Yumiko Miura walked out wearing a light summer dress, looking breathtakingly beautiful, with a pure and graceful charm that made the others pause for a moment.
Yuigahama Yui and Ebina Hina both smiled knowingly when they learned that it was Akira Fujimiya who had chosen the dress for her.
Yumiko glanced at Akira, clearly wanting his opinion more than anyone else's.
"That looks good," Akira commented calmly. "You can take that dress with you when you travel during the summer vacation."
"Fujimiya-kun, can you help me choose one too?" Ebina Hina asked with a teasing smile.
Hearing that, Akira walked toward the swimsuit section.
"Ebina-san, this one suits you," he said, handing her a more conservative but elegant swimsuit.
Ebina flinched for a second before she smiled playfully. "Fujimiya-kun, do you want to see me in this swimsuit?"
Akira nodded slightly—then shook his head.
Ebina blinked, stunned for a moment.
Then, realizing what he meant, her face flushed red. She understood that he wanted to see it, but knew he shouldn't.
"I see… You're really a bad guy," she muttered softly, glancing away.
"Senpai…" a familiar voice called from behind.
Akira turned around to find Isshiki Iroha standing there.
She wasn't wearing the swimsuit he had chosen earlier but one of her own picking—and she looked undeniably cute in it.
"...Kouhai, you disappoint me," Akira said, his expression showing mock regret.
"Bad senpai," Iroha replied, lowering her voice as her cheeks turned pink. "Next time, when there's a chance, I'll wear it and show it to you alone."
Akira chuckled and patted her lightly on the head.
Iroha smiled sweetly at that touch, secretly deciding to buy a few more swimsuits just to surprise him later.
On the other side, Yukinoshita Yukino stood before the display, quietly observing a row of swimsuits. She looked at one, then at Yuigahama Yui, and finally down at herself with a small sigh.
"...Don't sigh," Akira's voice came from behind her. "You've clearly grown compared to before."
"I'll surprise you sooner or later," Yukino said softly, her cheeks tinting with a faint blush.
"I wouldn't be surprised," Akira replied smoothly. "After all, Yukino-chan can't do anything without my help."
"S-stop talking! You jerk" Yukino's face turned even redder as she clenched her fists and glared at him.
"Just choose this one and try it on. Let me see it next time I visit your apartment," Akira said, picking a swimsuit and handing it to her.
"If you want to see it, do something to satisfy me first," Yukino replied proudly.
"I don't want to see."
"Then I won't try it."
"I mean, sometimes I don't want to see it," Akira clarified, smirking.
Yukino froze, realizing what he meant.
"You… you…" she stammered, her face burning as she turned away and hurried into the locker room.
Akira watched her leave, smiling faintly.
.....
After walking around the mall for a while longer, the girls hadn't bought much.
When Yuigahama Yui suggested going to karaoke, Yukinoshita Yukino didn't object, so the group decided to go together.
Inside the karaoke room,
Yumiko Miura showed off a her singing skill (that she had improved) that impressed even Yukino, raising her opinion of her considerably.
Isshiki Iroha could only perform confidently with a few specific songs, while Ebina Hina's singing was decent and consistent.
Then came Yuigahama Yui's turn.
"Yui, don't give up," Akira encouraged, smiling, as he raised his hand and give her a thumbs up (👍)
"Akira-kun, that's too much!" Yui pouted, balling her fists as her voice wavered mid-song.
When it was Yukinoshita Yukino's turn, she sang calmly and beautifully.
Though her voice wasn't as powerful as Yumiko's, her tone and control were far better than Iroha's. Akira clapped lightly when she finished.
Yukino elegantly brushed her hair aside and handed him the microphone. "Your turn."
Akira scrolled through the list and chose a song. When he began to sing, several of the girls were immediately stunned.
Only Yukino seemed to understand—because it was a Chinese song, one that expressed deep emotion.
Although the others couldn't understand the lyrics, they were mesmerized by the melody and the emotion behind his voice.
When the song ended, Yukino smiled faintly at him.
Yui, curious as always, leaned in. "What was that song about?"
Akira explained patiently, translating its meaning in simple terms. After hearing his explanation, the ever-enthusiastic Yui's eyes sparkled. "That sounds so nice! I want to learn Chinese too!"
Akira chuckled and patted her head gently. "Chinese is difficult. I wouldn't recommend it."
"I don't think it's that hard! I learned two sentences before. Listen—'Mud howl, is it too late?'" she said proudly, completely butchering the pronunciation.
Akira smiled helplessly. "All right, I'll teach you a few words," he said, leaning in and whispering softly near her ear.
Yui listened intently at first, but once she realized what those phrases meant, her entire face turned red.
She squeaked and playfully punched him with her tiny pink fist.
Akira only laughed and caught her hand gently, his expression soft.
.....
Two hours later, the group left the karaoke bar.
By then, it was already past lunchtime.
Yukino chose a restaurant nearby, and the group sat together, with Akira seating inbetween of Yui and Yukino, as the girls started chatting cheerfully about the clothes they had tried on earlier.
Akira sipped his ice tea quietly, holding Yui's hand beneath the table.
When the waiter arrived with the food, everyone started eating it slowly.
The meal ended with dessert.
After Yui finished hers quickly, she glanced toward Akira. He looked at his own untouched dessert, then pushed the plate toward her.
Yui smiled happily and accepted it without hesitation, eating the rest of it with contentment.
Akira reached out playfully, brushing his fingers against hers.
Yui froze, her face turning bright red, before looking down in silence. As she continue eating, this time — much slower.
....
After lunch, the group noticed a large cinema not far from the restaurant.
As they check, the noticed that it's feature film was a love story — a bittersweet romance about high school students.
Akira after noticing that the girls were interested went to buy the tickets, while Yukino purchased popcorn and drinks.
When arranging the seats, Akira ended up sitting between Yukino and Yui again. Next to Yui was Yumiko, and next to Yukino were two other girls around their age.
As the movie began and the lights dimmed, Akira found himself quietly holding both Yukino and Yui's hands.
He looked toward Yukino, then turned to looked at Yui.
Both girls felt his touch but said nothing.
After a few seconds, Akira withdrew his hands and focused on the film.
Both girls secretly glance at him, a little disappointed that he didn't hold their hands for much longer before focusing on the movie.
The story revolved around a boy with a childhood sweetheart.
One day, a beautiful transfer student arrived, and from there, a complicated triangle of emotions unfolded— Between the boy, the transfer students and his childhood friend.
The male protagonist was kind and considerate — the textbook example of a "nice guy" from a light novel or manga.
But his kindness didn't last forever.
One night, he impulsively crossed a line with the transfer student.
Later, he got back together with his childhood friend — without ever telling the transfer student the truth.
On a date at an amusement park, the protagonist demonstrated almost comical time management, juggling two dates with both girls in separate areas of the park on the same day.
Neither noticed — or perhaps neither wanted to.
This double life continued all through high school.
After graduation, the transfer student, who came from a wealthy family, joined the same company where the protagonist and his childhood friend worked.
The twist was that the company belonged to the transfer student's family.
One afternoon, the childhood friend prepared lunchboxes for both herself and the protagonist, hoping to surprise him.
But when she arrived at his office, she heard the voice of the transfer student inside.
She was talking with the protagonist in a happy tone.
Her hand froze on the door handle.
Without saying a word, she turned away and left.
A few days later, she quietly resigned from the company.
Not long after, she received a medical report — she was pregnant.
When the protagonist learned the news, he was stunned.
After days of hesitation, he finally decided to break up with the transfer student to take responsibility and care for his childhood friend.
They eventually lived together, and though she forgave him, the shadow of betrayal never truly disappeared.
What the protagonist never realized was that the transfer student, too, had a child not long after — a silent reminder of the tangled consequences of their love.
....
As the movie continue, Akira leaned back in his seat, as he silently glances at the two girls beside him.
Both Yui and Yukino were quiet, their eyes reflecting the dim light of the screen.
For some reason, the expression on their faces mirrored something far more real than the film itself.
...
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Word Count — 1,538