's interests is unsettling.

"By the way, Tokiwa, which do you think is better?"

"Skirt. But the skirt designs for job interviews are not to my liking. I prefer a tight skirt that tapers towards the toes. It looks amazing. The curve from the waist to the hips is incredibly beautiful. It's like a three-dimensional effect. Combine that with slightly darker pantyhose, it's already satisfying for me."

"Tokiwa is a pervert! Hmm, a suit that makes men think that way is not appropriate for job hunting. I think I'll just wear a pants suit here."

Igarashi decided to go with the pantsuit despite my preference for a tight skirt. I would have loved to see it. The view through a tight skirt is so appealing.

"Edileza, you must not dress like that! Men are all beasts! They get corrupted just by looking! You should avoid that!"

It's too late. Suo seems to have her own ideas, especially when it comes to outfits.

"Suo, I don't care how you look at me.... I just want you to wear what you wants..."

Ayashiro seems to have turned into a possessive boyfriend who forbids his girlfriend from wearing a miniskirt. I, on the other hand, prefer her to wear sexy outfits, so we don't really match.

"Fufu. You understand now, right? This is Ayashiro, the Menhera Unicorn Princess Himena ... ahahaha."

I can understand why Suo was avoiding Ayashiro. I really felt like I had to do something about this kind of obsession.
















***Author's musings***

In fact, Ririse always holds Kanata's left hand. This is one of my obsessions in the story.




Short story : English Skills

Kanata "I can speak English."

Ririse "Me too!"

Yuzuriha "How can I speak English if I can't even speak Japanese properly? (´・ω・｀)" (Note: She excels in reading, writing, and listening, which would suffice for research in overseas institutions.)

Tomoe "I can speak English. It's essential for research, especially for presenting at international conferences." (Note: She has several first-author English papers.)

Mumumi "I'm okay with reading, writing, and listening, but I can only speak broken English and struggle with informal expressions." (Note: She has a decent level of English skills for an otaku or a research lab's princess.)

Kirin "English...? I wasn't good at it when I was a student. Why do they say 'I were'? Why?"

Himena "English? I hate it. It's one of the languages I despise. Why do people in Japan have this bias that foreigners = English? Even if I can't speak it, it shouldn't be a big deal, right? Besides, both of my parents aren't native English speakers." (Note: She can actually speak English, but she's better at Spanish. She has a trauma related to English and considers it a minefield. Let's mute English in front of Ayashiro!)

Milan "I'm really good at English!! British English! Cockney English! King's English! American English! Southern accent! Australian English! New Zealand English! Shakespearean English! Old English! I can do it all! Kanata, I love thee!!" (Note: She's referencing the use of 'thee' as the second person singular objective form. She's unsure if it should be 'thou.' If someone could clarify, she'd appreciate it.)

Suo "I'm not that great at English. I can communicate, but my Portuguese accent tends to come out, so I don't really like speaking it."

That's how it is.