The clothing store was larger than I'd expected. Due to its above-average size, it is relatively easy to spot. It's pretty near too. It took us more or less than five minutes of walking to get here.
"Wooow, this place is big!" Iwasaki's eyes was beaming.
"You already have so many clothes, Rini-san, are you planning to buy more?" Amano said bluntly.
"We're just going to look around, maybe I'll find some good ones while we're at it. What about you, Kei-chan? Don't you want to buy something?" Iwasaki replied.
"I already have some at home, it'll just be a waste of my allowance."
"You need to learn to have some fun…" Iwasaki pouted.
"Yeah… yeah…"
"So, when exactly are we going in?" It's kinda hot out here.
Amano just glanced at me while Iwasaki gave me a big smile.
"Oh, sorry about that, kind sir. Well, shall we?" It was a bad impression.
We made our way inside the glass door, led by Iwasaki.
The inside was wide. It has different kinds of themes for clothes like: summer wear, winter wear, beach wear, suits, and all kinds of different styles. I don't really know anything about it, though. We roamed the store at a slow pace.
"Woah…" I mumbled out of amusement.
"Glad you came?"
It was Iwasaki who looked at me sideways with a smile on her face.
"It's not that bad… I guess." I replied.
"Come on now, you should be more honest with your feelings."
"Shut up."
Iwasaki seemed to enjoy teasing me. Is that why you invited me, huh, Iwasaki? Come to think of it… why did Iwasaki invite me anyway?
Amano was busy looking at a dress right in front of us. She seemed to take a liking to a certain white dress.
"Is there any particular reason why you invited me?" I glanced at Iwasaki who is right beside me.
"Seriously? You didn't know?" She looked at me with disappointed eyes.
What do you mean I didn't know? Am I missing something...? I don't remember doing anything wrong.
"Jeez… you really have no idea, huh?" Iwasaki seemed to have read my mind. It was probably because I was making a weird face.
"Please, tell me, what am I missing out on?"
Iwasaki shook her head in disappointment, followed by a 'tsk-tsk' before finally looking at me.
"Kei-chan's birthday is coming in a week. Don't you want to buy her some sort of present?"
Amano's birthday is next week? So, her birthday is on the ninth of July… That means Haru's is on the twentieth. But a present? We aren't even close enough for me to do that kind of thing… right? And wouldn't Amano be weirded out if I actually gave her something? I glanced at Amano who was still busy examining that same dress.
"But--"
"You're friends, are you not?" Iwasaki seemed to misunderstand.
"We're not… actually…" I mumbled.
"But you want to?"
Huh? Can girls read minds now? Since when is that update released…? I was a little surprised by Iwasaki's spot-on claims that I just stood there bewildered.
"Hmm, so I was right."
"Don't you think it's impossible?" I said with a self-deprecating tone as I look to the side.
"Nothing's impossible, you see. Look at me. I made it, right?"
Though, 'nothing's impossible' may be a bit exaggerated, Iwasaki's optimism gave me a little hope.
"Do you have any ideas about what would Amano-san like?" I started.
Iwasaki's eyes brightened, and a smile formed on her lips. "That's the spirit!"
Should I really be asking this girl for things like this...? I sighed…
"Well, it's a given that Amano likes food. Though, she mostly preferred sweets more than the other."
"Like a donut?" I suggested.
"Bingo! That's her favorite. Wait? How did you find out?" Iwasaki looked at me suspiciously.
"Ah, no. It's a total coincidence." I shook my hand in denial. It'll be a pain in the ass to explain how I figured it out.
"It looks like you're talking about something super important here, hm?"
It was Amano who interfered with our conversation.
We can't let her find out that we're talking about giving her a present. She'll probably feel uncomfortable at the idea. I glanced at Iwasaki who pretended to browse the clothes in front of her. You're bad at acting, miss!
"Uhh, it's not that serious. Iwasaki here is just telling me some pointers about fashion…" I reasoned.
"Oh, okay. Then I'll just look for other things over there." She proceeded to walk away.
Pheww, that was close. Good thing I quickly managed to find a good excuse. From the looks of it, I think Iwasaki had already explained how she got to know me. Because Amano didn't look confused about us at all.
"You can quit it, she's already gone," I said to Iwasaki who is still weirdly browsing the clothes.
"You're pretty quick at reasoning, huh, Kenji-kun."
"Eh, I think so."
"Going back to the topic; if you want to give her a present, donuts are a good option. A cake is fine too, but that is a little expensive compared to donuts."
I already gave Amano donuts, though. I think I'll have to find another option. But If it comes down to it, I'll buy a cake. Wait…? That's right! A brilliant idea just came to mind.
"Except for food, do you have any clue about anything she might like?"
"Err, she loves cats!"
"Umm, okay…?" I can't exactly give her a cat, though.
We roamed the store for a while before finally calling it a day. We exchanged farewells and I proceeded to go home. It looks like Iwasaki still wants to roam the other stores so I let the two enjoy their time. It'll be better for them without me anyway.
I hid the gift that I bought inside my bag so Amano didn't notice it when we part. Pretty smart if you ask me. Picking out the present sure is tough, but the real challenge begins with actually giving it to her. I remember almost peeing my pants just returning a bracelet. Oh, boy… this is going to be my biggest obstacle just yet.
~bzzt~
Who could it be this time?
Haru: Amano's birthday is coming next week! Go buy her a present or something.
Kenji: I already have some. You're late.
Haru: Seriously? How did you know?
Kenji: Some stuffs happened and then bam! That's it.
Haru: Okay…?
Kenji: I'll tell you tomorrow, I'm tired, I'll probably go to sleep now.
Haru: Sure thing. nyt.
So Haru's also aware of Amano's birthday… Maybe I should ask him for advice on how to give my present. I doubt that he'll give me a good one, though. Perhaps, I should ask Iwasaki? But she already helped me with picking a present… Ugh, I guess I'll be placing my bets on Haru, then.
I placed the neatly wrapped box on the side of my closet, then, I proceeded to lay on my bed.
"Haah, that is tiring." I sighed as I recalled the entire day.
Never in my life has it come to mind that I'll be spending a day with two criminally beautiful girls... It just seemed impossible back then--no, it was actually impossible. If it wasn't for the emergency cleaning incident, all of this would never have happened, and I wouldn't be friends with Haru right now. Kinda crazy if you think about it… anyway, I should probably stop mulling over these things and rest.
I stared at my ceiling until I felt my eyelids get heavier every second. It probably won't be long until I completely pass out. A smile formed on my lips.