Choosing Clothes

"It's worth choosing if it looks good! Here, try this next!"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it."

Momose was having fun using Airi as a dress-up doll.

Although Airi was a bit taken aback by Momose's excitement, she didn't complain and changed her clothes. Minato guessed she was happy to be able to dress up for some reason.

He watched her from a distance, and she looked really good in all kinds of outfits, from the standard casual ones to the naturally beautiful ones, as well as the girlish ones that went against her beautiful appearance.

In the middle of the shopping, the clerk joined in the excitement, and there was no room left for the two boys.

Minato complained to Kazuma, standing a little distance away from Airi and Momose.

"I feel so alienated."

"It happens when I go clothes shopping with Shiori, you should get used to it. Well, this time, Ninomiya-san has become a dress-up doll."

"Surely you're used to this happening every time."

Kazuma seemed to be used to it, but his expression was bitter and full of struggles.

Momose was also a beautiful girl, so Minato could understand Kazuma's point of view. The direction of her beauty was divided into cute and beautiful.

In the past, even though they were childhood friends, they didn't go shopping for clothes together because Minato didn't want to get in the way of their dates, but now that the four of them were going to be working together, Minato had to be prepared for this.

While answering Kazuma with a chuckle and looking at Airi, who was now a dress-up doll, Momose beckoned to Minato.

Minato wondered what she would want, as he initially thought he wouldn't be needed.

"What's wrong?"

"They all look good on her and I can't choose, so I want Minato-kun to decide."

"Why me?"

"Huh…? Seriously, this guy!"

All of them looked good on Airi, so she should have just gone with the one that Momose and the clerk thought looked best. In the first place, Airi herself might have had her own preference.

There was no need for Minato to go out of his way to choose, so he asked Momose about it, but she gave him a dumbfounded look and let out a big sigh.

"Hey, Airi. Which do you want to wear, the clothes we pick or the clothes Minato-kun picks?"

It seemed that she had decided that asking Minato was no good, so Momose changed her target to Airi.

Nevertheless, she would be better off in the clothes that Momose and the clerk had chosen for her. You can't go wrong with clothes chosen by people who are used to doing this.

As Minato thought this–

"If that's the case, Kujo-senpai, will you please pick for me?"

Airi asked Minato with a slight tint to her cheeks and a tilt to her head.

Minato didn't think that she would choose him.

"But I don't really know anything about girls' clothes, so maybe I shouldn't."

"It's okay if you don't understand, I want to wear what Kujo-senpai chooses. Is that wrong?"

"…All right."

Minato couldn't say no when she said so. He started to choose clothes while ignoring Momose's and the clerk's very warm eyes.

While he was choosing, Airi was smiling cheerfully beside Minato. She didn't give him any advice, though.

In the end, Minato chose one of the ones that Momose and the clerk had dressed Airi in.

"How about this one?"

"Okay, I'll try it on again."

Airi returned to the fitting room. While Minato was waiting in front of the fitting room for her to change, he felt a little embarrassed, and then, the curtain opened, revealing Airi.

Momose said that she had chosen a flared skirt and a thin blouse, because it looked feminine and neat.

Minato thought it would be good to wear something light since it was going to get hotter, and he also thought that something elegant and feminine would suit Airi.

Looking at her figure again, she looked very good.

"It looks good on you, you look beautiful."

"Ah, thank you very much. I think I'll wear this one then."

When he praised her honestly, Airi giggled shyly. Momose's expression changed from a lukewarm one to a grimace. She looked very irritated.

They were told that she could wear it as is and go home, so Minato waited for Airi to remove the tag and went to pay.

When he took out his wallet to pay for the clothes as well, Airi stopped him.

"Kujo-senpai, these are my clothes, I'll pay for them."

"No, it's for everything you've done for me. Let me pay for it."

"You already paid for it, so you can't now, okay?"

"The price of the cosmetics I just paid is insignificant."

When neither Minato nor Airi gave in, the clerk laughed at them as if seeing something funny and offered to help.

"Why don't you have your boyfriend treat you here?"

"Bo-Boyfriend?!" (T/N: Imagine Airi with flushed cheeks, spinning eyes, and smoke coming out of her head. This is what came to my mind while translating.)

Airi's cheeks flushed and she was flustered.

Apparently, the clerk was on Minato's side. He wondered if he should treat her like a boyfriend, but he decided to take advantage of the situation.

"That's what she said. Why don't you let me get it?"

"…I understand. Thank you very much."

Minato paid and walked out as Airi gave him permission. As he was leaving for the register, the clerk told him in a small voice.

"You have a lovely girlfriend. Take good care of her."

"Yes."

Although she was not his girlfriend, Airi was a girl that he had to take care of, and there was no lie when he said that he would do so.

Airi seemed to have heard the conversation with the clerk clearly, and turned her face down, while red up to her ears.

No matter how much Minato wanted to pay, what he had just done might have been too much.

"Just so you know, it's just an excuse for me to pay."

"…Yes, I know that."

She didn't look up for a while, even though she said she knew.

After that, they went around the mall, and in the evening, Minato and Airi separated with Kazuma and Momose.

"Thanks for today, it was fun to go shopping with you!"

"Me too. Thank you, Shiori-san."

"See you, guys."

"Yeah, see you."

"Good bye."

It was mainly just Momose who was making a lot of noise, but now that she and Kazuma were gone, it suddenly got real quiet.

Minato wondered if Airi had enjoyed herself today. From the look on her face, he didn't think she was unhappy, but she was the type of person who didn't like to go out, so Minato seriously had no idea.

"Ninomiya, did you have fun today?"

"Yes."

"I see. That's good."

"Kujo-senpai, do I look good in this outfit?"

"Yeah, it suits you. It fits Ninomiya's beautiful image."

"Is that so…"

Minato didn't think that she would ask him again about his impressions now, but he decided to be honest.

He couldn't make out the expression on Airi's face as she said a few words due to the fact that it was already evening.

After that, they walked without having any particular conversation. He didn't touch her next to him, and there was no sweet conversation.

But Minato thought that it wasn't so bad to go out like this.