Afternoon
After lunch, Yukinoshita Haruno had to return to her company for a sudden meeting, leaving Shiro Sakamaki with a free afternoon. With nothing better to do, he decided to take a stroll through Akihabara.
He had promised Misaki that he'd prepare some games for home entertainment, and today seemed like the perfect time to cross that off his list. However, when he opened the document Misaki sent him and saw the extensive list of game titles, his scalp tingled from sheer overwhelm.
Despite that, Shiro headed straight to Akihabara. Even during the off-season, the narrow streets were bustling with life. Fortunately, having visited once before with Megumi Kato, he navigated the area with ease. With his sharp memory, he quickly located the game shop they had visited.
As he stepped inside, a wall of colorful game cases filled his view. He instantly spotted several titles from Misaki's list and began stacking them into a basket. He didn't glance at the price tags—if it looked fun or if Misaki wanted it, it went in.
His actions drew the attention of nearby otaku, whose expressions ranged from admiration to envy. Genuine games didn't come cheap, and for most of them, buying one or two at a time was a luxury. But Shiro's basket was already brimming with over thirty titles.
Once satisfied, he dropped the basket at the counter, casually swiped his card, and walked out. He repeated the process at a few more stores until he had secured about 80% of Misaki's list. The remaining titles were either out of stock or simply unavailable.
Since it was still early and he was carrying far too many items, he left the games at the store, telling the owner he'd return later to pick them up.
Just as he stepped out, he collided with someone rushing by. The impact struck his chest hard enough to sting. Looking up, he saw a familiar flash of twin blonde ponytails. It was none other than Eriri Spencer.
Her hands were full with tote bags, clearly filled with merchandise. Or so it seemed at a glance.
"Ahem, Eriri-chan? What are you doing here at this time?" Shiro asked, brushing off the impact.
Eriri's face paled. She hadn't expected to run into Shiro. Today was her secret getaway to collect material for her doujin work. In truth, those bags weren't full of game goods, but adult publications.
"Sh-Shiro-kun?! Shouldn't you be in school right now?!"
"Took the day off with the teacher. Some errands. And you? Shouldn't you be in school too? What's in those bags?" He gestured casually at her haul.
"T-This? Oh, I'm just buying it for... a friend!" Eriri stammered, looking away.
Shiro chuckled. "You're a terrible liar, you know. It's fine. I like this kind of stuff too."
He pointed to the stack of games he'd purchased—some of which included restricted content. "See? I even bought these today. You can ask the store owner."
Eriri peeked at the counter, confirmed it with the shopkeeper, and finally relaxed.
Still, she wasn't about to come clean. Drawing adult comics as a girl was already embarrassing enough—no way she'd confess to Shiro.
Knowing her pride, Shiro didn't push further. Instead, they decided to walk around Akihabara together. Eriri was ecstatic over a newly released swimsuit figure she'd been searching for.
"Na, how about this one? Isn't she cute? I finally found her!"
Shiro looked unimpressed. "It's alright, I guess."
"You!" Eriri puffed up angrily. Her cheeks flushed and her small tiger-teeth peeked out in a pout. Shiro found it adorable.
Despite his lukewarm response, she bought the figure anyway, her mood bright and bouncy as they walked. She hummed a tune, barely paying attention to where she was going.
Shiro had to pull her back from stepping into traffic more than once.
Later, they stopped by a cozy coffee shop. Shiro ordered a latte; Eriri went for a cappuccino.
Mid-sip, Eriri suddenly asked, "Hey, Shiro-kun, ever since that day... every time I take a car, I feel sick. What's up with that?"
Without hesitation, Shiro explained, "That's because of the fusion. It's not just cars—any modern transportation might make you queasy for a while. Side effect of the power, you know."
Eriri grumbled and clenched her cup. Still, in her heart, she knew it was a small price to pay for something so extraordinary.
After all, the memories of that day still lingered—a power beyond imagination, something devastating in scale.
If the cost was motion sickness... well, she could live with that.
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