"You two finally finished trying everything on?"
Only after Shirai Mio and Shiina Mashiro walked out of the fitting room did Rita speak, looking completely dead inside.
"Mm. Why do you look so drained? Are you feeling sick?"
Rita shook her head lightly and smiled. "I'm fine. Just a little green with envy, that's all."
Shirai Mio froze for a moment before catching the jealous meaning behind that. She smiled helplessly. "Mashiro and I didn't even do anything."
"Right, right. If you say you didn't, then you didn't."
You did not have to actually do anything to make someone else feel painfully single. Sometimes a single gesture, or even just a look, was enough to stuff someone full of public displays of affection.
Shirai Mio ignored Rita's attitude and asked curiously, "We don't get to come out like this often. Don't you want to try on some clothes too?"
"No. I only bought clothes recently."
Just then, Shiina Mashiro tugged on the hem of Shirai Mio's shirt. "Mio, aren't you going to try anything?"
"I don't have anything in mind right now, but if there's something you want me to try, I can be your dress-up avatar for a while."
"Dress-up avatar?"
Shiina Mashiro tilted her head. She did not understand what that meant, but she did not dwell on it and instead began picking clothes for Shirai Mio.
Now that Shirai Mio was the one trying on clothes, there was naturally no need for two people to enter the same fitting room.
To be honest, Shiina Mashiro did not have much of an eye for choosing clothes. But Shirai Mio herself looked so good that even rather gaudy outfits still looked excellent on her.
Rita had originally wanted to give Shiina Mashiro a few pointers, but after seeing that, she gave up trying altogether.
Damn it. She was jealous again.
"Rita, what's wrong?" Shiina Mashiro's voice was as flat as ever, but concern could still be heard in it.
"N-nothing. Don't mind me. You two just keep going." Rita smiled as she spoke.
"Oh."
Just as Shirai Mio finished changing and stepped out of the fitting room to show them the outfit, a familiar voice suddenly called out, "Senpai?"
Hearing the voice, Shirai Mio turned in its direction and saw the familiar figure of Isshiki Iroha.
"Little kouhai, what a coincidence~" Shirai Mio greeted Isshiki Iroha with a cheerful smile.
"It really is. I didn't expect to run into you here, Senpai." As Isshiki Iroha spoke, she walked over to Shirai Mio.
Only then did she notice that Shirai Mio was not alone.
One of them was Shiina Mashiro. Although Iroha had only just joined the Art Club, she had already heard of Shiina Mashiro. She was a genius painter capable of holding her own exhibitions, and rumor had it that she was currently happily living together with Shirai Mio.
The other was a beautiful foreign girl whom she did not recognize.
While Isshiki Iroha was observing the two of them, Rita was also observing Isshiki Iroha.
The cute-looking girl silently moved behind Shirai Mio after seeing them and even unconsciously grabbed Mio's arm, looking almost as though she were shy.
But Rita could not see even the slightest trace of shyness in the girl's eyes.
Rita had the feeling this girl was a pro.
In the end, Shirai Mio was the one who broke the silence and introduced everyone.
Although Shiina Mashiro was also in the Art Club, she did not care about anyone besides Shirai Mio at all. If Mio had not told her, Mashiro would not even have known that Isshiki Iroha was in the same club.
"Are you here by yourself, little kouhai?" Shirai Mio asked curiously.
"I originally came out with a friend, but something suddenly came up and she couldn't make it. I was already about to go home when I happened to run into you, Senpai."
"In that case, want to shop with us?"
"I won't be getting in your way, will I, Senpai?"
"Not at all. Shopping is livelier with more people."
That was what Shirai Mio said, but she could not help sighing inwardly. Isshiki Iroha had already approached her and started a conversation on her own. Mio could hardly chase her away.
If there were only one person from the System's list in the group, it would not be a problem.
But the moment there were two, things would start getting chaotic.
Still, it was fine. She was a veteran by now. As long as there were no more than two of them, she could still handle it.
Just then, the System's voice suddenly rang out. "A new mission has arrived. Please check it."
"Go on. What's the mission?"
"Before leaving the shopping center, please hold hands with Kato Megumi continuously for at least half an hour. If you let go at any point, the timer will restart. Success may earn you a Kato Megumi series deck or item reward. Failure will require you to draw a penalty deck."
"Wait. Kato Megumi?"
The mission target made Shirai Mio freeze. She instinctively looked around and eventually spotted Kato Megumi on the other side of the store.
Shirai Mio was Shirai Mio, after all. No matter where she went, she was an incredibly eye-catching presence.
Kato Megumi had noticed her long before Shirai Mio noticed Megumi.
When Kato Megumi noticed Shirai Mio looking at her, she gave a small wave in greeting.
She had barely any presence herself, yet Shirai Mio always managed to notice her.
"Senpai, what's wrong?" Seeing Shirai Mio's slightly stiff expression, Isshiki Iroha asked in confusion.
"N-nothing."
Shirai Mio forced out a smile. In this situation, holding Kato Megumi's hand continuously for half an hour was basically impossible.
No, wait. It was still possible.
After all, this mission only required her to do it before leaving the shopping center. As long as neither she nor Kato Megumi left, the mission would not fail.
That meant she still had a chance to complete it.
If she could just wait until evening after Isshiki Iroha left, then have Rita take Shiina Mashiro home first, she could complete the mission easily.
But that was merely wishful thinking. It was basically impossible.
Was there some way for her to get away from the others for half an hour?
This mission only required holding hands. As long as Shirai Mio could get away for half an hour, Kato Megumi would definitely cooperate with her.
Looks like she had no choice but to use that move.
Shirai Mio took a deep breath, clutched her stomach, and said, "Um, why don't you keep shopping without me for a bit? My stomach doesn't feel very good, so I might need to go take care of it."
With that, Shirai Mio immediately ran off.
On her way to the restroom, she also sent Kato Megumi a message.
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