〇 side Michika
「It’s been a while since I came here, but nothing has changed at all~」
Although the exterior has changed, the shopping mall still has almost the same stores as before.
It’s a subtle but remarkable thing that no store has gone out of business despite the changing trends.
The general goods store we came to for Otou-san’s birthday present was also still there, just as it was in the past.
Having frequented it a few years ago, I used to remember where everything was placed, but after several years, things have been moved around, and I have no idea where anything is.
「For now, let’s take our time and look around, there might be other things too.」
We have plenty of time. There’s no need to rush.
It’s also been a while since I went shopping with Onee-chan, so I decided to simply enjoy it.
「Hey, hey! Michika-chan! Isn’t this cup cute??」
As we walked around the store, Onee-chan excitedly pointed at something. It was a cute cup with a character we loved as children baked onto it.
「Uwaa… nostalgic… We used to collect these often…」
I remember collecting them often because they were my favorites, even if I wasn’t exactly a fanatic.
「I really like this cup! Michika-chan, why don’t you buy one too~?」
「I don’t need it. I don’t particularly like that character anymore, so you buy it for yourself.」
「Ehh~ I wanted us to have matching ones~」
「Matching is fine, but let’s go with something else.」
If I bought something like this and left it at home, it would be a disaster.
If that guy found it, he’d probably tease me again.
「Ehh~ I thought it would be nice to have matching ones~」
Onee-chan looked disappointed but reluctantly put just one cup for herself in the shopping basket.
「Geez… Onee-chan, you’re getting too sidetracked! Sure, I said we could take our time looking around, but our main goal is to find a present for Otou-san.」
「I know that~ Ah, Michika-chan! How about this?」
Saying that Onee-chan handed me a beautiful rimmed plate.
Although she responds well, it seems she’s not listening to me at all.
「It’s beautiful, but don’t you have plenty of plates at your place?」
「No, not for my place, but for Michika-chan’s place!」
「For my place?」
「Yeah, because it’s so beautiful, and Taa-kun might like it too??」
「Yeah… he might like it… wait! What does he have to do with this!??」
「Of course he does? After all, Taa-kun is cooking for you, right? Wouldn’t he be happy to have a new plate?」
「You think so…?」
「I’m sure!」
Onee-chan pushed the plate on me like a salesperson, so I decided to buy it.
「Eh? You’re only buying one?」
As I carefully placed it in the basket to avoid breaking it, Onee-chan commented from the side.
「What? One is enough, right??」
「No, no, plates should come in pairs, you know? What if the plate gets lonely and cries?」
「That would be scary in its own way…」
It’s nothing short of a horror story.
「Then, all the more reason to buy another one so it won’t cry, right? Look, it’s even a bargain for two.」
Seeing the discount tag for a set of two, Onee-chan pushed me like a salesperson, and I gave in, putting another identical plate in the basket.
W-Well… having two won’t hurt…
Yeah, and… two is just right… somehow…
「Michika-chan? What’s wrong?」
Before I knew it, I had zoned out, and Onee-chan looked at me with concern.
「Eh… no, no, it’s nothing.」
「Ahh~ were you still thinking about the matching thing??」
「I-I’m not thinking about that at all!? Besides, why would I need to have matching plates with that guy──」
「I never said anything about matching with Taa-kun~. Those plates are matching pairs for when I come to visit, right??」
「~~!!」
She said it again!
No, this is my fault for falling into the trap so easily.
Onee-chan is somewhat mean for being so obvious, but I’m also to blame for jumping at the bait she prepared.
Onee-chan kept grinning with satisfaction the whole time.
I felt like giving her a light punch, but unfortunately, I had the shopping basket in my hands. I couldn’t risk breaking the plates, so I held back my fist and my feelings tightly.
「G-Geez… that’s enough… Come on, let’s go.」
With my free hand, I forcefully grab Onee-chan’s hand and march forward.
「Ah, w-wait~. It’s dangerous if you pull me so forcefully~」
「Then, stop teasing me like that.」
「I’m not doing anything, Michika-chan is just digging her own grave~」
Unfortunately, she’s absolutely right.
Realizing that continuing this argument would be disadvantageous, I focused on finding the coin case, business card holder, and key case we were looking for.
As I pulled Onee-chan’s hand and walked around the store, we finally found the right section.
「Onee-chan, could this be it?」
Although they serve different purposes, these three items are closely related in classification.
I figured that if we found one, the others would be nearby, and it seems I was right.
The coin cases and key cases were lined up on the same shelf, and the business card holders were on the opposite shelf.
「We finally found them. Iyaa~ it was tough because the placement is completely different from when we used to come here…」
As Onee-chan said, the current location was quite far from where they used to be placed when we frequented the store. While I understand the need for rearrangement, it seems inconvenient from a customer’s perspective as it can cause confusion.
However, considering various circumstances, I didn’t say anything and reached for the coin cases.
「By the way, what color does Otou-san like?」
If we’re going to give a present, I want to be particular about it rather than just choosing randomly. Since there are various shapes and colors of coin cases, I wanted to match Otou-san’s preferences.
──Light Novels──
──Read Here──
「U~n, green or light green? I heard he likes natural colors…」
「Natural colors…?」
「Nn? What’s wrong…?」
「N-No… I was just thinking about coincidences…」
「Could it be…?」
「Yeah…」
Onee-chan narrowed her eyes, but she seemed to understand from my reaction.
「Taa-kun might be surprisingly similar to Otou-san…」
Onee-chan let slip.
No, no, no, no way!
That guy similar to Otou-san?? In what way?
That guy isn’t that obsessed with me…
Wait… come to think of it, they might actually be similar in some ways…
Remembering a certain person he shows abnormal affection for, I stopped talking.
And the color might not just be a coincidence.
When that guy came for housekeeping before, he was unusually fond of the houseplants in the room.
When I saw that and asked him about it, he said he quite liked houseplants. That’s why his favorite color is green…
It’s definitely the same reason for Otou-san…
Otou-san’s hobby is mountaineering.
Uhh… to think that guy is similar to Otou-san in some ways…
Their personalities are opposite, and their appearances are completely different.
Yet, they show an abnormal synchronicity in certain aspects.
I shouldn’t have asked…
What I asked carelessly came back as a greater damage than I imagined.
「Well, well… Michika-chan. It’s not uncommon for people to like the same color. It’s just a coincidence, so it doesn’t mean he’s similar to Otou-san.」
Maybe Onee-chan knows and is saying this?
If she’s going to comfort me, I wish she’d choose her words more carefully.
What if I start remembering this every time I see green?
Sighing at a future I don’t even want to think about, I put greenish items into the basket.
The business card holder is a dark deep green, almost black. The coin case, being something to be shown in public, is a relatively dark olive green.
The key case is light green. Onee-chan chose this one.
「Alright, I guess this is it…」
We’ve got what we came for, so now we just need to head to the checkout.
As I start walking with the basket, Onee-chan stops me.
「Michika-chan, you haven’t bought anything you want, have you??」
「I bought plates though…」
To be precise, I was made to buy them, but since they’ll be at my place, they become mine.
「Isn’t there anything else you want?」
「Not particularly…」
「Really? Maybe you’ve been too focused on the basket and haven’t looked around properly?」
「That’s not──」
「I’ll hold this for you, so go take a look around.」
Saying that, Onee-chan took the basket from me.
「Wait, if you’re that rough, they’ll break!」
「Don’t worry! I may not look it, but I’m careful.」
「Really?」
「Really, come on, hurry up! Or they’ll escape.」
「Geez… goods don’t run away…」
Pushed by Onee-chan, I went to look for something I wanted.
Even if I’m suddenly asked what I want… there’s nothing I particularly want in terms of goods…
As I looked around, I naturally returned to a certain spot.
And something caught my eye.
Ah, I didn’t notice it before, but there was this color too…
That guy… if I give this to him… how will he react…
Will he think it’s weird…
I was supposed to be looking for something I wanted, but before I knew it, I was unconsciously thinking about that guy.
Again, my heartbeat naturally quickens.
After wrestling with the decision to buy it or not, I reached out for it.
「Welcome back~ Did you find anything good?」
Onee-chan was waiting near the checkout.
I nod once in response to Onee-chan’s question and put that in the basket.
「…Have you decided when to give it?」
「No… I haven’t decided yet.」
「I see… you haven’t decided yet.」
「Yeah…」
「I hope he’ll be happy.」
「Yeah…」
Nodding slightly, I gripped the hem of my clothes tightly and stared at that.
〇
A few days later, we went back to our parents’ house for the birthday party.
We gave the present as a surprise, but Otou-san cried so much that the hardwood floor became a chaotic mess of tears and snot.
I’d like to avoid that next year if possible.
As I watched the disastrous scene, I strongly felt that way.