After the ramen dinner at the store, Riku had managed to calm his nerves. He was sitting on his bed, his phone beside him, trying to gather the courage to go to sleep. As soon as his eyes began to close, his phone buzzed on the nightstand, and he sat up quickly.
The screen lit up with a message from an unknown number: "Hey, Mr. Tomato~"
Riku blinked at the screen. He hadn't saved this number. He opened the message, feeling his heart skip a beat, he had a feeling of who it was.
A follow-up message came in right after: "It's Yumi~ Don't tell me you didn't save my number?"
He quickly typed back: "Uh... I didn't realize you had my number."
Another message came in, followed by an emoji: "Well, now you do. Isn't that exciting? Don't be shy~"
Riku's reply came back quickly: "I'm not shy," he typed, though his fingers were shaking as he hit send.
Yumi's reply came in immediately: "Sure, sure. Anyway!, we agreed at the convenience store that your going shopping for clothes with me tomorrow. I need a fashion consultant."
Riku read the message, his eyes widening. Shopping? For clothes?
She continued, "I'll pick you up, so be ready at 10 a.m. sharp! Don't keep me waiting~"
He stared at the screen, his mind spinning. "Uh, why me?" he typed hesitantly. "I don't know anything about fashion...and when did i agree to go?"
She teased back, "Don't worry, I'm sure your amazing style will shine through, Mr. Tomato~"
She continued. "And don't you wanna repay me for saving you today" with a sad pouting emoji
Riku felt his face flush, unable to stop the nervous laugh that bubbled up."I'll be ready, I guess..." he typed, his fingers still trembling.
Her last message came quickly: "Good~ I'll see you tomorrow then. Get some rest, Mr. Tomato." She ended the conversation.
Riku set his phone down, rubbing his face. Pick me up? Fashion consultant? He wasn't sure if he should be excited or terrified. Probably a little bit of both.
---
The next morning, Riku was up way earlier than usual. School was closed for today even. He was nervous about spending time alone with Yumi. What was he supposed to do? He wasn't exactly an expert when it came to shopping, and the idea of being her "fashion consultant" seemed a bit ridiculous.
At exactly 10 a.m., his phone buzzed, and he saw a text from Yumi: "I'm outside~"
He quickly grabbed his jacket, adjusting his hair a bit, and stepped outside.
There she was, standing by the curb with her usual smile, but there was something different today. Instead of her school uniform, Yumi was wearing a light pink cardigan over a simple white blouse. She had a denim skirt on, and her shoes were a pair of stylish white sneakers. She looked... casual but somehow effortlessly fashionable.
Riku blinked, his mouth suddenly dry. He had seen Yumi in her uniform a million times, but this? This was different.
"Well, well, look who finally decided to show up!" she teased, crossing her arms and eyeing him with an amused look. "Not bad, Riku. You look like you put some work into your outfit."
Riku's face flushed at the comment. He had no idea what to say. "I, uh... I didn't know we were dressing up," he muttered, glancing at her again.
"How do I look?" She asked, while laughing
After a short akward silence. "Good." He said, with his ears red.
Yumi smirked. "Good, huh?" She tossed her hair back. "I'll take that as a compliment, but you still owe me a better reaction than that."
Riku looked away awkwardly, suddenly feeling like he was in way over his head. "Let's just go."
They made their way to the shopping mall, Yumi chatting away like it was the most normal thing in the world. Riku tried his best to keep up with the conversation, but all he could think about was how different Yumi looked out of her school uniform. And of course, her teasing. She had a knack for making him uncomfortable in the most playful way possible.
As they entered the mall, Yumi immediately led the way to the clothing section. She was in her element, moving from rack to rack, holding up clothes for Riku to look at.
She picked up a dress, a deep red color, and held it up with a grin. "Riku, look at this one. The color is the same as your face right now!" she teased, her laugh ringing through the store.
Riku blinked, feeling the heat rush to his cheeks. "I... I'm not that red!" he sputtered, even though his face was probably as red as the dress she was holding.
Yumi just laughed louder. "Sure, sure, you're not," she said with an exaggerated wink. "You're so cute when you're all embarrassed."
Riku couldn't think of anything to say to that. He just stood there, wishing for the ground to swallow him whole. "I... I don't know if that dress is my style," he muttered.
She raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "You don't have to worry about style, Mr. Tomato. Just say yes and save me from all this picking."
Riku laughed nervously, trying to distract himself. "Maybe I should just start carrying all of this stuff for you instead of giving advice"
Yumi shook her head. "No way. I'll just make you give me your best fashion advice. You know, the one you're so good at giving."
Riku sighed dramatically. "I feel like I'm in way over my head."
"Don't worry, you're doing fine," she said, her voice teasing but a little softer this time. "Now, how about we move on to something a bit more... exciting?"
They spent the next couple of hours shopping, Yumi relentlessly teasing him every step of the way. Then, after scanning the racks for a bit, Yumi stopped in front of a small display and picked out a few pieces of clothing.
"Okay, Mr. Fashion Consultant," she grinned, holding up a pair of pants in front of him. "What do you think of these? You need something like this. They'll look great on you. Trust me."
Riku blinked, his thoughts racing. "Um... you sure about that?" he asked, still unsure.
"Oh, I'm very sure," she said, giving him a playful smirk. "But I think I know your size better than you do. You'll be amazed at how good these fit you." She picked out a matching jacket next, a clean-cut, modern look. "This one too," she added confidently.
Before Riku could protest any further, Yumi took it upon herself to march straight to the cashier. "I'm buying these for you, so don't even think about paying," she said, her tone firm but playful.
Riku's mouth went dry, and he stammered, "I—I can't let you just buy me stuff..."
She shot him a teasing look. "It's not like I'm giving you a gift. Consider it a... thank you for being such a good shopping buddy."
Riku wanted to protest more, but she wasn't having it. She paid for everything with a grin, practically dragging him out of the store before he could stop her.
As they stood outside, Yumi grinned mischievously. "Just wait until you try these on. I'll expect a full fashion show from you."
Riku gave her an exasperated look. "I don't think I can pull off your 'fashion consultant' job."
Yumi leaned closer, lowering her voice. "You'd be surprised. Besides, you've got me as your personal stylist now. Think of it as... a perk of our very unique friendship."