Chapter 335: Cheesy Lines and a Chance Encounter
Back at the shop, Lucifer and the others were long gone, their absence leaving a comfortable quiet in their wake. The woman called Vermouth had been true to her word; she purchased a single bottle of toner and departed without another word, a fleeting and enigmatic presence.
"So, Ren, is Yuko really that tall?" Kirari mused, scrolling through the clothing sites on her phone. "If so, custom-tailoring is definitely the only way to go."
After placing orders from several different brands, Ren nodded in confirmation. "Mhm. Yuko's tall even when standing next to most men, let alone other women."
Kirari's finger paused its scrolling. A thoughtful, almost predatory glint entered her eyes. "Ren," she said, her voice taking on a meaningful lilt, "with a height and figure like that… wouldn't she be absolutely stunning in a cheongsam?"
Ren considered it for a moment. "You have a point. But let's wait until Miyoko takes everyone to get their measurements. A custom cheongsam is a different beast entirely from these ready-to-wear pieces."
"That's true," Kirari conceded, before leaning back with a sly smile. "Say… do you think I would look good in one?"
Ren's gaze swept over her, a slow and deliberate appraisal. He then leaned in close, his lips brushing against her ear as he whispered a few private words.
A faint blush crept up Kirari's neck. She rolled her eyes, giving him a look that was equal parts exasperation and amusement. "Now that I think about it," she said, deflecting with practiced ease, "Jabami Yumeko is giving me such a headache. That girl is truly incorrigible."
"But you're enjoying it, aren't you?" Ren countered softly, not letting her change the subject so easily. "After all, you have such a perfect fanatic to play your games with."
"Would it kill you not to read my mind for once?" she shot back, though there was no heat in her words. "Honestly… how do you know me so well?" She glanced around the empty shop. "I wonder what the others are up to. Sora isn't here either."
"I sent Sayaka and Sora out on purpose," Kirari admitted with a dismissive wave of her hand. "To buy that game she wanted. Isn't it better this way? A little time for just the two of us?"
"It's okay," Ren replied simply.
Kirari's eyebrow arched. "Just 'okay'?"
"It's okay because it's you," he clarified, his expression perfectly straight. "And because it's you, it's perfect."
The air hung still for a second before Kirari broke the silence, not with a giggle, but with a full, unrestrained peal of laughter. "Pfft—Hahaha!" She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "That's one of those ridiculous pick-up lines, isn't it? Seriously, where do you even learn these things?"
"Lucifer mentioned them once," Ren said with a shrug. "I looked them up online. They're surprisingly interesting, if a little cheesy."
"Mhm, 'cheesy' is putting it mildly," she agreed, a wide grin still playing on her lips.
Ren made a move to stand, but Kirari's voice stopped him. "Although it's cheesy, it's also amusing," she said, her eyes sparkling with mirth. "Tell me another one. A different one."
"I don't remember any others. I only saw that one."
"I don't believe you! Come on, hurry up."
Meanwhile, across town, Sayaka stood patiently by as Kasugano Sora browsed the shelves of a video game store. It was there that Sora saw a familiar face—or rather, an acquaintance of a peculiar sort.
Her eyes landed on a brown-haired girl at the counter, who was just paying for a game. 'Eh? What is she doing here at this time?' Sora thought.
"Do you know her?" Sayaka asked, following Sora's gaze.
"Mhm… She's one of the most popular people at my old school. Her name is…"
"Eh?! Isn't that Kasugano-san?!"
Before Sora could finish, the girl turned, her eyes widening in surprise. Sora gave a small, hesitant nod. "Uh… Hinata-senpai… I should be the one asking that. Why are you here?"
Hinami Aoi held up her newly purchased game with a bright smile. "Buying games, of course! This afternoon is all self-study, so I just ducked out. We only had one math class today, and half the class showed up late for that anyway."
Sora nodded in understanding. "Why so many self-study periods? Are all the teachers in a research meeting or something?"
"Yeah, something like that. It's no big deal, we'll just have to make up the lessons later," Hinami said dismissively. Her expression then shifted to one of concern. "But Kasugano-san, what about you? I know you play games, but it was just raining. With your physical condition… are you sure you should be out?"
The reason Sora considered Hinami a 'peculiar' acquaintance was because of the girl's constant, almost overbearing concern. Their meeting had been just as strange. Hinami was in the track and field club, and one day after school, she'd spotted Sora, who had just returned from a seven-day sick leave. Sora was something of a minor celebrity at Katagiri High—a reclusive, doll-like beauty. Hinami, a natural social butterfly, had jogged right over and struck up a conversation as if they were old friends.
From that day on, whenever Sora was at school, Hinami would make a point to greet her. They'd even played a few games against each other, with Hinami suffering a crushing defeat every time. Yet, Sora felt their relationship was odd. Hinami seemed driven by a desire to finally beat her, but she was also genuinely caring. Sora, for her part, didn't have much to say to the energetic senior, so she couldn't really call them friends. But she didn't dislike her, either. In Sora's mind, Hinami Aoi was filed away as: 'a very popular acquaintance and senior.'
After Sora briefly explained her recovery and transfer, Hinami stood stunned for a moment. Then, a bittersweet smile touched her lips. "Wow. I don't know whether to congratulate you or feel sad that I won't see you around school anymore. But it's wonderful that you've recovered, Kasugano-san. That's the most important thing."
"Thank you, Hinata-senpai…"
"Hey, we're not at the same school anymore," Hinami chided gently. "You don't have to be so formal."
"Then… Hina-nee?" Sora offered quietly.
"Mm! I like the sound of that! Let's go with it," Hinami beamed. "Honestly, you should have posted an update about your recovery and transfer. Nobody knows anything!"
"Eh?! I forgot!"
Hinami sighed dramatically. "What am I going to do with you? So, where did you move to?"
"I'm staying at Ren-nii's shop… but you probably don't know who that is."
"Shopkeeper Ren? He's your brother?"
Sora was a little surprised but nodded. "Mm. It's… a long story. If it weren't for Ren-nii, I might have died on the side of the road… I'm surprised you know his shop, Hina-nee. It sounds like you've eaten there."
"Eaten there? I love that place! The food is so delicious!" Hinami's eyes lit up, then fell to the game in Sora's hand. "Eh? Sora-chan…"
"Just Sora is fine," Sora corrected softly.
"Alright, Sora! You bought this game too! That's perfect! Want to have a match tonight?"
"Okay," Sora agreed, her expression unwavering. "But Hina-nee, you'll lose."
"We'll see about that, we'll see!" Hinami laughed, not the least bit discouraged. "I've gotta go, but I'll stop by Shopkeeper Ren's for dinner later and find you then! Bye-bye!"
With a final wave, she turned and left. Sora let out a small sigh. "I really didn't expect to run into an acquaintance here…"
Sayaka spoke up from her side. "Sora, you weren't planning on buying this game, were you?"
"No," Sora admitted, looking at the box in her hand. "But, Hina-nee is a nice person, despite some of the weird rumors about her… Oh well. I'll just buy another copy of this one. It's not like I have to worry about snack money anymore." She turned to Sayaka. "Saya-nee, do you want to buy a game?"
"I… I've never really played…"
"Then let's get this one together," Sora said, picking up a second copy.
"Okay…"
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