Interlude:
Hakari and Karane’s Shopping Trip
“OH!”
Hakari and Karane happened to bump into each other in town and made muffled exclamations of surprise at the exact same moment.
“It’s not like this is a coincidence or anything!” Karane spoke first.
“Should I take that to mean that you specifically went out of your way to find me, or…?”
“No way, Jose!”
“So we’ve basically hit a roadblock in the conversation on Turn One.” Hakari sighed in exasperation. “I’d better be going then,” she said with a small wave.
“Yeah, well, obviously I’ve got stuff to do too.” Karane turned her head away slightly.
They started walking to their respective destinations…which turned out to be in the same direction.
Karane frowned. “Hey, you aren’t tailing me, are you?”
“No, I just happen to be headed this way,” Hakari responded serenely.
“I’m turning right here. See ya.”
“I’m also heading right.”
“After that, I’m going left.”
“Same as me, then.”
“Then after that—”
“I’m probably going the same way as you.”
The two girls exchanged quips as they walked along. A common understanding formed between them. They probably had the same objective in mind, didn’t they?
“This is the store I was going to,” Hakari announced.
“Yeah,” Karane said after a stilted pause. “Same here.”
They had wound up at the same general store. They walked inside together, Hakari looking somewhat content compared to Karane’s uncomfortable demeanor.
“Oooh, how wonderful!” Hakari’s eyes sparkled at the voluminous rows of goods.
“It’s not bad, I guess.” Karane, for her part, also looked satisfied.
Then they started walking…in the same direction once again.
“Like I said before, why’re you following me?!” Karane demanded.
“From my perspective, you’re the one tailing me.”
As the two of them bickered, they paced about the store until eventually, they stopped—in unison—in front of a certain shelf.
“Oooh, this pendant is so cute!” Hakari piped up cheerfully.
“Hmm?” Karane also gazed at the pendant in question with deep interest. “Oh, think I might buy that.”
With an oh-so-nonchalant air, Karane picked up the pendant.
As her eyes turned to Karane, Hakari’s expression flickered as if she had just realized something. “Excuse me?! Don’t you dare copy me!”
“Whaaat? I went for it first.”
They’d had the same argument not so long ago when deciding what side dishes to include in the bento they had made for Rentaro. This time, they were much more subdued about it. They snorted in unison, attempting to hold back their laughter.
“You also a fan of this?” Karane asked after a while.
“Yes, I like it very much.”
“I want it, too, though… And it just so happens that they’ve got two in stock…”
“So they do.”
“We’ve got no other choice! Gotta suck it up, right?!”
“Yes, yes. As you say, no other choice.”
“You got a problem with that?!”
“Did I say I had a problem?” Hakari smiled. “Come on. Let’s go to the counter.”
“Hmph. I’m only going with you because it’d be inefficient for us to go separately!”
“Now you’re sounding like Nano-san…”
The ribbing continued all the way through the purchasing process. The next day, when the pair showed up wearing matching pendants, the others couldn’t help but regard it as a heartwarming display of friendship.