Chapter 66: Sorry for being selfish.

Reading Settings

Translator: Soafp

---

Sora, now in a great mood after buying two sets of underwear, returned to where Ginji was waiting behind the register. Ginji, who now unfortunately knew what designs she had picked, greeted her with a somewhat complicated expression.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Can we look at dresses next?”

“Sure. But if you’re going to buy something else, wouldn’t it have been better to buy everything at once?”

“When I look at too many options, I end up not buying anything. So I decide first, then buy.”

“Got it. Let’s go then.”

“Yeah.”

Sora looped her arm around the one Ginji wasn’t using to carry the shopping bag, and they headed toward the dress section.

Compared to underwear, dresses were less awkward, so Ginji felt relatively more relaxed as he watched Sora browse.

“White is good. Since I draw a lot, I usually go for grays. A white summer dress with some stitching would be pretty versatile. It’s kind of like a mass-produced model… like the Zaku series.”

While his classmates often said shopping with girls was boring, Ginji found that watching a girl he liked choose clothes wasn't bad at all. As he was thinking that, Sora spun around.

“Ginji, I’m going to try these on. Help me decide? I’m torn between these two.”

“They both look good.”

Both dresses were white—one had frills, the other had a straight cut with stripes. They were both summery and suited Sora well.

“That's why I want you to help. I usually choose alone.”

“Are you sure I'm the right person? You’ve got better fashion sense than me. You should probably decide yourself.”

“…But I’m shopping with you, so you should pick.”

With that firm reasoning, she pushed Ginji gently toward the fitting room. The shop had a corner with about seven fitting stalls, each with its own chair.

“Wait here, okay?”

As Ginji sat and waited, a shop assistant with her hair tied up came over.

“Are you waiting for someone~?”

“Ah, yeah. My friend is trying something on in there.”

“Oh, I see~! Well, we're running a campaign now—if you fill out a quick survey~…”

As Ginji was being slightly pressured by the cheerful staff member and unsure how to respond, the curtain to the fitting room suddenly opened.

“Thanks for wai—”

Sora stepped out cheerfully but froze upon seeing the unfamiliar shop assistant. She seemed surprised by the stranger's presence.

The assistant was equally stunned. Her mouth hung open.

“Wow, you're adorable! Ah—sorry! It suits you so well!”

The frilled white dress fit Sora perfectly. Her sleek, short black hair stood out beautifully, and even without accessories, the outfit had a natural charm. She looked both innocent and stunning.

“…Uhh…”

Sora froze. Ginji stood up.

“Sorry. She’s really shy.”

Sora peeked out from behind Ginji's back. Seeing her small-animal-like reaction, the assistant seemed to sense something and glanced at Ginji.

“Understood~. Um, if you don't mind… We have a corner on our store’s social media where we feature customers trying things on… If you’re okay with it, we can offer a discount. How about it?”

Come to think of it, there had been photos of customers on the shop window. They were probably doing online promotions too. Sora shook her head vigorously. Ginji also felt it wasn't something she'd agree to.

“Yeah, probably not.”

“That’s a shame. Your girlfriend looked so cute, I just had to ask.”

Sora froze mid-shake.

“…Girlfriend?”

She peeked from behind Ginji again, reacting to the word. The assistant's eyes sparkled with realization.

“Yes~! Your ‘girlfriend’ looked so adorable, I'll check with my manager to see how big of a discount we can give. We'll even discount the clothes you pick out, ‘boyfriend’~”

The assistant leaned in, heavily emphasizing girlfriend and boyfriend, and moved closer to Sora.

“Wait, we’re not exactly—”

“Just one picture… is fine.”

Sora interrupted Ginji with a voice so small it was barely audible.

“Are you sure? I mean, if it's on social media… a lot of people will see it.”

“It’s okay. No one who'd recognize me really follows that stuff. And if we get the discount, maybe I can buy a skirt too. Besides…”

She had wanted to cut Ginji off before he said we're not dating. That selfish desire embarrassed her, and her words trailed off. Ginji placed a hand gently on her head.

“It’s a date today, after all. If you’re okay with it, I am too.”

Ginji accepted her selfishness with his own clumsy kindness.

“Yeah… Thanks.”

“I'll bring the camera right away, so please wait a moment~!”

“…Wait, not just a phone?”

Soon after, the assistant returned with a serious DSLR camera, which intimidated Sora so much she froze in place.

Unable to look directly at the lens, she ended up glaring off to the side with a tense expression.

In the final photo posted that day on the store's social media account, Sora, wearing the white dress and nervously holding the brim of a wide-brimmed hat borrowed from the store, appeared to be scowling at the camera in embarrassment.