Chapter 268: Choosing a Gift
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 268: Choosing a Gift
Honestly, buying jewelry with a normal high school student's allowance is a luxury.
It's a good thing I earned a large sum from appearing on that year-end special broadcast; otherwise, considering my usual allowance, I wouldn't have even dared to step into a shop like this.
When I opened the door and entered the jewelry shop, the neatly dressed owner greeted me from behind a transparent display case.
"Welcome~"
Her tone and demeanor practically screamed 'social butterfly.'
I always feel a bit awkward around people like her, so I just gave a slight nod and approached the display case.
"I'd like to see some silver necklaces or bracelets."
"What's the occasion?"
"It's a gift for my girlfriend."
"Oh my, your girlfriend really hit the jackpot with such a wonderful boyfriend. Please, come this way."
The owner said with a light laugh, moving over to the display case on the right.
"Everything from here to here is made of silver. Please take your time and look around."
"Ah, yes. Thank you."
I nodded and replied absentmindedly, avoiding the owner's expectant gaze as I began to examine the items in the case.
「Ah! That one's pretty! This one is too!」
I was the one who came to buy something, but Chiaki was the one getting all excited and browsing.
Inside the display case, silver necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings were lined up in a row, with their prices kindly listed below.
'Expensive!'
Before coming in, I'd underestimated silver accessories, but they were quite a bit more expensive than I'd thought.
They didn't look all that different to me, so when I saw items in the same category with price differences of 100,000 or 200,000 yen and asked why, the owner explained with an amused smile.
"Well, if you look at clothes or bags, even if they're made from the same fabric, the price can vary wildly depending on the design or brand name, right? It's the same principle."
"Ah."
Thanks to her perfect analogy, I understood immediately.
'In that case…'
Instead of focusing on cost-effectiveness like I usually do, I decided to buy an accessory with a design that would genuinely suit the person I was giving it to.
I can get my fill of good value from a bowl of gukbap, after all.
'First, the gift for the President…'
The image that usually comes to mind when I think of the President is that of a flower blooming on a cliff's edge.
That elegant image shatters the moment she opens her mouth, but when she's quiet, at least, she's more than worthy of her title as one of the academy's top three beauties.
I narrowed down the candidates to a few necklaces with flower-shaped ornaments.
Just then, Chiaki peeked over my shoulder and said admiringly, "Ooh~"
「You've got better taste than I thought.」
…This girl.
「Whoa!」
Pretending to scratch my head while thinking, I waved my right hand through the air.
Chiaki reflexively dodged it.
It seems she reacts out of muscle memory from when she was human, even though she knows it won't hit her as a ghost.
「If you ask me, that second necklace is the best one. I don't know about guys, but most girls prefer accessories with thin chains. The others are pretty, but they're a bit thick, so it might depend on her personal taste.」
I took a closer look at the necklace Chiaki pointed to.
The chain was indeed quite thin compared to the other two.
Alright. That's one down.
"I'll take this one, please."
"Yes~ Thank you~"
The owner, an older woman, smiled brightly as she took the necklace out of the display case.
But my shopping wasn't over yet.
Next was a gift for Rika.
Giving her a necklace just like the President's felt a little wrong, so this time I decided on a bracelet.
Rika often dresses in what's commonly known as 'gyaru' fashion, so I needed to pick an accessory that would go well with the clothes she usually wears.
So, after a moment of thought, I asked.
"Do you have any recommendations for a bracelet with a star shape on it?"
"A star shape? Then how about these?"
In response to my question, the owner readily showed me a few bracelets.
Perhaps because she realized I wasn't the type of customer to just browse and leave, she became much more proactive than before.
"This one and this one have been our bestsellers this year. Their designs are simple and light, perfect for young people to wear."
Listening to the owner, I glanced over at Chiaki.
Chiaki made a thoughtful 'Hmm~' face, then chose the first bracelet the owner had shown.
「I think this one is the prettiest. It's for Rika, right?」
I answered with a subtle nod so the owner wouldn't notice.
At that, Chiaki got a smug look on her face and praised herself, 「As expected of me.」
In any case, the bracelet Chiaki picked seemed like it would suit Rika well, so I chose it without hesitation.
"Please wrap this one up, too."
"Of course~ Just a moment, please~"
The owner hummed a little tune as she opened a drawer.
While waiting for the gifts to be wrapped, I snuck a peek at the price tags I had been trying to ignore.
'…Damn, that's expensive.'
Of course, it wasn't over my initial budget, but with this much money, I could have bought hundreds of meals at the famously delicious school cafeteria.
Still, these are the first gifts I'm giving them since we became a couple, so I guess I have to accept this level of financial bleeding.
"Here you are. If you change your mind and want a refund, make sure to bring the receipt."
"Thank you. I hope you have good business."
After checking the contents of the meticulously wrapped boxes, I gave the owner a slight bow and left the jewelry shop with Chiaki.
*
「Well, now it's my turn.」
Chiaki said this while looking at the shopping bag in my right hand, then tilted her head and asked.
「But why did you suddenly put on earphones?」
I answered, slightly pulling out the earphone that wasn't playing anything.
"This way, people won't look at me strangely."
Honestly, if someone saw a person walking down the street talking to thin air, 100 out of 100 people would think it's weird.
But what happens if earphones make an appearance?
Ear.
Phones.
Most people will just assume that the person talking to thin air is on a phone call.
And after hearing my explanation, Chiaki was genuinely impressed, letting out an "Oh…"
「I guess you didn't get to be first in the whole school by just messing around.」
"Goes without saying."
As I said that and puffed out my chest with a strange sense of pride, Chiaki narrowed her eyes and said.
「You can't resist showing off for even a second, can you? Honestly, you've still got a long way to go before you grow up.」
"What? If you're talking about iron, I lift that at the gym every day."
「Not that kind of iron, you dummy!」
As if triggered by the simple pun, Chiaki bonked me on the head with her fist.
Of course, being a ghost's fist, there was no real impact, but it's usually just enough to be slightly annoying.
I stared straight ahead and spoke as if I were on a call with someone else.
"So, have you decided what you want for your Christmas present?"
「…Not yet.」
"I figured as much."
「Hey… you're doing this on purpose just to tease me, aren't you?」
Chiaki said, looking at me with a pout.
Instead of answering, I denied the accusation with a shrug.
"Don't worry too much. I figured this might happen, so I already have a place in mind."
As I spoke, I pointed to a stand-up sign on the street, shaped like a familiar blue penguin.
And Chiaki, who knew exactly what that sign meant, had a dramatic reaction.
「What?! Don ○uijote!? Are you out of your mind?!」
"Calm down, calm down."
I said, then began to explain the justification for choosing ○uijote.
"Look, neither of us has decided what to buy yet, right? We're in the same boat."
「…Right.」
"In times like these, the problem is solved by going to Don Quijo○e, where they have just about everything."
Unlike in the past when it mostly handled cheap items, these days Don ○uijote really feels like an everything store.
Being from an older time, Chiaki didn't seem to know about that change.
「If we go and I don't like it, I'm leaving immediately.」
"I get it, so stop talking my ear off. It's killing me."
When I said that and waved my hand, Chiaki turned her head away with a "Hmph!"
What am I supposed to do with this tsundere young lady who's all 'tsun' and no 'dere'….
I looked at Chiaki and seriously pondered this for a moment.
*
Don Quijo○e.
One of the most common types of general-purpose shopping malls in Japan.
It's typically a multi-story building and, like Dai○o, it carries all sorts of items.
The goods sold inside range from groceries to games, electronics, adult products, and miscellaneous junk—truly hundreds of different kinds of items.
「Woooow—」
Even Chiaki, who had been so against it at first, started browsing, completely losing track of time once we were inside.
Watching her with a wry smile, I suddenly stopped in front of the decorations section, where something had caught my eye.
「What's wrong all of a sudden?」
"Chiaki, what about this?"
I pointed to a small, white music box sitting on a display shelf.