Chapter 20

I had a feeling something was off ever since we left the house.

His movements were stiff, and even when I spoke to him, he barely replied.

Shin’s never been much of a talker to begin with. Even at home, he usually spends his time silently staring at a computer or reading a book. But whenever I talked to him, he always responded properly.

So, with how strangely he’d been acting this morning, I started wondering if maybe he wasn’t feeling well. I even considered suggesting we call it off and go back home.

But now I realize I was wrong.

“This looks about right, doesn’t it?”

“No way… that’s way too expensive.”

The moment we exchanged those words, Shin’s face tensed up.

It was a look I recognized—one I had seen countless times in the other world.

It was the face of someone gripped by fear.

The kind of expression new soldiers often wore just before the start of a battle.

I had no idea why Shin would look like that. I couldn’t think of anything that might’ve caused it.

…But for some reason, seeing that expression stirred something inside me.

…I didn’t like it. That was the thought that came to me.

I didn’t want to see that kind of face on Shin.

I couldn’t explain why I felt that way. But I just couldn’t stand to watch him like that.

“…Come with me.”

I took Shin’s hand and led him to a bench I’d noticed earlier on the way here. I had him sit down and looked at his face. He seemed a little surprised, but his expression was still stiff.

I pulled a thermos from my bag and poured some tea into a cup.

Back in the other world, we’d sometimes give frightened recruits a bit of alcohol to calm their nerves. I didn’t have any alcohol here, so tea would have to do.

“Here, drink this.”

I handed the cup to Shin.

I still didn’t know what had him so scared. But I hoped that this would help him calm down, even just a little.

He slowly took a sip of the tea.

Gradually, his face began to relax.

“Feeling better?”

“…Yeah. I think so.”

After a little while, his usual clueless expression had returned.

And I felt relieved.

“Hey, I do want some clothes, but something cheaper is totally fine. I’d feel bad taking something that expensive.”

“…You’re right.”

Since he seemed to be back to normal, I decided it was time to speak up.

Unlike earlier, Shin responded calmly.

“…Sorry.”

He apologized with a composed expression.

It looked like he was back to his usual self.

“Okay, then—shall we go?”

I stood up as I spoke.

Shin followed, a smile now on his face.

That familiar, absent-minded, carefree smile.

Yeah, that’s more like him. That’s how Shin should be. I really don’t like seeing him with that other expression.

After that, we spent some time walking around the department store.

We browsed a bunch of shops, checked out some food and alcohol, and picked up a few things.

One moment that stood out was when we tried to enter the first clothing store.

Shin absolutely refused to go in with me.

Apparently, there was no way he could step into the women’s clothing section.

He resisted with a look of desperation I’d never seen from him before.

…Come to think of it, that was another new expression I saw from him today.

Today’s been full of new sides of Shin. Not all of them were bad—unlike the first one, I didn’t mind that face at all.

Before we knew it, time had flown by. By the time we stepped out of the store, shopping bags in hand, it was already evening.

“Yuu, thanks.”

Shin said it suddenly as we walked home.

“Huh? I should be the one thanking you. You bought me clothes.”

He pointed at the paper bags in his hands.

He insisted on carrying them himself, so I let him. That’s why I only had the light stuff in my own hands.

I guess this was his way of thanking me for the tea.

It really wasn’t that big of a deal, though.

“Come on, let’s go inside.”

We reached the house, and I opened the door.

When I looked back, Shin was standing there with that same, carefree smile he always wore.