Chapter 24 - The Necklace
We spent a delightful time at the café afterward.
Mashiro hesitated to sip her latte, which had a cute cat latte art on it. I teased her playfully about it.
Finally, she made up her mind and took a sip, surprised by how delicious it was. Watching her, I couldn’t help but smile as I took a sip of my coffee.
We enjoyed our lunch together, savoring every bite, and after that, we shared some pancakes for dessert, chatting merrily as we did.
It was truly a joyful and blissful time.
Although we were a bit reluctant to leave, Mashiro and I eventually left the café. She seemed to have really liked the place, saying excitedly as we walked out, "Let’s come back here again, Ryusuke!"
Next, we headed to the biggest shopping mall in the area.
Being a weekend, it was packed with people. At first, the crowd was a bit overwhelming for both Mashiro and me, but once we started walking, we quickly got used to the lively atmosphere.
"Hey, Ryusuke. It’s been a while since we’ve gone somewhere crowded like this in the afternoon, hasn’t it?"
"Yeah, it’s not so unusual at night, though. You’ve been going to school regularly, and on weekends, you often turned down our invitations during the day, right?"
"Well, yeah. On weekends, I have to stay home and study. I use that time to catch up on all the assignments I’ve been putting off."
"You studied during the weekends? I didn’t know that… So that’s why you always said no."
"I mean, I can’t afford to fail the tests or miss deadlines for assignments. But Ryusuke, you were always out having fun regardless, which really worried me, you know?"
"I don’t have much to say to that… All I can promise is that I’ll be more responsible from now on."
"Good. Oh, by the way, besides groceries, I’d like to look at some clothes too. I haven’t had the chance to shop in a while. Is that okay?"
"Yeah, I’m all for it. It’s a good opportunity, and I’d like to check out some things too."
This morning, I struggled to find something to wear, and if Mashiro’s with me, she might be able to give me some advice from a female perspective.
It wouldn’t hurt to be well-prepared, especially if I’m trying to shed my bad-boy image.
So, instead of heading to the grocery section, we decided to browse the various shops lined up in the mall.
The first store that caught our eye was a stylish little shop.
Mashiro tugged on my sleeve, saying she wanted to check it out, so I followed her inside.
The shop was stocked with a wide range of items, from accessories to stationery and tableware.
Mashiro’s eyes sparkled with delight as she looked around, her enthusiasm and small movements reminding me of a cute little animal.
"Hey, Ryusuke, look at this. Isn’t it adorable?"
"Oh? Let me see."
She showed me a pair of rose gold earrings. They were simple heart shapes, perfect for adding a nice touch.
"Ah… but I don’t wear earrings anymore. That was close—I almost forgot."
"Now that you mention it, you haven’t worn earrings since you dyed your hair back to black."
"Yeah. Since I’m aiming to be the kind of pure girl you like, I figured I don’t need earrings. Besides, with my hair down, they wouldn’t stand out anyway."
"I see… So you’re aiming to be the kind of girl I like."
Mashiro reacted slightly to my muttered words. She looked up at me with a bit of embarrassment.
"That’s right. For you, Ryusuke."
She flashed a mischievous grin and winked at me.
I felt my face grow hot all at once, and I quickly looked away.
What am I supposed to say to that? “Thanks for trying so hard for me”? No, that’s way too embarrassing to say out loud. What should I do?
Unsure of how to respond, I glanced at Mashiro, who was now blushing and looking down, likely embarrassed by her own words.
Seriously… how can this childhood friend of mine be so adorable?
Mashiro quickly composed herself, cleared her throat, and reached for a necklace nearby.
"Since I don’t need earrings, maybe I should buy a necklace instead. What do you think of this one? Isn’t it cute?"
She held the necklace up to her neck, showing it to me.
It was a silver necklace, with a crescent moon charm that shimmered against her chest.
It wasn’t too expensive, and it looked perfect for a high schooler to wear. It suited the demure, black-haired beauty Mashiro had become.
"I think it looks great. Do you want it?"
"I’m still thinking about it. I tend to buy things on impulse, so if you give me a little push, I probably will."
"Then I’ll give you that push."
"Hehe, please do."
I took Mashiro’s small hand, which was holding the necklace, and lifted it gently.
"R-Ryusuke? When I said give me a push, I didn’t mean you should buy it for me…"
"I know. Think of it as a thank you gift for always taking care of me. Let me do something manly for a change."
"Wh-what…?!"
Ignoring Mashiro’s surprise, I led her to the register.
I handed the necklace to the cashier and immediately pulled out my wallet.
"Could you wrap this as a gift, please?"
"Certainly. I’ll wrap it for you right away."
The cashier skillfully and quickly wrapped the necklace.
Mashiro watched, her mouth opening and closing in shock.
She probably never expected me to do something like this. Honestly, it’s not really my style either.
But the truth is, I do want to thank her. After hearing from my sister, I realized I need to give something back to Mashiro for all the hard work she’s done. So, this is just me being considerate—my way of repaying her for all the times she’s helped me.
After paying, I received the neatly wrapped box.
When I handed the cute little box with a red ribbon to Mashiro, she looked at it in her small hands, then hugged it tightly to her chest.
She pressed her head against my chest, trying to hide the smile spreading across her face from the overwhelming joy.
"Thank you, Ryusuke. I’m really, really happy."
"I’m glad to hear that."
To be honest, I was quite nervous about giving her the present since I’m not used to it, but seeing Mashiro so happy made me feel relieved.
However, there was one problem—this was a crowded store, and we were standing right in front of the register. With the two of us standing so close together, it was only natural that we’d attract attention.
Sure enough, the surrounding customers were looking at us warmly, as if they had just witnessed something sweet, which made me extremely embarrassed.
Mashiro also noticed the stares, and with her face flushed, she quickly pulled away from me.
"R-Ryusuke… Shall we go to the next store?"
"Y-Yeah, let’s do that."
We hurriedly left the shop.
With Mashiro clutching the box containing the necklace tightly and tugging on my sleeve, we headed to the clothing store next.