The sole department store and shopping mall within Tooya City was located he ter of the suburban city.

  It was the rgest building of the ey at four stories high and a basement floor underground.

  For a department store, the four stories high building with an additional floor for the basement level was siderably small pared to other department stores in Japan. But when pared to other buildings, the building stood out as the rgest building that existed withiy.

  Many visited the department store daily.

  Although the shopping district would be the more popur choice to go buy groceries, cheap, yet delicious, street foods, and simple things, the department store offered more choices of restaurants, cafes, branded shops, stores, as well as a py area at the roof, making it a more popur choice for a family outing or an outing with friends.

  And given it was the weekend, the mall was fairly filled with visitors.

  Yuuji, Yuna, and Nina attracted the attention of many visitors as they walked around the mall. In addition to Sena being there as well, herself a beautiful young girl on par with even Yuna and Nina, many turheir heads and made multiple g them, in awe of their appearanbsp;

  However, having been aced to such attention, the fhe eyes and ehemselves.

  Filled with excitement and curious wonder, Yuhe group while dragging Sena by the hands. Nina followed closely after her twin sister, while Yuuji followed them from behind, watg over them.

  Although they had an objective, which was to buy Sena a new phohey decided to explore the mall first and try to find things that would ihem.

  Yuna and Nina inally asked Sena to be their guide and introduce them to the iings there would be in the mall. Perhaps her favorite spots to hangout or a favorite store she’d often visit for her wardrobe.

  Unfortunately… Sena was also unfamiliar with the pbsp;

  Although she lived iy, she had almost never goo the mall… Because she never had the reason to.

  Whenever she’d like to buy something, she would simply tell her father what she wanted, and it would arrive at her doorstep the m.

  For food, her household had a group of dedicated chefs that would cook all her meals and snacks.

  For a family outing, she’d usually go abroad with her father.

  For an outing with friends… Well, she never had any friends, so she didn’t have ao go hangout with in the mall…

  ‘That’s… so sad…’

  Yuuji couldn't help but look at Sena pitifully wheold them this.

  Her lips was curled into a depreciating smile, and her eyes were dull ay. And Yuuji swore he could see tears beginning to pool around the er of her eyes.

  She looked… so defeated.

  But fortunately, Yuna and Nina quickly cheered her up.

  “D-Don’t worry! We explore it together now!!!”

  “T-That’s right…!”

  Their friendship and encing words brought light bato Sena’s eyes, and she began nodding with tears of joy now wetting her eyes.

  Sihen, they stopped bringing up anything that might remind Sena of the fact that she had been friendless ever sihey left her…

  As would any teenage girls, the three instinctively made their way to the fashion area of the mall and began visiting the stores there.

  After spending their time choosing leisurely, the three tried on most of the clothes that gaiheir attention. And as the sole male, as well as their… main target of i, Yuuji had no choice but to accept the role of a judge ahem his opinion on their outfits.

  “Yuu-kun~!!! How’s this~?”

  “Yuuji, what do you think?”

  “H-Hey, s-stop staring so much! J-Just tell me what you really think…! H-Hurry up!”

  Yuuji sweated heavily as all three girls narrowed their eyes at him, waiting for his pliments. Of course, Yuuji only had praises for them. After all, they were all objectively beautiful. However, he couldn’t simply tell them they’re beautiful.

  So, his mind began w at high speeds, finding and weaving the words that would best describe his genuine impression of them. And thanks to his enhahought processing speed, he was able to satisfy them, earning him three sets of beautiful smiles from the three beauties.

  Unfortunately, however, this would not be the st time he’d do it this afternoon, as they went on several more rounds of shopping around the mall, before they decided to find a phoore.

  “Wele-!!!”

  “Ah, hello~ My friend would like to buy a phone~ you please give us your reendation~?”

  The store staff, a young, beautiful woman in her early twenties with her jet-bck hair tied into a bun, looked at the group that just entered her store with widened eyes.

  They’re… They’re all so beautiful…! And the young man… she coudln’t even begin to describe how handsome he was…!

  Are they idols? Or are they actors? Was there supposed to be a drama shooting in the mall she hadn’t heard about?!

  “Y-Yes! R-Right a-Please, e and take a look!!!”

  She quickly bowed her head, ahe dazzling group inside, all the while trying to not goo much at them.

  Sena looked around the store for a while, trying to find a model simir to the one Yuuji owned. But no matter how much she looked, she couldn’t find it…

  So in the end, she decided to buy the one simir to Yuna and Nina’s.

  They paid promptly and bought the card and the phone number as well, and Sena decided to use it immediately. Her eyes sparkling iement as she fiddled around with the first ever phone she ever had.

  “Hehe~ gratutions, Sena-~ Now, let’s exge tacts so we talk a bunch~!”

  “Y-Yes!!!”

  “Mm, here is my tact. Ah, do you need my help entering it?”

  “I-I’ll try it myself first…! Uhm… I add it with this… phone-looking ht…?”

  She struggled for a bit, but with Yuna and Nina’s help, she was soon able to add them both into her tacts.

  Her eyes shined brightly as she stared at her tact list…

  ‘I have two… Two tacts… Two friends…!’

  Finally… One of her dreams had finally e true…!

  Then, she turowards Yuuji, her lips slightly pursed in nervousness.

  “H-Hey! G-Give me your tact too!”

  Her cheeks blushed redly, but she put up a tough front and lifted her up as she shoved her new phoowards Yuuji.

  And seeing her ag like this, Yuuji couldn’t help but smile teasingly at her.

  “Oh~? You want my tact too?”

  “D-D-Don’t misuand! I-It’s not like I-I want it or anything… B-But, I-I might as well have it too as back up if I ’t tact Yuna and Nina…!”

  Sena doubled down osuing, but Yuna, Nina, and Yuuji easily saw through it and couldn’t help but look at her with doting eyes. It’s like seeing a small animal trying to be tough even though it’s beiremely shy.

  “Hmm~ I wonder if I should give it to you or not if you don’t really want mine…”

  Yuuji tapped his and faked his hesitancy to give her his tact. He didn’t even try to act, but Sena showed a genuiion of shod fear, afraid she won't’ be able to get his taow after seeing his rea.

  “Heh, I’m kidding. Here you go~”

  “G-Geez! W-Why did you have to say that…! Y-You should’ve just given it to me!”

  “Ahahaha! It’s because you’re just so easy to tease!”

  Sena gred and pouted “angrily” at Yuuji, but she still carefully copied Yuuji’s tato her phone before naming it “Idiot Yuu-kun”.

  And after exging their tacts, the four tio explore the mall for a bit.

  They got matg phoraps in the shape of butterflies with colored “jewels” as its wings.

  Yuna got a pink one. Nina got a light blue one. Sena got a yellow one, while Yuuji got a be.

  And they all immediately used it on their phone, befoing around to find some snacks for the afternoon.

  As they were walking around, Yuuji noticed a gaze in his periphery that attracted his attention…

  Wheuro look, he saw a young man around his age with an iing appearance, looking at him with widened eyes.

  He had blonde hair with brown tips and a pair of menag eyes that made him look like he erpetually gring, even if he wasn’t.

  And holding his hand was a small, cute, blonde-haired girl, dressed in a peculiar gothic lolita fashion while hugging a bunny plushie in her arms.

  They were… quite the particur looking pair…

  Yuuji him with a small smile, causing him to snap out of his daze. He quickly nodded bad began walking away with his, presumably, little sister.

  “Hm? Yuu-kun, what’s wrong?”

  Yuna asked, tilting her head as she looked at him in fusion.

  “It’s nothing.”

  Yuuji shook his head dismissively.

  And just as the girls returheir attention to their search for some snacks, Yuuji received a notification from his group chat.

  Suzuki Satoru: “Everyone…. Yggdrasil is shutting down in a few days…”

  VergsX

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