＊
“So that’s why you called me over.” Chiaki smiled cheekily.
Classes were over for the day, and the two friends had settled down at the food court of a relatively large mall. They were holding a strategy meeting to find the best possible present for Fuyuka.
After a considerable amount of thought—and his failed attempt earlier to ask her what she wanted—Asahi turned to the only person who could offer a solution to his dilemma.
Chiaki had expressed great excitement and accompanied Asahi to buy a gift himself.
“Aight, so do you have any clue what to get her?” Chiaki asked.
“Nope, drawing a blank over here.”
“C’mon now, didn’t you say you were gonna think of something?”
“Yeah, I know. This is the best I could do.”
“I expected better, man, honestly.”
Asahi would normally be the one telling off Chiaki, though he refrained from complaining. There was nobody else he could count on right now.
Chiaki’s pretty used to getting gifts since he’s got a girlfriend and everything. I’m sure he’s got some great advice to share.
“Okay, so listen up—it’s the thought that counts when you’re buying a present, right? But that doesn’t mean you should go and buy literally whatever, okay?”
“Sounds about right,” Asahi said.
“Obviously, the nature of the gift changes based on how intimate you are with the person. Think of it like this: you’d be pretty weirded out if your friend got you a diamond ring, right? Same way you’d be disappointed if you received some dried squid or something from your actual girlfriend.”
“I dunno, man... I feel like some people might appreciate it.”
“Uh, to each their own then, but... ahem. Anyways, it all boils down to getting a gift that’d make the other person happy.”
“Which is my biggest problem. I’ve got no clue what Fuyuka would like...”
“Oh, right. Oops!” Chiaki laughed his gaffe off, sticking his tongue out playfully.
“Didn’t you just state the total obvious, though?”
“It’s obvious for a reason, bro. There’re lots of guys out there who drop the ball by giving others something they like instead of what the receiver wants.”
Asahi found Chiaki’s advice more sagely than he expected.
That makes a lot of sense when I think about it. More so because it’s coming from firsthand experience. Hmm, a gift that would make Fuyuka happy... nothing really comes to mind. Just goes to show that I don’t actually know Fuyuka that well.
The more Asahi ruminated, the more he came to realize that his understanding of Fuyuka was superficial and minimal. They spent much of their time with each other, but it was mostly cooking together or doing schoolwork. That was why his knowledge was limited and filled with so many gaps.
Hell, I didn’t even know when her birthday was.
For the longest time, Asahi and Fuyuka had kept a comfortable distance from one another—not too close, yet not too far apart. However, now Asahi experienced an increasing, almost nagging, discomfort. He felt they might be drifting apart.
“Don’t blow a fuse thinking about it, man. I’m sure Fuyuka’d be delighted with anything you get for her.”
“Contradicting yourself already?”
“Don’t be like that. Try to think of what you’d like to give her, okay? Give it a go.”
With his motivation rekindled, Asahi ruminated on his friend’s idea. It might’ve just hit me! He suddenly felt like he’d made a breakthrough. He was about to stand up and begin his search anew when Chiaki stopped him in his tracks.
“I happen to have a pretty good idea for a present,” he said, his smirk harboring the worst of premonitions. “First, we gotta get you one of those long ribbons.”
“Like the kind you wrap gifts with?”
“Exactly. Just wrap that bad boy all around yourself. Then go up to her and say, ‘Hey girl, I’m your birthday present this year!’”
“Putting any faith in you was the worst mistake made this century.”
“Hey, where’re you going?! It was just a joke, man, c’mon!”
Asahi left his seat, making his way to the nearby storefront.
Delicious-looking sweets lined the shelves, some even modeled after certain characters. He was amazed that such desserts—ones which not only obsessed over taste, but also presentation—were sold for so cheap. Asahi, having developed a newfound admiration for the craft, glanced along the showcase before delving further in the store.
“You’re gonna buy a cake after all?” Chiaki asked as he caught up to Asahi.
“Not exactly...”
“All right, man. I’m excited to see what you’ve got in store.”
“Mhm. I’m gonna give it my best shot.”
He and Chiaki both went back to roaming the vast mall.
✦ ✦ ✦
＊
Although the act of window-shopping was scarcely associated with male high school students, Asahi actually found it quite fun.
He took his time visiting each store, wondering idly if living by himself had contributed to a change in mindset. He certainly felt like he was starting to adopt a homemaker-like mentality.
Chiaki, on the contrary, wasn’t the least bit interested in the whole ordeal. Still, he was managing to exercise remarkable patience—a trait he’d picked up from accompanying Hinami on similar trips.
They both made small talk as they moved up to the second, then third floor. Unfortunately, they still hadn’t found anything befitting Fuyuka.
“You’ve already got your gift? What the hell, man?” Asahi complained.
“You forget that I already had my eyes set on what to get for my Hina.”
“You could’ve fooled me, Mr. Well-prepared.”
“Love it or hate it, this is what peak performance looks like,” he flaunted proudly. Asahi found himself unable to disagree. “You bought a pretty cool thing yourself, though.”
He pointed at the paper bag Asahi was carrying.
“I mean... I suppose so,” Asahi mumbled.
An apron had randomly happened to catch his eye while they were at a store which mainly dealt in selling daily necessities and other convenient goods. He’d recalled a conversation with Fuyuka not long ago when she’d grumbled that she’d gotten some of the curry on her clothes. That was when the idea had dawned on him—he could get Fuyuka an apron, since he’d never seen her use one.
It’d be pretty handy to have around if we’re gonna keep cooking together.
Nonetheless, Asahi—despite Chiaki’s efforts to encourage him—wasn’t sure about his choice in gift. It seemed too practical.
Thus, the boys found themselves on the fourth floor of the mall, their pursuit ongoing. The number of trendy-looking shops was daunting, but they carried on.
They opted to step into the accessory shop. The store was entirely populated by girls, so the two male students in uniform stood out considerably.
“Just gonna let you know, man—you need to be extra careful when buying an accessory for a girl,” Chiaki warned.
“I know that.”
They discussed the topic at length. One of the main points of contention was that gifting an accessory to a girl one wasn’t on intimate terms with had a tendency to be frowned upon.
Even if it was someone you were close with, getting something like this before knowing their tastes properly seems risky. Since it’s something she’s gonna wear in public, personal preference plays a huge part. Hell, some people won’t even wear a gift if it’s too cheap. Plus, my personal taste’ll come into play with these things, and I guess Fuyuka might feel awkward about this kind of gift in general...
Simply put, when one considered the circumstances of their relationship, jewelry probably wasn’t the best option. Regardless, there was nothing to lose by just checking.
Asahi came to a sudden halt in front of a particular item. “This is pretty nice...”
He imagined Fuyuka’s delighted face as she put on the glittering accessory inside the showcase. That thought alone made him feel like he had finally found the perfect present he’d been searching for.