Soon, the solo interview came to an end.
The girl who left the studio had already changed clothes. Her stage outfit as Amoris was gone, replaced by a gray-black skirt that hugged her hips, along with a stylish long gray coat. Her long, fair legs, slender and shapely, were accentuated by a pair of mature high heels.
"Nya-mu! Work is finally over for today~" (Jojo reference)
Her voice carried a sweetness like sugar as she lazily stretched.
Her already strikingly beautiful face now bore a trace of allure. As she stretched her slim body, a faint flush colored her cheeks. Casting a sideways glance at the black-haired boy beside her, her soft pink lips slowly curved upward.
The next moment, she openly showed off her mature figure.
There was no denying it, Yuutenji Nyamu's body was excessively well-developed, mature to a degree that could overwhelm anyone in Ave Mujica. At present, perhaps only the wife-like Soyo or the bombastic fantastic Shimokitazawa's Tsuchinoko(Bocchi) could rival her.
She was only sixteen, and despite constantly eating greasy ramen or restaurant food, junk with no nutrition, her figure had blossomed in a way that even Haru found himself glancing at more than once.
Still, he wasn't going to be swayed by such little tricks.
Miss Nyamu had already tried this kind of tactic several times in the past few days. She had even once planned to "accidentally" kiss him, but her intentions had always been far too obvious to fool Haru.
I blocked them all.
"Since work is done, I still have something to take care of this afternoon—"
Haru, dressed casually again, slowly turned his head. Just as he was about to slip away, the purple-haired girl who had been stretching puffed her cheeks like a little pufferfish and rushed closer.
"Wait~ wait a second!"
"Haru, what do you mean leaving such a beauty behind? As far as I know, you don't have any dates with the others today. Even if you did, at least your daytime should be free!"
"…And how do you know that so clearly?"
Haru gave her a startled look. But Nyamu only clicked her tongue, wagged her finger, and put on a mock-mysterious expression as if acting out a play.
"It's a secret~"
There was no doubt someone had leaked her intel.
Haru didn't bother pointing out this purple cat's act of imitation. He only sighed softly and replied at a measured pace. "It's true I don't have a date with anyone this afternoon, but I do have something important to take care of."
No sooner had he said it than Nyamu's eyes lifted sharply.
"Hmm? Don't tell me… Christmas gifts?"
The surprise in Haru's eyes confirmed her guess.
Tomorrow was Christmas Eve.
As their boyfriend, he couldn't just wait for his girlfriends to prepare. He had to pick out suitable gifts in return, and clearly, there was no hiding that from Nyamu.
So, tomorrow was Christmas...
Nyamu bit her lip lightly, her eyes shimmering with a touch of envy.
"In that case, Haru, you definitely need my help. After all, when it comes to choosing gifts for girls… I, being a girl myself, am more than confident!"
She tilted her chin proudly. Though her outfit looked mature, in front of Haru her mind seemed childishly naive. Seeing her so smug, Haru couldn't help but chuckle, making no move to refuse.
"If the great influencer Nyamu-san wants to help, I'd be grateful. But are you sure it's fine to run around town with me like this? You might get flamed online."
Nyamu wasn't the small-time influencer she used to be. With her identity as Amoris and her eye-catching performance in the third tour, she had built her own fanbase. On the street, recognition was a real risk.
"Hmm~? Is Haru worried about me?"
She tried to look playful and calm, but the faint tremor in her tone betrayed her. Her real feelings slipped through immediately.
"Of course I am. Isn't that obvious? Nya-mu."
Haru's answer left her flustered. The composure she had worn crumbled instantly, like a collapsing building. She instinctively touched the black butterfly choker at her neck, then hurried to act as though nothing had happened.
What was she doing?
She was supposed to be the one conquering Haru. Yet her repeated advances had done little, while one casual remark from him had broken her defenses completely.
Wasn't she far too easy to disarm?!
Struggling to suppress her fluster, Nyamu forced out her flawless professional smile, poking her cheek with a finger and acting cute with practiced ease.
"Hmph hmph hmph~ Of course it's fine! I've been careful about this for a long time. I even carry oversized sunglasses and a hat with me. As long as I pay attention, no one's going to recognize me."
Without waiting for his reply, she put on the sunglasses and hat, then wrapped herself around his arm, pulling him along before he could react.
"Haru, hurry, hurry! If we're late, the good stuff will all be gone!"
The girl's excited urging ahead of him made the corners of his lips lift ever so slightly.
...
For Yuutenji Nyamu, this was a perfect opportunity.
Though she had grown up in Fukuoka with absolutely no experience in love, deep down she knew very well that this was her best chance to be alone with Haru, and she had to seize it.
She would use her fastest, strongest methods to catch the stubborn Haru completely off guard!
"Nyamu, what do you think about this one?"
Haru's voice cut into her thoughts. She glanced at the item in his hand, raised a doubtful brow, and as if instantly reading his intentions, picked up the gift to inspect it carefully.
"Hmm~? You're planning to give this to Anon-chan, aren't you?"
She deliberately let her fingertips brush against his hand as she lifted the necklace.
"Haru~ you actually have pretty good taste!"
The silver necklace, glowing faintly pink, really did suit Chihaya Anon's temperament. Surprised, Nyamu looked at him again as she hadn't expected his sense for gifts to be this sharp.
Then again, he was a so-called "playboy," juggling ten girlfriends at once.
No wonder his tricks for winning girls over were so smooth. Even the normally cold, serious Togawa Ojousama melted like a kitten in front of him, not to mention passive types like Wakaba Mutsumi.
Still, Yuutenji Nyamu understood.
After all, even the self-proclaimed Invincible War God Nyamu had ended up the same way.
"…"
The girl froze for a moment, as if realizing something.
Evening light streamed through the shop window, gilding her outline. While browsing gifts, she looked almost like another person so graceful, elegant. She held the necklace against her pale neck, the cool metallic gleam making her swan-like throat seem longer, her eyes shimmering faintly.
But when she noticed Haru staring at her hair, she quickly brushed her pale-violet strands behind her ear, revealing glossy black earrings that caught the light. Carefully, she put the necklace back.
Haru didn't speak, only watching her movements with a thoughtful gleam in his eyes.
"Speaking of which, Haru, you still haven't answered my question."
Nyamu leaned closer, her gaze clear like melting snow.
"Back at the studio, I asked you what kind of girls you liked. But you brushed it off. I'm still curious about your answer~"
"So you really just made that up on the spot, huh?"
Haru rolled his eyes, he had already guessed as much.
"I don't have any particular requirements. As long as they're cute, I like them all."
What the heck! That was clearly a cop-out!
Nyamu lowered her lashes, long and trembling. She brushed aside her violet hair, strands swaying like waves, releasing a faint lavender fragrance.
"I've been wondering lately~ should I try growing my hair out?"
Her drawn-out tone lingered in his ear.
Haru stiffened.
That tiny reaction was instantly caught by her sharp eyes. A knowing glimmer flashed there as she naturally hugged his arm, her soft voice filled with expectation.
"Haru, do you… like girls with long hair?"
Who ratted him out?!
Haru hadn't expected Nyamu to have done some "homework" in secret. Only one person knew he had once said, "long hair is better." He didn't even need to think about it, the culprit was none other than a certain rising idol.
He sucked in a sharp breath, instinctively glaring off in the direction where he imagined she might be.
Uika, leaking your boyfriend's secrets? You'll pay for this in a few days!
"Hmph~"
A triumphant spark lit Nyamu's eyes as she hugged his arm tighter.
Her advances these past days hadn't been blind shots. She had already picked up on a pattern, though Haru seemed good at handling girls, always calm and in control, he still showed weaknesses. Especially when she closed in physically.
Right now, he was like an NPC just waiting to be "conquered."
Given enough time, she'd have him completely at her mercy!
Haru, oblivious to her gloating thoughts, quickly calmed down and said with a helpless eye-roll:
"I might have a little bias toward long-haired girls. But it really depends on the person. For you, Nyamu, I think short hair suits you best, it's the cutest."
"But that's just my opinion. You should follow your own."
Nyamu hardly heard the latter part. She had tuned out everything except the words she wanted.
The cutest? Me?
Her grip slackened as her smugness dissolved into pure confusion.
"Me… the cutest?"
"How… how am I cute…"
His warm breath brushed her ear, and in the shop mirror she caught sight of her reddening earlobes. Even her pale shoulder, bare against the neckline of her skirt, was tinged pink, a delicate contrast against the cool gray and black of her outfit.
Haru hesitated slightly.
Since opening up to her, he had seen sides of Nyamu no one else did. And as they spent more time together, the "real" Nyamu hidden beneath her polished exterior began to show, an unexpected cuteness.
Her words always sounded "mature." Her fashion and influencer smile were all polished, Tokyo-style trends.
But in front of him, she let slip her countryside accent, her unrefined innocence, her natural charm. It gave her a homely sweetness, not just a girlfriend but someone you could marry and bring home.
Her "attacks" seemed calculated, but underneath them was simple, sincere affection.
"…"
Unlike the silent Haru, Nyamu was drowning in her own world. Her lightly made-up face was red as a lobster, practically steaming.
This was bad!
If this continued, she'd end up falling for him even harder, instead of conquering him.
Was this the power of love? Terrifying!
But she had no idea how to handle it. She had never dated before, had no "protocol" for situations like this. All she could do was freeze up, pretending to stay calm while her brain shut down.
"…"
Watching her panicked face, still clinging to him tightly, Haru sighed softly. He patted her shoulder to bring her back to earth.
"Next up, we still need gifts for Sakiko and Uika. Could I trouble the great 'fashionista' Nyamu to help me out?"
"Hmph~ really, Haru, you leave me no choice."
She instantly snapped back to her usual self. Adjusting her sunglasses, she smiled brightly, her cat-like hand slipping into his as they headed toward the next store. Her lovely face bore the purest smile.
By eight o'clock, night had fully fallen.
Snowflakes drifted gently in the air, but the pre-Christmas wind lacked its usual bite. At the street corner, a snowflake landed unexpectedly in front of them. Nyamu instinctively reached out, catching it in her palm, watching it melt into a tiny galaxy.
Haru carried several shopping bags in both hands, triumphantly loaded down like a Gundam with wings of light, effortlessly carrying all their haul. Nyamu, standing beside him, looked on in disbelief.
"I thought you'd have the staff deliver these! You're seriously planning to carry them all yourself?"
"Of course. What if something went wrong in transit?"
His matter-of-fact tone made her recall that time he had pinned her wrists to the bed with just one hand. The memory made her cheeks heat up all over again.
Today had gone better than she imagined!
If the past few days' "attacks" had only closed the distance between them, then today she had advanced to holding his hand naturally, not just clinging to his arm.
Didn't that mean Haru was practically conquered?
"Haru, thanks for letting me help today."
Her cheeks flushed as she clasped her hands behind her back, unable to resist saying softly: "It's nothing~ I actually had a lot of fun. But, you know, we spent almost the whole day shopping together, just the two of us. It almost felt like—"
"Like a date."
The words hung in the quiet air.
It wasn't the first time Haru found her cute. Nor the first time he felt stirred by her. But hearing her say something so shy, so different from her usual straightforward boldness, gave her an elegance, a beauty born from effort and honesty.
Snow fell like down, clinging to her lavender hair. Her steps crunched in the powder, and then she suddenly lifted her eyes.
"If I confessed right now, what would you do?"
Before Haru could answer, she frowned anxiously.
"I want to hear the 'current' version, Haru. You need to answer again!"
A wry smile flickered in his eyes as he looked toward the familiar apartment ahead. Then he pulled out one of his bags, pressed it into her hands, and spoke gently.
"It's a little early, but this is your Christmas gift, Nyamu."
"Eh? I… I get one too?"
Only then did she realize she didn't recognize this bag. Haru must have bought it while she wasn't looking. Now, placed suddenly into her arms, it threw her completely off balance.
"Everyone gets one. Why wouldn't you?" Haru said with a laugh. "Don't be late tomorrow for the Christmas party. If you can't make it, I'll come pick you up."
He exhaled softly as they reached her apartment. Pointing to the box in her arms, he added:
"That—that's my answer to your question."
As the black-haired boy's figure faded into the snowy night, the lavender-haired girl finally came back to herself. Covering her flushed face with both hands, she stared at the box, all her earlier smugness gone.
Her trembling fingers tore it open.
Inside lay a silver necklace.
The very one she had admired earlier, but set back down. She had spent the day focusing on helping Haru choose gifts, but he had secretly chosen hers as well.
"Meow-mu…"
She crouched down, flustered, her pink eyes glinting through her fingers.
Too sly...
He hadn't even said "I love you." But now she liked him even more, to the point of helplessness.
What on earth was she supposed to do when she saw him tomorrow?