Chapter 6 (2/2)

”She may be a cleric, but when she's walking around incognito you don't just yell out her name, Yuuga! Everyone around us will find out! Use your head for once!”

She came down on him real hard.

But she was absolutely right.

Hero-kun kept his trap shut and nodded his head earnestly.

”Got it. Sorry Mikana, Cecilia.”

Hero-kun apologized in a low voice.

He realized he was in the wrong.

Still, it would have been obvious if he'd taken even a second to think about it.

”By the way, what are you doing here Cecilia? It's been a while so me and Mikana decided to take the day off. If you like, why don't we hang out together?”

Hey now, do you not see me standing right here?

It’s not like I blend into the background!

”I'm sorry. Although I'm taking the day off as well, I'm already here with my good friend...”

”Good friend?”

After Hero-kun responded to Cecilia's statement, he finally realized that I existed.

He had a weird expression on his face when he saw me.

I guess he has a problem with some other guy being with his crush.

”Aah...then, bring him along.”

What the heck, I'm just a tagalong? Without waiting for Cecilia's answer, Hero-kun grabbed her arm and took her into the accessory shop.

Maybe he was just being over-confident, but Cecilia didn’t look happy at all.

Me and the Mage girl were left behind, and she took a moment to voice her complaints.

”Dammit, this was supposed to be a date with just me and Yuuga!”

The Mage girl, I think her name name was Mikana?

I'm feeling the same way she is.

”I finally forced him to take a day off with just the two of us...the weather was nice so I invited him to go shopping just like we used to...”

'Like we used to', I wonder if she's childhood friends with Hero-kun?

Haaah...I couldn't help but sigh.

I'm also irritated that my first date got hijacked.

”...Hey you, you like that cleric right? You were together, maybe on a date?”

I was suddenly asked a difficult question.

How should I answer...?

”Hmm, I know the answer without even asking. Give it your best shot. If you do, maybe Yuuga will finally give up on her...”

She was kinda cheering me on.

I thought she was a total b.i.t.c.h, but maybe she was just really devoted to Hero-kun?

My opinion of her slightly improved...

”But with your boring face, I'm not holding out much hope...”

Previous statement withdrawn. She may not be a b.i.t.c.h, but her personality is horrible.

...Still I may think just a tiny bit better of her, so I suppose I can call her by name in my internal monologues.

”What are you s.p.a.cing out for? Just how far are you gonna let those two go on their own? I'm gonna go catch up.”

Mikana entered the shop, rudely leaving me behind.

But she's right.

He may not have a chance with Cecilia, but that doesn't mean I should let them cozy up to each other.

I follow Mikana into the shop.

There's a ton of couples in here.

I bet a bunch of guys are buying presents for their girls.

Looking around for her, I finally spot Cecilia.

She's together with Hero-kun, and Mikana also made her way over.

”Oh, Youki-san, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to leave you behind...”

I know Cecilia isn't at fault, so she doesn't need to apologize.

It was all Hero-kun's fault for forcibly dragging her along.

Of course I don't say this out loud.

”It's ok, I don't mind. Anyway, it looks like there's all kinds of different accessories.”

Inside the store were all sorts of accessories; rings, bracelets, necklaces, brooches, and earrings, all ranging from the cheap to the expensive.

”Since we're here, let's get something. Which one should we buy?”

Hero-kun reacted to what I said.

”Sounds good. Mikana, Cecilia, I'll get something for you.”

Hero-kun gave them his best pretty boy smile.

Is this a compet.i.tion or something?

Saying he'll get something for them, thems fightin' words!

I'm only buying something for Cecilia though!

”Then I'll pick out something too.”

And so two men started deliberating between all the accessories.

Mikana looks super happy that Hero-kun is buying something for her.

Cecilia has a forced smile. Probably because Hero-kun started this fight.

”...Now then, which should I get?”

I have never in my two lives picked out a present for a girl, with the only exception being my mother.

...Which one do I get?

I wander around the store until something catches my eye.

”...Ah, this looks nice.”

What I found was a reasonably priced necklace.

It may not have been the most expensive thing in the store, but the workmans.h.i.+p was solid, and it didn't look cheap.

A good choice if I do say so myself.

”Cecilia, what do you think of this?”

I have Cecilia try it on.

Looks pretty nice on her.

She seems to like it too.

And just when we had a good thing going...

”Cecilia, come try on what I picked out for you.”

Hero-kun crowded in between us.

Read the mood, things were just getting good!

Hero-kun brought over an expensive-looking and ornately decorated hairpin.

But the jewels were all cluttered together in an extreme mess.

Hey buddy...don't just pick something that looks expensive. People will doubt your fas.h.i.+on sense.

Even Cecilia and Mikana's faces are uneasy.

Neither of the girls like it.

”Here, try it on.”

Hero-kun didn't catch the looks of disdain.

In order to put it on, Hero-kun took off Cecilia's straw hat...wait you r.e.t.a.r.d!!

Everyone but Hero-kun were stupefied.

If you do that then...

”Hey, isn't that Cecilia-sama?!”

”Ohmigawd, isn't that Hero-sama next to her?!”

”Mikana-sama is here too!”

Their ident.i.ties revealed, the shop erupted into chaos.

Even though I was with them, I was pushed back by the flood of people, and became just another person among the mob of fans.

”Yuuga, you idiot!”

”Cecilia, where are you?!”

”Youki-san, where did you go?!”

”Quit shovin', you’re disrupting the shop's business! Everyone get out!”

I demanded everyone leave so they could escape the shop, but the chaos could not be controlled.

More and more people crowded in and barraged the three heroes with questions.

”Hero-sama, who's your favorite?!”

”What about your engagement to the princess?”

”Cecilia-sama, you turned down all your marriage proposals, were you saving yourself for Hero-sama?”

”Mikana-sama, what are your plans?”

”Huh? Wasn't there one more person here...?”

The three were flooded with questions while I was being crushed by the mob.

After 6 hours, the four of us were exhausted.

Once the commotion died down we relaxed in a nearby park.

”...Cecilia, Mikana, oh and you too, do you guys want to go have some dinner...”

”No way in h.e.l.l!”

”Not going!”

”I shall politely decline!”

In that moment our three hearts became one.

Does this guy, who incited the uproar in the first place, even know what he's saying? Hero-kun should be just as tired as the rest of us.

I don't want any more trouble today, thank you very much.

“Ahaha...right…”

You should think about what you've done first.

The day off I'd been looking forward to so much ended up in shambles.

We were taking the day off to rest, but instead we wore ourselves out.

”Let's just call it a day...”

Everyone agreed with me.

In the end, my first date was a total failure.

Hero-kun...er, Yuuga.

I'm gonna remember this...my grudge won't be forgotten anytime soon.

The next day I was summoned by Celia-san...I wonder if I’m gonna be scolded?

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