Ordinary I and Extraordinary Them

more than anything else, they themselves were going to be standing out.

 

If anything, it was possible that whatever they had on them, would start selling like hotcakes.

In high school and the likes, usually, it would be the things that the popular students had on them, that became the trend.

 

After confirming that the two girls were still going at it, I too started looking around the shop.

This shop was targeted at women, so there were only a few items that could appeal to a boy, but I could also be purchasing something for Kaede.

While harbouring such thoughts, as I was looking around, Yuuto picked up a commodity.

“Don’t you think this will be good for Kaede-chan?”

It was an accessory case with a cat illustrated on it.

I wonder why……this cat has a sense of déjà vu about it.

I have seen this cat somewhere.
For sure……

 

I stared hard at that commodity with suspicion.
Shizuku closed in on me from behind.

“Ah, that cat resembles that one a lot, right? The cat which often comes to Minato-kun’s house, Muku-chan!”

“……”

This unmotivated face.

Indeed……it is the spitting image of the cat next door, Muku.

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No wonder it seemed familiar.

That lazy cat was probably at my house, at this very moment.

It is probably idling about, sprawled across the lawn.
When it sees Kaede, it is going to show its belly and beg for a snack.
No doubt.

I wanted to see Kaede’s reaction when I gave her the case.
So, I decided to get it.

I completed the purchase at the counter.
Then, I went outside and merged with the three who were waiting.

“Which reminds me, are you guys done with your shopping?”

I asked the two girls who had the exited the shop even before me.

Until only a while ago, you guys were kicking up a fuss.
Did you get those goods?

At my question, the two raised their shopping bags and answered.

“Yes! I got the one from before!” (Shizuku)

“I too got the one from before.” (Kirasaka)

As expected, they got those.

First impressions were important.

 

It would seem that human beings too, generally, decide on their relationships, based on their first impressions of the other party.

It was truly important.

 

 

There was still a little bit of distance left until our next destination.
So, the four of us walked side by side.

The shops on both sides of the road of the shopping district lit up.

Housewives were going about their shopping, and students were buying sweets and consuming them on the spot.
Such a spectacle truly made me feel like another day was coming to an end.

“I want to drop by here.”

“Bookstore is it……”

Kirasaka pointed at a very ordinary-looking bookstore.

It was the only bookstore in the shopping district, and the only alternative to it was a slightly bigger one in front of the station.

Recently, I had not been able to get much reading in.
Now that I have chanced upon this opportunity, I decided to get a book.

Shizuku busied herself with cookbooks and fashion magazines.
Yuuto browsed through mangas and fashion magazines.
I alone hit the ‘novel’ corner.

New works, old works, and those that had a ‘shop recommendation’ tag to them were all lined up on the shelves.

I picked up a conspicuous-looking book, ran my eyes over the summary on the back of it, and put it back.

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After I repeated this process a few times, I finally found one that seemed like my cup of tea.

To finish the purchase, I started walking towards the counter.
Then, I noticed Kirasaka standing at a somewhat remote corner of the shop.

It was a corner dedicated to reference books and books related to overseas schools.

If it was for learning English, wasn’t it no-good if the book was completely in English?

If there wasn’t any Japanese, I wouldn’t be able to understand so much as the synopsis.

I called out to Kirasaka, who was looking at the book in her hand.

“What are you going to do by reading that?”

“……It will be helpful to me.”

So, you are saying it won’t be of any help to me.
I understand.

She didn’t take her eyes off the book.
I let out a sigh and turned around.

“I want to ask you something.
Is that fine?”

“What’s it I wonder.”

Well, you are going to ask me even if I said no, aren’t you?

I stood next to her and grabbed hold of a reference book from the shelve in front of me.
I thought it would only be appropriate to do so.

I understand nothing……

“If someone close to you suddenly disappeared……what would you do?”

“……There is no way I would know about some like that.”

In the first place, I had never gone through the trials and tribulations of a close friend disappearing on me.

Heck, I didn’t even have that many friends.

If we were talking about a hypothetical situation, the answer was simple.

Since it hadn’t occurred yet, and it was only a future possibility, I didn’t have an answer.

Unless I went through the real thing, I wouldn’t know what it was that I should be feeling.

It was exactly because these things were unpredictable, that it made us sad.

I had a feeling that even if I looked for an answer to a parting that I had known of from the beginning, I would still have been left with no choices.

[TN – someone give me their opinion here, 最初から知っていた別れに答えを求めるなら、俺に選べるほどの選択肢は出てこない気がする。Am I missing out something?]

“You’re right……Sorry, please forget what I said.
“

“……Unfortunately, I have a good memory.”

Now, whenever she was going to do something strange, I would be reminded of her remark from before.

I thought if I should try to make a guess at the hidden meaning, but I could be splendidly off the mark.

However, for now, I would be keeping that remark in mind, in a nook of my memory.