Chapter 127: Two or Three (Part 2)
After a short while, when Hitori had even started to dial for help, Kita finally stood up.
She said with a beaming smile, "Gotou-san, I know what swimsuit suits you. Come over here."
Hitori stared blankly at Kita, who had suddenly changed gears, and followed her without much thought.
Finally, they stopped at a counter that looked very professional.
Kita smiled brightly and spread her hands, showing Hitori the swimsuit she had chosen.
"A wetsuit! This will definitely suit you."
Feeling the malice that gushed out and already flooded the mall floor, Hitori's expression crumbled, and she stood frozen in place.
Just then, a light hand chop landed on Kita's head.
"Don't tease Gotou-san when I'm not around."
Kita turned around and saw Ishikawa Hayato with his hands on his hips, a sigh on his face, and not far behind him were Nijika and Ryo.
"Ishikawa-kun, Ijiichi-senpai, and Ryo-senpai?"
Kita exclaimed in surprise.
She hadn't expected these three to be together, and this area was full of women's clothing and swimsuit stores.
Could it be that those two...?
"Kita-chan, don't start thinking strange things. Ryo and I just happened to run into Hayato-kun."
Nijika sighed.
Ishikawa Hayato pointed his middle finger between his glabella, pretending to adjust his glasses, and said with a deep, triumphant tone,
"To be precise, I calculated that they would go to that store to buy swimsuits at this time, and I waited at the entrance after I finished my shopping."
Kita stared blankly at this pervert.
Ijiichi-senpai had been so thoughtful to cover for him, yet he shamelessly exposed himself like this.
She looked at the two of them again and saw Nijika's slumped shoulders, knowing that he was right.
However, it really was quite a coincidence.
To happen to meet like this, should one say that Japan is truly small, or that they have an unusual destiny?
Ishikawa Hayato saw that Kita and Hitori hadn't finished buying swimsuits yet.
He thought for a moment, pulled out the white light glasses from his pocket, wrote the kanji for 'admiration' on them, and put them on.
He said with an admiring gaze,
"By the way, you two haven't finished buying them yet, have you? Do you want me to help you decide?"
"Ishikawa-kun, you..."
Kita hadn't had time to say anything when she suddenly heard a drum sound nearby.
She turned to look.
The sound came from Hitori's chest.
She hung her head, her chin almost touching her chest.
And amidst the strong drumming, she whispered,
"Y-yes."
Looking at the two with clearly differing opinions, Ishikawa Hayato's smile faded.
Oops, he had gone too far.
In this situation, he couldn't say yes, nor could he say no.
At this moment, Nijika came to the rescue.
She said helplessly,
"Kita, let's go browse the store next door."
"Ah, okay." Kita smiled and walked towards Nijika.
However, before leaving, Nijika turned her head and, with deep cat-like eyes, instructed Ishikawa Hayato,
"Hayato-kun, don't do anything strange in the store."
Having received Nijika's favor, Ishikawa Hayato didn't act up further.
He honestly promised her with a 'As you wish.'
...
After the three left, Ishikawa Hayato turned his head and looked at the meek Hitori, and then at the entire store full of women's swimsuits, scratching his head in frustration.
Although he was a pervert, he really didn't understand women's clothing, especially when it comes to such intimate apparel.
Of course, if he were to comment, it would definitely be no problem.
This was a skill every man possessed!
"Is there anything Bocchi likes?"
He looked left and right and noticed that he and Hitori were being watched by some women buying clothes and the store clerks.
This was not surprising.
It was very strange for such a young man and woman to come in and buy swimsuits together.
Although Hitori also had swimsuits she liked, having just been rejected by Kita like that, she didn't dare to tell Ishikawa Hayato either.
"I... it's my first time going to the beach, so swimsuits and such..."
"Then just choose the one Hitori likes. If there's anything else you don't understand, I'll ask the store clerk for you."
Hitori looked at Ishikawa Hayato in surprise. Didn't he say he'd help her choose?
"Hayato, what do you like?" she asked timidly.
Ishikawa Hayato stroked his chin and said.
"Although it would be nice to see Hitori wearing clothes I like, I'd rather see Hitori happily show me the clothes she likes herself."
Thinking of that scene, he expressed his thoughts in a rather perverted manner.
"That scene would definitely be delicious."
If there was a pair of high school students who looked like a couple, with the boy brazenly sitting on the store's rest seat, waiting for the girl to show him each swimsuit she picked, and seriously commenting on them, what would the people around think?
Of course, they would glance over in surprise, then leave after expressing concern for the couple's future.
But for the two protagonists of this little drama, the feeling was completely different.
Watching Hitori bring over each swimsuit with a mix of anxiety and anticipation, Ishikawa Hayato was finding it hard to handle.
She hung her head, holding up a light, thin swimsuit against herself, but her bright, animal-like eyes peeking through her bangs carefully gauged his expression.
Seeing the swimsuit pressed against her tracksuit, Ishikawa Hayato couldn't help but imagine what she would look like wearing it.
Snow-white skin like congealed lard, and that unimaginably alluring figure, adorned with a small, cute swimsuit, paired with a timid, adorable little face.
Ishikawa Hayato had to admit that when Hitori wasn't being foolish or socially anxious, she was absolutely a top-tier beauty.
She even, for some unknown reason, once came over with a Y-back swimsuit tucked among the others, though she was too shy to show it and ask Ishikawa Hayato's opinion.
But it was clearly brought on purpose.
Ishikawa Hayato also gave serious comments on every swimsuit she showed him.
Hitori also listened seriously to his evaluations.
While happy, she gradually solidified her own thoughts, and slowly, as if discovering the fun of choosing clothes, she began continuously searching for swimsuits she liked.
Her cheerful figure rummaging through the swimsuit racks had quite the feel of a normal girl.
She even got so carried away later that she showed Ishikawa Hayato the little bee-like swimsuit that Kita had previously vetoed.
Ishikawa Hayato's response to this outfit was.
"Hitori, you're not trying to use the clothes to attract attention so people won't directly notice you, are you?"
"Huh!?"
And only after showing it did Hitori notice this point.
She stared dumbfounded at the clothes, then trembled as she looked at Ishikawa Hayato.
Finally, she slowly recalled the words Ishikawa Hayato had just spoken, which her brain had unconsciously backed up.
"Ah... yeah."
Hitori concluded that Ishikawa Hayato was probably the only person in the world who understood her best.
But she was very nervous about what Ishikawa Hayato would think of her making such a choice.
"If Hitori chose this outfit because she liked it, then it's pretty cute too."
Ishikawa Hayato was speaking honestly.
What he thought was, the feeling of having a silly girlfriend like that seemed pretty nice too.
"However, if it's just to hide yourself, you can wear some common swimsuits that don't accentuate your figure."
Hitori listened quietly.
She could feel the seriousness and sincerity in Ishikawa Hayato's words.
Such a serious evaluation and expression of his own thoughts made Hitori so happy she didn't know how to express it.
This was also the reason why she liked Ishikawa Hayato.
If asked what salvation Ishikawa Hayato had given her, she would answerー
In that chaotic world, when she stood at a crossroads unsure which way to go, not knowing which path was safe, and with no one waiting and cared about her thoughts, that he walked up to her and asked, "Miss, which road do you like? I'll lead the way for you up ahead."
The sense of security and joy he gave her through his attentiveness was the reason she could accept Ishikawa Hayato no matter how flirtatious he was.
As she reaffirmed her thoughts while keeping in mind Ishikawa Hayato's opinions, Hitori decided on her swimsuit.
She went into the fitting room alone to change, took a look at herself, then went to the checkout counter by herself.
When she finished, she returned to Ishikawa Hayato's side, holding the canvas bag containing the swimsuit and nervously said,
"Hayato, I've chosen."
She understood the meaning of Ishikawa Hayato's earlier words.
What mattered wasn't other people's decisions, but her own choice.
And with such a reliable person by her side, she could afford to be a bit more willful and do as she pleases.
"Mhm, that's good then." Ishikawa Hayato stood up contentedly and took Hitori's hand.
Seeing his reaction, Hitori wore a smile on her face and walked alongside him.
The reason she made her own decision was becauseー
Swimsuits should be seen while at the beach.
The whole process of their interaction was witnessed by the other three, who had finished buying their swimsuits early and came to check on the situation.
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