Chapter 2275: Buying her phone
n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
We spent the next twenty minutes trying out different models that the employee graciously allowed us to handle. Misaki's eyes sparkled like stars as she picked up each phone, her curiosity and excitement growing with every touch. She was overwhelmed with the choices but her indecision became part of her charm. I watched her getting excited at every new phone she was trying out and every time, she would use it to take a photo of us.
"Ruki. They're all so good... Help me decide." Misaki said with a cute pout as she looked at the selection that we already narrowed down to the last four. I don't know if the employee would keep being patient with us but she didn't seem to be bothered by our indecisiveness.
She also found Misaki so adorable that she would even offer to take our photo whenever Misaki asked. I could only look at her apologetically as I became like a leash that prevented the girl from hopping wherever she wanted to.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, Misaki's eyes landed on a sleek, pink phone with a cute case. Her eyes lit up and she looked at me for confirmation.
"This one," she exclaimed with an infectious, childlike enthusiasm.
I patted her head and didn't hesitate to nod before turning to the employee. "Great. It's perfect for you. We'll take this."
The employee looked surprised but quickly regained her composure, her smile never wavering. After helping us set up and registering the phone to Misaki's name, she packed it along with its charger, earphones and other freebies into a small bag. I pulled out my wallet and paid for both the phone and the registration.
"Thank you," I murmured to the employee as we walked away from the counter. Misaki was practically hop-skipping like an adorable bunny as she was eager to start playing with her new device.
Watching her like this couldn't help but put a smile on my face knowing that I had made her happy. It was a small thing, but it meant a lot to her.
We moved to a small, silent cafe within the mall to relax and give her time to test it out. The pink phone looked like it was made just for her, perfectly matching the blush on her cheeks. She fidgeted with it nervously, her excitement bubbling over like a child who had just received their first toy.
"Ruki... Put your contact in here. I want you to be the first one I call," Misaki said with a shy smile, holding out her new phone.
"Sure. But remember, we need to be discreet with this. We don't want to cause trouble with your parents," I said as I took her phone and added my contact details, saving it with a special ringtone that was our secret.
"Ya-chan! Let me talk to Ruki!" She called out.
"Eh? Nee-sama. We're helping out Misa here." Maaya giggled and handed her older sister the phone and almost instantly, Himeko's face filled the screen.
"Ruki... I miss you..." She called out to me with her voice filled with longing.
"Mhm. I miss you too. Are you doing fine there? Maaya isn't giving you a hard time, is she?" I affectionately replied to the girl before checking on her state and also teasing her little sister who would hear everything.
"Oi, Ruki! What are you saying?! I'm taking care of Nee-sama!"
"T-that's right, Ruki! Ya-chan and I... we're doing our best together."
"Really? Then I'm glad. I wish I could also spoil you two but too bad, Misaki has me all to herself at the moment." I playfully said as I watched the girl moving over to my side to join in the conversation with the camera of her phone squeezed in both of our faces into the screen.
Himeko pouted, but the look was anything but sad. It was the kind of pout that promised a storm of affectionate hugs and kisses once the school day rolled over again. I couldn't help but chuckle at how expressive she was now. Likewise, Maaya also showed the same expression. Ever since she confessed to me, her jealousy from seeing me getting affectionate with her older sister had already transformed into more affection for me. It was like she was finally releasing her bottled-up feelings for me.
Anyway, the four of us talked for a while until the two girls had to go back to managing their hotel.
Misaki and I enjoyed our time in the cafe as I also helped her set up for the Ruki Hub which Akane immediately invited her in.
Of course, since there's a chance, my silly wife also videocalled us. And the two finally met. Although Akane was still afflicted with the quirk of her period, she dotingly called out to Misaki, making the girl blush and glad to be accepted.
Fuyu was already there with Akane but she's still upholding her vow of not wanting to get to know the other girls I'm connected with. Due to that, we could only exchange glances while she was restraining her playful sister in the background.
After that call with Akane, Misaki finally started to calm down with her enthusiasm. Still, she took a lot of pictures of us as she openly mentioned capturing more of our moments together. When we stepped out of the cafe, she clung to me again. Our date wasn't over yet. And this time, I could tell how much she wanted to find a private place where she could be uninhibited to show more of her appreciation and affection.