Chapter 32: Chapter 32
Although Mutsumi Wakaba was now living at his place, it was a somewhat spontaneous decision, so Kamijo Mutsumi hadn't specifically prepared a room for her.
Of course, he had suggested she stay in Sakiko's old room, which naturally earned him a glare from her.
Therefore, she was still staying in the guest room.
While it lacked nothing in terms of amenities, it had no sense of a personal touch.
So, Mutsumi wanted to buy some decorations and daily necessities to rearrange her room, and she was now asking for his opinion as the owner of the house.
He would naturally not refuse her request to stay long-term.
However, she was his fiancée, at least in name. Wouldn't it be a bit wrong to let her go shopping all by herself?
What little conscience he had left made him decide to accompany her first before heading to RiNG.
And so, after sending a message to Tomori that he would be late and arranging a meeting spot with Mutsumi Wakaba, he set off.
Perhaps because Soyo's house was relatively close to their destination, he ended up arriving first.
Waiting for a little while was no big deal for him. The only headache was the constant stream of flirtatious women who came up to hit on him.
After all, even Soyo's evaluation of him was that his personality was hard to describe, but his looks were impeccable.
These women would come up with all sorts of lines, full of suggestive hints.
He, of course, fended them all off.
After all, a boy has to protect himself when he's out and about!
Just as he was getting tired of it, Mutsumi Wakaba finally arrived.
Perhaps because it was the weekend, she wasn't wearing her Tsukinomori school uniform, but a light blue plaid dress.
It was a style she often wore, but it looked very cute, almost like...
...an exquisite doll.
At the very least, all the other women around seemed to know they were out of their league and retreated upon seeing her.
"Mutsumi."
Seeing him, she gave a small nod, but her heart was in a bit of a flurry.
After all, she hadn't expected him to proactively offer to accompany her.
Her social circle was extremely narrow. Even within CRYCHIC, the only ones she could be considered good friends with were Soyo and Sakiko.
Soyo spent her days psychologically manipulating her to contact Sakiko. As for Great God Saki, there was even less to say. Even the "White Sakiko" of the past had at most organized group activities for everyone during the CRYCHIC era. The current "Black Sakiko," who would glare at you for the slightest wrong word, was even more distant.
As for her comedian father...
The only evaluation one could give was that he was indeed very "humorous" when it came to being a dad.
Therefore, this was truly a first for her.
"Precious Mutsumi, you're finally here!"
He was, of course, unaware of her complex inner turmoil. He took her and fled from the prying eyes of the other women.
Their destination was a large department store, as it would offer more choices.
"What do you want to buy later, Mutsumi-chan?"
"I remember the things over there are quite nice..."
Faced with his rare, serious suggestions, Mutsumi Wakaba seemed to have her head in the clouds.
Insufficient 'first date' material loaded. CPU is a bit overloaded.
And because of her family background, she also had a very prim and proper personality.
Since her fiancé had taken the initiative to come out on a date with her, she naturally couldn't let him down. But what was she supposed to do? She had no knowledge in this area!
She looked around and noticed the couples holding hands, exuding a pink, romantic aura, and found her inspiration.
Couples hold hands on dates. As a fiancè and fiancée, we should theoretically be even more intimate, so...
"Mutsumi-chan?"
Suddenly having his hand taken by her, he turned his head in confusion.
What is she doing all of a sudden?
"Holding hands."
The expression on her face was as calm as if she were discussing an academic topic.
"This is what... lovers do on dates."
Mutsumi-chan, you're so smooth!
He never thought he would one day be on the receiving end of her advances.
"Are you like this with Soyo too?"
"..."
She suddenly wanted to fling his hand away.
Even a doll who didn't understand romance could feel that the boy was being a bit too dense.
Seriously, how does he see her and Soyo?
"You and Soyo... are different."
It had to be said, she had a good temper. Miss Taki would probably have already thrown a punch.
"Then what about Sakiko?"
"Speaking of which, who do you like more, Soyo or Sakiko?"
"..."
Another no-win question. Even Mutsumi Wakaba was on the verge of snapping.
She pulled her hand away and turned her head to the side. I don't want to talk to you.
In the end, however, they held hands again, only this time, he was the one who initiated it.
"Mutsumi-chan, what do you think of this store? The things inside will definitely suit your tastes!"
Like a normal couple, they held hands and wandered through the large mall for a while before finding their target.
To be precise, he found it.
It was a home textiles store in a remote corner. What was different about it was that all the bedsheets, duvet covers, and even various decorations inside had patterns of different fruits and vegetables. There was even a dedicated cucumber section!
Yes, that was the most important part.
"..."
Actually, I don't like cucumbers that much. Mutsumi Wakaba felt the stereotype was a bit strong.
However... he knows I like cucumbers...
And so, even though it was for her room, at his suggestion, they purchased an entire cucumber-themed set.
Of course, it wasn't that she disliked it. She was the Cucumber Sword Princess, after all.
At the same time, what surprised her the most was that this place actually sold cucumber seeds.
Regardless of why a home textiles store would sell cucumber seeds—and supposedly a superior variety cultivated by an agricultural university, no less—she was quite happy.
With seeds, she could plant cucumbers at home. For her, this was perhaps the best decoration of all.
However, for this, she still needed his approval.
"Cucumber seeds... I knew I forgot something."
Seeing her rare expression of joy and the cucumber seeds in her hand, he suddenly seemed to remember something.
"Mutsumi-chan, you don't need this..."
"...I can't?"
The girl's previously joyous golden eyes instantly dimmed.
In fact, she had made the same request to a certain comedian old man before, but she had been rejected without hesitation.
So, it's the same this time too?
"I have seeds at home that I had someone buy from several different countries. Each one is the cream of the crop among cucumber seeds, each with its own unique strengths. They're much better than what you can buy at a small shop like this."
These were originally meant to win her over, but he hadn't expected Mr. Wakaba to be so eager to offer up his daughter, and he had completely forgotten about them.
"Of course, if you like these too, we can... Mutsumi-chan?"
"...I want them all!"
An iron tree blooming—an idiom used to describe something as difficult as reaching the heavens, almost impossible.
And today, Kamijo Mutsumi witnessed something just as rare.
That is...
A doll's smile.
For the first time, Wakaba Mutsumi sincerely felt that having a fiancé like him... wasn't so bad after all.
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