Bab 117: I Just Want a Single Ending [117]
Walking inside, Saku glanced around at the luxury brand stores with a hint of curiosity.
It was his first time in a place like this, so he naturally took in the sights with more interest than usual.
Then, he noticed that Sakiko seemed to be doing the same, glancing around as if it were her first time as well.
"Don't you come here often?" Saku couldn't help but ask.
This wasn't exactly what he expected from someone with her "high-society" background.
"Not really. When I needed something before, someone would just get it for me," Sakiko admitted with a slightly embarrassed smile. "So, I don't know the layout here well and might need some time to find everything."
"No rush, we can take our time."
Saku had to admit, her explanation made perfect sense.
It fit exactly with his mental image of how the life of a young heiress should be.
Typical—she didn't even need to buy her own things.
He could almost imagine it: she'd flip through a fashion magazine in the morning, mention a dress she liked offhandedly to a maid, and within the hour, it would appear before her.
Letting his imagination run for a moment, Saku felt even more determined about his choice to stay single.
It's ridiculous!
When he finally achieves his "Single by Choice" lifestyle, complete with endless wealth, he'd be sure to… well, either enjoy it or critique it thoroughly!
"Please don't think of me as some spoiled character," Sakiko cut in, noticing that he seemed lost in thought after hearing her answer.
"Apologies."
Saku snapped out of his thoughts and quickly apologized.
"It's fine."
Sakiko didn't mind; she simply didn't want him to see her as just some pampered heiress.
Shifting the conversation, she asked, "So, what exactly are we buying today?"
"Anything you could possibly need."
Saku answered without hesitation.
Sakiko raised an eyebrow, reminding him, "That could add up to quite a hefty bill."
Cosmetics and skincare were already expensive, and they were looking at high-end brands.
"The video requires it. We'll make the money back—the other cosmetics advertisers will cover it."
No matter the cost, as long as the video turned out well, sponsors would be lining up for ads.
"Understood."
With that, Sakiko dropped any further reservations about the cost.
If it was for the video, there was no reason not to go all out.
And so, they began moving from store to store together.
During the shopping spree, they encountered nothing but friendly welcomes—especially in each new store they entered after finishing their purchases at the last one.
"Are you sure about fifteen sets?"
The store clerk asked Saku one last time to confirm.
"Absolutely, go ahead and swipe." Saku handed over his card. "We'll take one set now, and please deliver the rest to this address."
"Of course, sir. Please give me just a moment."
Taking his card, the clerk's smile brightened even more.
"Hmm?"
Seated nearby, Sakiko had been resting when she caught part of their conversation. She hurried over, looking bewildered.
"Wait, fifteen sets? What's going on here?"
She'd only requested one set of cosmetics and skincare items. Even with backups for reviews, two sets would be more than enough.
But buying fifteen all at once… wasn't that a bit excessive?
"It's nothing, really. They're for gifts."
Most women care about makeup and skincare, so gifting them a high-end set would definitely make a good impression.
But if he only gifted it to one of them, it might be misinterpreted as having special intentions toward that person.
They might think that person held a unique place in his heart.
So, to avoid any misunderstanding, he had to give the same gift to all of them.
This way, everyone would appreciate him a bit more.
But, since everyone's feelings toward him would increase equally, it would also mean that none of them would feel especially close.
In other words, they'd grow fonder of him as a friend without actually falling for him.
The perfect plan!
Sakiko's eyes widened as she stared at him in disbelief. "Gifts? Wait a second, do you mean to tell me… you have fourteen girlfriends?"
The items she'd picked out were all strictly for women, so it was clear these gifts were intended for female recipients.
Considering the high cost, they hardly seemed like gifts for mere acquaintances.
Which left the only logical answer: he was gifting them to girlfriends.
But if that were the case, fourteen sets, excluding her own, meant fourteen girlfriends. Wasn't that a bit extreme?
"They're just friends! How could I possibly have fourteen girlfriends? That's absurd!"
Saku dismissed her wild guess immediately.
This was going too far—what an awful thing to assume about him.
Calling a single guy like him someone with fourteen girlfriends was nothing short of slander.
They're all just my friends!
"Sorry, that was careless of me."
Sakiko realized her mistake and offered a sincere apology.
He was right—no ordinary guy could have fourteen girlfriends.
It was completely unrealistic.
"I even bought extra for backup, so it's not like I actually have that many people to gift them to."
Saku made sure to clear his name on this matter.
If he only bought for the current count, what would he do when he met new potential characters?
Making a separate trip later would be too troublesome—it was better to stock up now.
"I apologize again." Sakiko continued to apologize.
She'd almost forgotten he was an Instagram influencer with a large circle of female friends.
Giving cosmetics as social gifts was totally reasonable.
"No worries." Saku accepted her apology easily, adding, "I'm currently single and not looking to date, so I do feel a little sensitive about such topics."
In other words, he was subtly reminding her not to entertain any thoughts of that kind.
Even if Sakiko was quite attractive.
Assistants are strictly forbidden from falling for their bosses!
Then a thought struck Sakiko, and she asked curiously, "Um… I just wanted to check. Did you buy fifteen sets of each item, or was it just the one we were looking at earlier?"
"Everything, of course!" Saku replied matter-of-factly.
If he was giving gifts, he'd give the whole set. That was his approach.
"…"
No wonder the store clerks were so thrilled whenever they walked in.
After all, he was buying fifteen of everything.
Rich people are just… too much!
---
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Status Power Mingguan
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Power 
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