CH 49

“Shirayuki, let’s go shopping!”

“Of course. We’re thinking the same thing, right?”

Around the midpoint of summer vacation, I decided to go shopping with Shirayuki.

The reason is simple. Hisui’s birthday is coming up the next day.

“You really remember… Ah, you saw it in the settings?”

“I did. That’s how I knew.”

“I see… Fufu, I think she’ll be very happy.”

Hoping that’s the case, Shirayuki and I left the house together.

It was a fortunate coincidence that Hisui was away from home due to work, making it the perfect opportunity for a surprise.

Not only for me, but birthdays are important for them too.

Hisui’s is in August, and Arashi’s, not mine as Touma’s, is in September. Shirayuki and I have our birthdays in October.

“But then… what should I get for her as a present?”

That’s the biggest problem.

I’ve said it many times, but I lack experience in these matters. I have no idea what to choose as a gift for a woman.

If it were someone like Shirayuki, who is the same age as me, it might be easier. But for Hisui, who belongs to our mothers’ generation, what would be a good choice… Hmmm, this is going to be quite a dilemma.

“Hmm, something safe like the best seeds could be a great gift.”

“Stop it.”

“Huh? I’m kind of serious, you know?”

“…”

“Well, it was a joke, though.”

…Sorry, I didn’t think it was just a joke.

In the game, I used to go all out without caring about consequences, but when it comes to reality, I still need to draw a clear line.

Even if it happens, it doesn’t mean we can’t afford to raise a child economically, but I hope they consider my feelings about it.

“Fufu, it’s important to worry about that too. By the way, I remember everything about us that Touma-kun saw.”

“What about it?”

“In some playthroughs, there were plays that involve having children. Don’t you have a bit of a longing for that?”

“…!”

That’s why I didn’t want her to bring up that topic in the morning!

Thanks to Shirayuki, I started imagining and remembering all sorts of things, and it’s true that I have a longing for those unrealistic things… But please, let’s put that aside for now!

“Well then, shall we go?”

“Yeah.”

Despite everything, Shirayuki and I left the house together.

To tell the truth, we haven’t discussed anything about Hisui’s birthday, so maybe she hasn’t thought deeply about birthdays either.

Partly because there have never been any birthday events in the first place. But as long as I’m here, I won’t let her have such a dull birthday.

“By the way, Mom said she has work tomorrow as well. She’ll be back around 6 p.m., or it might be a bit earlier or later.”

“That’s perfect timing, isn’t it?”

This is clearly a sign from the heavens, telling me to celebrate. It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant like decorations, but I’m thinking of buying a present for Hisui and cooking something delicious for her.

“…Now that I think about it, I never really cared about birthdays.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Because I have memories of redoing them over and over, birthdays that come around repeatedly didn’t hold much meaning for me.”

“…I see, so that’s how you felt.”

“Yes. But… Fufu, if I can enjoy a birthday that I thought had no meaning by having Touma join in, it would be a very happy thing.”

“To do that, let’s start by celebrating Hisui properly.”

“Yes.”

That being said… What should I get as a serious gift?

Shirayuki said I could go with whatever inspiration strikes me, but I wonder if women generally prefer things like jewelry or accessories.

But both Hisui and Shirayuki don’t seem interested in such things.

While they are both wealthy enough not to worry about money, I don’t often see them wearing expensive items.

“Let’s go around and look at various options for now.”

“Sounds good.”

With that in mind, we decided to browse around for now.

As for tomorrow’s cooking, while I can give my opinion on what to make, Shirayuki, who is overwhelmingly skilled in cooking, will be the one helping me in general.

“I’ll assist Shirayuki with the cooking.”

“Leave it to me… Although, even if I say that, it will probably be filled with things that Touma-kun loves. That tends to happen with cooking, you know.”

“…I see.”

Truth be told, I did consider going to a store, but lately, Hisui has been working late and often relies on eating out, so we decided to go for something that can be done at home.

“…Well, what if we all gather around a hot pot? Mom enjoys lively and enjoyable meals like that.”

“A hot pot… I see, that could be good.”

And so, we decided on the ingredients to buy.

In the end, the gift would come first in this situation… Alright, I’ll do my best to decide for Hisui!

While walking through the town like that, it happened.

“Oh? Hououin-san?”

“What are you doing?”

I recognized the voice that called out to her.

I turned my gaze towards them, and there were the popular kids from my class, with Saito among them, so it seemed like they were just hanging out.

“Why is there a fatty next to Hououin-san?”

“Isn’t that crazy?”

“They seemed to be getting along since before summer vacation… Well, it’s impossible, right?”

They were saying whatever they pleased, and while I thought it would be fine to ignore them and walk past, I decided to do something different.

But… with confidence and pride, I thought it would be okay, so I put my arm around Shirayuki who was standing next to me.

“Shirayuki is someone important to me. So, it’s not strange for us to be together.”

As I conveyed that, their eyes widened, and the mocking looks on their faces quickly turned into astonishment.

It was because of an action Shirayuki took next to me.

Perhaps she thought words would be too indirect, but Shirayuki, with a clear gesture, stretched up and kissed my cheek.

Feeling the sweet fragrance gently reaching my nose, I looked at Shirayuki, and she nodded with a smile that seemed captivated by the moment.

“I didn’t mention it before… Well, it’s not necessary to share private matters, but what he just said is not wrong. We are in that kind of relationship, so it’s natural for us to be together.”

Those words said it all.

Not only were they dumbfounded, but they even stopped moving and stared at me and Shirayuki. Someone uttered that it was impossible.

It didn’t matter if they believed us or not, so Shirayuki and I continued walking past them… However, it seemed like there was still something they wanted to say.

“No, no, this is strange. What did he say to you, Hououin-san? Maybe we can do something to help—”

Just as I thought they were being persistent, Saito stepped in and stopped him.

Perhaps unable to continue without the leader-like figure of Saito placing his hand on his shoulder, he couldn’t help but halt.

Stepping forward, Saito continued his words.

“It’s not something we should be concerned about, right? It doesn’t matter who dates who, and it won’t affect us in any way.”

“But…!”

“I’ve seen Gundo, who enjoys spending time happily with Hououin-san while diligently exercising. There’s no room for doubt… or rather, aren’t you just complaining because you couldn’t accept it even after witnessing that kiss just now?”

“Ugh…”

Saito… or rather, was that the first time I was called Gundo instead of being referred to as “fatty”?

After that, Shirayuki and I parted ways with them… I wonder, Saito’s reaction was a bit surprising.

“I believe that things wouldn’t have turned out this way if you had remained as Arashi. Perhaps, the change occurred precisely because you became Touma.”

“Is that so?”

“I think so. In the first place, I consider Touma-kun to be sociable… Though it may sound harsh, there’s a world of difference between Touma-kun and Arashi.”

I chuckled at her remark.

But… it’s true that if things continue like this, I might gain more friends. That, too, is something to look forward to.

“Now, let’s choose the gift.”

“Okay.”

For now, I must do my best to accomplish this important mission!