Unfortunately, the weather was still a bit cold.
Although Hiko had already guessed last night that Ai might not be dressed very well today, he hadn't expected her to show up in the same outfit she wore when they first met.
Could there be some hidden meaning behind it?
He found himself pondering this question.
Ai had been walking not far behind him, but since she didn't know what he was thinking, she was surprised when he gradually sped up.
Seeing the distance widen, she had no choice but to call out, "Walk slower."
"I'm worried it'll rain if we walk too slowly."
Hiko had seen the weather forecast on TV that morning, which mentioned a chance of rain. He had thought about bringing an umbrella, but then considered that it might look awkward to carry one by himself when it wasn't even raining yet.
"Huh? Is it going to rain today?" Ai tilted her head back to look at the sky. There weren't any dark clouds. "Maybe the forecast was wrong?"
"It's better to prepare than to regret later." With that, Hiko led Ai toward their destination—Shibuya Center Gai[1].
The place was a bustling commercial street, lined with countless fashion stores, restaurants, karaoke bars, game centers, and electronics shops. It was a perfect spot for their outing. The only drawback was the crowd, but shopping streets in Tokyo were always packed on holidays.
As they were about to step into the sea of people, Hiko naturally reached out and took Ai's small right hand. "It's crowded. To avoid getting separated, let's hold hands."
"I'm not a child…" Ai muttered.
But since her hand was already being held, she didn't struggle or pull away. Instead, she let Hiko lead her through the crowd.
After all, it really was too packed here, and getting separated would be a huge hassle.
Hiko planned to take Ai into a clothing store. He himself had only been here once, and when it came to fashion shops, he hadn't browsed them before. He needed to go inside and check prices first to get an idea.
"Welcome!"
As Hiko led Ai into a women's clothing store, a shop assistant inside greeted them brightly.
A young woman, around twenty, came forward. She didn't show any odd expression at the sight of two kids entering, but instead smiled politely and asked, "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Help her pick out some clothes." Hiko thought for a moment, then added, "Everyday wear."
"Alright, please come this way." The shop assistant skillfully led them over.
As she walked ahead, Ai quietly leaned toward Hiko and whispered, "Why are we in a women's clothing store? Weren't we just supposed to browse today?"
"I think it's better to help you pick out a few clothes," Hiko replied after a pause.
"I think what I have is fine." Ai stopped in place, clearly unwilling to follow the shop assistant further.
She didn't have much money. She couldn't buy much, and the little she had needed to last her the whole month.
"Just try some on." Hiko had thought that asking Ichigo to pay Ai's salary in advance would make today's shopping go more smoothly, but judging from her expression, she wasn't planning to buy anything.
Clearly, the price tags, starting from several thousand yen, were enough to make her hesitate.
Still, Hiko wasn't trying to force her to buy something. His real plan was to browse around, find something suitable, buy it himself, and later give it to Ai as a proper gift.
"It's only trying them on. Whether they suit you is another matter. If not, we'll just leave." He coaxed gently.
"But…"
Ai still hesitated, reluctant to try anything, but Hiko lightly tugged her forward toward the shop assistant.
"No 'buts.' Try being more open-minded. Even if we don't buy anything, the shop assistant won't say a word."
"This young man is right," the shop assistant chimed in with a smile. "Even if you don't purchase anything, you're very welcome to just browse."
She looked through the racks, quickly assessing Ai's figure.
Hiko saw her pick out a light-colored dress and top set. The shade leaned toward yellow, though it was more of a khaki tone than pure yellow.
"Miss, try this outfit," the shop assistant said, handing the clothes to Ai and guiding her to the fitting room. She had a feeling the boy wasn't being completely honest.
From the look of things, if the girl found an outfit she liked, even if she didn't buy it, he would.
Ai looked at the outfit handed to her. Feeling it would be rude to refuse, she reluctantly accepted it.
"Go on, just try it. Don't overthink. If you don't like trying here, we'll go to the next store," Hiko urged.
"…Alright, I'll try it." Ai saw how earnestly the shop assistant had been helping her pick clothes and thought it would be rude to leave without at least trying something. So, she agreed.
After a while, she pulled the curtain open and stepped out.
"How is it?…" Ai asked softly.
"I think it's fine." Hiko answered honestly. He had no real sense of fashion, but he added, "At least it looks much better than sportswear or casual clothes."
"Really?" Ai let out a small sigh of relief at his lukewarm response. "Since you also think it's not good enough, let's go."
She turned and went back into the changing room to take it off and put her old clothes back on.
She had already noticed the price tag earlier; it wasn't something she could afford. Buying it would just be a waste of money.
Soon, Ai stepped out again, back in her own clothes.
"Alright, let's move on to the next one." Hiko waited until she came up to him, then naturally reached out to hold her hand again.
But this time, Ai pulled away and said, "There aren't that many people. Just paying attention is enough, no need to hold hands…"
"Then you'll have to be careful. If we get separated, we can just call each other…" Hiko stopped mid-sentence, realizing Ai didn't even own a phone.
"How about buying a phone today? It'll make it easier to stay in touch."
"Phones cost money every month. I don't earn much, so I can't afford it." Ai shook her head.
"In that case…" Hiko pulled out a notepad and pen from his pocket.
He quickly wrote down his number, tore off the page, and folded it neatly before handing it to her.
"Here. If we really get separated, find a payphone or borrow someone's cell to call me."
"As long as you call me, I'll definitely come right away."
---
Upload Schedule: 2 chapters/day
Patreon Membership[2] can read up to chapter 66: Underground Idol
[1] A narrow street in Udagawachō (宇田川町), Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. It is a popular area for youths as it has a variety of popular brand name stores, fast food outlets and nightclubs.
[2] https://patreon.com/SmutCriminal69