Chop, chop, chop...
Enveloped by a warm futon, drifting through a pleasant drowse...
Faintly, I heard the rhythmic sound of a knife at work and the Goddess's Melody that Sara-san was humming to herself.
Was this a dream, or was it reality?
Either way...
For now, I just wanted to remain wrapped in my favorite scent, savoring this moment for just a little while longer...
…………
……
…
"...san?"
"Kazunari-san, wake up for me, please?"
Lured back by a whispering voice overflowing with kindness, sweetness, and heartfelt affection, my consciousness vaguely surfaced.
It felt as if I were still seeing the continuation of a dream, yet I felt as if I were already awake.
"Nn...?"
"Fufu... what is the matter—hyan!? Ka, Kazunari-san!? No mischief... okay?"
The moment my hand, which I had reached out instinctively, touched something very soft—or so it felt.
I thought I heard Sara-san's voice, sounding breathlessly embarrassed and flustered.
"U-Um, Kazunari-san? Could it be that you are already awake?"
"Muu..."
"...Was it just my imagination? Kazunari-san, please wake up."
Even though she told me to wake up, she had been whispering right in my ear for a while now, making me doubt if she actually had any serious intention of rousing me.
Besides, today was Sunday—a precious day where I could finally take a full rest for the first time in a while. Thinking of that, I couldn't quite bring myself to commit to getting up. Wait, huh?
This is a dream, right?
"Um... will you really not get up for me, no matter what?"
"Uuu..."
"If you do not wake up soon, something quite serious is going to happen, you know?"
"Nm...?"
"...I see. Fufu... understood. There is no helping it then, is there?"
The moment I felt a distinct sweetness and a mysterious atmosphere settle into Sara-san's voice, her presence drew close all at once, becoming even more intense near my ear.
"...Darling... wake... up?"
"Fwahhh!?"
A shiver—something pink and electric rushed through my entire body at once. That sweet and intense shock sent me bolting upright in bed.
C-Could this be that move from a while back!?
"Fufu... good morning, Kazunari-san♪"
"G-Good morning!? Um, S-Sara-san!?"
"Yes?"
"Just now..."
"...Fufu."
Gently placing a finger to her lips, Sara-san exuded a sexiness that made my heart skip a beat. To be made this nervous right after waking up was bad for the heart in many ways!
"I-It's nothing..."
"Yes♪ Now, let's go wash your face and get you into some clothes, shall we?"
"...Roger that."
And to top it off, being faced with such a dazzling smile...
I had no choice but to quietly do as I was told.
Well...
Sara-san looked happy, so I supposed it was fine.
……………
"Did you forget anything?"
After lightly tidying my hair, I performed a general check of my appearance. I confirmed the top and bottom, checked the hems, and finally adjusted the collar. Yeah, this should do.
After that, I slid my smartphone into my pocket and tucked a handkerchief and tissues into my body bag. Alright!
"I'm all good!"
"Well then, shall we head out?"
"Yeah."
After checking the locks one last time, I stepped into my shoes and exited through the entrance first.
The first thing that caught my eye outside was an unfortunate cloudy sky. There wasn't supposed to be a rain forecast, but if I had to guess, it looked more like the kind of clouds that brought rain than not.
Click.
Behind me, I heard the sound of Sara-san locking the entrance door, signaling that the final preparations were complete.
Well then, let's get going.
"If we head out now, it looks like we will arrive right when the shops open, doesn't it?"
"True. Though, it's not like I'm specifically aiming for the opening."
"Fufu... since we are going all that way, let's take more time than usual today and look around thoroughly. After all, the main event today is Kazunari-san's shopping."
"Well, that's true, but for me..."
"No♪ Besides, I received word from Mother that you must absolutely buy some personal items for yourself."
"I-I see... from Mayumi-san."
The fact that there was such a clear message meant, conversely, that there would be consequences if I failed to achieve the goal.
If I settled for something half-hearted, or if I tried to talk my way out of it to buy something for Sara-san instead...
"Geez... as I thought, Sara-chan is no good at this. Well then, next time, let's go on a date with your mother-in-law... no, let's go shopping just the two of us, mother and son! It's okay, your mother-in-law will stick by you the whole time until you find what you want, Kazunari-kun... Ah, I know! Since we're at it, let's buy some clothes together. From top to bottom—even your underwear and socks—your mother-in-law will coordinate everything perfectly for you♪ Nfufuu."
H-How terrifying...
Even though it was just my imagination, I felt like I could clearly hear Mayumi-san's voice!
No matter what, I had to find at least one thing I could be satisfied with.
"Ah, that's right. Before I forget... I received this for you from Grandmother yesterday, Kazunari-san."
"From Yukie-san?"
As she said that, Sara-san took a small, plain pochi-bukuro from her pouch.
I took it for the time being, and when I casually peeked at the contents, I froze. Wait...
What!?
Ehhhhhh!?
"Wait!? W-w-what is this!?"
"It is supposedly Kazunari-san's pocket money."
"P-Pocket money... wait, h-hold on!! This is too much! This is way too much!!"
Since it looked like an otoshidama on the outside, I had considered the possibility of it being money... but the problem was the amount.
The design on the bills and the sheer thickness—this was comparable to the wages I had received from Masaomi-san before. Which meant...
This was absolutely not on the level of pocket money!!!
"N-No matter how you look at it, I can't accept this much..."
"Grandmother said that she would leave it with me because she knew you would say that, Kazunari-san. By the way, she said it is strictly non-returnable."
"Ehhhhh..."
T-This was a problem. I had already received a significant amount of pocket money from Masaomi-san just the other day.
And I had already received the date funds necessary for today's shopping from Mayumi-san—the exact amount of which was unknown, giving me nothing but a bad feeling—and now to receive this from Yukie-san!
"S-Sara-san!?"
"Fufu... actually, I received some as well, but this is indeed a bit troubling, isn't it?"
"Ye... yes. This is a bit much, as expected..."
It was natural when I thought about it, but as I suspected, Sara-san had received some too.
If that was the case, she probably gave roughly the same amount to both of us. But to just hand over this much money so easily... what on earth... hmm?
Wait a second.
"Um, Sara-san?"
"Yes?"
"Forgive me for asking something so sudden, but... until now, how was your pocket money?"
"Fufu... if it is the pocket money I usually receive, I think it is probably not much different from what is common for others. At the very least, I am different from Eri."
"I-I see?"
"Yes. So, please think of this as something purely temporary."
Setting aside the comparison with Nishikawa-san, it was certainly impossible for this to be normal.
And if I thought about it carefully, Sara-san was naturally the frugal type who only bought the bare minimum. Considering how good she was at managing living expenses, her sense of money was actually quite solid.
If that was the case, then...
"Please rest assured. As the one who manages the house, I will continue to strive for thriftiness and saving in the future as well."
"U-Um... I'll be in your care, then?"
"Yes, leave it to me!"
Sara-san nodded firmly at my words, showing a smile full of confidence.
That said, I wasn't particularly worried about that point; I just thought that if it was like this every time, I'd honestly be a bit flustered.
"For now, can we stop by a nearby convenience store? I'm a bit nervous carrying around this much cash when I have no immediate use for it."
"Understood. Since we are at it, I will deposit mine as well."
"Yeah. And, this..."
I carefully closed the mouth of the pochi-bukuro again and gently returned it to Sara-san's hand.
This money was more than I could handle as my own personal funds.
"...Understood. Then I will manage it properly on my end."
"Please do."
This money was fine as long as Sara-san used it as needed. Beyond that, we could just keep it for a rainy day.
I would just tell myself that I left it with her for safekeeping, rather than it being personal pocket money.
Yeah, I'm sure that's how it is.
…………………
We attracted attention at the station front, we attracted attention on the platform, and we attracted attention inside the train.
This wasn't a particularly rare occurrence; it was a given whenever I moved together with Sara-san.
Furthermore, today Sara-san was in casual clothes—and on top of that, it was a look specifically chosen for a formal date with me, so the effect was amplified.
She wore a cute blouse with white frills and a ribbon at the chest, paired with a black long skirt with a corset-like waist. Against this sharp contrast, Sara-san's beautiful black hair stood out even more. To top it off, a beret, which she didn't usually wear, sat perched perfectly on her head.
This "designed to kill me" outfit was, of course, because she knew it would make me happy. However, the same effect applied to the rest of the mob of guys.
"...Whoa, for real, that's way too much of a bullseye."
"...D-Damn, she's totally my type."
"...She's definitely a model or an idol."
"...No way, is the guy with her her boyfriend?"
"...Hey, hey, you've gotta be kidding me."
Well, it had been a while since I'd been on a train, but I could see the same old predictable reactions, especially from the groups of men.
While they stared intently our way, they seemed to be getting excited whispering to one another. The content of what they were saying was likely predictable too... anyway, setting those guys aside.
"Sara-san, over here."
"Thank you very much."
Since the next station where the train would stop was the busiest in this area, I had Sara-san move to the corner—the spot next to the door.
I had to do this, or things would get rough later in the crowd.
"Fufu..."
"Sara-san?"
When I stood in a position as if to shield her, Sara-san suddenly let out a small, meaningful chuckle.
"No, it is nothing. Just..."
"Just?"
"...I am so happy... I thought."
"Ah..."
Muttering that, Sara-san showed a bashful smile and, with a soft thud, she leaned her body against me ever so slightly.
That gesture was so adorable that my heart started thumping all at once.
I mean...
The destructive power is too high! It's actually painful for me!
"...Kazunari-san."
"Y-Yes?"
"Just a little longer... like this..."
"G-Go ahead..."
Whether she knew my inner thoughts or not...
Until we reached our destination, Sara-san remained leaned against my chest like a spoiled cat.
I totally forgot there were other people around...
…………
"Whoa... this is quite something."
While looking at the information board set up next to the escalator, I unintentionally let out a breath.
It couldn't be helped; the scale was completely different from any shopping mall I had ever visited.
"Fufu... I had the same impression when I first came here, too."
"I think that's only natural..."
The exterior before entering was already impressive, but there was another building of about the same scale next to it. They were divided into East and West with a connecting walkway in between. There wasn't anyone who could think of such a giant shopping mall as normal.
"So, how shall we move?"
"Let's see... for now, the goal is decided, so I guess we'll just wander around and check the shops that look relevant."
It felt like it wouldn't be much different from our usual routine, but this time I had to cut out even more waste, or I doubted we could even make it through the whole place.
So, naturally, I intended to ignore shops where we had no reason to enter. It would be safer to skip clothing-related shops as much as possible as well.
"Understood. Then, let's go."
"Please tell me if you get tired, okay? Also, please don't hesitate to tell me if there's a shop that catches your eye, Sara-san."
"Fufu... thank you very much."
Now then, should we try going around the first floor, using this escalator as a starting point?
The plan was basically to focus on general goods and electronics.
……………
The first floor we began to traverse was filled mostly with ladies' shops.
Bags, cosmetics, accessories, and natural material items—it was an area where boutiques for women were lined up closely together.
Among them were specialty shops for somewhat rare things like artisanal soaps and incense, but either way, they weren't the kind of shops for me. If this were a normal date, we might have taken a peek, but today was different.
"...There weren't really any shops that stood out, were there?"
"Yeah. Ah, if there's a shop you want to peek into, Sara-san..."
"No, I am not particularly interested in these kinds of shops."
"If you keep saying that, I'm going to end up choosing something for you on my own again, you know?"
"Fufu... please do that on another occasion, okay?"
As per usual, Sara-san showed absolutely no interest in these kinds of shops. Unless I forcibly invited her or she was accompanying Natsumi-senpai, she wouldn't even try to enter shops of this sort.
"The second floor here has a large general goods store, so let's pin our hopes on that."
"Right. Though..."
"Is something wrong?"
"...No, for now, shall we go?"
"Yes."
This was something I had a faint inkling of, but I wondered if I could really find something I wanted that was "meaningful" to me, even if I searched blindly.
If it were something related to Sara-san or something that would be useful to her, I had the confidence that I could think of it relatively quickly. But when it came to my own desires, it was a completely different story.
Perhaps because I'd been away from such materialistic interests for over a year, to be honest, I didn't feel like I could think of anything at all... which was a bit of a problem.