—Is Kato here alone?
—Well... more or less. I was supposed to come with Eriri, but she had something come up.
—That girl...
Seeing Kato's calm expression, Natsukawa Kanade couldn't help feeling that the situation was unfair to her.
A little annoyed, huh? She got stood up!
But precisely because it was Kato, she could tolerate Eriri's unpredictable personality and still remain one of her few friends. If it had been Kasumigaoka-senpai who got stood up, she would have gone to her house to complain five times a minute...
—Do you have other plans now, Kato? Maybe we should head back...
The misunderstanding had been cleared up, and the logical thing was for each to go their own way. Although he didn't mind being with Kato, he wasn't alone today, and he had to consider Shiina's feelings, as she was right beside him.
A friend of a friend isn't necessarily your friend. If that line isn't clearly defined, conflicts can arise between both parties, and the intermediary ends up on bad terms with everyone.
—About what's coming... can I ask you for something?
Kato put down her spoon and looked directly at Shiina Mahiru, who had remained silent. She seemed to be asking for permission.
—...Yes.
The angel was startled, then nodded softly. She hadn't expected someone to address her directly. What could it be about?
…
Natsukawa Kanade, who had witnessed everything, was quite confused.
He was now standing in front of the women's clothing store, in the exact same position as before, without having moved an inch.
After dessert, Kato had taken Shiina by the arm and whispered something to her. Then both of them came here, and he simply followed. It reminded him of club activities in the past, when Eriri would drag Kato to choose clothes. Now it was Kato dragging Shiina... Did the angel also need to learn how to show charm?
What intrigued Kanade the most was what Kato had whispered to Shiina...
—Isn't Natsukawa-kun going in?
—Huh? No, I'd better not...
Kanade froze, then shook his head firmly.
As a guy, he couldn't just walk into a store like that.
Kato, as if reading his thoughts, said calmly:
—It's fine, I already spoke with the clerk. She said it's no problem.
—Besides, when it comes to choosing clothes, the guy's taste matters too, doesn't it?
Shiina nodded several times, as if she didn't want to leave Kanade outside, exposed to those "hunter aunties."
"…"
Kanade felt trapped. He looked at the clerk, who smiled kindly at him, and had no choice but to silently accept.
Although he looked calm on the outside, inside he kept telling himself it was all right.
It was just a specialty store. They sold lingerie and swimsuits, yes, but as long as he didn't look at that section, nothing would happen.
The customers were also understanding. When they saw a guy enter, there was no uproar. At most, they pointed and whispered.
Kanade lowered his head and focused on his phone, pretending not to hear anything.
But every minute felt like an eternity.
—Natsukawa-kun, it's ready.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but that soft voice sounded like the Friday afternoon bell. Instantly, Kanade felt relieved.
When he looked up, he saw a completely transformed angel. Shiina wore a black Lolita-style dress. The white stockings had been replaced by sheer black ones. On her chest, embroidered black roses. A small black hat crowned her head. Her entire body wrapped in dark tones, with golden hair and a faint white trim on the hem as the only contrast.
She had fallen, step by step, from a white angel to a fallen angel... How could he have such dangerous thoughts?
But he had to admit: the Dark Queen Angel was much more striking than her pure version. She was the type that made you want to hide under her skirt just by looking at her...
—Natsukawa-kun, your eyes are wide open.
—They're still round and my nose hasn't grown...
His thoughts were exposed, and Kanade quickly replied.
He almost died of embarrassment. He nearly revealed what he was thinking...
—Kana... Kanade... do you think it looks good?
Shiina seemed nervous, her body rigid. It was the first time she wore something so daring. She hadn't expected to do it on impulse... How embarrassing!
Kanade didn't hesitate to praise her:
—It's gorgeous! If the maximum is 100, I'd give you 200!
There was no reason to hold back praise, especially since she really did look amazing. He wasn't worried she'd get conceited for being told she was 200% cute.
While praising her, he looked at Kato... and noticed she hadn't changed at all.
—Isn't Kato going to try something on?
Kato, half-hidden behind the fallen angel, tilted her head and glared at him.
—Do you want to be hugged by the girls, Natsukawa-kun?
—What's going on here?
Kanade shook his head, amused. Ever since Kato joined the club, she'd been saying stranger and stranger things. Was she becoming an otaku under the group's influence?
—Just curious.
—Forget about me, today the star is this guy.
Kato pulled Shiina, who was timidly hiding behind her, and said firmly:
—You have to keep a close eye on him.
He didn't know exactly who she was talking to, but it was effective. The Fallen Angel lady finally looked up.
"…" Although she still couldn't speak and her body trembled slightly, Shiina's efforts earned the silent recognition of the other two.
—Now that I think about it, Shiina... you're not going to go out dressed like that, are you?
The idea suddenly crossed Natsukawa Kanade's mind.
The reason they had come to buy clothes was because Shiina's original dress had gotten stained, and they wanted to change it on the spot. But this new outfit... although it looked amazing, was too flashy to walk around in.
What if someone came up to talk to her? What if Shiina fell for him?
No, that wouldn't happen. Kanade knew Shiina well. If someone tried anything, the Fallen Angel lady would reject them without hesitation, just as she had done before.
But even knowing that, the stinging pain in his chest didn't go away. The discomfort didn't dissipate with logic. On the contrary, it became more real.
Ugly possessiveness.
—Natsukawa-kun, if you have something to say, say it calmly. Whether it's a compliment or anything else.
Kato had appeared beside him at some point, and Shiina was looking at him with concern.
"…"
After a long silence, Kanade muttered:
—I'm sorry.
He took a deep breath and finally spoke to Shiina:
—Shiina... could you change your clothes?
—It's not that I don't like how you look. I just... don't want you to go out like that.
He knew his request was sudden, but he still needed to say it. With all the guilt he felt, he couldn't keep it inside.
—Of course.
Shiina nodded immediately. In truth, she wasn't comfortable with that outfit either, and since Kanade had asked, she didn't hesitate to agree.
—Are you okay?
Kato looked at him carefully.
—Yes... thank you, Kato.
Kanade forced a smile.
"…"
Kato pursed her lips, discreetly observed Kanade, and sighed to herself.
Kanade's sudden drop in mood hadn't gone unnoticed by her. Although it seemed like his efforts hadn't been in vain, the knot in his heart still hadn't fully unraveled.
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