The day turns to Sunday morning.
To get to the shopping mall, we needed to take a train in the opposite direction from the one I usually use for commuting to school, making for a very unfamiliar start for me, a train novice.
「Umm… Satou should be in the second car from the back…」
「Hey, hey, Onii-chan, look at that person. That’s definitely an idol in disguise…!」
…My “cute-loving” little sister, who hardly ever rides trains, suddenly said something strange.
「Even wearing glasses that don’t suit her on purpose… Uuu, Miu really wants to dress that person up…!」
「Where?」
「There, there!」
Following Miu’s excited gaze, I saw a cute girl, like a bundle of potential, looking down a bit but with an excited and gentle expression.
「Ohh, amazing Miu. That’s my friend.」
「No way!?」
The plainness not yet completely wiped away.
But still, the bright charm of a person comes through.
「Good morning, Satou. Sorry for calling out to you so suddenly.」
「Ah, g-good morning, Hinata-kun. No, I’m actually happy you invited me, because I love shopping.」
The usual sense of reassurance.
Satou’s charm and words instantly dissolve my discomfort.
…Besides, with glasses on, I can interact with her the same way as before.
「…Eh, um, is that person Hinata-kun’s…?」
「Yeah, my little sister Miu.」
「Waa…! She’s so cute! Ah, um… n-nice to meet you! I’m Satou Ayane, Hinata-kun’s classmate. T-Thank you for inviting me today, Miu-chan.」
「Ha… cu… cute…」
「Miu, your greeting?」
「…Ni! N-Nice to meet you! U-Um… c-can I shake your hand!?」
「Oi.」
「Fufu, if you’re okay with me, of course.」
「Waaa…! Thank you so much!」
Excited flaxen twin tails and slightly excited long black hair sway joyfully.
No, more importantly, Satou…
「Shall we shake hands too──」
「W-With Hinata-kun, it has to be just pinkies for now.」
As I intertwined my pinky with hers, smiling wryly at her offered pinky, Satou showed a slightly different, sweeter smile than with Miu.
…Well, no rush for a handshake.
After monopolizing both of Satou’s hands with the Hinata siblings and being rocked by the train for about thirty minutes.
「Miu thinks a gray knit dress would definitely suit Ayane-chan~! Ahh~ but if we want to maximize Ayane-chan’s charm, an A-line skirt that highlights your good figure is also tempting… No! Why not go for oversized and add just a touch of slyness…!」
「M-Miu-chan, are you really going to choose clothes for me today?」
「Yeah! Or rather, Miu wants to choose them! Ayane-chan’s clothes!」
It was somewhat expected, but Miu and Satou got along really well.
It might be because they’re both girls and can relate, but above all, the biggest factor is…
「T-Then, I’ll rely on Miu-chan today. …Hey, Miu-chan, in return, can I choose clothes for you too?」
──Light Novels──
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「Is it okay!? Ayane-chan, I love you~!」
「S-So cute… Hinata-kun, Miu-chan is super cute!」
…Thus, Satou’s broad-mindedness in gently going along with Miu’s whims and her “love for children” personality matched perfectly.
Thanks to that, Miu could be as affectionate with Satou as she wanted, and unlike thirty minutes ago, she had now even gained the right to call her by her first name, something I couldn’t achieve even after a week.
「I’m glad you two are getting along, but Miu, Satou, try not to speak too loudly.」
「Ah, true…! Ayane-chan, shh~」
「Fufu, shh~」
They let go of each other’s hands, put their fingers to their noses, and laughed joyfully.
…Ah, Satou looks a bit embarrassed.
「…Wah.」
However, dispelling that embarrassment has been my role recently, and if we’re talking about today’s story, it’s my obvious responsibility as the person who invited Satou…
「T-Thank you, Hinata-kun.」
「This much is no trouble at all.」
When I squeezed my pinky tightly to transmit the warmth of my hand, Satou noticed and smiled shyly, looking happy.
「You two are close, aren’t you~ Normally, boys and girls don’t hold hands, you know?」
「…There’s a deep reason for this.」
Mainly Satou’s various circumstances.
「T-That’s right, Miu-chan. This is, um… because I wanted to hold hands, ahh… I-I mean, it’s our…」
「Well, Miu will understand someday.」
「Ehh~~, will I~?」
「M-Miu-chan will also, someday, meet a wonderful person…!」
「A wonderful friend, that is.」
「Uhh… y-yes…!」
When I secretly stroked the back of Satou’s hand so Miu wouldn’t notice, she let out a ticklish sigh and leaned slightly towards me.
And then she smiled happily again with a “fufu”.
I couldn’t get her to call me by my first name, but I’ve become quite close with Satou over this past week.
She’s now comfortable linking pinkies and resting her head on my shoulder, and each time she does, she shows me a happy smile.
「…Miu wants to hold Onii-chan’s hand too!」
「I-I also want to keep touching Hinata-kun!」
「It’s dangerous for Miu, so let’s wait until we get there.」
「Uhh~ okay~… Then, I’ll just snuggle up to Ayane-chan more now!」
「Wah! G-Geez, help me, Hinata-kun…! Miu-chan is too cute…!」
As we chat lively, Miu snuggles up to Satou, and Satou snuggles up to me.
A clean, refreshing scent.
Plus, the softness of Satou’s arms mercilessly tickles my heart.
「Sorry. Miu loves cute girls, so once her switch is on, even I can’t stop her.」
「I-I see. …Eh, now…」
Well, I’d stop her if Satou was really troubled, but I don’t feel the need to at all right now.
…That said.
It’s also true that Satou’s face is red, so I’ll keep a close eye on her.