After Picking up a Runaway Girl From the Same University on My Way Home From Work, We Started Living Together in Secret - Chapter 7

“Let’s go shopping today.”

The day after I promised to let Kototori stay at my house, I told her while she was lounging on the sofa in her loungewear, operating her tablet.

She was already relaxing as if it were her own home.

Kototori lifted her gaze from the tablet and looked at me with a confused expression.

“…What are we buying?”

“Things you need, like a futon, a clothes organizer, and a few other things. I can’t let you keep sleeping on the sofa.”

“But you said it was fine for us to sleep together.”

“There’s no way that’s fine.”

I flicked her lightly on the forehead, and she closed her eyes and leaned back. She’d be better suited to the name “Chatty Fool Princess” rather than “Snow White.”

“That’s why, please change clothes.”

“…Do I have a say in this?”

“No.”

I firmly turned her down, and she frowned and made a reluctant face.

Kototori, so you’re surprisingly lazy, huh?

Despite her resistance, I took her to the nearest shopping mall. It was crowded with families and young groups, probably because it was a holiday.

“If we come here, we should be able to find what we need. I can’t take big items like a futon home, so we’ll have to have them delivered.”

“Leave the money to me.”

“…Sorry, but it’s going to cost quite a bit. I’ll cover the things I keep at my place, but I’m not exactly rolling in cash.”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s a promise.”

It’s impossible not to worry, but to be honest, I’m grateful she’s paying. Well, let’s not think about the fact that this expense wouldn’t exist if I hadn’t let Kototori stay over.

“If we get separated, contact me right away.”

“You too, Minato.”

“…I’m the one who’s going to get lost?”

Well, there’s no guarantee I won’t get lost either.

This is probably Kototori’s kind of humor… no, with that face, she’s probably serious about it.

I decided not to overthink things, changed my mood, and started looking for the items I’d written down in my notes, going from store to store. I ordered a new futon, pillows, and a colorful box for storing clothes to be delivered tomorrow.

It cost a fair bit, but Kototori paid in cash without even flinching… all by herself.

I tried to pay, but my wallet was empty, and Kototori stopped me from doing so.

I should’ve withdrawn money from the ATM before coming here.

…Do I even have enough money to withdraw?

Because Kototori paid by herself, the cashier gave me a weird look, and I felt a little uncomfortable.

I’m not a freeloader or a mooch, you know.

That thought never reached her, but I couldn’t help but mentally shout it.

“Next, we’ll get daily necessities.”

“Is there anything else you need?”

“New bath towels would be better. There are preferences with things like shampoo, too. If you’re planning on staying long, it’s better to reduce things that might become stressful.”

I don’t have particular preferences, so I use discounted shampoo and things like that, but some people might not be able to use them because of their body type.

As for toothbrushes, I have unused backups, so that’s fine… maybe I should get separate cups.

There were more things to buy than I’d realized, and I probably hadn’t written everything down, but I can buy anything else when I notice it.

“…In that case, I’ll buy some things.”

After a brief pause, Kototori said this and started placing things in the cart without looking at the prices, heading straight to the cashier.

I’ve heard women take a long time to shop, but she made decisions quickly, almost refreshingly so.

“Can I have a bag?”

“Why?”

“Why? …Because I’ll carry the bags. If I’m empty-handed and Kototori is the only one carrying stuff, people will look at us strangely.”

I’m here to make sure we actually buy the futon and to carry the bags. Please don’t mind me, I silently pleaded with my gaze, and Kototori handed me a bag.

“Was there anything else you needed?”

“Underwear.”

…Come to think of it, she did say she forgot to bring some.

It’s impossible to get by with just one set of underwear.

Right now? She’s probably wearing the one she washed and dried last night.

She’s wearing it, right?

I involuntarily glanced at Kototori’s chest, then hurriedly turned my gaze away.

…What am I doing, looking at that when I can’t even tell?

“Don’t worry, I’m wearing it right now.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“I thought you were concerned because you were looking at my chest, so I answered.”

“…Sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

I just felt like I had to apologize, okay?

Also, it’s embarrassing that she figured it out so quickly.

After a brief cough, I said,

“You could just go home and get it. It’d be an unnecessary expense.”

“I’ve already gone home twice, yesterday and the day before. I don’t want to go home today.”

What kind of reasoning is that, not wanting to go home just because you’ve been there for two days?

I know you dislike your home enough to want to run away, but you really don’t want to even go back to grab your things?

“If I have to go home, I’d rather just buy new ones here.”

“…If that’s what Kototori wants, then it’s fine, but are you sure you’re okay with the money? It feels like you’ve spent a lot already.”

“I’m fine.”

I’ve heard that women’s underwear is expensive, but from the look of it, money isn’t a problem for Kototori.

Since she’s paying, I’ll let her do whatever she wants.

…Honestly, I feel like it’s weird for me to get involved in someone else’s underwear shopping.

“I’ll tell you beforehand, but I’m not going into the store.”

“Is it something to look forward to after we get home?”

“No. It’s just awkward going into those kinds of stores.”

“Underwear is just cloth.”

“……”

Please don’t bring up such a hard-to-respond-to point.

I get what she’s trying to say. Underwear is just decorated cloth. There’s nothing inherently wrong with seeing or touching it…

But it does look bad, socially speaking.

If the issue is seeing underwear that’s actually being worn by someone, I’d definitely agree with that. But that’s a different matter.

More than that, there are other customers in the store, and they might not share the same views, so it’s best to avoid any behavior that could cause problems.

…Why am I thinking so much about underwear in a shopping mall?

“Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

While I watched Kototori enter the lingerie shop, I couldn’t help but sigh, feeling more tired than the time that had passed.