Chapter 45

After finishing their meal, Yugen and the others parted ways with Sei and the others.

After seeing them off... Arisa muttered softly.

"They gave up so easily, didn’t they?"

"Yeah. Both of them understood quickly, which was a bit of a relief."

The fact that Yugen and Arisa were not a couple was clearly conveyed.

However, it seemed they had also sensed that they were not just friends, but they didn’t pry further, which was very much appreciated.

"But, Yugen... Talking to Sato but not to Ryoshansi, is that... okay?"

"About my social relationships?"

"Yes."

"Sei won’t get upset over something like that. Well, I do feel a bit bad about it."

Sei and Soichiro are equal friends to Yugen.

If he had told Soichiro, he should have told Sei as well, but...

However, information can leak from anywhere, so it’s safer to keep it under wraps if possible.

When it came to Soichiro, it was in the pool, where there was no way to deny the situation.

And Ayaka, who is very perceptive and sharp, was there.

This time, it was a situation where he could fudge things a bit.

Moreover...

"Sei may seem talkative, but he’s actually very discreet, and we’ve known each other for a long time, so I trust him. But, I don’t really know Nageli’s character at all."

Sei wasn’t the only one there; Tensho was there too.

Yugen could vouch for Sei’s character, but not for Tensho’s.

"Nageli didn’t seem like a bad person. ...But her personality isn’t very good."

She seemed to hold a grudge over being laughed at so much.

Arisa frowned beautifully.

Yugen chuckled.

"Well... As long as we can’t determine which of them is trustworthy, it’s safer to keep it under wraps. By the way, if Sei questions me later and I can’t fudge it..."

"Do you trust Ryoshansi? If you do, it’s fine. I can’t trust Ryoshansi, but I trust you."

"I appreciate that."

Of course, he trusted Yugen’s judgment of people, but...

More importantly, she was worried about his relationships.

She might be concerned that if Yugen’s friendships were damaged to protect him, it wouldn’t be right. Still, Yugen appreciated Arisa’s consideration.

Now, to just say "goodbye" would be too dull, so Yugen and Arisa decided to walk around the nearby shopping mall.

"Yugen, is there anything you want to see or buy? I’m thinking of buying some fall clothes... If my budget allows, maybe a coat."

"Sure. ...I’m thinking of buying some accessories."

When Yugen said this, Arisa’s eyes widened in surprise.

While he wasn’t completely indifferent to fashion, it was unexpected that Yugen, who didn’t seem particularly fashionable, would want such things.

Yugen had his reasons and felt a bit embarrassed as he tried to cover it up.

"Well, you know... You’re fashionable, right? If we’re going to walk together, I need to step up my game. I don’t want to be a disgrace to you."

Yugen’s words seemed to please Arisa, who said in a good mood.

Though it was partly a joke, her somewhat authoritative tone made Yugen chuckle.

"Who do you think you are?"

"Your fiancée, perhaps?"

"Right, that’s true. Arisa-sama."

Since Yugen had a specific item in mind, they headed to the area where watches, jewelry, and other precious metals were sold.

The range of precious metals varied widely.

What Yugen wanted to buy was something inexpensive that a high school student could wear without feeling out of place.

"What kind of thing are you looking for?"

"Hmm. Well, I already have a wristwatch, so maybe something for my neck. The price... something under 10,000 yen would be good."

When Yugen said this, Arisa pointed to a corner of the store.

"How about that? I think it looks cool."

"I prefer something simple."

Arisa found a simple necklace made of black spinel, a black gemstone.

It cost about 3,000 yen, a fairly affordable price that wouldn’t look out of place on a high school student.

After getting permission from the store clerk, Yugen picked up the black spinel and tried it on, showing it to Arisa.

"What do you think?"

"It suits you well. ...It seems to add a bit of charm."

Arisa said this with her emerald eyes slightly lowered, covered by her beautiful lashes.

It didn’t seem like she was just flattering him.

"Charm, huh..."

What exactly did charm mean for a man?

Yugen couldn’t quite grasp whether he had any, but he decided to trust Arisa’s words and buy it.

"Yugen, can I ask you something?"

"What is it, Arisa?"

"...You’re not allowed to wear that necklace when we’re not together. And not at school either."

"Hmm... Okay, sure. Why?"

Yugen tilted his head, wondering why she was saying such a strange thing.

Arisa’s cheeks turned a slight rose color.

"If Yugen becomes popular with girls, it would be a problem. ...Even if it’s a fake engagement, I’m your fiancée, after all."

"You’re exaggerating."

"I’m not exaggerating. ...Besides, I’m the one who chose it."

Absolutely not!

Arisa glared at Yugen, her perfectly shaped eyebrows drawn together, her emerald eyes narrowed, and her lips curved into a frown.

"Alright, I promise."

Yugen, a bit bewildered by Arisa’s sudden possessiveness, agreed.

Then, since they were already in the accessories section, they decided to look at women’s jewelry.

"Gems are so beautiful..."

Arisa gazed at the beautiful emeralds with a dreamy expression.

While she had some quirks, it seemed she liked gems like any other woman.

"Your eyes are like them."

Since Arisa was looking at the emeralds, Yugen said this half-jokingly.

Arisa lightly punched Yugen’s chest.

"S-Stop it! We’ll look like a lovey-dovey couple."

Arisa’s face was flushed red.

Yugen felt his cheeks heat up as well and scratched his cheek.

"Sorry... I realized it sounded a bit too cheesy after I said it."

"Really, you..."

Arisa’s expression suggested she was angry, but her lips were slightly curved in a smile.

She seemed to enjoy such cheesy lines.

"By the way... Which ones do you like among these? Teach me for future reference."

"Hmm, let’s see."

As they walked around the store, Arisa evaluated each piece of jewelry, saying "I like this" or "This isn’t my style."

She seemed to like both cute and extravagant designs.

One common trait was that they were expensive.

Of course, high-quality designs and stones naturally cost more, which was a testament to Arisa’s discerning eye...

However, it was surprising to Yugen that Arisa, who was quite frugal when shopping at the supermarket, liked relatively expensive items.

(No, maybe it’s because she’s usually suppressed and can’t get these things... She really wants them.)

His eyes welled up a bit.

"I don’t know much about jewelers... Are you familiar with them?"

"Not really. I know the basics."

"What are some famous ones?"

"Tiffany, Cartier, Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels, Harry Winston are known as the Big Five jewelers."

"Wow."

Arisa rattled off the names smoothly.

Among the five, Yugen only knew Tiffany and Harry Winston.

Arisa listed several other brand names, showing she was more knowledgeable than he thought.

"In Japan, 4°C... What’s wrong, Yugen? You have a strange look on your face."

"No, it’s nothing."

He remembered that Arisa couldn’t even buy a slightly expensive soap (and couldn’t bring herself to ask for it), and felt so sorry for her that he almost cried. He couldn’t say that, as it would hurt her pride.

"Shall we go look at clothes now?"

At least Yugen’s errand was done.

It was Arisa’s turn next, so he suggested it, and she nodded.

"Sure. Let’s go."

Arisa nodded slightly.

Arisa’s possessiveness

She can’t help it if other girls fall for Yugen, can she?

If she marries Yugen, she can buy as many brand-name items as she wants!

Yay, Arisa!

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The next chapter will have more fluff.

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