The Saintess Next Door is a Super Popular VTuber Whose Character was Designed by Me
Tonari ni Sunderu Seijo-sama wa Ore ga Chara-Design o Tantoushita Daininki VTuber deshita
Chapter 26 - Saintess and Shopping Together
"Man, I'm looking forward to this week's outdoor school!"
"......Yeah."
"You don’t seem too excited for something that’s supposed to be fun."
One afternoon after school, while Iori was getting ready to head home, Kanata cheerfully called out from the desk next to him.
In stark contrast to Kanata's excitement, Iori's mood was clearly down.
The reason was the outdoor school.
It was a three-day and two-night ski camp, an event that was like a bundle of youth for students.
However, for Iori, it was an event that made it difficult for him to draw, so he wasn’t too thrilled about it.
Especially since he had no interest in school events, it felt more like a drag.
"You really have no interest in events like this, do you?"
"There are various reasons for it."
"I see. Well, everyone has their preferences. But I’m looking forward to participating with Kurumi and Tokisaka-kun, you know?."
"You still look good even when you’re talking, huh."
Kanata said this with a wry smile, despite Iori’s low spirits.
Iori couldn’t help but admire how this kind of charm made Kanata popular with others.
"By the way, after club activities today, I’m going shopping for outdoor school supplies with Kurumi. Want to join us?"
"I’ll pass. Just make sure to go on a proper date with her. I really don’t want to see you two being all lovey-dovey."
"Haha, is that so? Well, I guess we’ll just go by ourselves then."
Kanata was inviting him, but Iori really didn’t want to be a witness to that of the two's lovey-dovey world.
He wrapped up their chat, waved goodbye while turning his back to Kanata, and headed home.
"Guess I need to buy some travel supplies. Might as well go now."
Under the cold sky on his way back, Iori muttered to himself and changed his direction from home to a shopping mall in the neighboring town.
After about fifteen minutes on the train, Iori arrived at the nearby town and started wandering around the shopping mall.
He picked up small items like a toothbrush and a face wash set, and then he stopped by a store to get some winter clothing.
"Eh…"
"Ah…"
He unexpectedly ran into the Saintess, who was trying on outerwear in front of a mirror.
"W-What are you doing here?"
"I’d like to ask you the same thing."
"Well, this is a famous store, so I guess it’s not surprising to run into each other."
"True."
Even though he was surprised by this unexpected encounter, Asumi quickly regained her composure, having been through many situations as a streamer.
"You came to buy winter wear too, right, Iori-kun?"
"Yeah. Gloves and other stuff."
"Then, would you mind accompanying me for a bit?"
"Sure, but just so you know, there might be some schoolmates wandering around here."
From the way Asumi spoke and the outerwear she was holding, it seemed they had similar shopping goals.
Once she confirmed that, Asumi invited him to shop together.
This was unexpected.
They occasionally bumped into each other at supermarkets or convenience stores, but they had never walked around together.
With her being so popular, walking around with a boy could lead to rumors, which would be a hassle.
So, this was the first time Asumi had invited him.
"Umm, more than that, how should I put it, you know…"
"Ah, I get it. You want me to act as a shield from pick-up men, right?"
Asumi glanced outside the store, where several guys seemed to be captivated by her.
That’s when Iori finally realized that she wanted him to help her avoid being hit on or any unwanted attention.
Faced with the choice of potentially running into schoolmates or dealing with pick-up men, Asumi chose the latter.
"Yeah, so if you’re okay with it, would you mind keeping me company?"
"Okay, if that’s the case."
"Thank you! Then let’s start by picking out an outerwear."
Understanding her intentions, Iori replied immediately, and Asumi smiled while pointing toward the fitting rooms.
"Ah! Doesn't it look good on you?"
"Iori-kun, you've been saying that over and over."
"Well, you look good in everything after all."
It had been about ten minutes since they started choosing Asumi's winter outerwear. They were trying on several outfits like a dress-up show, but Iori was only giving comments about how everything suited her.
It couldn't be helped since she looked good in all of them. Red, pink, white, black—she could pull off anything. As long as the design wasn't ridiculously unfashionable. With Asumi's looks and style, she could wear anything effortlessly.
The only remaining factors were how comfortable the clothes were and their price, so there wasn't much else to say.
Asumi puffed her cheeks in annoyance, sounding exasperated.
"Even so, I wish you'd say a bit more."
"Sorry. If I had to say something, I guess the black outerwear you tried on earlier was nice. It looked pretty warm and would make your hair color pop, right?"
"See? You can do it if you try... Well, it seems like it has waterproof properties, so let's go with that one."
When she heard Iori's opinion, she looked at him intently for a moment, but then quickly returned to her usual demeanor.
It seemed she agreed on the outerwear choice, settling on the black one she had tried on earlier.
"Alright, it's your turn now, Iori-kun."
"Please."
With that, they moved on to choosing Iori's outerwear.
"Oh, that looks nice. It suits you."
"Hey, you're just saying the same thing again."
"Iori-kun, do you get it now? This is how it feels."
Although it was Iori's turn, the roles had reversed, and they were having a similar exchange as before.
It seemed Asumi wanted to convey how she felt earlier. She wasn't scolding him, but she was admonishing him.
"I get it now. Sorry about that."
"As long as you understand. I was being a bit mean too. Sorry... Hehe, now, shall we continue?"
"Yeah."
Iori must have understood her feelings well, apologizing awkwardly. Then she politely bowed and apologized as well, saying it was good that he understood, and with a smile, she handed over the next outerwear.
"Excuse me, is he your boyfriend? If you'd like, I can provide some assistance."
While they were still choosing Iori's outerwear, a female store clerk approached them.
This was an event that happened with high probability whenever you went shopping for clothes.
Moreover, being with Asumi led them to be mistaken for a couple. Iori, who wasn't fond of talking to store clerks, made a slightly displeased face.
Then,
"Yes, that's right. But we want to choose together, so we'll ask for your assistance if we need it."
Asumi replied with a smile, showing no hesitation or confusion. Her tone made it sound like that was the most natural response.
Hearing this, the clerk seemed to pick up on Asumi's demeanor and went back to the store counter.
(Huh?)
Of course, Iori was bewildered. He never expected Asumi to say something like that, especially since she had distanced herself from romance and relationships.
"I'm sorry. I thought Iori-kun didn't want to talk to the clerk much."
"A-ah, I see. Sorry for making you worry."
"No problem."
Asumi said shyly to the confused Iorii. It seemed she had intended it that way, and Iori quickly understood, hiding his slight surprise.
"Now, what should we choose?"
"It's a bit tricky, so let's go look for something else."
"Okay. There seems to be something good over there...... Ah,"
As they returned to choosing outerwear, another event was about to unfold.
This time, it was something even more troublesome.
"Um, was that just now?"
"Aren't these Miss Saintess and Tokizaka-kun?"
"Oh no..."
They had unexpectedly run into Kanata and Kurumi, who were likely on a shopping date.
Next Ch: 9 Mar
[To be Continued]
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