“This autumn coat is quite stylish.”
Arisa said that, then glanced at the price tag…
…and her expression clouded over.
“Over budget?”
“…Just a little.”
Yuzuru flicked his eyes towards the tag.
According to Arisa, the coat cost more than the clothing allowance she’d received from her adoptive father.
I see. Yeah, it is a bit pricey.
An allowance just slightly below the price of this coat… was that really an appropriate amount for a high school girl’s clothing budget? Yuzuru wasn’t entirely sure.
Men and women probably needed different amounts, after all.
That said…
Considering the benefits the Amagi family would gain from Arisa marrying Yuzuru, calling them stingy wouldn’t be entirely unfair.
Though, looking at it in hindsight, Arisa wouldn’t actually be marrying him, so perhaps it was reasonable.
“How much are you short?”
When he asked, Arisa gave a slightly disappointed look and told him the amount.
After a brief moment of thought, Yuzuru asked—
“Do you like it?”
“…Well, enough.”
But there was hesitation in her expression.
If she didn’t care that much, she’d have given up immediately.
The fact she was wavering meant she liked it quite a bit.
“Want me to cover the difference?”
“Eh? B-But…”
“You like it, don’t you? It seems worth the price. And it might be gone next time you come back. As long as you pay me back properly, I don’t mind.”
They weren’t a real couple, so he couldn’t exactly say I’ll buy it for you…
…but lending her a bit of money was nothing.
He trusted that Arisa would pay him back.
Luckily, he had savings from his part-time job, so he could afford it.
“…I-If you say so, Yuzuru-san… then I’ll try it on first before deciding. Tell me what you think.”
“Sure.”
At his reply, Arisa hesitantly picked up the coat.
After asking a shop assistant for permission, she slipped it on right there.
“…How is it?”
“It suits you. I think it makes you look more mature.”
The coat she’d chosen was a caramel-coloured trench coat.
The design and colour leaned a little mature, but Arisa already had a figure far more developed than most high school girls.
She wore it effortlessly.
“…Then I’m going to buy it, alright? I am buying it, you know!?”
Even as she double-checked, Arisa looked visibly excited as she placed the coat into the basket.
The two of them headed for the checkout.
“Oh—right. Mind if I take the credit card points?”
Until recently, high school students couldn’t get cards, but with the lowered marriage age, that had changed.
Holding his card, Yuzuru asked, and Arisa gave a small nod.
He paid and received a paper bag from the clerk.
Arisa clasped it tightly with both hands.
“That was a good purchase. Thank you very much. I’ll pay you back later.”
“Yeah… no rush. Just pay me back when you can.”
At that, Arisa narrowed her eyes slightly and nodded.
She was in an unusually good mood.
Her eyes, usually as still as a winter lake, seemed to hold a warm light.
If she’d had an ahoge, it would probably be bouncing up and down right now. Ahoge — a single strand of hair that sticks up, often used in anime to show emotion.
She looked so adorable that Yuzuru found himself reaching out and patting her head.
Arisa looked startled at first, but soon relaxed, narrowing her eyes and letting him continue.
(This is like petting a dog,) Yuzuru thought.
And then—
There was a strange noise.
Yuzuru looked up towards it…
…and saw someone sprinting away at incredible speed.
Their back disappeared in an instant.
“Is something wrong, Yuzuru-san?”
Before he realised it, he’d frozen with his hand still resting on Arisa’s head.
She looked up at him, puzzled.
“No… someone just ran past.”
“That sounds dangerous.”
“Maybe they were in a hurry.”
In the end, it was just someone running by—nothing to do with them.
Which meant…
he couldn’t exactly resume the head-patting.
“So, what next?”
He’d gotten carried away because her hair felt nice, but…
it wasn’t something to do in public, he reminded himself.
Trying to cover it up, he asked the question instead.
Arisa, meanwhile, looked slightly embarrassed, her cheeks tinged red.
“Let’s see… since neither of us has anything in particular to buy, how about we just wander around and do some window shopping?”
“Yeah, strolling around without a plan sounds fun.”
The shopping mall was fairly large, and there were still areas they hadn’t explored.
So, with that in mind, Yuzuru and Arisa set off again.
Just browsing the shops…
was surprisingly enjoyable.
But after all that wandering, it had become evening.
So they decided to have dinner as well.
They headed into a nearby family restaurant.
“I don’t really come to places like this… What about you, Yuzuru-san?”
“Hmm… I go sometimes with Soichiro and the others. And occasionally with my family.”
At that, Arisa blinked in mild surprise.
Apparently, the family part was what caught her off guard.
“I can’t really picture the Takasegawa family coming somewhere like this.”
“Well, I’m aware we’re a rather odd family that wears traditional clothes year-round. But when we go out, we dress normally—and we do drop into casual places like this.”
Yuzuru’s mother, Ayu, only cooked dinner on weekdays and weekends.
But whenever she felt it was too much trouble, they’d naturally eat out instead.
Those decisions were usually sudden, so chain restaurants that didn’t require reservations were convenient.
As for his younger sister, Ayumi, she’d even say things like, “The family restaurant hamburg steak is better than Mum’s…”
Though, to be fair, that made sense.
If homemade hamburg steak beat the professional kind, the business wouldn’t survive.
“I think I’ll go for the demi-glace hamburg steak.”
He’d already been thinking about hamburg steak, and he hadn’t had a Western-style one in a while.
His order was quick to decide.
Meanwhile, Arisa seemed to be struggling.
“There are so many options… I can’t decide.”
“Take your time.”
After much deliberation, she ordered doria.
Before long, their food arrived, accompanied by a delicious aroma.
Yuzuru cut into his hamburg steak and took a bite.
It was a familiar taste—one he’d had many times before.
That was the reassuring thing about chain restaurants—no matter which location you went to, you’d get something reasonably good.
Of course, exploring independent places had its own charm too.
After eating about half his meal, he glanced at Arisa’s doria.
She seemed to have finished about a quarter.
Their eyes met.
Arisa took out a clean spoon.
She scooped a portion she hadn’t touched and gently blew on it.
Could it be…?
Just as Yuzuru realised, she held the spoon out to him.
“You want to try it, right? Go on.”
“…Then I’ll take you up on that.”
He leaned forward slightly and accepted the spoonful.
The rich flavour of white sauce and cheese spread through his mouth.
“Well?”
“It’s good.”
Still, it was a bit embarrassing.
But rather than saying that, it’d be clearer if she experienced it herself.
Thinking that, Yuzuru stabbed a fresh fork into his hamburg steak and held it out to her.
She looked surprised for a moment, but soon leaned forward and opened her small mouth, taking the bite.
“Mm…”
“What do you think?”
“It’s delicious.”
A faint blush coloured her cheeks.
It seemed she’d found it just as embarrassing.
