CH 24.5

“Hey, Haru-kun, how about this one?”

The curtains of a fitting room swished open to reveal Yuki in a lovely outfit. She did a little spin in front of me, cheeks kissed red as she gleamed. It was a knit one-piece dress, pure white with an elegant pattern embroidered into the chest area. The thin fabric only accentuated her natural curves even further, adding to her beauty.

I am but a man, and my gaze inadvertently fell on her accentuated bosom. Despite having such a bombshell top, her waistline was still emphasized. To add insult to injury, she donned a short skirt, and her thighs were a direct attack to my being. I shuddered.

“I, it looks awesome on you!”

Yuki was so stunning, words vanished into thin air like whispers; I couldn’t come up with any proper, thought-out praise. However, despite my shortcomings, her face relaxed as she giggled happily. Cute, she was irrepressibly cute.

“I’ll buy this one. Hmm, but the fabric is a little thin, so I’ll wear it when spring comes around.”

“Mhm, nice idea. If it snows, not even a coat will warm you well enough.”

“Well then, I’ll put on the next outfit. Wait a sec,” with a smile, she closed the curtains once again.

I had already picked out some clothes for her, including coats and sweaters. Yuki has a mighty sense of fashion, so every piece works well with one another.

Not long after, her voice called me through the curtains.

“I love thinking about wearing these clothes and playing with you in the future,” she started. “I just can’t help but smile. We’ll have a lot to do, like New Year’s, Christmas, and the first shrine visit of the year.”

“Christmas and shrines, huh? So we’ll be able to have loads of fun, just like when we were in elementary school.”

“Yeah,” she reminisced. “We’ll have some cake together, and exchange gifts. Hmm! I can’t wait.”

At the sound of her excited titters, a smile naturally formed on my face. Then, the curtains slowly opened to reveal her figure once again. She wore a cardigan woven of fluffy woolen yarn. It had sleeves long enough to let only the tips of her fingers out. Her neck was warmed by fabric, and the hem was embroidered with a cat’s cute little face, which suited her to a tee.

The other risqué outfit was nice, but this kind of firmer design brought out her femininity in a cute way, and it made her look like an actual angel. She spun around on the spot with her hands outstretched, and her soft perfume pecked the tip of my nose.

“How do you like these?” She asked me. “Do they look as soft and warm as they are?”

“They look great on you, Yuki. You’re so cute.”

Seeing her dressed in this fluffy outfit reminded me of a cat I saw at a pet store earlier. As soon as the image of that little cutie popped into my mind, my hand unwittingly reached out to pat her head.

Yuki returned me a smile, gently rubbing her head against my palm. I had the urge to spoil her because she was so incredibly adorable, just like a kitten. Not stopping, I gently reached under her chin, as if caring for one of the whiskered animals. She answered my caressing with a soft, pleasant noise.

“Shquishy…”

“Haha, you’re just like a cat, Yuki!”

Her eyes narrowed as a satisfied grin swelled on her face. Although we couldn’t keep a cat in our apartment, I really thought just spoiling her like this was good enough for me.

Then, as I pampered the lovely girl in front of me, so catlike, I felt eyes. Another customer stared at us, and I was embarrassed. I had completely forgotten this was a public place, having felt as if it was only me and her in the world.

“W, well, let’s get the bill…”

“Mhm. You gave me your impressions on a lot of things,” she started. “And I’ve finally decided what I’ll buy.”

Seeing me looking down with cheeks burning red, she chuckled and smiled gently. After that, we wrapped up our shopping, ate at the food court, and left the mall with full hands. Outings with Yuki are always fun, no matter where we decide to go.

We walked home shoulder to shoulder, everlasting happiness plastered on her face. No matter how weighty were the bags in our hands, the memories we made were much, much more.