Chapter 47: Shopping Date ②

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Translator: Soafp

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“Hey… how long are you planning to keep linking arms like that?”

As expected, both Nodoka and Airi had eye-catching looks, and the stares from people passing by were kind of painful.

I was honestly a bit on edge, worried we might run into someone from school.

“What?! You don't like linking arms with us?”

“Right? You're walking around with two beautiful girls—what exactly are you dissatisfied with?”

“It's not that I don't like it… I mean, calling yourselves beautiful girls like that is kinda…”

“Oh? It's not wrong, is it? Right, Nodoka?”

“Eh? M-me, a b-beautiful girl…? H-hehe…”

Nodoka's introvert switch flipped on again.

Airi seemed used to it by now and didn't panic like before.

Instead, she leaned in and whispered softly to me.

“Come on, Ren. Pat Nodoka's head and praise her.”

“Huh? All of a sudden?”

“Go on, quickly.”

What even is this…

Airi quietly let go of my arm.

I reached out with my left hand and gently patted Nodoka's head.

“Anyone would think Nodoka's a beautiful girl. You're this cute, and you've got that stylish gyaru vibe too.”

“Hehe… r-really? That actually makes me a little happy. Do I… match up to you, Ren?”

“If anything, people would probably say I don't deserve you.”

“Hehe… hehe… I see…”

Nodoka's face was completely relaxed in a sloppy grin.

Airi nodded to herself as if she'd figured something out.

“I see. So her introvert mode is basically her lovey-dovey mode.”

Before I knew it, Nodoka had become a subject of study.

---

We entered the mall in front of the station and looked around the swimsuit section.

The popular designs were running low, but there was still a decent selection left.

“So, whose are we buying first?”

“Yours, obviously. We'll pick one for you!”

“Of course. As harem heroines, we deserve at least that much authority.”

Harem heroines…?

It felt like they'd taken another step beyond wanting to be “slave heroines.”

More importantly, why was Nodoka so quiet? Normally she'd jump in with a retort.

“Well, fine. Men's swimsuits all look pretty similar anyway.”

“You really don't get it, Ren! There are actually quite a few types for guys too!”

“Since guys only wear bottoms, they might actually stand out more than girls.”

“Is that so…?”

I didn't really get it, but they probably knew better than me.

I decided to just leave it to them.

As soon as we entered the men's section, the two split off to different racks.

Before long, they came back holding different swimsuits.

“For guys, this kind is the safest choice!”

“Huh? What are you talking about, Nodoka? This one's way more masculine and sexy.”

“Excuse me? Senpai, those are hard to pull off. Even from a viewer's perspective, it's awkward to look at.”

“You don't get it, Nodoka. Ren has a slim build—he can definitely pull it off.”

“Yeah, he's slim, but he doesn't have enough muscle. It's better to go with something safe than take a weird risk.”

Nodoka held loose surf shorts, while Airi brought a tight boxer-type swimsuit, and the two started a heated debate.

Not wanting to take sides, I decided to try both.

First, Nodoka's surf shorts.

“Well?”

“Yep, simple and safe is best for guys! It looks great on you.”

“It suits you, but it's too plain.”

“Alright, next one.”

Next, I came out wearing the boxer type Airi picked.

For some reason, Nodoka's face turned slightly red.

“I-it actually looks better than I thought… b-but it's too… too lewd, so no!”

“Yeah, it might be a bit too stimulating. I'd get a little jealous if other girls saw you in something that sexy.”

Something wasn't adding up.

Why did they see it as “lewd”?

Was this like the reverse of The Emperor's New Clothes or something?

“Alright, I'll go with Nodoka's choice.”

“Okay.” “Got it.”

Just in case, I picked another one in a different color and bought two pairs.

“So, who's next?”

“I-I'll go! They say it's better to get unpleasant things out of the way first.”

“Why is choosing a swimsuit unpleasant…?”

“Fufu, you're scared of being compared to me, aren't you? Especially here.”

Airi poked at her ch*st with her finger.

Nodoka couldn't respond and just groaned.

“I'm not even small…! This is unfair—relative flatness…!!”

There's nothing good that comes from a guy getting involved in this kind of topic.

I pretended not to hear and headed to the women's section.

Airi leaned in and whispered.

“Isn't this awkward?”

“Not really. I'm not here alone.”

“I see. I guess it's different when you've had a girlfriend before.”

“I don't think that's related… It's not like this is a lingerie section.”

“Oh? So a lingerie section would embarrass you?”

“Because the women there would feel more uncomfortable about me being there than I would.”

At that moment, Nodoka grabbed my sleeve.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and pick one.”

“Huh? I'm choosing first?”

Normally, wouldn't girls pick a few and then the guy chooses from those?

“W-we agreed on this, didn't we! What, you're saying picking for me is a hassle?”

“No, that's not it, but…”

Honestly, I wasn't confident I could pick well.

“Don't complain if it's not cute.”

“I-I told you, if you pick it… I-I don't mind if it's a little… sexy.”

“That's not what I meant…”

The store clerk watched us with a warm smile, probably thinking we were a couple.

Ignoring that, I started browsing.

Nodoka was flashy yet cute.

But she was also small and slender.

In that case…

“How about this?”

I picked one and handed it to Nodoka.

“If you pair this with some earrings and a bracelet, I think it'll look really good.”

“…It's better than I expected. That's kind of frustrating.”

“Why though?”

“Anyway, I'll go try it on!”

I waited with Airi in front of the fitting room.

She spoke in a low voice.

“The other day, I bought an eroge online and played it.”

“That's a very random topic.”

“There was a scene where they did it in a fitting room.”

“I come to this mall a lot. I'd rather not get banned.”

“That's a shame.”

“…”

She was joking, right?

She had to be joking.

“U-um… I changed, but…”

Nodoka peeked out from behind the curtain, showing only her face.

“What's wrong? Doesn't it fit?”

“N-no, it's not that…”

“Ah, you're embarrassed?”

She nodded quickly.

It wasn't even that revealing of a bikini.

But maybe it was her first time wearing one.

If so, any design would feel like a lot of pressure.

“Want to pick something else? You don't have to force yourself.”

“B-but this is your choice, right…?”

“Yeah.”

“Ugh… It feels like I'm showing my underwear…”

“Honestly, Nodoka, you're so frustrating. There.”

“Kyaaa!!”

Airi forcefully pulled the curtain open.

Nodoka stood there, shrinking in on herself.

She wore a baby pink bikini with a tiered frill top and ribbon-tied bottoms.

“Wow, it looks great on you. Right, Airi?”

“Yes. You look like a cute doll, Nodoka.”

The layered frills added soft volume to her petite frame, making her already fair skin stand out even more.

She had a lively charm with a hint of innocence.

Nodoka fidgeted with her fingers.

“R-really? Then… I'll buy this…”

She changed back and went to pay.

When the clerk smiled and said, “Your boyfriend has good taste,” Nodoka turned bright red.

“H-he's not my boyfriend yet!”

“Alright, I'm next.”

Airi hugged my arm and pulled me toward the racks.

The clerk blinked in confusion, probably unable to figure out our relationship.

(Airi has a great figure, long limbs…)

She'd look good in anything, but I still wanted to pick something that brought out her charm the most.

And she'd probably accept anything I chose.

That made it feel like a big responsibility.

“This one should be good.”

“Got it. I'll go try it on.”

Airi entered the fitting room.

After a while, the curtain opened, and Nodoka's eyes widened.

“I-it looks normal, but somehow… super sexy!”

I kind of agreed.

A wine-red lace-up bustier-style top that emphasized her cleavage, paired with cute frilled bottoms.

The coverage wasn't much different from a regular bikini, but the design pushed everything up, making it look like it might spill out at any moment.

Airi confidently brushed her hair back.

“This is what you call the difference in body type.”

“That's so annoying…”

“So, what do you think, Ren? Should I get this?”

“If you like it. Though it's a bit more revealing than I expected—are you okay with that?”

“I told you, if you pick it, I'd even wear something microscopic.”

She stepped closer and whispered.

“Or should I buy something myself and surprise you?”

“…No, let's just go with that one.”

I had no idea what kind of extreme swimsuit she might buy, so I quickly stopped her.

---

After picking swimsuits for girls for the first time in my life, we walked around the mall to buy casual clothes.

Every time we chose something for me, Nodoka and Airi would clash, and only after trying things on would we decide.

“We bought quite a lot.”

Before I knew it, both my hands were full of shopping bags.

That was probably enough for today.

Airi checked the time on her phone.

“Then let's head to the movie theater.”

“The movie theater? We're watching something?”

“Isn't that a classic date activity?”

Well… that's true.

Apparently, she'd already made reservations, and it was in the same mall.

I decided to just go along with it.

We took the escalator up to the floor with the theater.

But there, we ran into someone completely unexpected.

“…Eh? Ren?”

“Ara, Ren-kun. It's been a while.”

It was Yuzuki—and her mother.