In the end, the right to buy the records fell into the hands of Yukinoshita Yukino, who simply couldn't bear to watch Narumi shamelessly drain Bocchi's hard-earned money.
Unlike Yamada—who, despite coming from an equally affluent family, spent money freely and without any sense of planning—Yukino was quite experienced when it came to managing her finances. To avoid future worries, she always kept some spare cash tucked away in her personal stash, precisely in case she ran into a special situation like today.
"Enough arguing. I'll pay for them."
Even though Yukino had just been locked in a childish, needle-against-needle standoff with Yamada, the way she casually waved her hand and pulled out two ten-thousand-yen bills was genuinely cool.
"So this is what it feels like to be financially supported… I might seriously consider becoming a live-in husband at the Yukinoshita household."
The curly-haired boy tossed out this joke with mock seriousness, instantly choking Yukino on her own breath, while Yamada merely curled the corner of her mouth in indifference.
"That's only if they even want you, Koumi."
Why are you stating inconvenient truths so bluntly?
"But the Yamada household wouldn't mind. You can come to my place and live off us as a kept pretty boy."
"Does the Yamada household really have enough surplus food for me to freeload like that?"
…So this is just their usual banter, Yukino thought.
Feeling as though she'd been unconsciously teased, Yukino rubbed her forehead and handed the album Yamada had picked out to Narumi.
"I'm buying this one as well. Consider it an advance from club activity funds that you owe me, Narumi-kun. When you have money later, remember to pay it back."
"What, seriously—"
Yukino didn't say anything more. After casting a glance at the utterly calm Yamada, she turned and walked out of the record store.
Maybe it was just his imagination, but it really felt like Yamada and Yukinoshita were subtly at odds with each other.
As the saying goes, three women make a play. Even though neither Yamada nor Yukinoshita was the loud, unreasonable type, the faint tension and mutual dislike between them still gave Narumi Tōru, caught in the middle, a bit of a headache.
He didn't like watching the atmosphere slide toward an awkward freezing point. That feeling of things gradually slipping out of control was unpleasant—but constantly playing the role of mood-adjusting clown was honestly exhausting too.
After finishing their record shopping, Yukino—staying true to her original purpose—led everyone into a glittering accessories shop under the pretext of buying a gift for Yuigahama.
It was perfectly normal for lively high school girls in the prime of their youth to like flashy, playful, and cute items like these, and most of the customers inside were energetic high school girls as well.
Though eccentric and solitary, Yamada actually had excellent taste in casual wear. Despite coming from a sheltered, wealthy background, her clothing style leaned toward minimalist, loose, and androgynous black-white-gray outfits. This stood in stark contrast to Yukinoshita Yukino, who would occasionally wear cute clothes in private. Naturally, the two of them walking together attracted quite a few glances from passersby.
As for Bocchi-chan, dressed in her oversized pink tracksuit, she was far less fortunate in this territory that practically sealed away a fashion deity. Even if people looked closely and noticed her cute, pretty face, her outfit—utterly unrelated to fashion—was just painfully outdated.
Still, among this group, the one receiving the most attention was Narumi—the only male, and one whose clothes were also completely out of sync with current trends.
It couldn't be helped. When you're the sole opposite-sex presence in a group like this, you're bound to draw sideways glances. And mixed into those looks were, inevitably, some rather impolite speculations and fantasies—the result of a society that places far too much emphasis on romantic and sexual implications.
But Narumi didn't really care.
If he were to explain it in a slightly idealistic way, it would be: As long as someone's thoughts don't materially affect or interfere with me, they're none of my business.
Paying too much attention to other people's gazes wasn't healthy, and he had no intention of wasting precious energy on such trivial matters.
Even if he could justify things with that laid-back mindset, Bocchi-chan—silently trailing at the very back of the group—found it much harder to do the same.
Ever since leaving the record store, the pink-haired girl had been like a fish out of water. Without saying a word, she walked with her head lowered behind the curly-haired boy, her eyes hidden beneath thick bangs as they cautiously surveyed their surroundings.
Ah—right. I almost forgot that Bocchi-chan isn't very good at handling situations like this.
Though both were loners, the biggest difference between Gotō Hitori and Yamada Ryō was this: Ryō genuinely enjoyed solitude and embraced being alone with ease, while Bocchi—who hadn't chosen this isolation—was half-dragged along and left behind, forced to hide in unnoticed corners and observe others from afar.
This wasn't something she chose.
Ryō was a true eccentric who genuinely didn't care about other people's eyes, while Bocchi was a pitiful kid who actually wished someone would play with her.
Narumi Tōru had always known this.
"Bocchi-chan."
So when Bocchi stepped into this extrovert-filled domain and found herself stiff with tension, barely daring to breathe, Narumi—who had been walking at the front—deliberately slowed his pace.
He stopped, matching her small, hesitant steps.
"K-Koumi… senpai?"
Caught off guard by him waiting for her, Bocchi blankly lifted her head and met the boy's gentle gaze.
"We kind of look like the same outfit, just in different colors."
The curly-haired boy smiled brightly and tugged at his loose black hoodie.
"Don't you think being unfashionable is kind of comforting?"
"Pfft."
The pink-haired girl couldn't help but laugh at his playful phrasing, gradually easing out of her hyper-awareness of other people's stares.
While Yukino was intently choosing a gift for Yuigahama and Yamada was scanning the colorful accessories like a curious child, the two of them finally had space to talk quietly, just the two of them.
Bocchi knew that Narumi had noticed her discomfort—and that he'd chosen to talk to her in a way that suited her better. That kind of delicate, thoughtful consideration was something no one could dislike.
Someone as good at caring about people's feelings as Koumi-senpai really does seem perfect for being a rich lady's kept pretty boy…
Of course, Bocchi-chan only dared to keep thoughts like that to herself.
"Are you having fun today? You're not feeling uncomfortable anywhere, right?"
The boy's question carried a gentle note of reassurance. The pink-haired girl shook her head vigorously like a rattle drum.
"N-no, not at all! I'm having a lot of fun…! We went to a record store, and watched a movie I really liked… um."
At that point, Bocchi-chan paused, looking thoughtful.
"Though there was another movie I wanted to see… but let's save it for next time!"
"Another one… oh."
Narumi raised an eyebrow, recalling the other poster he'd glimpsed at the theater earlier.
Wasn't it a romantic comedy about a boy and a girl swapping roles?