Chapter 248: Mrs. Asakura?
Early Saturday morning, after breakfast, Kaede said goodbye to Eriri and headed out to the Bunko.
Today, he was going to meet Editor Nakajima to get a detailed understanding of the program, and most likely visit the recording studio to learn about the process.
As for Eriri, she leisurely finished her breakfast, washed the dishes, played with the cat for a while, and then changed her clothes and went out.
Walking down the street with her bag, Eriri picked up her phone and called Usami.
"Good morning, Mizuki! I'm heading out! Have you left yet?"
On the other end of the phone, Usami had also changed her clothes and was putting on her shoes in her entryway, holding the phone to her shoulder as she said, "I'm already on my way out. I'm a bit closer to the station, so we'll meet up at just the right time!"
"Hehe, then we'll meet at our agreed spot!"
After hanging up, Usami turned to her mother and said, "Mom, I'm heading out!"
"Have fun!"
After watching her daughter leave, Mrs. Usami sighed and said, "Oh, I thought this girl was going out with a boy, but it's just with a female classmate. So disappointing…"
After two stops on the train, Eriri and Usami met up.
Walking along the gradually bustling street, Usami asked, "Eriri, has Asakura-kun already gone to the publishing house?"
"Yes," Eriri nodded, "He left a bit earlier than me, so he should be arriving soon. The program details have mostly been discussed; today is about understanding the specific content and the script, which might take the whole day. Hehe, I don't have to work this daytime, so let's have a good time shopping at the mall!"
"Mm-hmm, I just wanted to buy new clothes!"
Usami was also someone who enjoyed shopping; no, it should be said that no girl dislikes shopping for clothes, but some buy what they see, while others prefer looking more than buying.
Arriving at the mall, the two entered lively shopping mode, browsing store after store.
Usami's clothing preferences differed somewhat from Eriri's.
Because Eriri was taller, she had more options in clothing choices and could pull off many styles, gradually leaning towards a more mature fashion sense. Usami, on the other hand, still favored girlish outfits, which limited her choices.
Looking at a cute dress, Usami's eyes instantly lit up, but she quickly noticed that Eriri didn't seem very interested.
Holding the dress in front of Eriri, Usami asked, "Eriri, what do you think of this one?"
Eriri listened, put down a small vest she was holding, looked at the dress in Usami's hand, and after a moment of thought, said, "Hmm… it's not quite right for me, but it might suit you, Usami. Want to try it on?"
"Yes, I do want to try it," Usami nodded, "But I remember, Eriri, you have similar clothes, right? Aren't you planning to buy any more now?"
"That's right, I'm not buying any more," Eriri picked up two pieces of clothing and said, "I think I can gradually start choosing some more mature clothes. I'll definitely have to accompany Kaede-kun to some events later, so I can't always dress so cutely."
Usami listened, stared blankly at Eriri, then showed a playful smile and said, "Are you already changing your identity, Mrs. Asakura?"
"Eh?"
Eriri was stunned for a moment, not reacting at first, but then she understood, immediately blushing and swatting Usami: "Mizuki, what nonsense are you spouting?!!!"
Usami dodged Eriri's attacks, laughing happily: "Hahaha, I'm not spouting nonsense. I think once you graduate high school, you and Asakura-kun will definitely go to the ward office to register your marriage."
As Usami spoke more bluntly, Eriri's face grew redder, and she couldn't help but imagine that scene in her mind.
Although Kaede had never explicitly said so, Eriri knew very well that that day would come sooner or later; it was only a matter of time.
But she wouldn't admit it so easily, stubbornly shaking her twin tails and saying, "Hmph, I won't let him get his way so easily. I still need to observe him more!"
"Still observing?"
Usami, holding her clothes, leaned next to Eriri and said with a smile, "You're already living together and still observing? What are you trying to observe? Anyway, none of the people who know you two have any objections about your future. Hehe, you don't have any other ideas, do you, Eriri?"
"Ugh… Of course not!" Even if Eriri wanted to deny it, she wouldn't lie about something like this, even if Kaede wasn't there right now.
"But, but I wouldn't just easily go to the ward office with him, would I? He at least has to give me an unforgettable proposal or something…"
"Like the kind you often see online? With the ground covered in roses or something?"
"No, that's too unoriginal, and I don't think Kaede-kun would do that," Eriri shook her head, "I don't know exactly what it will be like, but I'm putting my foot down here: I definitely want the proper procedures! Let's go, to try on clothes!"
It was only then that the sales assistant, who had been standing nearby, walked over and led the two to the fitting rooms, feeling a good deal of envy.
She was in her twenties and still a sales assistant, a single dog, while this young girl was already a winner in life, thinking so much further ahead than herself. The gap was truly too great… After changing into the tried-on clothes, Eriri looked at her outfit, scrutinizing it from left to right, and shook her head: "No, the top is still a bit off. I need to try another one."
Eriri hadn't chosen a dress this time, but rather a top and bottom combination. The top she was wearing looked good, but it felt a bit mismatched once she put it on.
Looking at Usami beside her, the long dress she was wearing suited her quite well. Eriri nodded repeatedly: "Mm-hmm, it looks really good, Mizuki. If it's this outfit, I bet even Uchimaki wouldn't be completely unmoved."
Having been ambushed by Usami earlier, Eriri naturally had to find a way to get even, and she blurted it out now.
Usami, who was examining the dress she was wearing, immediately replicated Eriri's earlier expression, even more shyly, feeling like she was about to burst into flames.