Kasumigaoka dragged Hoshimi onto the escalator leading to the third floor, saying, "Come with me, your outfit is too plain. It doesn't bring out your handsomeness."
"Utaha, a man's charm doesn't need complicated clothes. Simplicity is the essence of confidence," Hoshimi instinctively resisted the idea of having a woman choose his clothes in a mall.
The whole process was just too torturous...
"Hoshimi, stop being stubborn. Didn't you say you'd follow my lead?"
"Huh? When did I say that? I just don't know where to go…"
Suddenly, something caught Hoshimi's eye at the edge of his vision—a clothing store he'd been looking for. With a subtle shift in his gaze, he changed the subject, saying, "Utaha, buying me clothes is fine, but let's set a time limit. I don't want to be treated like a mannequin."
"Fine." Kasumigaoka agreed quickly, though she didn't know why Hoshimi suddenly changed his mind.
She squeezed Hoshimi's hand and asked, "How about an hour, Hoshimi?"
Hoshimi shook his head. "No way, that's too long. I can buy ten outfits in ten minutes when I shop."
"..." Kasumigaoka rolled her eyes and replied, "That's not shopping; that's stocking up."
"One hour is too long," Hoshimi insisted. "Let's keep it to 30 minutes."
"Thirty minutes isn't enough. I won't have time to choose properly. Let's stick to an hour." Kasumigaoka squeezed Hoshimi's hand a bit harder to express her dissatisfaction.
She was paying for his clothes, and he was complaining about how long it would take! Anyone else wouldn't even get a second glance from her.
"Utaha, an hour is too long. It'll cut into our afternoon plans. How about...forty minutes?"
"Hmm~" Kasumigaoka hesitated, contemplating whether to reduce the time.
After a moment, just as she decided to agree to forty minutes, Hoshimi added, "Utaha, an hour is okay too. If we stay out later, I'll just get back a bit later. But if I agree to an hour, you have to do something for me."
"What is it?" Kasumigaoka sensed where this might be going.
Hoshimi grinned and pointed to a women's swimwear store on the second floor. "Utaha, summer is here. Let me buy you a swimsuit later."
"..." Kasumigaoka narrowed her eyes, staring into Hoshimi's crimson gaze.
Was he playing that game again? A seemingly fair exchange, but with a hidden agenda.
With the previous "changing room" agreement, she already had a pretty good idea of what Hoshimi was planning.
But if he had his schemes, so did she. Hoshimi, you won't win so easily this time!
Kasumigaoka smiled slightly. "Alright, it's a deal. Let's go pick out some clothes for you first, then we can check out the swimwear, and decide what to do next."
"Sure, sounds good." Hoshimi nodded in satisfaction.
He knew Kasumigaoka's quick agreement likely meant she was up to something, but what did it matter?
As a guy, he couldn't lose in this situation, just a matter of how much he gained.
Worst case, he'd get a feast for the eyes—no loss there!
As for the best case scenario? He didn't dare imagine it—some things could bring on a world-ending calamity!
"Let's go, Hoshimi. Let's find some good clothes for you," Kasumigaoka said, flipping her hair back with a confident flair.
"Alright, let's go."
...
Meanwhile, in Chiba.
Mrs. Arisugawa sat gracefully on the living room sofa in Hoshimi's house, a gentle smile on her face.
The old butler stood nearby, calm and composed.
"Mukami, where do you think Kiyokawa went? Why hasn't he come back yet?" Mrs. Arisugawa asked softly.
The elderly butler bowed slightly, "Madam, I'm too dull to guess where Young Master Kiyokawa's thoughts might be."
"Hmm." Mrs. Arisugawa nodded slightly, saying no more.
She maintained her elegant posture, continuing to wait for Hoshimi's return.
She had arrived at Hoshimi's house forty minutes ago and, after searching the place without finding him, she had decided to wait in the living room.
Hoshimi, who was supposed to be "sick," had gone out to play instead—what a disobedient child.
"Madam, should I notify Young Master Kiyokawa to come home?" the old butler asked.
"No need. I'll wait here. I've cleared my schedule for today, so I have plenty of time," Mrs. Arisugawa replied, her smile unchanging.
"Yes, Madam." The old butler straightened up, continuing to stand quietly by her side.
Inwardly, he was muttering to himself, 'Young Master Kiyokawa, please, come home soon! Stop fooling around, or you'll be in serious trouble!'
...
At Sobu High, Class 2-J.
Yukino, who rarely lost focus in class, found herself daydreaming today.
As she listened to the lecture on material she had long since mastered, her mind drifted again.
'I wonder if Hoshimi's cold has gotten better? Should I call him after this class to remind him to eat lunch?'
'Or maybe not... What if he's still sleeping? I shouldn't wake him.'
'I'll just go see him after school to check on him.'
...
At Sobu High, Class 1-B, Kotoko Iwanaga quietly took out her phone and sent Hoshimi an email under the desk.
"Hoshimi, how are you feeling? Should I come see you this afternoon?"
After sending the email, Kotoko waited for a bit. When there was no reply, she put her phone away.
'He's probably still sleeping. He'll reply when he wakes up.'
...
Meanwhile, in a men's clothing store in a Shinjuku shopping mall.
Hoshimi was begrudgingly trying on another set of clothes that Kasumigaoka had picked out.
His original outfit hung on a hook in the changing room.
"Buzz, buzz~"
The phone in his pocket vibrated twice, but Hoshimi, busy changing clothes, didn't notice.
The phone screen briefly lit up before going dark again, the green notification light blinking steadily.
...
At 12:40, the long hour in the clothing store finally came to an end.
During that time, Hoshimi tried on no less than thirty outfits, and in the end, Kasumigaoka only bought two of the first ones he had tried on as gifts for him.
One of the outfits was the blue polo shirt and white pants Hoshimi was currently wearing, while the second and his original outfit were being carried in his hand.
"Utaha, it's time to look at swimsuits," Hoshimi said with a sly smile.
"Let's go," Kasumigaoka replied, flipping her hair with a confident flair as she headed toward the escalator.
===
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