The moment the girl appeared, his eyes lit up.
She was stunning!
Kato Megumi, unusually nervous and shy, stepped out of the fitting room with stiff, hesitant strides.
It was the first time she had ever worn such eye-catching clothes.
The thought alone made her heart pound with nervousness and panic.
She was dressed in a bright, pure white dress, its hem and bodice adorned with shimmering sequins.
It was beautiful and radiant, drawing every eye in the brightly lit mall.
"Kato, you look beautiful!" Yuto stepped forward to encourage her. He could see her tension and unease.
Since this was his idea, he felt responsible for her.
"R-Really...?"
She looked like a princess, but her bowed head marred the perfect picture.
"Really. So lift your head, Kato. See? Everyone's looking at you."
Yuto's gentle words prompted Kato to slowly, nervously raise her head.
Envy, admiration, appreciation, jealousy, desire... Countless gazes converged on her from all directions.
In that moment, her heart skipped a beat.
It was the first time she had ever been the center of so much attention, and the first time she had seen herself in such a different light.
Her heart fluttered with a mix of excitement and panic.
Her eyes darted to Yuto, and the smile on his face seemed to still her racing thoughts.
Yuto believed that if they wanted to attract attention, they had to start with her clothes.
He decided to experiment with a flashy outfit, convinced that even a girl with a weak presence couldn't remain invisible in something like this.
The current situation proved his theory correct.
"Kamisaka-kun, can I change back now?"
"What's wrong?"
"It's... it's so embarrassing..."
"If you don't want to buy that one, we can pick something else."
It seemed the pure white dress was far too flashy for the girl.
She was adamant about not buying it.
Naturally, Yuto wasn't going to force her.
The girl quietly nodded in response to his words. Perhaps the earlier excitement had been too much, as she remained somewhat silent now.
Yuto felt a little awkward.
To distract her, he decided it was time for lunch, it was just about noon anyway.
He figured the girl must be hungry after shopping all morning.
When he suggested it, she readily agreed.
The two then took the elevator up to the seventh floor of the department store.
The seventh and eighth floors of this mall were dedicated to dining and rest areas.
Being noon on a Sunday, the elevator was packed.
However, since this was a department store specializing in women's clothing, the vast majority of shoppers were female.
Yuto felt slightly out of place.
He couldn't let his gaze wander, as it could easily lead to misunderstandings. So, he kept his eyes fixed on the ceiling of the elevator.
Kato stood beside him.
Having regained some of her composure, her expression had returned to normal.
As they exited the elevator, the crowded flow of people inevitably pushed her against Yuto, causing a flicker of emotion in her eyes.
"Hello! As part of our special Sunday event, we're giving a rose to every couple who has shopped in our mall today. We wish you a long and happy relationship."
Just as they reached the entrance to the dining area, Yuto and Kato found themselves in another awkward situation.
Sunday promotions were a common practice for large department stores.
"Sorry... we're n—"
As Yuto took the flower and tried to explain, the crowd behind them surged forward, pushing them into the dining area.
It was noon, and the place was packed with people coming for lunch.
He didn't even managed to explain.
Yuto looked at the girl with a helpless expression, the rose still in his hand.
"Sorry about the misunderstanding," he said with a light, wry smile.
She calmly shook her head, seemingly unfazed.
Yuto glanced at the rose in his hand. It was still fresh, throwing it away felt like a waste...
"Here, you can have it. Seems pointless to just toss it." He casually offered her the rose, confident she wouldn't misinterpret the gesture.
Throughout their time together, he had observed her rationality, she wasn't the type to overthink things.
Kato accepted the stem, her eyes flickering with a slightly unusual emotion as she looked at the rose.
"Thank you," she murmured quietly, her tone as calm as ever.
Yuto gave a slight nod and began searching for a table.
After they had finished their meal and were sitting opposite each other, Yuto resumed their conversation about her low presence.
"Changing your clothes was just the initial plan. The key is to change your personality."
The girl listened intently. "Changing my personality?"
"Exactly. Kato, I feel your personality still lacks a bit of confidence. If you were more self-assured, you'd stand out even more than you did in that dress earlier. Confident people are always the most captivating."
Hearing Yuto's words, her eyes filled with a mixture of conflict and helplessness.
Confidence... that was a topic she truly struggled with.
"If you don't have confidence at first, then just pretend you do."
"Pretend?" She looked at Yuto again, her expression filled with confusion.
Yuto's lips curved into a slight smile.
He had noticed her predicament, which was why he had proactively suggested this approach.
"That's right. No one is born confident. When you lack it, feigned confidence isn't all that different from the real thing. As long as you believe you're confident, even that pretense will gradually become genuine."
Yuto believed that the human heart could be trained.
No one's inner self is perfect from birth. Everyone builds themselves up, bit by bit, through self-training.
The process might be agonizing, or it might be pleasant—it's all unknown. But the outcome will always be for the better.
As Kato listened to Yuto's words, a glimmer of understanding and realization appeared in her eyes.
Yet, even though she understood the principle, when it came to actually pretending, she felt at a loss.
'What does a confident person even look like?' Confusion clouded her mind.
"If you don't know how to act confident, then start by making yourself smile." Yuto noticed her predicament.
His calm, gentle words seeped into her heart like a warm rain.
Smile.
Kato hesitantly moved the muscles in her face.
A beautiful but slightly stiff smile appeared on her lips.
"Yes, just like that. Since this morning, your expression has been so calm. You've rarely smiled like this." Yuto watched her with a pleasant surprise.
The girl tilted her head, strands of her hair drifting in the air.
A flicker of emotion crossed her eyes.
'Do I really rarely smile?'
"Kato, you're much prettier when you smile than when you're calm," Yuto said with a light, encouraging laugh.
He wasn't lying.
Even if it was just a forced smile, she truly looked far more beautiful than when her expression was neutral.
Hearing his words, the corners of Kato's mouth twitched upward slightly.
A small thrill of joy bloomed within her.
...
After lunch, the two wandered through the mall for a while longer before finally heading outside.
Though the sun had begun to dip slightly, its heat remained intense.