NOTICE: Please read "Classroom of the Elite: Alter - Self-Test" before reading this.
Picking up on where Self-Test left off, Kiyotaka and his classmates finally reached Class A. However, because of this, Kiyotaka decided to permanently step down a...
(20:16) [Yes.] (20:16) [Kokoro-chan's birthday is on the 24th, so I want to buy a gift as soon as now.]
(20:24) [Alright.] (20:24) [I can come with you.] (20:24) [It'd be nice to get some ideas since I also plan to buy her a gift.]
(20:25) [Okay!] (20:25) [Let's go tomorrow.]
And after that, we agreed to meet up somewhere in Keyaki Mall. I waited for her arrival before noon because we also planned to eat lunch outside.
"Kiyotaka-kun~!"
The cheery Kikyou finally appeared. She wore a shawl-like pastel orange open blouse on top of a light lemon yellow one-piece dress with pink ends. It was a casual outfit that was perfect for shopping in the summer.
In a similar vein, I also wore casual clothes. It was different from what I wore the other day, but it'll do for today's trip to the mall.
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"Hey."
With my horrendous attempt at making a cool reply, Kikyou and I finally met up to look for a birthday gift.
We were inside a shop that was clearly targeted towards the female demographic and lovey-dovey couples. Its pink interior emphasized this effect after seeing all the available products. From stuffed animals to keychains and cosmetics, this shop was the perfect place to buy gifts for a high school girl.
"Well, I'll be in your care."
"Leave it to me! I'm sure she'll like the present we'll choose for her."
A guy and a girl going out on a normal summer day. In other words, a date. Yeah, this probably counts as a date. Of course, this wasn't the first time I've gone out with Kikyou, so I should probably get used to it now.
All of the rewards from the special exams were scheduled to be distributed on the 1st of September, so it's good that we still had a lot of leftover private points to spend. Well, that's quite an understatement. The monthly allowance received by our class was already more than enough for any student.
"Hmm, I wonder what I should buy her~?"
"Does Inogashira like accessories, by any chance?"
"Well, she doesn't 'like' them per se, but if you decide to give her one, I'm sure she'd still appreciate it."
"I see... But I still think it would be better to give her something practical."
"Ah~! That's the route you're going for? Hmm... Then I recommend giving her this~!"
Kikyou reached out for a small item that was coincidentally on the aisle that we were checking out.
"What's that?" I asked.
"Oh, you don't know? This is called a lip balm. They protect your lips by preventing water loss."
I took the item and scrutinized the visible interior.
