"You Look Beautiful In That Dress: Red"

As Fuyumi looked at Shiriku with irritation, she demanded, "What? You look like you want to say something to me? What is it?" Her expression was clearly ticked off, and Shiriku, averting his eyes nervously, mumbled, "Umm... Is just that."

Fuyumi, still frustrated, pressed, "What is it, Shiriku?!" maintaining her irritated demeanor while attempting to call Sachi. Sensing the tension, Shiriku, with a warm smile, confessed, "You look like a different Fuyumi than the first I've met," gazing into Fuyumi's eyes.

Fuyumi, caught off guard, questioned, "Huh? I look like what?" Shiriku clarified, "I meant you look beautiful in that floral off shoulder dress." Fuyumi blushed, looking surprised, and abandoned her attempts to call Sachi. Approaching Shiriku, she smiled while averting her eyes and responded, "If- if you say so... Thank you, Shiriku," her face still tinted red.

Shiriku, content with his compliment, put his hand on Fuyumi's forehead, asking, "You okay, Fuyumi? You've been red all this time." Fuyumi removed his hand, declaring, "You! You really are an idiot," and started walking away. Shiriku, confused by her reaction, followed, saying, "Wait, Fuyumi!" The air was thick with emotions and gestures, adding depth to the unfolding interaction between Shiriku and Fuyumi.

As Fuyumi walked away, Shiriku, perplexed by her reaction, quickened his pace to catch up. "Wait, Fuyumi! What's going on?" he asked, reaching out slightly as if trying to grasp the reaction that surrounded her.

Fuyumi, still blushing and maintaining a certain distance, crossed her arms defensively. "I don't know what you're talking about. Just forget it," she replied, avoiding eye contact but her eyes betraying a mixture of embarrassment and something else.

Shiriku, not one to easily drop a conversation, stepped in front of Fuyumi, blocking her path gently. "Come on, Fuyumi. You can tell me. Did I say something wrong?" he inquired, his expression earnest as he looked into her eyes, trying to decipher the unspoken.

Fuyumi sighed, her shoulders dropping with a hint of frustration. "It's not about saying something wrong. You just caught me off guard, that's all. I'm not used to compliments like that," she admitted, twirling a strand of her hair nervously.

Shiriku, picking up on her discomfort, nodded understandingly. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just wanted to be honest. You genuinely look good," he said, a soft smile playing on his lips, his hands gesturing to emphasize his sincerity.

Fuyumi, a mix of emotions flickering across her face, uncrossed her arms and sighed again. "Well, you succeeded in surprising me," she confessed, a small smile breaking through her initial facade. "But you could've been more subtle."

Shiriku chuckled, scratching his head. "Subtle isn't my strong suit, you know that," he teased, attempting a playful wink that only added to Fuyumi's amusement.

Fuyumi rolled her eyes, but her smile remained. "Clearly. Anyway, let's drop it. Follow me Shiriku" she suggested, starting to walk again, and Shiriku fell into step beside her

.

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"So, Fuyumi, we've been walking for 5 minutes now. Where are we going? What are you gonna buy?" Shiriku asked curiously. Fuyumi responded with a serious tone, "Don't talk and just follow me, Shiriku," averting her eyes.

After 30 minutes of wandering around the mall, Fuyumi announced, "We're here." Shiriku checked his watch and exclaimed, "Huh? It took 30 minutes for us to arrive here?" As he raised his head and read the sign, his eyes widened. "Ladies Swimwear!" he exclaimed. "Wait, are you saying we're going there? This was the place!" Shiriku expressed, looking about to lose it.

Meanwhile, Fuyumi, hearing his words, had an inner thought to herself, "This is so embarrassing. Going out with a boy buying a bikini, and that boy is not just a random boy; it's Shiriku." Fuyumi panicked and felt embarrassed as she looked at Shiriku, who was trying to maintain a serious demeanor in the situation.

In Fuyumi's inner thoughts, she lamented, "Sachi... This is your fault. I already told you last week that you'd accompany me today, and you wouldn't even answer your phone!" The scene flashed back to Fuyumi and Shiriku walking around the mall, with Fuyumi trying to hide from Shiriku that she's using the phone to call and message Sachi. Back in the present, Fuyumi sighed and tried to look serious. She grabbed Shiriku's left hand with her right hand, saying, "Let's go, Shiriku," while internally expressing, "Ahhh, everything is so embarrassing. I'm holding his hand while trying to get him to accompany me inside to buy a bikini."

However, Shiriku wouldn't budge from where he was standing, looking nervous. He suggested that he should stay outside since going there was a girl thing, and he wasn't sure if boys were allowed. Fuyumi, feeling increasingly flustered, looked at Shiriku with an annoyed expression. She then tugged gently at his hand, insisting, "Come on, Shiriku, it's not a big deal. Besides, I need your opinion on something." She tried to lead him towards the store, still holding his hand, while Shiriku hesitated but eventually followed along, feeling a mix of confusion and curiosity.

In Fuyumi's inner thoughts, she couldn't help but find Shiriku's hesitation cute. She sighed and pointed out that there was a guy working inside the store. Shiriku stammered, "Bu-but," but before he could say more, Fuyumi insisted that he accompany her. They entered the store, and Fuyumi began browsing the bikinis while Shiriku, at the back, tried his best to think of the purest things to avoid looking at the displayed items.

As Fuyumi was engrossed in choosing, Shiriku mentally attempted to distract himself. Meanwhile, a store worker commented, "Look at those two; aren't they cute?" The other worker agreed but added, "But look at her boyfriend; it looks like he's trying his best not to look." The coworkers shared a brief laugh at Shiriku's expense, unaware that he could hear them. In Shiriku's mind, he muttered, "I can hear you."

Fuyumi continued browsing, her mind racing with tension as she tried to choose the perfect bikini. The conflicting emotions of embarrassment and the pressure of the situation weighed on her. Simultaneously, Shiriku maintained his internal struggle to keep his focus on anything other than the array of bikinis in the store.