章 112: Shared Tastes
"Honestly, I don't really know the mall all that well." He admitted. "So maybe we can just walk around until they expect us?" Arata offered the idea, but she had other plans.
"There's a pretty popular otaku shop here." She said. "We can check it out, since you've never been there before." That was true, he had never been there before. Mostly because he wanted to avoid going to any place where other high school students frequented.
"Are you sure?" He responded. "I don't want to bore you with my hobbies." It might've seemed like a good idea for him, but Arata didn't want things to only be fun for just one of them. Surely there would be something that they both could enjoy.
"I wouldn't be very bored if we went there." She started off bashfully, before turning much more flustered. "B-but, I'm not an oktau or anything." He turned his eyes down in response, it almost felt like an insult with how embarrassed with that idea. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that." She could see how it hurt him a little.
"It's okay, I'd rather you be honest about it."
"No, it's not that." It was hard to explain, but it just that she never had anyone also interested in reading manga. "I like reading a lot in my free time, but… I just never had anyone to talk about it with. So I'm just a little nervous."
Arata felt this revelation was a bit late. It's not like his now revealed secret was new to them. It's been at least two months since then. Why the hesitation, especially given the response from others. It's not like anyone was going to make fun of them, even Yogi's cousin was into this stuff.
"I don't know why you'd be so nervous now." Funny, coming from someone that was so desperate to hide his own secret. "Everyone likes you, I bet if you told the entire school about it. I bet people who used to not be interested might decide to give it a shot."
"…" She thought about it for a little while. Then choose not to say anything in response to his statement. Instead, she took his hand. "If you're ready, we should head over to that store."
"Okay?" He replied, a bit confused with her demeanor here. But he wasn't going to pursue the issue. Arata got up from his seat, and followed her. As he had no idea where this store was.
When they arrived, Arata couldn't help but be amazed at the size of the place. It truly was a sight to behold compared to the store he usually frequented. The glass windows displayed everything from large standees to posters promoting the latest releases.
"Wow…" He exclaimed to himself. "This looks so cool."
"It does look really nice."
"So have you ever been here before?" He asked her, since he was surprisingly the novice here.
"No." She shook her head in response. Despite seeing it multiple times when shopping here. She never had the desire to go in alone, nor did she want to ask anyone If they wanted to come along. "This is new for me too."
"All right then, let's see what they have to offer." The two entered the store. If it looked impressive on the outside, then it was absolutely mystical on the inside. Arata couldn't believe that so many different products could fit in a unit of this size. Yet here he was, in the middle of it all. However, there was one thing that caught his eye most of all.
It was a copy of the first volume of the popular shojo manga, 'Girl Under Blossoms'. A story about a less fortunate girl that enrolls in a school for the wealthy. The physical copy that he was looking before his very eyes happened to be a limited re-release for the holidays.
"I didn't realize that you were into that type of manga." She approached behind him. His excitement was hardly contained, so it wasn't hard to know how he was feeling.
"I'm into a lot of things." He backed off from the display to downplay his joyous behavior. "Shojo just so happens to be one of them." Somehow admitting that he read manga made for teen girls was more embarrassing than admitting he was an otaku.
"Interesting." She leaned in to check out the prized manga. "You know, this is my favorite manga."
"It is?"
"A little lame, maybe." After all, this is the best-selling shojo manga in the country. It has quite the reputation in the mainstream. "You probably think I have boring taste."
"Boring?" Sure, it was popular, but it earned that reputation. At least that's what he thought. "I think it's a great story, so why would I think you have poor taste?" Honestly though, he felt that he had bad taste at times, whenever he discussed his favorites online. Though he tried to shake that off as simple disagreement.
"Never mind." She stepped back from that statement. "I was just talking without thinking." This wasn't the only thing in the store, so they went around the place together to check out what else there was to offer.
At first, he was a little concerned about looking at those… eye-candy type things. After the last time he was with people, Arata still had post-traumatic embarrassment over that.
At the same time, she was feeling the exact same way. As much as she longed to check out the stickers with cute boys on it. Akiba was worried that Arata might ask things, questioning her feelings.
"You like any of the stuff they got for sale?" He asked, probing her for a hint of what might make for a good gift. "Like, maybe one of the collectibles?"
"I think this necklace looks nice." She held it up. It was a replica of the one worn by one of the characters in Arata's favorite manga. The end of the designs was of a blooming flower, which the analyzer inside him could tell was made because of the relationship he had with the stereotypical shy girl.
"It does look pretty nice." He tried to keep his excitement contained. She was just holding something like that up, like it was nothing.
As they were walking around, just browsing. Arata couldn't get out of his head those limited copies of the manga they saw earlier. She said that it was her favorite, so surely that would make for a great gift to her. Though, with all of these holiday shoppers, those were going to run out pretty soon. At the same time, he wanted to keep it a secret, so he had to think of something.
"I guess if there's nothing here you want, we can go somewhere else." His plan was to get them both out. Then temporarily separate so that he could make the purchase.
"Sure." Akiba offered that they stopped at the restrooms first. Something that he knew he could take advantage of. He could enter and use it. Then, when he came out and saw her again. Arata could make up an excuse like forgetting his wallet, then return and hide the goods in the bag.
Once it was clear in his head, it was time to get the ball rolling. He went in, went out. A little surprising to him, was that she was the one waiting for him out there, but it wasn't a big deal. He made a big show of forgetting wallet, then apologized and told her to wait for him. It should only take a couple minutes at most. Arata rushed back to the store, hopeful that they'd still have copies.
Sadly, they didn't.
He cursed himself for taking too long to do this. Honestly, it was unlikely to succeed when he was also trying to keep it a secret to her. However, now he couldn't just go to her party empty handed. There wasn't much time for him to be picky.
He remembered that she also seemed to like that one necklace she held up. So, without any more options. Arata settled on buying that and headed back to her.
"I'm back." He returned, showing his wallet in his continued facade. The necklace he bought for her was in his pocket, not even wrapped.
"Great." She stood back up, smiling at him. So far he was glad that she seemed to be ignorant of his plans. Did he finally get something over her? "I have one more place I want to show you." When he checked the time, it was near when everyone should be done with preparations.
"Right, what else did you need to shop for?"
"It's not a store here." She corrected him. Then she took his hand. "Come on, just wait and you'll see it." Arata wasn't certain where she'd want to go to. Though it's not like it'd be somewhere that would be concerning, he hoped.
Wherever this place was, it wasn't at the mall. In fact, it was a little further away than he'd expected.
"Are you having fun?" He asked her, as they walked down the road. The location that she was taking him. It was a little out of the way from society. The more they walked, the less people they saw around.
"It's been a lot of fun." She answered. "I'm glad we were able to do go there together." Her tone, that look on her face. Akiba was being genuine, and Arata was of that. It made him feel a little relieved, even though his original goal was to buy time.
"That's good." He breathed a sigh of relief. Judging by the lack of foot traffic here, it was kind of weird for him. "So what's this place we're going to?"
"Nuh uh uh." She put a finger over her lips. "That's a secret until we get there." With this girl, there was that hidden element that only he knew. Something that should put him on guard, but her acting was enough to make him let his walls down, just a little bit.
Soon, they reached some stairs. In an area where there were no passerby around.
"Close your eyes." She said. "I think it'll make the surprise better." It was at this point he had that small worry in the back of his head. She was his friend, but walking down steps with his eyes closed was not safe in the slightest.
"Are you sure?" He asked her. "I don't want to fall."
"It's fine." She said, calming him with her voice. "Just take the handrail, and I'll guide you. I promise." Arata gulped in fear. Slowly, he closed his eyes, then took the first step.
Each step taken, the questions of what awaited him flooded his mind. Where was she taking him? Why so secretive? Was it because of him?
"Okay, open your eyes." She said, as he felt no more steps having to be taken.
Slowly, he did as she said.
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット