"Mika-san... even for you, this is a bit much."
Nagisa's hand kept drifting toward her head, only to stop midway, as we walked out of the sushi restaurant. She was clearly conscious of the stares from passersby.
Why can't you just enjoy the fact that they're staring because you're beautiful, Nagisa? Are you really that embarrassed to be walking around in a flower crown?
...Actually, I'd probably be a little embarrassed too. But this isn't about me right now. Let our angel Nagisa throw away her flower crown? Unthinkable. Absolutely unacceptable.
I took Nagisa's fidgeting hand and gently pulled it down. I couldn't grab her other hand, but my intention was clear, and she stopped moving it as well.
"Nagi-chan, if you think something is embarrassing, it starts to feel embarrassing even when it isn't."
"...It's not that I think it's embarrassing, Mika-san. It is embarrassing. Isn't it a bit easy for you to say that when it's not your problem?"
"Oh? Is Nagi-chan so timid that a few stares make her tremble? I wasn't nervous at all during my press conference, even with dozens of reporters in front of me."
"Mika-san, you were trembling like a leaf that day. I remember it vividly. And if you had been wearing a flower crown at that press conference, you wouldn't be saying that right now."
The words themselves were snappy, but her tone was so calm and polite. That was Nagisa for you.
But I wasn't shaking that day because of the reporters. The real reason, as I recall, was the fear that if I lost the bet, Nagisa would murder me with a roll cake. Not that I feel like I'd lose now, with the Arius faction having joined Trinity.
"Ahaha, you're right, standing in front of reporters with a flower crown might be a bit much. Yep, I'd hate that too."
"See? So, let's just take this off and store it somewhere safe... hmm..."
That thing is going to wilt and shrivel up soon anyway. What's the point of storing it? It seemed Nagisa realized this as she was speaking, as she trailed off with nothing more to say.
But I really hadn't expected her to be this uncomfortable. I guess I have no choice.
"If you hate it that much... yeah, okay."
"...Really?"
"Of course. I don't want to force you to do something you hate. I didn't realize it would make you this uncomfortable. When it comes to gifts, the feelings of the person receiving them are what's most important, right? No matter how good the giver's intentions are, a gift loses its meaning if the recipient doesn't like it."
It would be a lie to say I wasn't disappointed, but I needed to remember whose birthday it was. The star of the day is the birthday girl. Today is for Nagisa, not for me. I had to be clear about that. I couldn't confuse what I wanted with what was best for her.
"..."
"I'm sorry, Nagi-chan. I got a little too excited today. Let's just put it away and you can wear it when it's just the two of us... huh?"
My hand, reaching for the crown on her head, was caught by Nagisa and gently pulled down. She then gave a small shake of her head. It was a clear gesture that she intended to keep wearing it, which only left me confused.
"You're so cruel, Mika-san. After hearing you say that, how could I possibly take this off? It's a little... no. It's very embarrassing, but it's a gift from you, filled with your feelings... Yes, I'm sure I can manage for just one day."
"Ahaha... I didn't really mean it like that. I don't think you need to push yourself so hard just for me. The star of the day is you, Nagi-chan, not me."
"Fufu... is that how it looked? But this isn't for you, Mika-san."
Nagisa said, giving me a gentle smile. But that smile didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Yes, this is for me. So please, don't feel burdened by it."
Seeing that bittersweet, nostalgic look in her eyes, I began to understand why she had suddenly changed her mind.
Just as her beloved, burnt possessions and the memories of Nagisa tied to them were precious to Mika... the memories she had made with Mika must have been just as precious to Nagisa. If I had to guess... Nagisa might have realized that those memories now belonged to her alone, that the chances of me, the current Mika, ever remembering them were close to zero. It might be a stretch, but perhaps Nagisa had made that decision out of a desire to leave the past behind and build new memories with me. That would certainly be, as she said, for her own sake.
Faced with that reality, I couldn't be purely happy, even though I'd gotten my way. This was something that, even if I knew, I couldn't fix. It was a sad story, but if Nagisa was determined to make new memories, then the only thing I could do was play my part with all my heart.
As I was wrestling with my guilt and vowing to do my best for Nagisa's happiness, she posed a rhetorical question.
"You said that I was the star of the day, didn't you, Mika-san?"
"Ah... uh, I think so?"
"Then, since I have such a fine role model right next to me, I suppose I should just follow your usual example for the day."
...Huh? My usual example?
Nagisa, seeing my confused expression, gave a smile that, this time, reached her eyes.
"That's a story you don't need to know, Mika-san."
Ah... Nagisa, I can let a lot of things slide. But please, I'm begging you, just don't use Seia's way of talking.
After lunch, we enjoyed a shopping spree through the city's clothing stores. As the central district of Trinity, frequented by wealthy young ladies, there were plenty of luxury shops and high-end brands. We'd pop into any interesting-looking store, even the more affordable ones, and made sure to visit all the high-end brands. Two hours disappeared in a flash.
When I usually go shopping with Hifumi, we spend more time browsing because of her budget, but today, we were adding a new shopping bag every time we left a store. Most of them were for Nagisa.
"Even so, this is too much, Mika-san..." Nagisa grumbled, applying sunscreen to her arms, which were now exposed by the white dress I had practically forced her to wear. I, for one, was too busy admiring her stunning figure to care.
With the pure white dress, her surreal beauty, the wings on her back, and the flower crown on her head, she looked like a literal goddess. As a man, admiring her was an involuntary reflex.
"If you try to buy me anything else, I'm going home without you. Just how much did you spend today?"
...Well, it was definitely over a few hundred thousand yen, I think?
"Ahaha! But we only have one last store to go to, and then we're done for the day. I'm actually a little sad I can't buy you more."
"I would appreciate it if you remembered that I earn the same salary as you, Mika-san. But one last store? After buying all this, there's still more?"
Nagisa gestured to the mountain of shopping bags behind us. For the record, I was carrying all but three or four of them. They weren't heavy at all, but there were so many that it was just getting inconvenient.
Passersby kept staring at us, and for the first time, I couldn't pinpoint the exact reason why.
One of them is the Tea Party Host, the center of the storm that recently swept through Trinity. The other is her close friend, dressed like a bride on her wedding day. And behind them is a mountain of shopping bags? Yeah, even I wouldn't be able to look away.
"Nagi-chan, we made a promise! Don't tell me you forgot already. Was it such a casual promise to you? It wasn't, was it? Right?"
"...I remember perfectly well, so don't worry. The festival is still some time away, so I just didn't expect you to bring it up today. But I suppose it would be good to get it out of the way while we're both out. Let's go. Thank you for this."
Nagisa handed the sunscreen back to me and stood up. Then, for the first time, she offered me her hand. I had been the one to initiate all day, but that record was now broken.
After putting the sunscreen in my handbag, I took her hand. Before we left, I called some Tea Party attendants to take care of the mountain of bags. Every time I had to order people around like this, my pre-transmigration, commoner mindset tried to object, but I was now used to just ignoring it. Those girls actually seem more uncomfortable when I'm overly considerate.
I did have to point out to Nagisa, who was confidently leading the way, that the swimsuit shop was in the opposite direction, but...
"I just wanted to walk with you a little longer."
That brazen reply from the goddess-mode Nagisa was enough to completely shut me down. I don't know what's gotten into her, but her sweet words were almost too much for me to handle. I seriously felt like my head was going to explode.
Half-dazed, I let her lead me into the swimsuit shop. What followed was a series of events that I was not prepared for. I truly never imagined Nagisa would do something like that...
"Fufu. Please hold this for a moment."
Nagisa, who had chosen an incredibly provocative black bikini, placed her flower crown on my head and disappeared into the fitting room. For a moment, for so many reasons, my breath caught in my throat.
I thought Nagisa would have gone for a more modest swimsuit, but why is everyone here so open? The fact that the swimsuits are generally revealing can be explained away by the fact that this is a 'game for men,' but...
And what was with her just casually putting her flower crown on my head? Thanks to that, it wasn't my head, but my heart that almost exploded this time.
"Mika-san, how does this look?"
The moment the fitting room curtain was pulled back, I yelped and squeezed my eyes shut. But the stunning image was already burned onto my retinas, refusing to disappear even with my eyes closed.
"Whoa—... Hey, Nagi-chan...? We're members of the Tea Party, role models for all... student presidents, even...? Don't you think that swimsuit is a little... inappropriate?"
The Confucian dragon within me roared. It was a roar so mighty it would have put the Transparent Dragon to shame.
"Fufu, Mika-san, you can be so innocent about the strangest things sometimes... It's cute."
Hey, is this really the time to be teasing me? You were avoiding my gaze too, weren't you? You're obviously embarrassed.
If it had been a normal bikini, my reaction would have been a simple, 'Wow, Nagisa is more daring than I thought...' But that insane design left such a strong impression that it momentarily shut down my thought process, which is usually quite resilient.
"U-um, Nagi-chan...? I'll pick something else out for you, so please just stay still. I'm begging you."
I quickly closed the curtain again, fanning my flushing face as I went to find another swimsuit. Something with a bit more fabric, a less provocative design, and a softer color. Yes, that would be good.
To be honest, the sight of Nagisa in that swimsuit was already a memory that would be forever etched in my mind. It might have been the one moment where my brain perfectly replicated Ushio Noa's memory abilities.
I picked out a relatively modest, white, three-piece ribbon halter bikini that came with a wrap skirt and slipped it into the fitting room.
Students should act like students. Yes... indecent things are not allowed...
I thought to myself, in words that could have come from Koharu, as I sat on the chair next to the fitting room and buried my face in my hands. The store's robot employee asked me if I was alright, and it took all of my remaining sanity not to tell it that the person in that fitting room had just tried to lead me down the path of depravity.
Nagisa, you truly are a frightening child...