Chapter 53 - Her Favorite Choker
Although we had been a bit delayed on our way here because of Wannai-san, we still managed to arrive on time, which honestly made me feel relieved.
“Wow… Wannai-san, your outfit is really cute! It looks great on you.”
“Eh? Really? You’re so honest, Fuko! Nihihi. Unlike this guy over here who wouldn't even say a single nice thing about it~”
Honestly, I wanted us to get moving already. However, Mogami-san was so kindhearted that she made sure to compliment Wannai-san as well.
Her bratty fashion definitely suited her… though I personally felt some resistance to praising it.
“It's not really my type. And it looks cold.”
“Hah? Are you blind?! You complimented Fuko when her outfit isn't much different!”
“N-No, yours is way more extreme, Wannai-san! I... could never show my navel like that...”
Actually, Mogami-san wasn’t showing that much skin. She was just showing more skin compared to how she used to dress. Still, even a quick glance around told me plenty of girls nearby had similar levels of exposure.
You wouldn't, however, find anyone dressed like Wannai-san. Maybe if you went to the city, sure, but you just didn't see people with a fashion sense that intense out here in the suburbs.
“You’re really slim and pretty, Wannai-san. I envy you.”
Slim? Small? Childlike? You could phrase it however you wanted.
In any case, Mogami-san genuinely seemed to admire Wannai-san. It was a kind of charm I didn't really get, so maybe it was just one of those things only girls could see in each other.
Up to this point, she'd been praising Wannai-san nonstop, but...
“But… that choker on your neck… I'm not so sure about that.”
…Huh? The moment I heard Mogami-san say that, something struck me as odd.
It wasn't about Wannai-san's choker itself. I mean, sure, she was wearing a red choker, but that was not what bothered me. It was the fact that Mogami-san, who was usually so kind and gentle, was the one pointing it out that caught me off guard.
I hadn't even really noticed the choker. It was only after she said something that I became consciously aware of it at all. Mogami-san's sensitivity to notice such small details was one of her wonderful traits. But her opinion on the choker seemed… not exactly positive.
“I think you’d look cuter without it…”
“Yep. I know, right~”
Wannai-san, on the other hand, just agreed with a casual reply. She didn't seem bothered by the criticism at all. But... she also didn't make any move to take the choker off.
“But, it's fine. This one's special. I really like it, so I don't care if it doesn't look good on me. Nihihi~”
In fact, she touched it gently, almost lovingly, and then broke into a huge grin. Well, if she liked it, then I guess that's all that mattered.
“Is that so... I’m sorry for saying something weird.”
“It’s fine. You complimented me a lot, unlike a certain someone over here.”
Stop dragging me into every single one of your complaints.
Did my low opinion of her outfit genuinely bother her more than I thought?
…Nah, there’s no way, right?
Wannai-san wouldn't care what a nobody like me thought of her. To her, I was nothing more than a pebble on the roadside. She was the one who couldn’t understand why Mogami-san liked me and set up this whole “date event” idea in the first place.
“Shall we get going then?”
“...Wait. Weren’t you planning to stalk us?”
“Why would I bother doing something that annoying?”
“You're the one who said you'd leave us alone and just watch from the shadows.”
“I changed my mind... And anyway, when I really thought about it, why should I be the only one sneaking around stalking you on my day off! I want to have fun, too!”
“But, I'd rather not have our date get interrupted.”
I completely disagreed with her sentiment. Not because I disliked Wannai-san. But simply because I wanted to watch a movie alone with Mogami-san.
That was just me being completely selfish, I know.
“W-well, I think it’s fine. If anything, Sato-kun, I’d like her to come along… is that okay?”
…If Mogami-san said so, then there was nothing I could do.
I quickly dropped my objections and nodded. For me, Mogami-san’s wishes were the highest priority. If she was fine with it, then I had no reason to complain.
“Yep, it's decided~! Idiot, idiot~”
Apparently, I was her designated target for ridicule today. Or maybe she simply enjoyed teasing me. Either way, our date had officially turned into a date with a “puppy” tagging along.
