Supporting High School Student Arrives at the Mall

“Oh? HEYY! Eihashi-san, Good morning! Ah, you too Seiya, took your damn time huh!”

“Good morning Shiraki-san. You are so early.”

“Oi, don’t treat me like an afterthought. Also, we are not late, you know?”

Masato was standing alone in front of the mall when we arrived. The mall is open at 10 am on weekdays so it hasn’t opened yet.

We promised to meet up at 10, the time the mall opens, and I and Eihashi-san arrived 5 minutes before that. That being said, it seems that Ichinose-san is not here yet.

“No, no, no, you normally arrive 30 minutes before the meeting time right? Getting here 5 minutes before schedule…….you sure have grown huh……!”

“Look who’s talking…….”

“It does feel natural to see Hiura-kun arrive first after all…….but you take it slow today……”

“Oi Oi…….I’m not……..well, I did arrive first every time huh………”

Even last time at the library or yesterday with Suzuka, I feel like I’m always arriving first. No, thinking of it now, I have been the first one to arrive and the first to leave ever since I started high school.

It kind of has become my way of life now. It even felt natural to always be the first to arrive.

“Oh! Everyone’s already here! Rather, we can’t go inside yet?”

“Good morning, Ichinose-san! Wait, it’s already past 10. We should have gone inside!”

“Since it’s already past 10, that means Ichinose-san is unusually late today huh. Well, no one would want to get here too early on a hot day like this after all.

“Oi Seiya! I can hear that you know! Also, that’s how you usually are right?”

“Fufu. That’s true. For the time being, why don’t we go inside before we are all sweaty?”

We entered the mall that just opened for the day. The inside was air-conditioned and it felt like we just stepped into heaven from the outside heat.

We then head to the clothing store to see the summer clothes as we originally planned.

“By the way, why are you late today, Akira-chan? Ah, I’m not angry you know, I just ask because it was unusual for you…….”

“Well, I left my house late because I saw something on my SNS feed you see! I was supposed to arrive 5 minutes early but I forgot the time when I was looking at the thing on SNS…..you know, the thing?”

“Was there something interesting on there?”

“Hmm, personally, it was kind of like a sight for sore eyes I guess? I don’t know if I should put it as interesting or as the best thing I’ve ever seen on there though.”

“Heee……what was it? I don’t think I saw anything that is particularly trendy today though.”

SNS, I did make an account yesterday but all these lingos like feed and trendy are still foreign to me. All the words I know are DMs, reply, post, and Egosearch.

Aside from Egosearch, they are all basic stuff on SNS and my knowledge of it is still very shallow. Eihashi-san has the same expression on her face so I think that she is probably in the same boat as me.

“Hmm………it is on trend but it was something from yesterday though?”

“………which is?”

“Of course, the only thing I would be excited about on SNS trend yesterday would be Kousei-sama right!”

“…..eh?”

I almost jumped. Come to think of it, the first time I talked with her she did tell me to at least attach -san when I speak of Kamishiro Kousei too……..

Anyway, just what is this [Trend]? If I translate it, the meaning would be something like tendency though? Is it like a post that everyone on SNS sees? And there’s one with me on it?

“AHH! That one right! The model guy that got flamed immediately after he made his first post! That gave me a good laugh. It’s like his brain cell refused to work for him yesterday or he’s just a natural airhead……right?”

“No no no no! That’s a nice thing right! A perfect-looking model being an airhead from time to time! Honestly, his old fans might decrease a bit but I think that he will get a lot of new fans from that gap moe you know! The quality of his fans will improve too! You think so too right? Reika!”

“Eh? Yes…….it does feel like he is the type of airhead that accumulates his mistakes until it results in a big fail isn’t he…….”

Eh, what is this? I’ve got more fans now? And what is this gap moe? It feels like I’m being praised but it also felt like she just took a jab at me too……

Also, did Eihashi-san refer to my Bento mistake? Or was it the time I used her full name? Was it when I brought a similar bag to Kousei’s to school!? Anyway, the only thing I can be sure of is that she is my sole comrade who can’t keep up with all the SNS lingos like me.

“Anyway! I was looking at his post on the aquarium you see!”

“Aquarium?”

“That’s right! There usually isn’t much information about Kousei-sama’s sighting in the city but just look at what happened yesterday! He suddenly went to an aquarium together with Asakura Asuka from the same agency! They even wear the featured outfit to promote the next magazine issue too!”

“OOH! Asuka-tan!”

I almost did a spit take at Masato. He’s calling her Asuka-tan…….? Ehh……EHH…..? I knew that there were people who call her like that but I never thought that I would hear it from someone so close to me…….

“I was looking at the aquarium post and got so envious you know! Do you want me to send you the URL too? Reika.”

“I, I might have to trouble you for that later but……more importantly! Let’s take a look at these clothes! We don’t have all day after all!”

“Eh, wait Reika!? What’s suddenly got into you?”

“I, I’m totally fine. Ah, this one is nice, isn’t it. I’m going to try it on okay!”

The moment we arrived at the clothing store, Eihashi-san immediately got inside. Suzuka told me that women have to buy new fashionable clothes every year so I guess that she will be at it for some time.

Still, I have no plans to buy any clothes today.

“Hey……can I sit and wait here?”

“No way!”

“No. Please tell us your opinion on the ones we pick.”

“Let’s take a look together, Seiya.”

Of course not huh.