LIGHTNOVELONLINE “Hey, Mika… No matter how you look at it, this is a bit much.”
After finishing lunch at the sushi restaurant, Nagisa’s hand keeps going up, hesitating over her head. It seems she’s rather self-conscious about the glances around her.
Why can’t you just enjoy being stared at for being so pretty, Nagisa? Is it really that embarrassing to walk around wearing a flower crown?
…Honestly, I would also feel a bit embarrassed if I were in her shoes. But right now, it’s not about me. Throwing away our flower-crowned angel, Nagisa? That’s absolutely not allowed, not a chance in hell.
I take Nagisa’s restless hand and gently pull it down. I can’t hold the other hand, but it seems my intention got through, as I notice that hand stopping its movement.
“Nagi-chan, if you think it’s embarrassing, then even things that aren’t embarrassing will feel that way.”
“…It’s not that I think it’s embarrassing, it actually is, Mika. Isn’t it a bit too easy for you to say that when it’s not you?”
“Oh really? Is Nagi-chan perhaps so timid that you tremble at just this much attention? I didn’t even flinch in front of dozens of reporters at the press conference, you know.”
“Mika, you were trembling like crazy that day! I remember it clearly. And if you had worn such a flower crown at the press conference, you wouldn’t be saying such things now.”
Her frustration is obvious in her tone, but she speaks so calmly, it’s very much like Nagisa.
But honestly, the reason I was nervous that day wasn’t really because of the reporters, was it? I was actually terrified that if I lost the bet, Nagisa would turn me into a roll cake.
Now that Arius Branch has joined the Trinity, I had no feeling we would lose, though.
“Hahaha, yeah, standing in front of reporters while wearing a flower crown does sound a bit too much. I get it, I wouldn’t want that either.”
“See? So let’s take this off and put it away… um…”
Honestly, it won’t last long anyway; it’ll wilt and shrivel up quickly. What’s the point of keeping it? It seems Nagisa realizes this fact as she runs out of words.
But I didn’t expect her to be this uncomfortable about it. If that’s the case, I guess I have no choice.
“If you really dislike it that much… alright, I understand.”
“…Really?”
“Of course, I don’t want to force you to do something you dislike. I didn’t know Nagi-chan would be this uncomfortable. It’s natural that the feelings of the one receiving a gift matter more than the giver’s good intentions, right? If the person who receives it doesn’t like it, the meaning of the gift fades away.”
It would be a lie to say I’m not disappointed, but I need to remind myself whose birthday it is today.
The birthday person is the main character after all. Today is about Nagisa, not me. I need to be clear about that.
I shouldn’t confuse what I want with what’s for Nagisa.
“…”
“I’m sorry, Nagi-chan. I got too carried away today. Let’s just put it away for now and only take it out later when we’re alone… huh?”
Nagisa grabs my hand just as I reach for the crown on her head, shaking her head gently. Her gesture definitely means she wants to keep wearing the crown, leaving me with no choice but to raise an eyebrow.
“Mika, you really are mean. What am I supposed to do with this now that you’ve said that? I’m just a bit embarrassed… no, I’m quite embarrassed, but since it’s a gift from you… yeah, I can manage today at least.”
“Hahaha… That’s not quite what I meant. You shouldn’t overexert yourself just for me. You know, today’s not about me, it’s about you.”
“Hehe… Did it show? But this isn’t for you, Mika.”
With a gentle smile, Nagisa says this. However, that smile doesn’t reach her eyes.
“Yes, this is for me, not for you. So don’t feel too pressured.”
Looking at her wistful yet somewhat nostalgic gaze, I begin to understand why she suddenly changed her mind.
Just as Mika cherished her burned possessions and the memories tied to Nagisa, for Nagisa, the memories built with Mika were invaluable.
If I were to venture a guess… Perhaps Nagisa realized that those memories have become exclusively hers and understood that the likelihood of me recalling those shared memories with Mika is quite low.
It might be an exaggeration, but maybe Nagisa made this decision because she wants to forge new memories with me, leaving the past behind. Indeed, it could be seen as an act for herself, just as she said.
Realizing this unsettling reality made it difficult for me to simply be happy that my wish was granted. This is something I couldn’t change even if I wanted to.
Regrettably, if Nagisa plans to do her best to build new memories from now on, all I can do is give her my full support.
As I struggle internally with guilt while deciding to do my best for Nagisa’s happiness, she throws a rhetorical question at me.
“You said I’m the main character today, right?”
“Ah… um, I suppose so?”
“Then since I have a great reference right next to me, I can just imitate the usual Mika for today.”
…Huh? My usual self?
Receiving that puzzled look, Nagisa beams at me with a smile that finally reaches her eyes.
“Mika, this is something you really don’t need to know.”
Ah… They say this girl is the main character, but can’t you just tone down the Seiya attitude a little?
*
After lunch, we spent some time shopping at a clothing store in the city. Given that we were in the affluent area of Trinity, it was no surprise that there were a few luxury shops and many mid-range brands.
Whenever I found a shop that looked nice, I would pop in, and since I made sure to visit second-hand brand stores, two hours flew by.
Usually when shopping with Hifumi, checking out clothes took up most of our time due to Hifumi’s wallet issues, but today every store we went into resulted in me leaving with a shopping bag. To be fair, most of them were for Nagisa.
“No matter how you look at it, this is a bit excessive, Mika…”
With me somewhat forcefully making her wear a white dress, Nagisa complains while applying sunscreen on her arms. Regardless, I’m too busy admiring her enchanting figure.
In that pure white dress, with her unreal beauty and the wings behind her combined with the crown atop her head, she could easily be called a goddess. As a man, it’s utterly irresistible to admire her.
“If you buy any more, I’ll just leave you behind and head back home. Just how much have you spent today?”
…I’m pretty sure it’s over several hundred thousand yen, right?
“Hahaha! But really, there’s just one last store we need to hit, and then we’re done shopping for today. I’d be sad if I just ended it here!”
“I’d like you to remember that I make the same amount of money as you, Mika. But about the last store, are there really more places left to check out after buying all these clothes?”
Pointing at the mountain of shopping bags piled up behind us, Nagisa says. For the record, I’ve been carrying most of them, except for a few. While they’re not heavy, the sheer number of bags made it awkward.
It’s the first time I’ve had passersby staring in confusion without any clear understanding of why.
One is the host of the T-party, the recent storm that swept across Trinity. The other seems to be dressed like a bride on her wedding day while shopping with someone who has that much personal connection. And behind them, there’s even a mountain of shopping bags?
Even I can’t help but stare.
“Nagi-chan, we made a promise before! You didn’t forget it so easily, did you? You really didn’t take it lightly, did you? Right?”
“…I remember it clearly, so you can relax. There’s still a good amount of time until the festival, so I just didn’t expect to bring it up today. But it’s definitely better to cross that off our list while we’re out together. Let’s go. This was well-used.”
Nagisa handed the sunscreen back to me and stood up. For the first time, she reached out her hand to me. Up until now, I had been the one to extend my hand first, but now the roles have switched.
After putting the sunscreen in my handbag, I took Nagisa’s hand. Just before leaving, I called over the T-party staff to handle the mountain of shopping bags.
Every time I give orders, that commoner mindset I had before reincarnation begins to rear its head again, but I’ve grown accustomed to just brushing it off. Those kids seem more uncomfortable with me overdoing it than anything.
Though there was a moment when I had to point out to Nagisa that the store selling swimsuits was actually the other way…
“I just wanted to walk alongside you a little longer, Mika.”
Receiving such a forward comment from my goddess-like Nagisa left me utterly speechless. Whatever had blown her way, I found it too sweet to handle. Seriously, I felt like my head was going to explode.
With a dazed spirit, I was dragged into the swimsuit store by Nagisa’s hand. After that, a stream of events hit me that was way more than I was prepared for.
I truly couldn’t have imagined that Nagisa would…
“Hehe. I’ll just leave this with you for a moment.”
Picking out a provocative black bikini that could only be described as amazing, Nagisa placed the crown on my head before disappearing into the changing room. I was momentarily short of breath from the overwhelming surprise, for various reasons.
I always thought Nagisa would choose something a bit more modest, so why are the designs here so open? It’s easily explained as a ‘male-targeted game’ thing, but…
And what’s this about casually putting her crown on my head? It almost made my heart burst instead of my head this time.
“Mika, what do you think of this?”
The moment the curtain to the changing room opened, I jumped in shock and shut my eyes. However, the spectacular image engraved onto my retina wouldn’t disappear, even if I tried to close my eyes.
“Whoa—oh… Nagi-chan…? Aren’t we supposed to be role models as members of the T-party, especially as the student council president? But that swimsuit you’re wearing… isn’t it a bit inappropriate?”
The Confucian dragon inside me roared fiercely. Its roar was so powerful it could put a transparent dragon to shame.
“Hehe, Mika, sometimes you show innocence in the weirdest places… it’s adorable.”
Wait, are you seriously teasing me right now? You, of all people, were also avoiding my gaze, knowing how embarrassing this is for both of us.
If it were a regular bikini, perhaps I would’ve thought something like, ‘Whoa, Nagisa is bolder than I expected…’ But that crazy design left a strong impression that halted my thoughts altogether.
“Nagi-chan…? I’ll pick out another one for you, so please just stay still. I’m begging you.”
Quickly pulling the curtain back, I fanned my hot face with my hands as I stepped away to find a different swimsuit. One with a bit more coverage and a less revealing design. Yeah, that’s better.
The sight of Nagisa in that bikini would certainly be a memory forever etched in my mind. Perhaps at that moment, my brain was perfectly replicating Ushio Noa’s memory ability.
I picked out a white three-piece ribbon halter bikini complete with a relatively modest wrap skirt and slyly slipped it into the changing room.
Students should act like students, right? No… risqué stuff is forbidden…
Thinking to myself how Koharu would say such things, I buried my face in my hands as I sat on the chair next to the changing room. When the shop’s robot employee asked if I was okay, I couldn’t help but recall that the person in the changing room nearly led me down the path of corruption.
Nagisa, what a terrifying girl…