I Was Reincarnated as a Mob, and After I Kept Listening to the Losing Childhood-Friend Heroine’s Complaints, I Somehow Maxed Out Her Affection Rating - 10

Chapter 10: This Is a Date… Right?

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Yuuta’s POV

I was in front of the fountain where we were supposed to meet. I leaned against the railing and glanced at the clock on my phone. It was five minutes before the meeting time. In general, that was “still early,” but there was no way a mob character like me could make a heroine wait. That would be far too presumptuous.

…Wait, am I really supposed to show up to this event?

Yesterday, when Kaede told me, “Tomorrow, come with me for a bit,” I first thought she was joking. But she had been serious. And now, in reality, here I was, waiting for her in front of the station.

…Objectively speaking, this was completely a date, right? She was just disguising it with the words “stress relief.” No matter how I looked at it, a mob character like me, walking around with her was something that never happened in the original story.

I was thinking that when…

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

The moment I heard that voice, the CPU in my brain froze instantly.

“…Huh, who…?”

“Hah? ‘Who’—it’s me, Kaede.”

The voice was definitely Kaede’s, but she looked like a different person. A white knit top and a long skirt in calm colors. Her hair was curled a little more than usual, and every time the light hit it, it swayed softly. Seriously, I’d even seen an illustration of this in the original work, but seeing it in person… She was this cute? This was way too unfair.

…Hey, where the hell did you get that kind of cheat item?

“H-Hey…Don’t stare at me like that.”

“A-ah, no, it’s just… I kinda bugged out…”

“What kind of reaction is that!?”

“No, I mean… Today your… ‘heroine power’ is really high, or something.”

“Fufufu, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“God (the scenario writer), thank you very much.”

“Yes yes, no bringing up that kind of cringe stuff.”

Kaede laughed, adjusted her bag, and stood beside me. The distance between us as we started walking felt…Really close. Close. Seriously close.

“…So, what are we doing today?”

“First, clothes. I figured I should buy some seasonal pieces.”

“I see. Stress relief means retail therapy, huh.”

“Yup. I’m the type who spends my frustration along with my money.”

Talking about nothing in particular, we headed toward the apparel shops near the station. Mannequins behind the store’s glass were showing off the next season’s outfit like they couldn’t wait for the next season to come.

“Whoa, cute… Ah, this one’s nice too.”

Kaede’s eyes sparkled as she looked through the clothes on the shelves. 

Girls really do get excited like this when looking at clothes… 

I found myself staring without thinking.

“…Why are you staring at me like that?”

“N-no reason. Really.”

She gave me a light glare but soon reached for another rack. Her profile looked unusually happy and that made a memory from the original story resurface. If I remembered right, Kaede was the type who put a ton of effort into fashion. Shouma would often complain, “Quit giving fashion advice to the guys too.”

…Shouma, I wondered what kind of face he’d make if he saw her now.

“Here.”

Kaede held up two outfits in her hands.

“I’m going to try these on now, so make sure you give me proper feedback.”

“Eh, I’m the one who needs to give you feedback?”

“Who else is here?”

“…Understood.”

“Good.”

With that, she went into the fitting room. The curtain was closed, and after a little while…

“How is it?”

The curtain opened. Standing there was Kaede in a white one-piece dress. The lace on the shoulders was airy, and the silhouette looked like it was catching the wind. For a moment, my thoughts froze again.

“…Um. It’s like… Oure, or… Like it belongs in the ‘angel’ category?”

“That sounds less like feedback and more like a religious confession.”

“No no, it’s a compliment!”

“Fufu. Thanks. Okay, let’s try the other one.”

Watching her disappear back into the fitting room, I thought to myself.

Shouma, you really have no eye at all…

A few minutes later…

“Ta-dah! Now this one!”

Kaede stepped out wearing black pants. With a jacket draped over her shoulders, the vibe was completely different. She looked grown-up, almost cool.

“Eh, you look like a totally different person… Is this a model shoot?”

“Ooh, good reaction. High score.”

“Why am I being graded?”

“Your sense of giving compliments. Okay, I’m buying both!”

“Wait, is your wallet going to be okay?”

“It’s fine. Today is Stress Relief Day. Not buying would be a loss.”

Saying that, she lightly stepped back into the fitting room. Her back looked slightly bouncy, and I was sure that wasn’t my imagination. After she changed back into her original clothes, Kaede came out, and on the way to the register, she suddenly stopped.

“…Hey, Yuuta-kun.”

“Yeah?”

“Your clothes… They look really, um… Student-like.”

“Eh, but I’m not wearing my uniform!?”

“That’s not what I mean. The silhouette screams ‘model student template.’”

“Guh…”

“Okay, decision made. I’ll pick something for you too.”

“Eh—no, I don’t really—”

“You mean, ‘Please do,’ right?”

“…Please do.”

“Good.”

The smile she gave wasn’t the same Kaede who had been drowning in complaints yesterday.

She was, maybe, just a little like a “happy girl.”

…And that hit my heart the hardest.

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