Vol 2 Chapter 7 – Do I Really Have to Go In?【Volume 2: The Flirting-All-Over-the-Place Second Semester Arc】

“…For now, I guess I’ll hear what Miki has to say.”

“Can it be about what kind of present would make Onee-chan happy?”

“Yeah.”

“Got it. Then it’ll be easier to show you in person than just explain it — let’s go right now, Onii-chan.”

Apparently, actually going to the store would be more helpful than trying to describe things in words alone.

She had a point.

Getting a bunch of vague verbal descriptions and still not being able to picture anything — that happened more often than you’d think.

“…Alright. Lead the way, then.”

As Sandai started getting ready to head out, Miki walked up to him with a big smile and held out both hands.

“Those hands are…?”

“I can’t just tell you for free, you know.”

What a shrewd little kid.

For the time being, Sandai pressed a 500-yen coin into her palm.

“Five hundred yen, huh…”

Miki muttered it with a small sigh.

She was roundaboutly saying that it’s not much, and Sandai got the message loud and clear.

But giving any more than that to a child felt excessive.

“Sorry about that. Onii-chan’s not exactly rolling in cash.”

“Hmm. Well, Miki’s a generous person, so she’ll give you a thorough explanation even for five hundred yen. But… if Onee-chan ends up really happy with the present, you have to give Miki a success bonus on top of it, okay? That’s not too much to ask, right? Miki’s just asking to be compensated for her labor.”

Once she brought up fair compensation for work rendered, it became very hard to say no.

Miki almost certainly knew that — and was using it deliberately. Somehow, Sandai got the feeling she was going to grow up to be a frighteningly calculating woman.

When you also factored in the possibility that she might one day become every bit as beautiful as Shino… she could end up completely unmanageable.

(Well… whoever ends up as her prey won’t be me. That’s a problem for the young men of the future.)

With that thought in the back of his mind, Sandai let himself be guided by Miki and set off toward the store.

And promptly froze in his tracks.

☆

“Onii-chan, what’s wrong?”

“W-Well, this place is…”

Beads of sweat were forming on Sandai’s forehead.

Because what stood before him was a lingerie shop.

“Miki, th-this is a place that sells underwear for girls, isn’t it?”

“It is. You can relax. Miki knows all about the kinds of designs Onee-chan likes, her sizes, everything. …Onee-chan’s actually pretty particular about her underwear, you know?”

That made him think back to the typhoon.

If he recalled correctly, Shino had been washing a red bra that day.

He didn’t really understand the criteria women used when choosing underwear — but regardless, red was a pretty bold color choice.

If she was picking colors like that, she definitely wasn’t the type to think whatever’s fine.

So it seemed to be true: Shino was particular about her lingerie.

Still… even so… actually walking in there was going to take some courage.

Sandai stood outside the entrance, unable to move, letting out a low groan.

Miki looked at him and shook her head with a tired sigh.

“Don’t you want to see Onee-chan’s happy face?”

“I do, but…”

“Then you have no choice but to go in. Come on, come on.”

“I-I need a moment to prepare mentally—”

With Miki shoving him from behind, Sandai was half-forcibly ushered through the door.

And the instant he stepped inside, every pair of eyes in the store turned to look at him at once.

Vol 2 Chapter 8 – Was She Really That Big?【Volume 2: The Flirting-All-Over-the-Place Second Semester Arc】

“E-Excuse me, is there something I can help you find…?”

A female store clerk approached him, her cheek twitching slightly.

How was he supposed to even start?

Sandai hesitated, his own brow furrowing in sync with the clerk’s uneasy expression.

A few awkward seconds dragged by — and then,

“We came to buy undies. This Onii-chan is Onee-chan’s boyfriend, and it’s a present.”

Thanks to Miki’s timely rescue, the clerk let out a quiet “Ah, I see” and visibly relaxed.

Her reaction said it all: If it’s a gift, that’s hardly surprising.

“…Are there actually many men who come in to buy underwear as a present?”

“Oh yes. Quite a few, actually.”

“That’s a relief. Although… I got the sense you were a little put off at first…?”

“Well, um… Men who come in to purchase lingerie as a gift usually bring their girlfriend along with them. Some do come without her, of course, but… coming in with such a young child isn’t something we see very often.”

The clerk was being as tactful as possible, but her meaning was clear: When a grown man walks into a lingerie shop with a little girl, most people will find it suspicious.

Objectively speaking, she was absolutely right, and there was no arguing with it.

“W-Well, please don’t hesitate to ask if there’s anything I can help with. …Do you know her size? Her measurements?”

Asked about sizes, Sandai panicked and looked over at Miki.

Miki pulled a small notebook from the front pocket of her overalls, flipped through its pages, and held it up for the clerk to see.

Apparently, Shino’s measurements and sizes were all written down inside.

“…I see. She must have quite the figure. With these numbers, I think we can skip the fitting room.”

“Onee-chan likes something a little flashy, and fabric that feels nice on the skin. The design should probably be on the… sexy side.”

“Flashy… soft fabric… sexy… hmm. In that case, the corner over there might be just the thing.”

“Understood.”

With that, the conversation seemed to finally be moving somewhere. Miki started walking, and Sandai followed close behind.

They arrived at a section filled exclusively with sophisticated, grown-up lingerie.

Sheer pieces in deep purple, crimson, and pink lined the displays — and before he knew it, Sandai’s face had gone scarlet, his eyes squeezing shut.

“Onii-chan, you can’t pick anything with your eyes closed.”

“M-Maybe I’ll just let Miki choose…”

“Miki can give advice, but the one who has to make the final pick has to be Onii-chan, okay? It only means something because you’re the one choosing.”

She had a point, but…

“Okay, so… Miki thinks Onee-chan would probably love something like this.”

Clack, clack — the sound of hangers sliding along the rack. Sandai cracked his eyes open just enough to see what Miki was holding up.

It was a sheer, deep cherry-blossom-pink lingerie set with gathered lace trim. The kind of thing you’d describe as, well — ero-cute. Seductive, but in an adorable way.

“This is…”

“Onee-chan likes stuff like this, you know?”

“Sh-She does?”

“Yep. And the size is definitely an F65.”

“…F?”

“Huh? Onii-chan didn’t know? Once Onee-chan takes her clothes off, she’s actually pretty well-endowed.”

According to Miki, Shino was a hidden F-cup.

Sandai’s first instinct was No way — but the more he thought back, the more he realized it wasn’t impossible at all.

There had been that time Shino and Miki had almost gotten into an argument — something had been said about balancing a small cantaloupe on top of a bra. Then there was the time she’d hugged him, and he’d accidentally made contact — that softness he’d felt, now that he recalled it, had definitely been more than a little substantial.

When he started connecting the dots, the picture that emerged was unmistakably clear: Shino was, in fact, voluptuous.

He’d fallen for her as a person — not for her body — so he’d never really paid attention before. But…

He was still a healthy, red-blooded young man, and of course, he had his share of curiosity and desire when it came to girls.

When the girl in question was someone he’d started to have feelings for, all the more so.

So naturally, once he learned that Shino was hiding a figure like that, his mind conjured the image without permission.

Shino — that gorgeous, shapely Shino — wearing nothing but the sexy lingerie Miki was currently holding, pressing herself against him…

He could practically hear it. Boing. The phantom sway of a generous chest.

His upper lip stretched into a sheepish, involuntary grin.

(W-What am I even thinking about…)

Sandai exhaled sharply and shook his head, scattering the indecent thought.

He was here to buy something that would make her happy. Not to indulge his own imagination.

That was just the kind of person Sandai was — earnest, even when it worked against him.

Now — shifting focus briefly to Shino — it was actually because Sandai was that kind of person that she’d grown fond of him.

— He’s different from the ones who only ever look at your face and your body.

That was how Shino had seen him the very first time they met, and she’d known almost instantly: this is a kind, genuinely good guy.

After that, she’d fallen for him fast — like tumbling headfirst down a slope.

By then, she was perfectly happy to be coy around him, to seek out contact — asking for a kiss, wanting to be held. And when he reached for her, she accepted it with a smile.

But that was only because she’d already fallen for him.

Because she loved him, she wanted him close — and wanted him to want her close, too.

Being wanted before that point was a different thing entirely. In other words, the journey that leads to the destination matters just as much as arriving.

Love was complicated and a hassle.

But perhaps that was exactly why, when it finally bloomed, the fruit it bore was all the sweeter.