Chapter 24 – The Genius Hacker’s Shopping Spree

Read o​n KatRea​dingCafe

 

“So, Senpai, where are we headed?”

“Fufu. Don’t worry. I, the greatest genius beauty of the millennium and the flower atop the cliff, have already planned everything out. All you have to do, Nanashi, is follow along.”

“Oh. As expected.”

The next day, just as Himari had said, I went out with her to the heart of Millennium for some shopping.

The lingering chill of winter rode the wind, sweeping over us. Worried about Himari, who was sensitive to the cold, I glanced her way—she had prepared well for the weather, bundled up in a thick coat as she exhaled small puffs of breath.

Her face peeked out adorably from the heavy layers, her arms struggling slightly as she manipulated a hologram. Amused, I watched her for a while with a faint smile.

“Here, take a look at this. Nanashi!”

“Ooh.”

A map of Millennium’s downtown unfolded before us, and the route Himari had meticulously planned began to trace itself across the screen.

I skimmed over the path she proudly displayed, then tilted my head in confusion upon noticing something odd.

“…Are we not shopping?”

“Ah— Ahem! Of course we are! But since we’re already out, I thought we could do a little sightseeing first, just you and me!”

“Ah, I see. Well, I’m all for that, Senpai.”

It’d be a waste to just shop and go back immediately.

I nodded easily and replied to Himari.

“Shall we get going, then?”

“Fufu. Sounds good.”

And with that, we set off into Millennium’s bustling streets.

***

Though it wasn’t snowing, the biting cold had vendors lining the streets with stalls selling warm food.

Despite the ongoing state of anarchy, the city was packed—beasts, robots, and all sorts of students milling about. The urban scenery, something the game had never shown, felt strangely fresh to me.

Since I usually traveled by flying through the skies, I’d never properly seen Millennium’s downtown up close. Walking through it with Himari was a novel experience, and I found myself gazing around in fascination.

Himari suddenly giggled, as if my wide-eyed sightseeing was amusing.

“Fufu, how is it? Nanashi, you’ve been so focused on work that you’ve barely had time to rest, right?”

“…Senpai.”

“It’s a little chilly, but seeing you enjoy yourself makes me happy. Why don’t we come out like this more often?”

Wait—was Himari’s real reason for inviting me out just to give me a break from my busy life?

Was the whole “punishment” thing just an excuse?

“I’d love that. If I have the time, I’ll always make room for you, Senpai.”

“I’ll remember that, okay? Nanashi. From now on, I’ll be calling you out whenever I feel like it, so be prepared. Fufu.”

“Oh-ho. In that case, I’ll have to keep my schedule clear so I can make sure Himari Senpai stays healthy. Maybe you should start exercising too, Senpai.”

We exchanged promises for the future, then paused to look at each other before bursting into laughter. Me with my hands tucked into my beige coat, Himari with the back of her hand covering her smile.

Ah, this is what healing feels like.

No worries, just living in the moment, laughing and chatting with a friend—what else could be more refreshing?

After several minutes of idle chatter, my gaze was drawn to one of the street stalls as we walked.

“Ah, Himari Senpai. Should we try that?”

“Which one?”

At my question, Himari followed my pointing finger to a stall selling hotteok.

It seemed to be fairly popular, with a small crowd gathered to place orders.

“I’ll treat you. Since today’s technically my punishment.”

“Fufu, is that so? Well, I’ll trust your judgment this time.”

“Got it. Wait here just a sec.”

I left Himari by the stall and went to order two honey hotteok. The beastman running the stall, sweating as he flipped the pancakes, cheerfully acknowledged my order with a “Just wait a bit!”.

A few minutes later, I returned to Himari and handed her the hotteok, now served in paper cups, and handed one to her.

“Oh my. This looks interesting.”

“It’s called hotteok. There’s honey inside the dough, so it’s sweet. Go ahead, try it.”

“It looks delicious. Well then, here goes—nom.”

I stood beside Himari as we ate our hotteok.

The perfect balance of honey and dough melted together in my mouth, delivering a familiar sweetness—not much different from the ones I’d had back on Earth. Satisfied, I glanced at Himari to see if she liked it.

Her reaction was even more entertaining than I’d expected.

“Mmm! This is really good! Sweet and warm, just the way I like it. I might even want another one…”

While I was slowly looking around the street and taking a bite, Himari finished her hotteok, showing how delicious it really was.

Chuckling, I offered her the rest of mine.

“Want mine, then?”

“Yes, yes? But then, Nanashi…”

I shrugged.

I’d had plenty before, and I didn’t mind giving it up for my senpai.

Himari’s face flushed slightly, as if embarrassed about taking her junior’s food.

She accepted it, staring for a moment at the spot where I’d taken a bite before decisively chomping down right next to it.

Maybe street food just suited her tastes unexpectedly well. I smiled as I watched her enjoy it.

“D-Don’t stare so much…”

“Ah, sorry. You just looked like you were really enjoying it. I’ll look away.”

“……”

Once she finished, Himari cleared her throat and turned to me.

“Alright. Now, let’s really enjoy ourselves.”

“Sure thing.”

We hadn’t even made it through half of her planned route yet—it was time to get moving.

“Fufu, I’ll just follow Himari-nee!”

“Ghk.”

I’d noticed this before, but for some reason, Himari really loved being called ‘nee’.

***

After that, we followed Himari’s meticulously planned route, hopping from place to place.

Arcades, libraries, botanical gardens, department stores, cafés—we rode Millennium’s monorail, touring nearly every corner of the district, completely losing track of time as we enjoyed ourselves.

“Senpai, you really went all out with this route.”

“T-Too much? Did I tire you out…?”

“No, no! I meant it as praise—you planned everything so thoroughly. I had a lot of fun.”

“R-Really? Fufu, well, for the millennium’s greatest genius beauty, this was nothing!”

“Senpai, you lost your ‘sickly’ trait.”

“Eek…!”

My teasing made her yelp and cover her mouth.

Honestly, her occasional airheadedness was kind of adorable.

We’d completed most of the route and were now taking a short break at a café, sipping drinks and chatting. At Himari’s request for something sweet, I’d also ordered a slice of chocolate cake.

Outside, the sun had begun to set, painting the sky in hues of gold—as if signaling the end of today’s adventure.

The streets, once lively with people out for fun, were gradually shifting into the quiet bustle of commuters heading home.

I stole a glance at Himari.

Given her usual frail health, I wondered if she was holding up after a whole day outside—but when I looked, she was already staring back at me, and our eyes met.

“Why are you looking at me?”

“W-Well, why are you looking at me?”

“I just felt like looking at you, Senpai.”

“……Huh?!”

A well-placed tease made her freeze, her pale face turning tomato-red.

I stifled a laugh and shook my head.

“Just kidding. I was just checking if you were okay, since it’s still pretty cold out.”

“…Isn’t that the same thing?”

“Huh. Now that I think about it, I guess it’s not wrong.”

Technically, I had wanted to look at her.

I nodded matter-of-factly, and Himari let out a resigned chuckle before answering.

“I’m fine. Thanks to you.”

“I didn’t really do anything, though.”

“You were with me, so I didn’t even have time to feel the cold.”

“Huh. Really?”

I didn’t quite get it, but if she said so, then great.

Nodding, I steered the conversation toward heading back.

“It’s getting late. Should we start heading back?”

“Sure. But… before we go, can we stop by one more place?”

“I don’t mind.”

Following Himari’s lead, we ended up at a clothing store near Millennium’s campus.

A women’s clothing store. A place I’d never dared to enter back on Earth!

‘Gahhh. This atmosphere is so intimidating…!’

Inside, racks upon racks of women’s clothes filled the space. It was overwhelming. Everything looked pretty, but I had no idea what was what. And the prices were outrageous.

“…S-Senpai, are you buying clothes for yourself?”

“No. Not for me.”

Bombarded by an overwhelming wave of femininity, I clung to Himari as I asked. She shook her head.

Then why are we here?! 

Ugh. Just let me leave already.

I shrunk under the oppressive atmosphere, trailing behind Himari like a lost puppy, barely processing her words.

Himari, meanwhile, expertly maneuvered her wheelchair through the store. I followed like a maid, just moving where she moved. After a few minutes—

“Here, Nanashi. Try this on.”

“Huh?”

She suddenly shoved something into my hands.

Not just one thing—multiple pieces of clothing.

A white top, a black skirt, and even a scarf.

What is this?

“W-What’s all this?”

“Nanashi, you came out today in just your uniform again. So this is my gift to you.”

“…Huh?”

“Go on, try it on.”

Wait, I have other clothes at home!

I just prefer wearing the uniform because it’s less of a hassle!

But before I could protest, Himari and a store employee practically pushed me into the fitting room.

Inside the cramped space, I stared at my flustered reflection in the mirror, the clothes clutched awkwardly in my hands.

“Haaah… Damn it.”

I really wanted to leave, but something told me Himari would be genuinely disappointed if I did.

I sighed deeply, looking down at the clothes. Do I really have to wear these?

‘I just like the uniform because it’s comfortable…!’

It wasn’t like I didn’t appreciate Himari’s gesture. If anything, this kind of repayment just made me feel more burdened. But with no way out, I had no choice.

Fine. I’ll just bear with it this once.

Steeling myself, I set the clothes aside and began stripping off my uniform.

Rustle— Shhk—

The sound of fabric brushing against skin echoed for a few minutes.

Once fully dressed, I turned to the mirror.

‘…You’re so pretty, really.’

My annoyingly feminine figure and pretty face—every time I saw myself in the mirror, I couldn’t deny that I was exactly my own type.

Himari’s chosen outfit was simple:

A white knit top, a basic black skirt, a cozy beige coat over it, and a fluffy white fox-fur scarf to tie it all together.

It complemented my white hair and blue eyes perfectly.

I undid my ponytail, letting my hair down, and suddenly, I looked like I’d stepped out of a fashion magazine.

Feeling a slight flutter in my chest, I cleared my throat and stepped out of the fitting room. Himari, who had been browsing nearby, slowly turned her head towards me and froze.

“……”

“……”

We stared at each other in silence.

I fidgeted awkwardly while Himari rested her chin on her hand, scrutinizing me intently.

…She looked more focused than when she was working.

“H-How do I look…?”

“…Not bad. Really not bad. I like it.”

“Glad to hear it…”

Unable to take the tension, I finally spoke up. Himari nodded in satisfaction, then asked curiously:

“Nanashi. If you look this good, why do you only wear your uniform?”

“…It’s just more comfortable.”

“Hmm. Is that so?”

She hummed skeptically before suddenly pulling out her wallet and retrieving a card.

“H-Himari Senpai?!”

“Hm? What’s wrong, Nanashi?”

“I-I’ll pay! It’s my clothes, so—”

“No. If I don’t buy them, you’ll never wear them. You’d just go back to your uniform, right?”

“……”

How did she know?

Honestly, I wanted to take them off immediately out of sheer embarrassment.

…Though that wasn’t the only reason. Letting my senpai pay for me also felt a little awkward.

“B-But still…”

“Don’t worry about it. Can’t I do at least this much for my adorable junior? Let me act like a proper senpai this time.”

“Ugh…”

“If it bothers you, you can just get me something next time, okay?”

Well… she had a point.

After a moment of hesitation, I sighed and relented.

Fine. If Himari’s going this far, I’ll wear them a few times…

I had no choice but to abandon my identity.

“Fufu, perfect. Then, please ring us up.”

“Of course! I’ll take your card~”

I watched in despair as over 100,000 yen vanished from Himari’s account.

“Thank you, Senpai. I’ll wear them often.”

“If you don’t, I might just get upset, you know?”

“Yeah…”

I replied gloomily.

I had a feeling I’d be wearing this outfit in front of Himari a lot more from now on.

And with that, our little outing came to an end.