บท 51: #51 Fortune-teller: Interrupted
I and Karuizawa were currently exploring all kinds of different shops at Keyaki Mall.
I was already regretting that I accepted this. It took so much time just for her to choose what to try out and even after so much time she sometimes decided against buying it. Well, it's not like it took so much time but it was extremely boring. If it wouldn't be Karuizawa who is dragging me around the shops like that then I would have already left.
"You know, you are sometimes really bad at giving compliments, Felix-kun." Karuizawa complained to me with a dissatisfied expression while dragging me to yet another shop.
"How so?" I asked with a confused expression. I guess it's not all about saying beautiful that and cute that. I've never realized that playing the 'role' of a boyfriend is so frustrating and exhausting... Not like I am her boyfriend but that's what I think couples usually do. Just by thinking about sparing some time with a woman while shopping is making me afraid to become anyone's boyfriend.
"Although you probably tell me your honest thoughts about the clothes, I still think that your compliments are too plain. It's hard to choose what you actually like when you say that it looks good to almost every set of clothes I wore." Karuizawa puffed out her cheeks in frustration.
"Well, clothes can definitely make you more beautiful but I think that you are already beautiful enough even without-" I stopped myself from finishing the sentence when I realized how bad it would sound but it seems that Karuizawa was able to understand what I wanted to say.
"Pervert!" She blushed a lot and then yelled to my ear.
"Wait, I didn't mean it tha-" I wanted to explain it because I thought that she was angry however when I noticed a small shy smile on her face I stopped myself once again.
...
"This is our last stop before going to that fortune-teller!" Karuizawa took a few steps from me and turned around with her widely spread hands and her mischievous smile to represent the last shop.
My eyes twitched just from seeing the entrance.
It was simply women's heaven and men's hell. I just took a quick peek through the windows and saw nothing else other than swimsuits, bikinis, women's underwear and I spotted even a few of those famous 'sexy lingerie'.
What the hell, how is that even allowed here?! Isn't this just a high school with mostly teenagers around? I can understand that they must have some stuff for a staff working here but why did they have to make it available for everyone?
"You are kidding, right? You can't actually expect me to go there with you." I said with a twitching smile.
"Come on, don't be like that. It's a normal clothes shop just like the others" She said with a fake confused expression.
It might be normal for you but for us men, it's forbidden territory. Only perverts and the bravest of the men are able to survive there...
"If someone asks you what you are doing there, I will say that you are with me." She said with a genuine pleading expression when she saw that I was really hesitating.
I gritted my teeth and took a look at what time it is.
"If we aren't out of this shop in 10 minutes then I will leave on my own. Do you understand?!" I said in a strict voice.
I don't even know why I agreed to such an unreasonable request...
...
When we entered the shop, a few female clerks threw me a weird look but it soon disappeared when they noticed my uneasy expression along with Karuizawa's happy expression right next to me.
I can swear that they even started to giggle.
I will get you for this, Kei-chan! Just you wait! I thought while gritting my teeth.
Karuizawa quickly took something without me noticing and told me to wait for her right in front of the changing room.
...
It was already around 5 minutes since Karuizawa went there and I was starting to feel quite uneasy with all the stares I was receiving from female clerks. But I knew that they only wanted to make fun out of me...I would never look embarrassed or shy just from the pressure of a few clerks.
I turned at one of the clerks and smiled at her and when she saw this, she actually turned around with a red face from the shame.
"Um, Felix-kun?" I heard Karuizawa's slightly awkward voice behind the cover.
"Hm? I am still here, don't worry" I returned my attention to the changing room and reassured her.
"That's not it...Can you come in? I can't walk out looking like that..." She asked me in a really low voice, I was lucky to be able to hear her.
Is she wearing something more revealing and she doesn't want others to see her scar?
"Are you sure?" I asked just in case but when there was no answer for more than 5 seconds I decided to enter the changing room.
"Coming in-" I said while I was entering the room but I was a bit stunned by what I saw.
Karuizawa was standing there wearing only a red bikini, looking to the side with completely red cheeks while trying to cover her scar with her hand.
I wasn't stunned by what she was wearing since I already anticipated that she was wearing something revealing, after all, there were no normal clothes in this 'indecent' shop. I was stunned by her reaction...Why is she so embarrassed? Isn't it a normal swimsuit that girls are wearing at the pool?
"So?" She asked in a really low voice, not daring to look at me.
"Kei-chan, if you want me to make a fair judgment you should move that hand away..." I pointed at the hand she was using to cover her scar.
"...But-" She hesitated for a while but she still removed it and closed her eyes, not wanting to see my reaction.
When I saw her action I couldn't help but frown. I quietly approached her and placed my usually cold hand on her cheek that was hot as on fire.
She quickly opened her eyes in surprise.
"Who cares about the thoughts of other people? What's important is that you have someone close to you who has a different opinion than other people. I am not saying that you should go and show that scar to everyone but you should at least be able to show it to me without any shame. Because no matter what happens to you, you will always be my-....you will always be beautiful to me." I said with a warm smile while wiping away her tear with my thumb.
I don't even know what I was actually going to tell her earlier but I somehow stopped myself. These words weren't actually what I wanted to say but they still came out themselves almost naturally...
"...Felix-kun" She was gazing into my eyes with full of affection and leaned forward.
Even though it looked like I was calmly looking at her, my heart still started beating faster than usual.
I didn't feel any impulse to draw back away from her so I leaned forward too and slightly tilted my head to the side.
She placed her hands on my shoulders and made herself taller by standing on tiptoes.
When our lips were only a few centimeters away from each other, we were interrupted by the voice.
"Miss, is everything ok?"
We quickly backed away from each other in surprise.
Even I couldn't help but blush a little in this awkward situation.
It's probably the clerk, maybe she saw me entering the changing room and when she noticed I was here too long, she couldn't help but check on us.
"Karuizawa?" I quietly said to wake her up, if she won't respond here it can cause a few problems.
"Ah?! Y- yes! Everything is f-fine!" She quickly responded, even though in a panicked voice, the clerk didn't mind it and just apologized for disturbing.
"...I think I should quickly disappear from here. And you should change quickly too, we don't want to be late for that fortune-teller." I released an awkward laugh, trying to ease the mood.
She just quietly nodded in response so I left the changing room.
I noticed that female clerks were giving me a knowing look but I just kept my poker face under their pressure.
I also decided to quickly go to the restroom and freshen up my face with cold water.
When we went to the counter and it was time to pay, I quickly used my card to pay for it. Karuizawa gave me a surprised look but I just smiled at her. Thankfully, she understood my meaning and just simply thanked me. I didn't want to explain myself here...
When we were on our way to the 'main event' I noticed one small and humble store that piqued my interest.
Maybe I can bye it here... Might as well make a quick stop here.
"Kei-chan, do you mind if we stop here for a while" I pointed to the store.
"I don't mind" She answered with her usual smile...no, maybe she looked even happier while annoyed at the same time but it didn't look like she was annoyed because of me. Anyway, it seems that what happened back in the changing room no longer bothers her which is a good thing.
...
I quickly bought what I wanted but there was one more thing on the counter that caught my eye. It was a necklace with a bloody red half-moon design hanging from the chains.
I am not sure if it would look good on her, neither I know if she will appreciate it but I guess I can come here later without her to take more detailed look at that necklace.
"Why the chessboard? Are you planning to join the chess club?" She asked me and giggled a bit when we left the store.
"Do we even have a chess club?" I mumbled with a doubtful expression.
"Don't ask me..." She shrugged her shoulders and didn't mind me not telling her my reason for buying it.
I didn't want to explain how it can help me train my mind.
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