Accessories

"So, what do you want to buy?"

He asked Airi as they arrived at the same shopping mall where they had come with Kazuma and Momose.

It was broad daylight and still crowded, so she didn't grab the hem of Minato's clothes, which she had been doing a lot lately.

She had been fidgeting like she wanted to grab him until she arrived here, but Minato was just helping to ward off men, so she knew she couldn't do that.

Her expression was not the cheerful one she always had when she was at home, but almost expressionless.

She was probably in full outing mode. However, when he talked to her, she would have a smiling expression on her face as if she was at home, but only for a little while. Minato was in a cold sweat, wondering if anyone he knew would recognize him.

"Ah, yeah. I have two things I need, but let's start with the small stuff first."

"Small stuff, is there anything we're missing?"

"No, not at all. Please follow me."

As Minato watched Airi walk just a little bit ahead of him, he hoped that he would not see anyone he knew today.

"An accessory store?"

"Yes. I have something to buy here, or perhaps it would be more correct to say I want to find it. In case you're wondering, it's not because I don't like the hairpin."

"…That's good to hear."

Minato was taken to the accessory store where he had bought the hairpin before.

He couldn't help but smiled wryly as she read his thoughts and told him about the hairpin completely ahead of time.

She was a girl too, so she was probably interested in these things.

It seemed to go against what Minato had said earlier about wanting to wear what he chose, but Airi had her own situation, so he wasn't going to complain. In the first place, she hadn't even said she was going to buy something for herself.

But whatever the reason, he felt uncomfortable about having to go to a place like this.

"I hope you find what you're looking for."

There was nothing good to come out of asking questions here. He didn't want to put her in a bad mood by putting a damper on her outing, so he swallowed his question without saying anything.

He thought he'd just sit back and watch Airi make her choice, but she tilted her head at him.

"What are you talking about? Minato-san gets to choose too, you know?"

"…What? Why me too?"

He didn't understand why the two of them would be looking at a single accessory.

This time, he expressed his doubts in words, saying that Airi should just buy what she liked, but she shook her head as if to say, "Good grief."

"Do you notice the kind that I'm choosing?"

"Kind? …Just wait a minute, why are you choosing a pair?"

The product Airi was looking at was a pair of accessories.

Surely, then, Minato would have to choose, but what if he made the wrong choice in the first place?

At his question, she broke the blank expression she had just had and lowered her eyes, looking slightly sad.

"Minato-san, you've been worrying too much about the hairpin. I thought I'd let you get rid of your guilt about accessories here."

"Then why don't you get a different one instead of a pair?"

"That's because I want to give Minato-san a present as a thank you for everything he's done for me. It's not much of a gift if we're looking at it together, but I thought this was the only way to fulfill both of our goals at the same time."

Minato let out a sigh as Airi smiled mischievously at him. The expression on her face was no longer one she would wear when going out, but this was not the time to worry about it.

If they wore such a thing, there was no way he could get away with the excuse of warding off men.

It wasn't not that he didn't like it, in fact he was happy they would be able to wear the same thing, but he couldn't allow it.

"No. If people find out that we're wearing the same thing, they'll make a story out of it for sure, remember?"

"…Then I won't wear it in a place like this. Is that still a problem?"

As Airi stared at Minato with her clear blue eyes slightly moist, his heart wavered, but he digressed and denied it.

"If you want to thank me for what I do, I already got enough. Besides, you're doing housework for me, so don't worry about it, okay?"

"That's not enough. I mean, that's something I want to do, and that's not a thank you. …Is it really not good?"

"…Can you make sure not to wear it in public places?"

"Yes, of course."

"…Let's buy it, then."

"Thank you very much!"

In the end, Minato was the first to break. He thought it was foul to look at him anxiously with tears in her eyes.

When he allowed her after making a firm promise, Airi broke into a brilliant full smile.

Seeing that smile, questions came to his mind.

Would Airi, who has no desire for material things, choose a pair for whatever reason? And what's the point of buying something she can't wear outside?

Airi abhorred unnecessary purchases. He thought this case would fit into that category.

Besides, accessories are meant to be worn when you go out, and if you only wear them when you aren't out in public, then there would be no point in buying them.

However, when it was decided to get it, she smiled like a flower blooming. Minato couldn't understand why.

No, I shouldn't be thinking about anything unnecessary.

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't come up with an answer. Besides, he couldn't take back his statement now, nor that he would.

As he was shaking his head and expelling his doubts, Airi became sulky, perhaps unhappy that Minato hadn't chosen the item even though he had said they would get it.

"Minato-san please choose too."

"Yes, yes, I get it. Also, be careful with your facial expressions. I'm not saying you have to turn it off completely, but at least to some extent."

When he warned Airi that she was showing her emotions to the surrounding people like she was at home, she hastily mended her expression as if she had forgotten all about it.

"…I'm sorry, I'll be careful."

"Please."

While choosing accessories, Minato looked around and found that the exchange between him and Airi had been spotted. The other customers and even the shopkeepers were looking at them as if they were watching something amusing.

He felt like it was already too late, but apparently, Airi was too absorbed in choosing that she was oblivious to the warm glances from the people around her.

Aware that his cheeks were burning with embarrassment, Minato tried his best to choose the right accessory to keep his eyes from looking around.

"How about this?"

"This is good. Let's go with this."

By the time he got used to the stares from the people around him, he was back to his usual self, and after a while of agonizing over what to get, they finally found something they both agreed on.

It was a simple ring necklace, gold pink for the female and silver for the male.

It was simple, and because both of them didn't like anything flashy, so this was just right. The price was also reasonable.

Eh? That person…

As they took the items to the cashier, he thought that the female shopkeeper doing the checkout looked somewhat familiar.

He pulled out his vague memory. He couldn't remember her face in that much detail, but she was probably the same person he had asked when he bought the hairpin.

They weren't on speaking terms, and Minato was sure she wouldn't remember his face, but when they finished paying the bill, the shopkeeper called out to him.

"I see she got the hairpin."

"!!! …That's right. She's pleased at least."

If there is a person wearing a hairpin that they bought in this store next to the customer they talked to before, one is bound to make that assessment.

However, he didn't expect to be spoken to. But even though he was surprised, he replied without showing it.

Airi's eyes widened in surprise for a moment as Minato suddenly spoke to the shopkeeper, but she quickly returned to her usual blank expression.

"I wish you all the best. And please come back and visit us again, new couple(-san)." (T/N: Raw has '-san' added.)

"…Thank you very much."

She seemed to think they were a couple completely, but there was no point in denying it here, so he thanked her and left the store.

Airi's face was slightly tinged with vermilion as she walked next to him. Like Minato, she probably didn't expect to be teased by the shopkeeper.

The conversation was lost and it was frustrating to have her at the point where their hands were barely touching. He didn't think the atmosphere would become sweet and awkward until he left the store.

As he wondered what to say, Airi spoke to him, looking ahead.

"Do you know that person?"

"I asked her the name of the flower when I was buying the hairpin before, I think that's how she remembered it."

"…I see."

They talked awkwardly, trying to catch a glimpse of each other.

When he looked at Airi from the side, the blush on her cheeks had not yet receded.

"…Do we look like lovers?"

"…Don't know."

The blush on each other's cheeks did not disappear for a while.