Chapter 1: What Lovers Do Together

Rejected outright, I slumped my shoulders. Is that how it is? I really lack that kind of sensitivity. As I was fretting over what to do, Hojo offered a lifeline.

“Then just buy the present with Nanase on her birthday.”

“Uh? Is that okay?”

Hojo’s suggestion felt like a revelation. I thought gifts were supposed to be prepared in advance and given as a surprise.

“Totally. Everyone has their own tastes.”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s way better than giving something that doesn’t match her style. But make sure you have some options in mind. If you say ‘anything is fine,’ Haruko will definitely hold back! Suggest a store with an appropriate price range and tell her to pick something she likes!”

“Got it.”

That much, I could probably manage. Finally, I felt a bit relieved. I had been stressing over this for days. I’m glad I swallowed my pride and asked for advice.

“…Thanks, you really helped.”

When I expressed my gratitude, Sudo snorted.

“I didn’t do it for you. I did it for Haruko.”

“Saki, that sounded like a tsundere.”

“Shut up!” Sudo lightly smacked Hojo’s head. Watching them flirt at every opportunity, Sudo then turned her attention to me.

“Hey, Sagara. Do you dress up properly when you go on dates with Haruko? You’re not going out in that outfit, are you?”

By “that outfit,” Sudo meant my usual black hoodie. When we go out together, Nanase always dresses up nicely, but I wear almost the same clothes as when I go to university. The word “fashionable” isn’t in my vocabulary.

“Well… I usually dress like this.”

Sudo didn’t like my answer and raised her voice with her eyebrows knit in frustration.

“What!? That’s not okay! Sagara, sit right there!”

For the rest of the lunch break, Sudo drilled the basics of fashion into me. I appreciated her concern, but I didn’t ask for that much.

After returning home from the university, I used a search engine to plan for the birthday. I opened my recently bought laptop and searched for terms like “Kyoto university student date recommendations,” “birthday present girlfriend jewelry brands,” and “university student male date outfits,” all while feeling overwhelmed.

I definitely don’t want anyone to see my search history filled with such embarrassing keywords…!

I felt lost looking at the jewelry brand websites. Necklaces, earrings, bracelets—there were too many types of accessories. The internet was full of opinions like “this is tacky” and “that’s unnecessary,” making my head hurt even more. Choosing a birthday present was incredibly difficult.

While I was struggling with all this, it was almost time for work. Just as I stood up to get ready, the intercom rang. When I opened the door, there was Nanase, makeup-free.

“N-Nanase.”

Seeing her face made me happy, but the timing was a bit inconvenient. As I hesitated, Nanase smiled and handed me a small pot.

“Sorry for the sudden visit! I made too much, so I thought you might like some.”

The pot contained a simmered dish of chicken and taro. The aroma from the broth smelled delicious. I hadn’t had Nanase’s home-cooked food recently due to work, so I was genuinely grateful.

“Thanks. I’ll eat it after work.”

“Okay, so you have work today too. What were you doing? Studying?”

Nanase glanced behind me. Her gaze landed on the open laptop. The screen was displaying the jewelry images I had been looking at.

“…Oh!”

Panicking, I quickly closed the laptop.

…Oh no, did she see it…?

Praying she didn’t notice, I nervously glanced at Nanase, who tilted her head curiously.

“Uh, what’s wrong?”

“No, nothing… I wasn’t looking at anything weird.”

I stammered. Nanase asked innocently, “Weird? What kind of weird?” Unable to explain, I fell silent. This only made me seem more suspicious, but I could only hope she didn’t misunderstand.

“A-Anyway, I have to go to work soon. Thanks for the dinner.”

“Okay. Good luck at work.”

I somewhat forcefully ushered Nanase out and closed the door. I felt bad for pushing her out when she had brought me dinner.

Hopefully… she didn’t realize… right?

There’s a week left until Nanase’s birthday. Will I be able to pull off being a “wonderful boyfriend”?