Chapter 175 Giving One to Sakayanagi by the Way
"Hmph! If you actually dream of me, I'm afraid your body won't be able to handle it!"
Although he knew this level of intimidation was harmless, he had to at least maintain his momentum. Hikigaya was intentionally injecting a bit of "color" into the conversation; average girls would likely feel embarrassed or disgusted.
Yet, Sakayanagi Arisu remained unfazed, looking even more expectant: "Being able to indulge one's body to one's heart's content in a dream... I've really wanted to experience that once."
Having suffered from congenital heart disease since childhood, she was destined to be estranged from strenuous exercise her whole life.
"Uh, Sakayanagi..."
Hikigaya froze for a moment, a flicker of heartache crossing his eyes.
"Don't worry about it, Hikigaya-kun. I've long since grown used to it."
Sakayanagi Arisu spoke calmly, then shifted the topic: "My, my~ has Hikigaya-kun developed feelings of pity and affection for me?"
'Actually, I have...'
It was truly a shame that such a cute, doll-like girl with a brilliant mind had such a frail body. 'Sigh, I'll buy a small gift later and coax her a bit while I'm at it...'
Hikigaya turned his attention back to the shop. Small items like phone cases, keychains, and bookmarks were displayed on the counter. For a moment, Hikigaya felt dizzy looking at them. After all, he had never given a gift to a girl before and truly didn't know what to choose.
"Hikigaya-kun, although these small items are things girls like, as a birthday gift, they are somewhat lacking in stature." Sakayanagi Arisu saw through his dilemma at a glance.
"Komachi isn't a vain girl," Hikigaya emphasized.
"After she receives a gift, she'll just say, 'As long as it's from Onii-chan, I love it!' Wow~ the 'score' for those words Komachi just said is super high~~"
"Hehe~ That may be true, but Komachi might also say, 'Giving a girl this kind of thing... it looks like Onii-chan hasn't found a girlfriend at school.'"
"Shut up!"
Hikigaya felt a bit dejected. However, he had to admit that sounded exactly like something Komachi would say.
"I don't understand girls, but I understand Money!"
While the best gift isn't necessarily the most expensive, the most expensive is usually a good gift. Hikigaya scanned the store, finally locking his eyes on a large plush doll in a glass display case. The price was actually 38,800 points!!
It was an exquisitely designed panda doll holding a stalk of bamboo. Its most distinctive feature was that its eyes looked a bit fierce. Hikigaya truly couldn't understand why the price for this thing was so outrageous!
"Mr. Pan?"
"A limited edition souvenir from the Tokyo Zoo. Only 99 were sold in all of Japan, so it's a decent choice." Sakayanagi Arisu's eyes flickered, a look of interest appearing on her face. It reminded her of the few times she had visited the zoo with her family as a child; she felt quite nostalgic.
"Oh, oh, then let's get this one!"
Hikigaya opened the glass case directly and took out the large panda doll.
"Wait, Hikigaya-kun? While Mr. Pan is nice, not all girls like him, you know," Sakayanagi Arisu added.
"No matter, I'll keep it as a backup. Anyway, I need to have a Plan B." Hikigaya didn't say he was only buying one gift. If his sister didn't like it, he'd have another one.
Hearing this, Sakayanagi Arisu's expression froze, and she let out a sigh: "To go to such lengths... it seems Hikigaya-kun's concentration of 'sis-con' is much higher than I predicted."
"Thanks for the compliment."
Hikigaya nodded readily and continued checking the shop. Looking only at high prices was the way to go! Soon, he locked onto a new target in the girls' fashion brand section, which seemed to be merchandise associated with a celebrity.
"That's the collaboration hairpin from Hashimoto Kanna's new drama. It's quite popular among young girls." Sakayanagi Arisu spoke in a calm tone, seemingly not very interested.
Despite looking so much like a "young girl," her way of speaking was exceptionally haughty.
"Then this is the one!"
Hikigaya glanced at the price: 15,000 points. In the past, he didn't know how long he would have had to save his allowance to afford it. Fortunately, the points here could be used directly for spending. This was one of the few things he found satisfying about this school!
When checking out, the young lady at the front desk gave him a few surprised looks. It seemed she hadn't expected someone to spend over 50,000 points on gifts at once.
"This young man is very generous to his girlfriend~" The cashier looked at Sakayanagi Arisu beside Hikigaya with envy.
"Hehe~" Sakayanagi Arisu just smiled without saying a word.
ìWait, what are you laughing at? You're being misunderstood, and you don't even know how to clarify or explain?ì
"Not a girlfriend... forget it."
Hikigaya originally wanted to explain, but then he thought that she was just a stranger and not a student of this school, so there wasn't much to say.
"By the way, since the Mr. Pan you bought is a limited collector's edition, it comes with two extra retail-version ones for free." The cashier took out two small Mr. Pan plushies from the shelf. They looked similar to the large one, just with slightly different details.
"Here~ this is for you." Hikigaya casually handed one to Sakayanagi Arisu.
"Hmm? Hikigaya-kun, this is..." Sakayanagi Arisu looked at the doll in her hand, expressing her confusion.
"Didn't you just look like you were really interested in this doll?"
"To notice even a small detail like that, Hikigaya-kun has been observing me closely~"
"Of course, because I was afraid you'd buy it before me. The big one is a gift for Komachi, so I can't give it to you, but I can give you the small freebie."
"To actually put me behind your sister, I really don't know whether to be happy or unhappy." Sakayanagi Arisu found herself caught between laughter and tears.
"Give it back if you don't want it, I'll give it to someone else." Hikigaya reached out as if to snatch it back.
"No!" Sakayanagi Arisu immediately hugged the doll and said with a serious expression, "Once something reaches my hands, no one can take it away!"
"Hah~ your mouth is so stubborn. You clearly like Mr. Pan that much." Hikigaya teased.
"Perhaps, I like the person who gave the gift?" Sakayanagi Arisu winked at him, revealing a playful smile.
Hikigaya's heart raced, but he quickly restrained himself.
"If you're going to lie, at least try to fake a blush!" Hikigaya rolled his eyes, not believing her performance at all.
"Honestly~ Hikigaya-kun clearly looks like a thick-headed 'cherry boy' (virgin). Why are you so skilled at dealing with girls?"
Sakayanagi Arisu pursed her lips, her brow furrowed in bewilderment.
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