Chapter 46

"Isn't this autumn coat stylish?"

Saying this, Arisa looked at the price tag...

Her expression darkened.

"Is it over budget?"

"...Just a little."

Yugen glanced at the price tag. According to Aria, this coat was more expensive than the clothing allowance she received from her adoptive father. Indeed, it was a bit pricey.

The amount of pocket money that was slightly less than this coat... Yugen wasn't quite sure if it was an appropriate amount to give a high school girl. The required amount for males and females would differ, after all.

Still...

Considering the benefits the Amakura family would gain from Aria's marriage to Yugen, it could be seen as stingy. However, given that Aria would not end up marrying Yugen, it might be reasonable.

"How much is it short by?"

When Yugen asked, Aria mentioned the shortfall with a disappointed look. After thinking for a moment, Yugen asked Aria:

"Do you like it?"

"...Well, somewhat."

Aria's expression showed a hint of reluctance. If she didn't really like it, she would have given up easily. The fact that she was hesitating meant she liked it a lot.

"Shall I front the money?"

"Eh? But..."

"Do you like it? It seems to be a good quality item for the price. It might be gone the next time we come. If you can pay me back, it's fine."

Since they weren't real lovers, he couldn't say "I'll buy it for you," but lending her some money wasn't a big deal. Yugen trusted that Aria would pay him back.

Fortunately, he had some money saved from his part-time job, so he had some leeway.

"...If you say so, Yugen... then I'll try it on and decide. Please give me your opinion."

"Sure, no problem."

Aria hesitantly picked up the coat. After getting permission from the store clerk, she put it on right there.

"...How does it look?"

"It looks good. It makes you look more mature."

The coat Aria liked was a caramel-colored trench coat. It had a slightly mature design and color, but Aria, who had a style beyond her high school years, wore it well.

"...Then I'll buy it. I'll buy it, okay!?"

Aria, despite her insistence, put the coat in the basket with a cheerful look. They headed to the checkout together.

"Ah... right. Can I get the credit card points?"

Until recently, high school students couldn't have credit cards, but now, with the lowering of the marriage age, they can. Holding his card, Yugen asked Aria, who nodded slightly.

After paying with the card, they received the paper bag from the clerk. Aria tightly gripped the bag with both hands.

"Thank you for helping me make a good purchase. I'll return the money later."

"Sure. ...Don't worry, take your time. Return it when you have the money."

When Yugen said this, Aria narrowed her eyes and nodded slightly.

Aria seemed unusually happy. Her usually calm eyes, like a winter lake, now seemed to glow warmly. If she had a cowlick, it would be bouncing up and down.

Finding her too adorable, Yugen couldn't help but reach out to touch Aria's head. Initially, Aria looked confused, but soon she closed her eyes and let him.

It felt like petting a dog, Yugen thought.

Then, a strange noise was heard.

Looking up, Yugen saw someone running at full speed. The person quickly disappeared from sight.

"Is something wrong, Yugen?"

Realizing he was still touching Aria's head, Yugen was frozen in place. Aria looked up at him, puzzled.

"No... someone just ran by."

"That's dangerous."

"Maybe they had an urgent matter."

It was just a story about a stranger running by, which didn't really concern Yugen and Aria. So, he couldn't continue petting her head.

"Well, what should we do next?"

The feel was good, and he got carried away, but Yugen quickly regained his composure, realizing it wasn't appropriate in public.

He asked, trying to cover up, while Aria blushed slightly.

"Right... since we don't have anything specific to buy, how about we just window shop?"

"Sounds fun. It's nice to wander around without a specific goal."

The shopping mall was quite large, and there were still areas they hadn't explored. They started walking to check them out.

Just browsing through the items was surprisingly enjoyable.

However, after wandering around for a while, it was already evening. They decided to have dinner as well.

They headed to a nearby family restaurant.

"I don't usually come to places like this... How about you, Yugen?"

"Well... I sometimes come with Soichiro and others. And occasionally with my family."

When Yugen said this, Aria's eyes widened in surprise. The fact that he went with his family seemed to be the surprising part.

"I can't really imagine the Kasegawa family coming to such a place."

"True, we are a peculiar family who often wear kimonos. But when we go out, we wear regular clothes and can go to any casual restaurant."

Yugen's mother, Ayu, cooks dinner on weekdays and during holidays. However, when she finds it troublesome, they end up eating out. In such cases, chain restaurants that don't require reservations are very convenient.

His sister, Ayabumi, even says, "The hamburger at the family restaurant is better than Mom's..."

Of course, it's only natural. If homemade hamburgers can't compete, the business wouldn't survive.

"I think I'll go for the demi-glace hamburger."

Thinking about hamburgers and not having had a Western-style one recently, Yugen quickly decided on his order.

On the other hand, Aria seemed a bit indecisive.

"There are so many dishes to choose from. It's hard to decide."

"Take your time."

After much deliberation, Aria ordered a gratin.

After a while, the food arrived with a delicious aroma. Yugen cut into his hamburger and took a bite.

It was a familiar taste he had enjoyed many times. Chain restaurants are reassuring in that they serve decent food no matter which branch you visit. Of course, visiting individually owned restaurants is also enjoyable.

After eating about half of his hamburger, Yugen's gaze shifted to Aria's gratin. She had finished about a quarter of it.

Their eyes met, and Aria picked up a new spoon. She scooped up a portion she hadn't touched and blew on it.

Perhaps...

At the same moment, Aria extended the spoon to Yugen.

"Do you want to try? Here you go."

"...Thank you."

Yugen leaned forward and took the spoon into his mouth. The rich taste of the white sauce and cheese spread in his mouth.

"How is it?"

"It's delicious."

Still, it felt a bit embarrassing. But Yugen thought it would be more understandable if Aria experienced it herself.

With this in mind, Yugen skewered a piece of hamburger with a new fork and extended it to Aria. She looked surprised but soon leaned forward, opening her small mouth to take the hamburger.

"Mm... How is it?"

"It's delicious."

Aria's cheeks were slightly flushed, indicating she was also embarrassed.

They had naturally progressed to feeding each other. Well, they were "fiancés," so this was to be expected.

Surely the hamburger and gratin would taste sweet.

If you found this interesting and want to read more, I would appreciate it if you could bookmark and rate the story (change the stars at the bottom of the table of contents from ☆☆☆☆☆ to ★★★★★).

True Dere Level: 4 → 10%

Unlike the previous dere levels, this one is about "I could marry this person." It increases when Yugen shows his reliability and capability. Offering to front the money with his credit card when Aria was short on funds was a hit with her.

By the way, Yugen's money comes from his part-time job.

I also feel that I need more bookmarks and ratings.

If you could bookmark and rate the story (change the stars at the bottom of the table of contents from ☆☆☆☆☆ to ★★★★★), it would increase the author's dere level.

With that natural request, this is the end for now.

The next update will be the day after tomorrow or the day after that, and it will be the climax of the date.