015

I couldn't help but feel out of place the moment I stepped a foot inside the clothing shop Akibara-san had picked out. I couldn't help but feel a bit out of place. I have always been the kind of person who doesn't really put much thought into what I wear, as long as it's clean and presentable. Yako, on the other hand, seems to be a pro at this whole shopping thing.

The cool air-conditioning unit hit me like a welcome breeze, bringing with it a fair scent of lavender and rose petals from the store's scented candles displayed next to the entrance. A soft, warm light casted a flattering glow on everything and everyone inside the store.

"Good afternoon." Akibara-san smiled at one of the retail workers standing in front of rows and rows of clothing rack, each one displaying different designs and colors of clothes.

The walls next to them were lined with shelves of neatly folded sweaters, jackets, and suits with a small section for shoes in the corner.

I restlessly tapped my fingers inside my pocket while listening to the soft rustling of fabric as shoppers perused through the selection and the muffled sound of an upbeat pop song played overhead. Though the store was clearly one of the more popular ones inside the mall, the crowd of people wasn't too overwhelming, creating a rather ambient atmosphere that I don't mind.

"Okay, so what kind of look should we go for?" Akibara-san, who had finished talking with the retail worker, asked me while browsing through a rack filled with stylish dress shirts.

"I don't really know," I admitted. "I just want to look presentable, I guess."

"Presentable? Come on, Raku-kun, we're going to a party, not a job interview." She teased, flashing me a smile.

"Well, you never know, Akibara-san. Maybe there's a recruiter at the party looking for a detective with exceptional fashion sense."

I could see her roll her eyes at my joke, but she couldn't hide the growing smile that was plastered on her face as she lightly punched my arm.

"Always the comedian, aren't you, Mr. Detective?"

"Well, I figured if I can't solve this case, then at least I can make you laugh, Akibara-san."

"Well, I have to keep up with you, Mr. Detective. Can't let you have all the fun with your puns and jokes," She said, a playful smirk on her lips. "But seriously, let's find you something that will make heads turn at that party."

"Well, I have to keep my wit sharp somehow. You never know when a good joke will come in handy during an interrogation. " I shrugged. "Although,  I'm not sure if me being the center of attention is a good thing. Wouldn't want to steal the spotlight from you after all."

She once again rolled her eyes at me and began picking out some clothes for me to try out.

"Hmm, what's your favorite color, Raku-kun?"

"I'd say something blue, probably something dark as well." I mumbled as I closed my eyes, trying to wrack my brain for whatever color I could call to be my favorite, yet only a shade of red flashed in the darkness.

"Weird... I wasn't staring at the light." I mumbled and cooked my head, wondering why I saw red.

"Something dark... and blue, how about this?" Akibara-san pulled out what seemed to be a jacket that resembled some jeans, causing me to visibly cringe.

"No, huh?"

"Nope."

I immediately shook my head in disdain, making her giggle as she placed back the jacket and began to look for more.

I couldn't help but stare at Akibara-san as she rifled through the clothing rack, her infectious laughter filling the store. As she held up a bright pink suit, I rolled my eyes, knowing that it would clash horribly with my looks.

She seemed to be enjoying herself, and for a moment, I was grateful for her company. But then something caught my attention, or more accurately, someone. I noticed a figure out of the corner of my eye, and my head instinctively turned to follow. The person was eerily familiar, like a face that I had seen for a long time, yet I couldn't think of anything that could explain why.

I thought about whether or not to approach them, but Akibara-san noticed that I was distracted and followed my gaze."Oh hey, that's Hideo-san, right?" She let out a surprised gasp." Oh wow, I haven't seen him in ages."

I nodded, feeling a bit awkward about the situation since I didn't really remember who he was or knew that he went to the same college as me and Akibara-san did.

It made me feel a twinge of discomfort in my gut, reminding me of my unhealthy ways of ignoring everyone and everything back then when I was in college. A sense of anxiety and fear filled my head as I stared at Hideo-san's back, unsure if I should talk to him or not.

Akibara-san must have sensed my unease because she squeezed my arm reassuringly. "Well, let's go say hello then," she said with a warm smile.

I looked at her for a moment before slowly nodding. We slowly approached Hideo, who was too busy looking at a pair of T-shirts to notice us until it was too late.

As Akibara-san tapped on his shoulders, Hideo turned around with a smile that quickly faded into a look of surprise as he recognized us. He rubbed his eyes as if to confirm that we were really there in front of him. "Akibara-chan? Najisai-san? Is that really you?" he exclaimed.

"Oh no, we're just doppelgangers sent by the government to Kidnap you." I said with a smirk.

"Cut that out you," Akibara-san lightly slaps my shoulders before turning her attention towards Hideo-san with an apologetic smile."It's really us Hideo-san, don't listen to this idiot's words."

"Ah yes, the official title of a detective." I deadpanned at her words.

"Pardon me, Mr. Detective,  I should have known not to make light of a detective's title."

"Haha, you two haven't changed at all, haven't you." Hideo-san suddenly chuckled, cutting us off, which slightly annoyed me.

He then turned back to me and whistled,"But wow, Najisai-san. I didn't know you wanted to be a detective."

"Oh? But I was taking criminology during college, though?"

"Well, you always said no and ranted about how bad detective movies and how useless some mystery shows were."

"Oh, well, that's becaus—"

"I honestly thought you were gonna be a recluse or something. You were always so quiet and kept to yourself back in college."

I immediately closed my mouth shut at his words, thinking back to the times when I would sit at the back of every classroom and would be the first one to leave whenever lectures were done.

"Well, some things change, you know." Akibara-san immediately interjected the moment she noticed the shift in my mood, making me inwardly sigh in relief.

"Well, I won't say no that. But it's nice to see you two are still dating even though we graduated."

I raised my eyebrow at the sudden assumption and looked down at Akibara-san, who also stared back at me with a raised eyebrow. I immediately felt something similar to butterflies flying around my stomach and averted my gaze back to Hideo-san.

I shot a quick glance at Yako to see her reaction. She, too, had a faint blush on her face but quickly regained her composure.

I cleared my throat and tried to play it cool, "Sorry to disappoint you, Hideo, but we're not dating." I added a sarcastic tone, "I know we look like the perfect couple, but it's just not happening yet."

Akibara-san gave me a subtle elbow nudge, but I could see the corners of her lips curving upwards. She looked back at Hideo and explained, "We're just friends catching up after a long time."

Hideo-san looked a little surprised but quickly regained his composure and apologized for assuming. I could see the relief on Akibara-san's face, but for some reason, a part of me felt a little disappointed. I could also see her eyebrows knitted together despite the smile she wore, leaving me wondering if she felt disappointed or something else.

Akibara-san, always the social butterfly, chimed out of nowhere, "Hey, Hideo-san, do you want to join us? We're looking for some clothes to wear to a party"

Hiro's face lit up at the invitation. "Sure, I'd love to. I was just out running some errands, but I don't have any plans anymore."

I couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance at the thought of having another person tag along, but I kept it to myself and followed Yako and Hiro further into the store.