Chapter 58 - Bounty Head and Awakening [1] (2/2)

And when I nodded lightly,

「-Hey Allen-kun, this way!」

The president proceeded steadily to the back of the store.

「Fumu fumu… so the lovely ones are lined up over here…」

The president looked at the clothes on display with sparkling eyes.

Then, she held what she was interested in on her body and checked it by the full length mirror installed in the store.

「Allen-kun, do you know? This year’s trendy color is green.」

「Oh, is that so? This is the first time I’ve heard of it.」

Occasionally with such short conversations, I followed behind the president who moved around the store without hesitation.

Meanwhile, I felt very restless.

(How do I put this… I can’t seem to calm down…)

Whether I look to the right or to the left, everyone is『sparkling』.

The hairstyle and clothes were all very fashionable, and I just felt very out-of-place.

(To get used to the city… will take more time it seems…)

It’s hard for me to get used to the city when I grew up in such a rural area; Goza Village, where there are far more livestock than people.

After 15 minutes passed,

「Nee, Allen-kun. This one-piece with polka dots and this one-piece with young leaves here… Which one do you think is better?」

The president tilted her head with two types of pretty one-piece dresses in her hand.

「……」

The moment I heard that question, a terrible shock ran through my whole body.

(I thought it was an urban legend, but it really does exist …)

The two-choice question of hell that is unleashed when going shopping with a woman.

If you answer incorrectly, the woman’s mood gets worse immediately, and you’ll see hell that day… Is what I’ve heard.

(But there’s no problem… ! The winning formula in such a case has already been given by Paula-san…!)

In my mind, a conversation with Paula-san that I had a few years ago came back to me.

「Okay, Allen? Girls, including me, are creatures who want『assent』」

「Assent, you say…?」

「Aa, yes. In such cases, the girl herself already has the answer.」

「Ha-Haa…」

「In other words, what is required is assent, not your opinion.」

「…It’s a difficult thing, isn’t it? So how do I find the『answer』?」

「That is easy. If you look at the girl’s eyes, you can discern it right away!」

「Look in the eye…」

「Girls are pure and honest. Their gazes unintentionally follow the one they like.」

「Oh, I see…」

「Well, a crude man is unable to understand a woman’s delicate heart… So, it’s important to meet halfway, okay!?」

Paula-san said that, and with a huge butcher knife, she sent a pig’s head flying.

(…How nostalgic)

The pork simmered that day was really delicious…

(Oops, concentrate, concentrate… Now focus on the problem at hand …)

I returned to the problem at hand after a little derailment. I casually glanced at the president’s eyes while pretending to compare the two types of one-piece.

Then I realized that her gaze tends to shift to leaf pattern one-piece.

(……Which reminds me, didn’t she say that this year’s trendy color is green?)

This year’s trendy color and the president’s gaze, if I tie the two together, the answer will naturally become one…!

「Um… I think that the one-piece with young leaf pattern is good…」

I said it clearly.

There is no turning back.

Sweat began flowing in the palm of my hand, and tension increased my heart beat.

(…What is the result?! )

As I gulped in my throat,

「Really!? That’s good, I thought so too! Then I’ll take it!」

The president, with a flower-like smile blooming on her face, ran to the cash register with the young leaf pattern one-piece.

(Fuu… This was the most difficult thing today, but I managed to get through it…)

As I thanked Paula-san in my heart, I exhaled a sigh of relief.

■

Then I was taken by the president and walked around various shops.

(Food shops, general stores, jewelry shops, handicraft shops… I guess we also went to an antique dealer…)

A store that I would never stop by if I was alone, products that I had never seen, it was exciting and fun today, coming into contact with many unknowns.

And the president was smiling happily all the time, thus I can say that today was a good day.

「Aah… The sun is going to set soon.」

「Yeah」

The time is already seven o’clock at night.

The president and I were walking down Oriana Street side by side.

「……」

「……」

There was a little silence between us, and we simply continued walking for a short while.

(…Today was quite tiring)

Should I bring up a topic?

Or should I walk silently?

As I was thinking about what to do,

「…Nee, Allen-kun.」

The president spoke with an unusually serious expression.

「What is it?」

「Would you be interested to join the『government』?」

「…Eh?」

With a serious expression, the president brought up a ridiculous solicitation topic.