Yet again, Okumori Toshiro finally meets her.

Okumori Toshiro

“O-O-Okumori-senpai?!”

In confusion, I set over to the feminine voice that had said my name.

It was a short and petite girl pointing at me, who wore a white sweatshirt and a tan jacket. Her legs were covered by a pair of loose khakis that almost completely shadowed the clean, white sneakers she sported. The white plain baseball cap and facemask that she also had made it unclear who it was, keeping me stuck in disarray.

Followed by these observations, I could see that the handbag she held and even her body, in general, was shaking all over the place. It was undeniable that the girl in front of me was terrified, but I wasn’t sure why.

“Okumori-senpai…” The girl repeated.

She then appeared to come back to her senses, jumping back fearfully.

“I-I’m not following you! I swear!” She shrieked.

Her sudden declaration made me even more perplexed, and it also caused a swift, cold chill to run down my spine.

Following? Again? Do I even know you?

“Shiori… Chan…?” Miyake had the confidence to ask.

… Stalker-chan?!

Shiori moved to Miyake. “Yes, yes! I’m not trying to be creepy, I’m really not!”

There was a long, uncomfortable pause between all of us.

Shiori’s tone then quieted down. “Wait, how did you know…?”

“Your hair. It’s super smooth. I can remember the texture just by looking at it...” Miyake plainly said.

Okay, one, that’s horrifying. Two, how did you even manage to say that so dispassionately? And finally, three, are your eyes sparkling?

Shiori took a step back, undoubtedly embarrassed and astounded by Miyake’s apathetic compliment.

“T-Thank you?” She weakly said.

“Mm.” Miyake nodded with a generous smile.

But, that pleasantness of Miyake’s went away almost instantly when she asked something else.

“By the way, Shiori-chan, you’re not stalking Ki-kun again by any chance, right?” Miyake asked, gawking.

“No! I just said I wasn’t! I’m not! Not at all!” She argued back immediately. “I never was stalking him in the first place, anyway… Back in the cafe, it was just a coincidence that I saw you guys.”

She quickly looked back up and shot her hands around in a frenzy.

“But, I-I know what I did is bad, though! I really do! I won’t do it again! You guys got creeped out by me, right? Sorry! Sorry!” She loudly apologized while bowing repeatedly.

While Miyake started to excuse Shiori for misunderstanding the situation, there was only one thing that was in my mind.

You saw that whole mess I made in the cafe, didn’t you?

Before I could zone out any longer, I blinked fastly to phase back into reality.

“So, what are you doing here, Shiori-chan?”

There was a squeal that came out of Shiori.

“My caretaker disappeared…”

“You have a caretaker?” Miyake sounded astonished.

Shiori nodded reluctantly and twiddled with her fingers quietly.

“I was shopping with her until we got separated in the crowds… I dunno where she’s at anymore!” She wailed.

Miyake and I met eyes as we heard her overwrought reasoning.

“What do we do, Ki-kun?” She whispered to me, hiding her mouth away from Shiori with her left hand.

I shut my eyelids and relieved a deep sigh.

As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t simply ignore her and tell her to stray away. In the end, it’ll probably be my fault if something bad happens to her.

And with this in mind, I decide not to risk it.

I opened my eyes and simply nodded at Miyake.

She shone when she saw my reply but only made me even more annoyed.

“Oh, Shiori-chaaan!” Miyake exclaimed with her hands in the air.

Shiori shuddered at Miyake’s loud voice. “Y-Yes, Miyake-senpai!” she stuttered.

“You’re staying with us now!”

Shiori froze. Her fists became balled up in what seemed like gaiety, and her uncontrollable wobbly movements returned back to normal.

“Okay!” She blossomed now. “But, I can leave anytime if I'm between Okumori-senpai and Miyake-senpai, though…”

I think it’s too late to say that, Shiori. Miyake’s already pulled you in. Also, what do you mean by that?

“Aww, don’t be so fretful, Shiori-chan. We won’t mind!” Miyake reassured her by slapping away her concern. “Oh, and, by the way, me and Ki-kun over here were planning to go to the clothing store. You wanna come with us?” Miyake leaned forwards and grinned towards her.

Wait, since when did we decide on that?

“Huh?” Shiori stepped back, startled. “I-If it’s fine with you guys…”

Miyake promptly stood up and embraced Shiori in her arms. “Yaaay!”

“Wait-!” Shiori stepped back and raised her hands to try to avoid Miyake, but failed as Miyake’s arms overpowered hers, resulting in a bear hug that wrapped around her body.

“M-M-Miyake-senpai?! I’m not sure-”

“Woah. You smell like vanilla!” Miyake stopped her.

What is this? Am I watching some sort of yuri romance? Is Miyake making a move on her?

“T-Thank you…” Shiori faintly spoke, blushing while looking up at Miyake with the side of her face pushed up against her chest.

“Ki-kun’s mom would go crazy if she realized who you were, right, Ki-kun?”

Displeased still, I reluctantly nodded. She’d probably be freaking out from extreme ebullience. Her reaction to Miyake petrified me, and she isn’t even a celebrity at all. Now imagine if she realized that I had been in the mall with an idol. It’d be deadly.

I should probably keep quiet about this. Well, not that it’s much of a deal to do so, anyways.

“Miyake-senpai… You can stop hugging me now…”

“Huh?” Miyake looked down at her and soon realized. “Oh, right.”

She released Shiori and put her hands behind her back. “Sorry, sorry, I have a hard time containing my excitement, teehee.”

“Um, well, you guys look stylish today. E-Especially Miyake-senpai.” Shiori pointed out.

“Ohmigod, I know, right?! You saw, didn’t you? Look how pretty Ki-kun’s mom made me! These necklaces are super beautiful!” Miyake bragged with the pendants in hand.

How is this monkey so self-confident? I wondered while I watched the two in dreariness.

I just want to smoke. This stresses me out.

“Oh, also, you can pull down your mask when you’re with us! I feel like I’m talking to a suspicious girl, like a hitman, or like, some sort of scary person.” Miyake suggested.

“I, um, can’t.” Shiori anxiously denied. “I’m pretty popular here, so I might get spotted… But! I’ll take it off if I look scary to you! I don’t want you guys to fear me or anything!”

Shiori seemed hesitant about the idea upon saying it.

Miyake, seeing what her careless action did to Shiori, instantly went to comfort her.

“Ohhh, riiight! Not in a bad way, of course! I’m just kidding, Shiori-chan! Kidding!” She giggled while patting her shoulder nonchalantly. “You’re fine! Perfectly fine!”

Miyake’s attention became diverted to me now. “Ooh, by the way, we should probably go now! Ki-kun’s shirt is still ruined!”

Don’t say that with pride, monkey.

“Wait, who’s Ki-kun? Is that Okumori-senpai?”

What? you’ve just realized that now? You didn’t bother to ask the first time she said it?

Miyake pointed at me. “Yes. You didn’t know that?”

“Isn’t his name Okumori, though...?”

“I made it up! If you want, you can call him that too!”

Shiori had to think about it by keeping mute.

“Ki… Ki-senpai?” She indecisively asked.

“Mhm!” Miyake gave a thumbs up.

I couldn’t see Shiori’s expression under her disguise, but it wasn’t hard to see that she was unsure of my nickname purely from her fidgeting. “I’ll stick to Okumori-senpai.” Shiori shortly offered.

“Huuuh? No fun.” Miyake said in a bored tone. “Well, it’s fine, Shiori-chan. It really doesn’t matter anyways!” She then cupped her hands around her mouth. “I think Ki-kun gets mad whenever I say his name. It’s kinda creepy.”

That’s right.

Even if she was whispering, I could hear it loud and clear.

I waited impatiently by the table with my chin on my fist, agitatedly longing to leave so I could replace my ruined shirt. Miyake saw my restlessness and heartily brought her arms to the air.

“Okaaay! Shopping time!”

She giggled and walked ahead of us, with her arms rocking around in high spirits. Shiori, who was still very far from her comfort zone, shortly followed with her handbag clutched tight in front of her chest.

I groaned and pushed myself up from the seat to follow the two.

But, as I began to walk, the feeling of drowsiness I had only increased, and the idea of wanting to just lay down on a bed and sleep in tranquility was all that I could think of.

Why am I so tired? Is it because of how many people are here? Is it because I’m tired of Miyake’s relentless talking?

Or am I just weak?

Man, I really want to go home…

Eventually, Miyake would stop walking, appearing to stop in front of a store. She’d turn around to us and place her hands on her hips with a happy grin. “Surprise!” She celebrated with a laugh.

I looked up at the red sign above Miyake and spotted the neon white words that spelled out our whereabouts.

Uniklo

When I scanned inside through the glass, there were only a handful of customers who were inside. There was no visible employee that could be seen anywhere in the store, only the desk that sat in seclusion with piles of hangers sleeping on the side.

I could smell the cloth and factory scent that exuded from the store, and spotted the various colors of different jackets, shirts, and sweatshirts that were worn on white mannequins in different poses inside the store.

“Um, Miyake-senpai?”

“Yes, Shiori-chan?” Miyake pointed at her as if she was the captain giving its soldier permission to speak.

“I’m… I’m pretty good with fashion!” She tried to sound gallant once more. “I can help you guys if you want.”

But of course, she returned back into being intimidated right after. “But, if you don’t want me to… It’s fine. I can just watch.”

I stood beside her cluelessly.

She’s a very shy girl, isn’t she?

“Hmm… I’m not excellent with fashion like Ki-kun’s mom, sooo… Sure!”

Shiori gazed up at her with shining eyes. “Really?” she asked.

“Of course! I mean, you said you’re good at fashion, so why not? I trust you!”

Shiori chuckled now, “W-Well, I’m average…”

I sighed.

“I believe in you, Shiori-chan! Do your best!” Miyake said like a cheerleader.

“Yes!” Shiori saluted.

Miyake turned around and entered the clothing store, leaving me plainly standing in lethargicness while I watched her gleefully skip inside.

“Hey, Okumori-senpai?”

I moved my gaze down to Shiori silently. Soon, I’d be aloofly staring at Shiori’s daunted look until she’d finally state the obvious.

“Your white shirt is ruined.”

… You don’t think I know that?

“If you want, I can buy another one for you! I’ll even buy a sweatshirt… Or a jacket…”

I pointed my thumb to the entrance and made my way forwards, indicating that I wasn’t against her idea.

Even if this was my first ever actual communication with Shiori, I could already pinpoint what type of person she was just by judging from how she acted. It’s blatantly obvious that she’s just a coward, but I was still on guard.

Girls can be scary, you never know.

As if I have any experience…

But, as soon as I walked in, somebody's head shot out behind a rack of shirts with a thundering “Boo!”

I recoiled and stumbled back, only to hear familiar giggling from where I had been scared.

“Pfft! I actually got you! Haha!” She pointed at me.

I viciously glared at her.

Once Miyake saw my glower, she quieted down. “Sorry. I thought it was just funny.”

“I-It was funny!” Shiori added to our right with a smile. “Ha, ha, ha!” she tried to laugh along.

Both of us looked over to her stiffly, confused and slightly bothered. Shiori stopped upon seeing our looks. “Sorry! Sorry!” She bowed furiously.

“Haha… It was funny, huh? You saw Ki-kuns expression, right? It was so funny!” Miyake tried to match Shiori’s energy but failed.

Watching Miyake’s desperate attempt to cheer Shiori was painful for me to watch. I was no different, of course, because if I had told Shiori to stop her odd way of trying to fit in, it’d probably destroy her soul.

“Also, Ki-kun, look what I have!”

Miyake vanished from my eyes and came back with a clean, white shirt on a hanger. “Tah-daaa! New shirt! I’ll pay for it. It’s just around one thousand, five hundred yen, anyways. I kinda feel bad for ruining your mom's shirt, so, like, think of it as a reward, or like, revenge type thing. I dunno.”

I went over to her and snatched the shirt.

“Like, you know, we’ll be fair and square, or, err, you can be pleased- Hey! What are you doing?!”

I’m gonna buy it, duh. I thought while I shot a glare at her and protected the shirt behind me.

“I’m going to buy it, duh.” She said in a tuneless, bland, and deep voice, then pointing at me and speaking in her usual tone again. “That’s what you're saying right now, aren’t you?!”

Wow, you can read my mind. I nodded.

“Ugh…” Miyake planted her hands on her face.

“I can buy you something, Miyake-senpai!” Shiori interrupted.

“No, no… It’s fi-”

“See? Look! Pretty attractive, right? Haha!”

I turned to Shiori and observed what she had in her possession. I lifted my eyebrows and looked at it attentively, not exactly sure if I was supposed to be blushing or remorseful for Miyake.

Woah.