Chapter 20: Weekend department store date (4)

I sat, observing Shiraizuka-senpai, Aya, and Mizuki.
Aya, sipping her iced tea with an almost ceremonial grace.
Shiraizuka-senpai, exchanging witty banter with Mizuki.

And me, enjoying my strawberry yogurt smoothie, watching their interaction.

‘…This is surreal.’

I never imagined, not in my past life, nor after accepting my role as the mob character Kurosawa Rina, that I’d become close to these “noble ladies.”

They belonged to a different world.
Both the me before falling asleep and the me in the novel were just commoners, mob characters. Even now, I felt the subtle gap between us.

But…

This felt…nice.

Spending time with them, chatting, enjoying our favorite drinks, and laughing together felt strangely warm and comforting, like ordinary high school girls.

Though whether I was an ordinary high school girl was debatable.

“I should be going now. Have a good day, everyone.”

As Shiraizuka-senpai stood up, seemingly tired of Mizuki’s antics, Mizuki smiled knowingly.

“Rika-chan~ you’re not just here for perfume, are you?”

Shiraizuka-senpai froze.
For a fleeting moment, I saw a subtle twitch in her cheek.

“Wh…why would you think that?”

She tried to maintain a composed smile, but Mizuki’s lips curled mischievously.

“Come on~ you can be honest. Are you going to the arcade again?”

Her eyes flickered, her smile strained.
…Mizuki knew. Shiraizuka-senpai, despite her appearance, enjoyed gaming.

“…Asakura-san, such bluntness is unbecoming.”

“Shiraizuka-san, does that mean you’re not?”

Senpai used Mizuki’s surname to create distance, but Mizuki quickly closed the gap, responding in kind with the formal address. Mizuki’s noble upbringing was evident.

Senpai sighed, realizing defeat, and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Hee hee, Shiraizuka-san~ if you’d like, we could join you.”

Mizuki smiled brightly, her offer delivered with perfect noble grace.
Shiraizuka-senpai hesitated, then nodded with an elegant smile.

“…Well, I suppose this wouldn’t be so bad. Would your… companions like to join us as well?”

Mizuki cheered at her agreement.

“Yay! Rina, Aya, you’re okay with this, right?”
“Huh…?”

Aya’s eyes widened in surprise. This was unexpected for someone uninterested in games.

I realized my mistake. Aya had no affinity for games.

‘Oh no, Aya won’t like this…’

But Mizuki had already grabbed our wrists and started pulling us along. Aya sighed and followed.

“…Fine, let’s go.”

****

We arrived at the arcade on the top floor of the department store. The elevator doors opened to a cacophony of sounds and flashing neon lights. I felt a wave of nostalgia, reminiscent of the arcades from my past life.

Then, I looked at Aya. Her eyes were wide with shock as she took in the scene.

“It’s…louder than I expected.”

Aya’s lips were pressed together as she scanned the surroundings, her body stiff.

Perhaps this was too much for her?
I worried about her.

Shiraizuka-senpai initially pretended to browse casually, maintaining her aloof demeanor, but soon she was playing a game, joystick in hand.

‘She acts cool, but she’s a fighting game fanatic.’

Despite her composed expression, her eyes, focused on the screen, were sharp and intense. Her fingers flew across the buttons with practiced ease, like a professional.

She was probably a famous online player, known as “Mysterious S” or something.

“Woo! As expected of Rika-chan! You’re so good! Want to play against me?”

“Hee hee, Mizuki, you think you can beat me?”

Mizuki sat down opposite her and joined the game. Watching them, I felt a familiar itch in my fingers, remembering my days as a joystick-wielding, combo-mastering gamer.

But I quickly dismissed the thought.
Aya stood beside me, arms crossed, looking around awkwardly.
I looked at her and asked,

“Aya.”
“Hmm? Oh, what?”

She looked at me, slightly startled. I smiled and tried to link arms with her like Mizuki did.

…But the height difference made it awkward. Mizuki was at least 10cm taller than me. I gave up and gently took Aya’s wrist instead.

“This is your first time at an arcade, right, Aya?”

“Um…yes.”

Aya nodded shyly.

It was the reaction I’d expected. She’d never been to an arcade, not even in the novel.
I think she also froze up during the amusement park event on the spring field trip.

“Let’s play some quieter games. It’s too noisy here.”

I led her towards the claw machines. She flinched slightly, then followed obediently. The subtle tension in her hand eased as she seemed to relax, relying on me.

“Okay, let’s go wherever you want, Rina.”

The claw machine area was separated from the main arcade by a partition. Unlike the noisy arcade, soft, gentle music played here. Aya seemed to appreciate the calmer atmosphere, her shoulders relaxing.

I took out my wallet and inserted some bills into the change machine. The coins clattered into the tray, and I divided them in half, offering some to Aya. Our fingers brushed briefly.

“You insert the coins and move the joystick. You know how claw machines work, right?”

“Um…yes.”

Though she seemed unsure, claw machines were easy enough to understand. I decided to demonstrate instead of explaining. I sat down, inserted a coin, and

“You push it forward slightly…then stop here…”

I carefully maneuvered the joystick and pressed the button. As expected, the claw missed.

“Hee hee, it’s not that easy. Want to try, Aya?”
“Okay…!”

She nodded and sat down. Her hands fumbled awkwardly with the joystick.

I smiled and placed my hand over hers, guiding her.
Her warmth spread through my fingertips.

‘I’m just helping her. Doesn’t count…’

I tried to act natural, but I flinched when I saw Aya’s face flush slightly. Her blue eyes flickered as she looked up at me shyly. My heart pounded, and I looked away.

“Rina, is this…right?”
“Y…yes! Good! You’re doing great!”

Aya carefully pressed the button.
The claw descended slowly.

We watched the screen, holding our breath.

Unbelievably, the claw grabbed the toy’s ear. With a beep, the toy slowly rose and dropped into the prize chute.

“Wow…I got it.”

Aya’s quiet voice was filled with wonder. Her wide eyes and the slight upturn of her lips were a stark contrast to her usual composure.
She looked…strangely cute.

The protagonist probably saw this expression often, impressing Aya with their skills. I wouldn’t see it often, since I wasn’t good at anything.

I suddenly understood why the protagonist liked Aya. This wasn’t the usual “tsun” Aya, but the “dere” Aya.

Wait…but I’m a girl… No, no, ahahaha…

As I nervously scratched the back of my neck, Aya shyly retrieved the toy and offered it to me. She smiled softly, stroking the toy’s fur with her fingertips.

“Here… you can have it, Rina.”

“…Huh? Me?”

I was surprised.
It felt awkward to accept, especially since it was her first prize.

“Yes, I think it suits you.”

Her gentle smile and sincere offer made it impossible to refuse. I bowed my head slightly and accepted the toy with both hands.

“Th…thank you. I’ll treasure it.”

I hugged the toy, thinking,

‘Aya gave me a gift?! This wasn’t in the novel!’

A warm feeling, mixed with something unfamiliar, made my heart flutter. Just then, Mizuki ran towards us, clapping excitedly.

“Ooh~ Aya, you won a toy? And you’re giving it to Rina? How sweet~!”

“M…Mizuki!”

Aya waved her hands frantically, flustered.

Mizuki turned her playful gaze to me.

“It really suits you, Rina~”

Mizuki teased, mimicking Aya’s earlier words. My face burned. Aya, also blushing, lightly slapped Mizuki’s back.

“Ehehe, Aya~ you’re so cute when you’re embarrassed~!”

“Mizuki!”

“A…ahahaha! Sorry. Shall we head back? I’m hungry, and it seems Shiraizuka-senpai plans to stay here longer.”

Our eventful day at the department store ended. I looked at the toy in my hands, a warm feeling spreading through my chest.

‘This is…what friends do, right? Exchange gifts?’

Stepping out of the department store, the afternoon sun felt warm on my skin.