〇 side Michika
「Fuaa… we finally arrived~」
After about 15 minutes of being driven by Matsuda-san.
We arrived at a shopping mall we used to frequent.
As we get out of the car, a landscape different from the past greets us.
The exterior of the shopping mall looks newer than it was a few years ago when we went there, probably due to renovations.
However, looking around, the presence of many families remains unchanged from the past.
The nostalgic atmosphere naturally brings a smile to my face.
「This feeling… it’s nostalgic.」
It seems I wasn’t the only one thinking so, as Onee-chan stretches and shares her thoughts about being here.
「Yeah… nostalgic.」
Memories of visiting this place with Onee-chan come flooding back.
This place was truly our playground during our childhood.
「Then, shall we go?」
「Yeah.」
Onee-chan starts walking. I follow her lead.
Walking behind Onee-chan feels nostalgic too…
Thinking this, I followed her back.
「First of all, the top priority is to find a present that will make Otou-san happy! Michika-chan? Do you have any good ideas?」
As soon as we entered the shopping mall, Onee-chan threw the responsibility at me.
「Even if you say that…」
Until this morning, I hadn’t even thought about Otou-san’s birthday present, so being suddenly asked if I have any good ideas is honestly troubling.
In the past, I used to draw portraits for him, but now that I’m in high school, giving a handmade gift feels a bit embarrassing.
So, we’re probably thinking of buying something at the shopping mall, but I have no idea what would make him happy, having not given a present to a male family member in a while.
「Nnn~ what should we do… it has to be something Otou-san would like~」
Onee-chan is thinking along with me, but we can’t seem to come up with anything good.
「Ah! I know! If we’re looking for a present that would make a man happy, wouldn’t it be fastest to just ask a boy??」
That’s certainly a good idea.
As women, we don’t know what men would be happy to receive.
So, we should just ask someone of the same gender.
「Who are you going to ask? A friend from university?」
Onee-chan has a wide circle of friends. She must know lots of boys who can give us the right advice.
「A friend from university? No? That’s not it.」
Apparently, I was wrong. So, who then??
「I was thinking of asking Taa-kun?」
「T-That’s…」
There were two reasons I couldn’t agree immediately.
One is that I’m still a bit embarrassed to hear his voice, and the other is that it’s wrong to ask that guy for advice on presents.
I don’t want to be too harsh, but I can’t imagine a future where we choose a good present by asking him for advice.
「U~n, was that a no? …Or maybe, Michika-chan wanted to call Taa-kun directly??」
「N-N-N-Nobody said that! Besides, he might still be sleeping since yesterday was the sports festival! It would be a nuisance to wake him up.」
The words that came out of my mouth, despite the lingering embarrassment, lacked conviction and were painfully weak.
「You say he’s sleeping, but it’s already quite late, you know??」
「Uhh…」
It’s a perfectly valid point.
It’s probably past 10 AM. He shouldn’t be sleeping this late.
「You know…? Michika-chan, it’s not like your relationship has changed, so there’s nothing to worry about, right? I don’t think he’s worried about it.」
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「E-Even if you say that… I’m the one who’s worried… I mean… I haven’t even sorted out my feelings yet…」
「Haa… so cute.」
「Eh…」
「Sorry, can I hug you just once?」
「No way, absolutely not. I don’t want that in public!」
I desperately resist Onee-chan as she approaches with open arms.
「Che… ahh~」
Onee-chan pouts, but from my perspective, it’s no joke. If we were younger, we might be seen as affectionate sisters, but now that we’re a grown woman and a high school girl, doing this in public would draw puzzled looks from those around us.
「How about we rely on the internet? It’s definitely better to refer to surveys with a large number of responses than to rely on a single opinion.」
Feeling that the conversation was going off track, I forcefully steered it back to the original topic.
「Well, that’s true…!」
So we immediately searched for “gifts that make men happy”.
And then, a lot of options come up.
A ranking list would be more reliable, right?
My hand stops involuntarily at a particularly eye-catching title in the list.
I tap to view the site.
Waa… it’s one of those sites with various input fields…
It’s surprisingly detailed…
Upon entering the site, the first thing that appears is a selection field for the recipient of the gift.
Male or female, what kind of relationship, what age group? It’s all categorized in detail. For now, I selected male for gender, parent for relationship, and 40s for age group.
Then, about twenty recommended gifts are displayed.
Among them, the top recommendation seems to be at the very top,
「How about alcohol?」
The most popular gift for a father was alcoholic beverages like wine and beer.
Indeed, it seems like a gift that would be appreciated by someone in the father’s generation.
「Unn… I wonder. Consumables, huh…」
I know why Onee-chan’s expression isn’t clear.
Otou-san dotes on us excessively. He would appreciate consumables, but it’s easy to imagine him finding it too precious to drink and just storing it away.
Then, gourmet gifts are out too…
There were other food-related items, but all of them were rejected.
So, the next popular option is…
「Tumblers were also recommended…?」
This is another item often used as a container for alcoholic beverages.
It seems that alcohol-related items are popular with this generation.
「Tumblers, huh… I think it’s a good idea, but… we already have quite a few nice glasses and tumblers at home…」
That’s right, our parents do enjoy their drinks.
They’re not heavy drinkers, but they consume more than the average person.
That’s why they have a collection of containers for alcohol.
Then, tumblers are out too…
As I scroll down further, more recommended products are introduced.
As I keep looking at my smartphone, I find an item that catches my interest.
「Ah, how about a coin case, business card holder, or key case?」
Personally, I think these gifts are pretty good.
I like that they won’t be stored away unused and will likely be used.
「Indeed, that might be good… Shall we go take a look?」
「Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.」
We’ve decided on the type of present.
We headed towards a general goods store in the shopping mall to look for a coin case and business card holder.