….
[-Continuation-]
[-Few Days Later-]
.
[-Hachiman's POV-]
I glanced up at the crisp winter sky, the hum of the monorail passing overhead catching my attention.
Beside me, Komachi followed its movement with her eyes before exhaling a puff of frosty breath, her shoulders sagging slightly.
"You didn't have to come, you know." I said, breaking the silence.
She turned to me with a dramatic snort. "No way! I can't let my big brother pick out a gift for my soon-to-be sister-in-law and completely ruin her birthday."
"I already showed you what I was planning to buy. You even approved it. Honestly, I could've just had it delivered straight to the house." I countered, my tone deadpan.
Komachi waved off my logic with a casual shrug. "Well, I wanted to buy something too, so it works out."
Ah, so that's the real reason.
Komachi tilted her head slightly, her expression softening. "Besides, this might be the last time I get to go out with my big brother, you know?"
I raised an eyebrow. "It's just some exams. Why are you making it sound like I am about to die or something?"
Her words weren't entirely lost on me, though.
With her entrance exams looming, she would be drowning in study materials for the next month.
I get it.
This was her way of squeezing in some sibling time before things got hectic.
In fact, now I have another one extra to take off.
Well, that's for later.
For now, what mattered right now was today's quest.
Yukino's birthday is coming up soon.
So Yuigahama sent a message regarding the present shopping.
That's how Komachi and I ended up here, standing in front of Chiba Station Vision, our designated meeting spot.
It didn't take long before Yuigahama emerged from the ticket gate.
Spotting us, she waved her arms. "Yahallo!"
"Yeah."
"Yui, yahallo to you!"
"Sorry I am late!"
"So, where are we going?" Komachi asked, wasting no time.
Yuigahama tilted her head, tapping her chin thoughtfully.
"I figured we could just wander around and see what catches our eye!" She gestured vaguely, already scanning the area.
"Let's see, where should we start?" Komachi chimed in, immediately falling into step beside her.
I followed a few steps behind, letting them lead the charge.
Chiba was a shopping paradise - a place filled with endless options and possibilities.
And yet, for me, it was a 'double-edged' sword.
The last time I had come here with Yukino lingered in my mind, a vivid reminder of how quickly things could go wrong.
It was as if the universe had gone out of its way to throw one calamity after another at me, ensuring I wouldn't dare forget the experience.
This time, however, was different.
I was prepared.
I knew exactly what I was stepping into - walking into a tiger's den with full awareness of the danger.
And perhaps most importantly, I knew exactly whom I would run into today.
That's why, despite my usual indifference, I had put in some extra effort to dress a bit more presentably.
After a few minutes of walking, Yuigahama suddenly pointed at a store up ahead. "Oh! Let's try this one first!"
The mall was a scene of utter chaos.
The girls who were in the middle of their boisterous shopping were hitting it off about stylish fashion.
For the guys who had no place in that, they stood three steps, not one, away from them, feeling left on the backburner.
"Komachi! Hey, look! Isn't this super cute?"
"Ah, you're right! You can take off the fur and match it with something else!"
"I know! You could probably wear it in spring, too!"
I sighed inwardly.
How long was this going to take?
All I wanted was to relax at home - or maybe better yet, at Yukino's place.
A present for Yukino, huh…?
In the canon, 'I' had gotten her those computer glasses, didn't I?
I could always go with that if nothing else piqued my interest…
But despite my usual nonchalance, I had actually put a fair amount of thought into this.
After all, it was her first birthday since we started dating.
I really didn't want to screw this up.
So, what to do?
I was stuck, really.
Had to get back to basics to figure this out.
First off, Yukino was someone who appreciated practical things.
She didn't care for frivolous stuff.
As for hobbies, well, I could rule out reading-related material.
My last visit to her place made it clear she had a collection of books already.
Cookware, then?
Don't even go there.
Yukino is living alone, and as the guy who might have the most to her kitchen, I say don't bother - she probably had sufficient living necessities.
Then there was Panda stuff…
But I crossed it off immediately.
Despite researching a bit about them, for the [Candy Crush] game, it is something she is more knowledgeable about than I am.
So that was a dead end.
Cats, though…
Yeah, she definitely loved them, even if she would never admit it.
The only problem was she didn't have one of her own... and, well, I couldn't exactly buy her a cat.
Not yet, at least… maybe later… when we moved in together.
That seemed like a better time.
"Okay, I will go with this." Yuigahama said, snapping me out of my thoughts.
As I stood there, still caught up in my internal dilemma, Yuigahama and Komachi gathered the items in their hands and headed to the register.
It seemed Yuigahama had settled on indoor socks….
I watched them at the counter, the ticking clock in the back of my mind reminding me that I still hadn't decided on my own gift.
….
.
Now, it was time to buy the present I had come here for.
For context, I had asked Yuigahama and Komachi to take a break at a nearby café while I handled the shopping.
They didn't mind in the slightest.
In fact, they seemed almost relieved to have some time to relax after the long deliberation over Yukino's gift.
And thus, here I am, at the Sogo store.
That meant I had to make my way to the ladies' floor.
Specifically, I stopped at the accessories section.
I went from one shelf to another shelf without paying any attention to the stares of the employees.
Then, my eyes landed on a display.
The sign read, Eyewear.
Aside from the ones meant for improving your eyesight, they also had glasses of many different sorts, and of course they had others with various functionality, too.
And there it was.
I found exactly what I was looking for.
I grabbed it, packed it up, and made my way out to the contour.
Now, onto the second gift.
After giving it some more thought, I realized the first one felt a little too simple.
It just didn't feel like enough.
….you know what?
Actually, I had considered something more elaborate, like a couple of rings or something else along those lines, but I immediately felt like it was a big 'red-flag'.
No way.
I have seen enough dramas to know where that leads.
One moment, you are giving a gift, and the next, the other person's throwing the ring, or a chair, back in your face.
Nope. Not today.
Currently, I found myself in the dolls section of the store.
The shelves stretched on, each one lined with various stuffed animals, and I walked along them, moving from one to the next.
As I progressed down the row, the dolls seemed to grow in size.
I was so focused on my search that I didn't even notice the employees or other customers watching me as I moved forward, clearly lost in thought.
No, not this one. I need something bigger.
Finally, at the end of the row, I spotted it.
A giant cat doll, overflowing with fluffy fur.
It was enormous.
Perfect.
This was exactly what I needed.
Also, there was only one doll on display.
"Hello." I said, pointing at it. "I will take that one."
I looked over at the employee, who seemed to be expecting me.
But just as I thought I had it all wrapped up, a voice cut through the air.
"Can I get this one packed? Thank you." Another voice came in low but firm.
When I turned, I saw an older man standing beside me, pointing at the same cat doll.
"..." - "..."
The employees exchanged a nervous glance between me and the old man.
Yeah, he definitely looked like an old man.
We locked eyes for a few seconds, both standing there silently.
The employees, caught in the middle, stammered. "...there is another one in our storage."
"No need. I will pick something else." The old man said, already starting to move away.
He left the confused employees and me, standing there, momentarily unsure of what just happened.
What was his deal, anyway?
I couldn't stop myself, muttering almost instinctively as I watched him walk away.
Unable to hold back my curiosity, or maybe just my annoyance, I called out after him. "Hey, thanks, old man… What's your name?"
He didn't even turn around.
He just gave a quick nod over his shoulder.
What the hell?
Is he trying to act cool or something?
.
….
[To be continued…]
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