39 Present for you

With those words, she exited the shooting range. The holy knights shooting range was not in a concealed location. It was part of the leisure center right in the middle of the city. Normal people, however, cannot enter. Others simply see it as an elite shooting range for the rich people.

Her gaze fell on the large clock in the center. It's time for lunch. Should she grab a bite to eat somewhere?

Sumire proceeded to walk away when she spotted somebody leaning against one of the pillars. She blinked when she saw Mamoru.

"Ru? What are you doing here?" She rushed over to him.

"Uh, I had some free time."

"How did you know I was here?"

It was just an innocent question. Ru is not like that weird underground doctor who practically stalks her. That guy seems to know wherever she goes, and that's why her past suicide attempts have failed.

"It was just a guess. I went to a few other places first, actually." Mamoru rummaged through a small bag and took out a small yellow-colored box with a white ribbon attached to the center. "Here, this is for you."

Sumire opened the box to see a gorgeous four-leaf clover necklace.

For a moment, she blinked and was startled at what she was seeing. "R-ru, what is this?"

"It's a necklace."

"I can see that, but it looks expensive." Sumire trailed off even more puzzled. Ru has given her plenty of gifts over the past few years, but he does not have much of a budget, so everything he got her was cheap or handmade.

The price of the items never bothered her; she liked everything he gave her. But this necklace is definitely expensive- Sumire got a glimpse of the tag on the box.

"S-sepia jewelry?"

Sepia jewelry is one of the largest jewelry stores in Japan. Many celebrities buy their jewels from there. As an upcoming idol, of course, she was familiar with it.

She even saw the catalogs of jewels from that place. All the designs were simple yet made with such craftsmanship making them look very elegant. But jewels from this place are very expensive.

For the usually stingy Ru to buy her something like this. "Is it okay to accept this?" It's very pretty, and she likes it, but the price-

"It's fine. I had some extra cash." Mamoru turned to walk away.

Sumire's gaze fell on the necklace. "You have never given me something like this before. Is it to make up for not being with me recently? You don't have to feel bad, Ru. I know you're busy. You can't be with me all the time."

"Gahh, that's not it." Mamoru turned around, frustrated. "I was walking by the shop, and it caught my attention. I thought it would look good on you and that it would make you happy."

Sumire felt her heartbeat increase when she heard those words. She watched his expression and saw his entire face had turned red.

"It's embarrassing saying this. But I don't want you to misunderstand or feel burdened by it."

Her gaze softened. He is truly a sincere and foolish person. The things that leave his lips are sincere words. He has never lied to her.

Sumire took the necklace out from the box. "Then Ru, help me put it on?"

"Uh, right." Mamoru took the necklace from her and quickly fastened it around her neck.

The entire time she noticed how he was avoiding her gaze, she could hear the sound of somebody's heartbeat. How strange for him to feel so self-conscious around her.

They are indeed older now, but they have been together ever since they were kids. Isn't it silly to feel weird around each other now?

Still, it did make her heart skip a little. Ru has grown into a fine man. She is sure whatever girl he ends up with will be very happy.

Sumire paused in mid-thought. The girl Ru ends up with? For some reason, it was hard to imagine that. She tried to get some information out of him last night.

But from the sounds of it, Ru is not close to other women; moreover- it seems like she is the most important to him.

'I feel flattered and relieved. But I wonder if it's okay, I want Ru to be happy too.'

"D-done."

Sumire's gaze fell on the necklace around her neck. "It really is pretty. Does it look good on me, Ru?" She spun around with a bright smile on her face.

"I-it looks good."

Sumire laughed. "Then, as a thank you, can I treat you to some lunch?"

"I want a large slice of pizza."

"Then let's go; the food court is over there."

She wonders what other people think when they see them together. Like her ex, do they think Ru and her are a couple? How unusual; she had never had thoughts like this before. Is it because of what happened last night?

It was the first time she thought, 'oh, boys have a pleasant smell around them-' The first time she was so close to another man, and that man happened to be Ru, who she had been friends with since childhood. It's so weird; for her, Ru has always been Ru.

She never thought she would feel self-conscious toward him. Maybe it's because of what happened with that strange guy the other day. But recently, she has been paying more attention to 'romance.'

She is sixteen, according to the teachers in school. 'Even if this is the age to fall in love, remember your studies.'

One of the things she noticed since returning from winter break was the increasing number of couples in the classroom. It seems like a large number of couples occurred during the break.

She just recently had a boyfriend, so it's not like she had no experience. But maybe it would be nice to have a normal relationship with someone in the same school as her, and not somebody older. Sumire sighed deeply.

No, there is no point in that. The guys in school treat her like some kind of flower in a vase. She doubts any of them who confess to her are actually sincere.

Moreover, maybe her break up with Sano is a blessing. Having a boyfriend when she is about to become an idol would not be convenient. It would cause the company problems due to the large age difference between her and Sano.

Yes, the break-up was for the best. Since then, she has not seen him at all. An entire month of not seeing each other in this small town? It is very strange. She thought she would at least bump into him a few times, but she had seen no trace of him or even that secretary woman of his.

It's strange, but perhaps this is for the best. There have been many incidents recently that require her attention. She cannot afford to get distracted, even for a moment.