I Just Want a Single Ending [221]
After hearing her out, Kamigawa Saku responded casually.
"Even if I was, I wouldn't accept this rigged grand prize."
"Why not?"
Nagasaki Soyo was curious as to why he would choose to decline.
"It's just too obvious," Kamigawa Saku replied with a helpless sigh. "Even if it's rigged, they could have done it more subtly. If I helped with the promotion and then won the grand prize, anyone would know something's fishy."
"Only an idiot would accept something like this."
"True enough."
Nagasaki Soyo thought he made a good point, but she had another question.
"Still, wouldn't the people at the mall have thought about this issue already?"
"Who knows what they're thinking?" Kamigawa Saku said indifferently. "But I wouldn't be surprised if the mall had actually given it some thought and still decided on this plan."
"If they awarded the grand prize to some random customer, it wouldn't have nearly as much promotional impact as awarding it to an influencer with a large following."
"This way, they save quite a bit on marketing expenses."
"In any case, it has nothing to do with us."
"That's true."
To be honest, Nagasaki Soyo wasn't concerned with these kinds of things.
If it weren't for Kamigawa Saku's involvement, she wouldn't even know what the prize was.
"Oh, and keep this under wraps," Kamigawa Saku reminded her, "only the two of us need to know about it. Even though there's no real evidence other than chat records, it's better to keep things quiet."
Talking about these sorts of things with a trustworthy person like Nagasaki Soyo wasn't an issue.
He didn't need to worry about it getting out.
Besides, even if it did, it wouldn't hurt his reputation.
Refusing to promote something because of a rigged prize would actually be good for his public image.
And he hadn't signed any confidentiality agreement, so there was no need to worry about potential compensation claims.
Still, he chose to keep it confidential as a professional courtesy.
After all, it was a potential client reaching out for a promotional opportunity.
If he leaked such information so casually, no one would want to hire him for advertising in the future.
So he chose not to get involved in anything that could affect his reputation and left everything else aside.
"I'll keep it a secret."
Nagasaki Soyo agreed readily.
She was also secretly pleased that he trusted her enough to share this with her.
Does this mean he sees me as a trustworthy person?
And because of that, she wouldn't betray Kamigawa Saku's trust.
After they made plans to go to the mall tomorrow, Kamigawa Saku resumed his bass lessons with Nagasaki Soyo.
---
The next day arrived in no time.
"I'm going to change clothes. Would you mind washing the dishes?"
After breakfast, Nagasaki Soyo made her request.
"Alright."
Agreeing, Kamigawa Saku took the used plates and utensils into the kitchen.
This feels a little odd…
While washing the dishes, he pondered their current situation.
Since the two of them had been having breakfast together every day lately, he'd gotten used to this daily routine.
Initially, Nagasaki Soyo had been the one to wash the dishes.
But over time, Kamigawa Saku gradually took on that role.
After all, since she was cooking, it didn't seem fair to have her handle the dishes as well.
Thinking about how she had just gone upstairs to change, Kamigawa Saku couldn't help but feel that the two of them were almost like they were living together.
Of course, he didn't mean it in a romantic way, but more like family members under one roof.
There was still a distinct difference between the two.
To the point where he was starting to grow accustomed to this lifestyle.
After finishing the dishes, Kamigawa Saku walked out of the kitchen and settled on the sofa.
Before long, Nagasaki Soyo came downstairs.
He glanced at her outfit briefly before his gaze landed on her neck.
There was nothing particularly unusual about it—she was wearing the birthday gift he had given her.
The yellow iris pendant.
"Is there something strange about my outfit?"
Naturally, Nagasaki Soyo noticed his gaze and asked in mock innocence.
"I was just thinking that pendant really suits you," Kamigawa Saku complimented.
It really was a good choice of a birthday gift.
It added a certain charm to Nagasaki Soyo's appearance.
"I'm glad you think so."
After his clear approval, Nagasaki Soyo's lips curved slightly.
The reason she had chosen to wear the pendant today was that she thought he might misunderstand her lack of wearing it as a sign of dislike.
To avoid any such misunderstanding, she made a point to wear it today and even made sure he saw it.
"Shall we get going?"
"Yeah."
Together, they headed to the mall.
---
"It's pretty crowded here."
Standing at the entrance, watching the steady flow of people, Kamigawa Saku couldn't help but comment.
"Well, today is this mall's grand opening, and with so many launch events going on, it's no surprise," Nagasaki Soyo replied, already prepared for the crowd.
"Alright, let's take a look around."
They had only just entered when Kamigawa Saku immediately noticed someone standing among a colorful array of drinks, holding up a selfie stick.
Isn't that Nyamu?
It was almost too coincidental.
Just randomly visiting a mall, he ran into another "targetable character."
And judging by Nyamu's current appearance, she was clearly filming a video.
The only question was whether she was merely vlogging or had been invited for a promotional shoot.
"What's up?"
Nagasaki Soyo, who was about to move forward, easily noticed Kamigawa Saku's sudden halt and the way he was looking elsewhere.
Following his gaze, she also saw Nyamu standing there.
She was sure that Kamigawa Saku was looking at that girl.
From her appearance, she looked older and more mature than the two of them.
Probably a college student.
So, the question is—
Why is Kamigawa Saku looking at her?
What's their relationship?
In an instant, a thousand questions popped into Nagasaki Soyo's mind.
"Nothing, just someone I know."
Kamikawa Saku quickly looked away, giving a simple explanation.
He didn't plan on going over to greet Nyamu.
After all, he was here to spend time with Nagasaki Soyo, and everything else could wait.
More importantly, Nyamu was filming a video.
Interrupting her would likely just be a nuisance.
"Someone you know…"
Nagasaki Soyo repeated the phrase.
Meanwhile, Nyamu, who had just finished recording a short clip and was reviewing her footage, happened to notice Kamigawa Saku in the distance.
Without a second thought, she walked right over to him.
"Good morning, Saku!"
Reaching him, Nyamu greeted him with a cheery smile.
"Morning."
Originally in conversation with Nagasaki Soyo, Kamigawa Saku smiled back upon her arrival.
Saku?
Hearing her use that name, Nagasaki Soyo became immediately alert.
Directly addressing someone by their name could imply a certain level of intimacy.
While many of his acquaintances did call him by his first name, it was unusual to hear it from an unfamiliar girl.
"Are you just here with your girlfriend for a mall date, or did the mall hire you for promotion too?"
Nyamu's gaze flitted over to Nagasaki Soyo, her tone feigning confusion.
Girlfriend…
Upon hearing that word, Nagasaki Soyo found herself actually liking this girl.
At the very least, her intuition was on point.
Even if she and Kamigawa Saku were more like siblings, she didn't mind being mistaken for a couple.
That's what it meant to have a big heart.
It didn't mean she was hoping to be in a relationship with Kamigawa Saku.
Of course, if he wanted to be, she wouldn't exactly say no, either.
That's just how it is.
"I'm here with her to shop, but she's not my girlfriend." Kamigawa Saku quickly clarified, "Didn't I already tell you I'm not looking to date right now?"
"Then why would you think we're a couple?"
He had a strong suspicion that Nyamu had asked on purpose, just to tease him.
"Of course, I remember what you said, but what if you suddenly changed your mind?" Nyamu replied nonchalantly. "Love has a funny way of showing up when you least expect it."
"Let's avoid any more misunderstandings. As I said, there's no chance—I'm just not interested in dating."
With her cheeky excuse, Kamigawa Saku could only reiterate his stance.
"Alright, alright, I get it."
Nyamu laughed and nodded.
"Let me introduce you. This is Nagasaki Soyo, our band's bassist."
Kamigawa Saku proceeded with a quick introduction.
"This is Yuutenji Nyamu. We're in the same industry, but she's a video creator."
With his introduction, Nagasaki Soyo could more or less guess how the two of them knew each other.
They were in the same field, after all.
With a polite smile, she greeted Nyamu. "Nice to meet you. I look forward to working together."
"Likewise. If you don't mind, you can just call me Nyamu, like Saku does."
As Nyamu said this, she subtly gave Nagasaki Soyo a quick once-over.
Rich family, huh.
Judging by her clothes and accessories, Nyamu made her assessment.
And with that, her smile grew even friendlier.
"Mm."
Nagasaki Soyo gave a small nod.
"By the way, what brings you to the mall today?" Kamigawa Saku asked with some concern.
"Advertising."
Nyamu glanced around and lowered her voice to answer.
"Are you sure that's alright? It's a lottery event, after all."
Since they were in a public place and he wasn't aware of the specifics of her contract, Kamigawa Saku hinted at his concern as subtly as possible.
From their interactions so far, he could tell Nyamu wasn't the type to take shortcuts or sabotage her own prospects.
Still, better to confirm and be on the safe side.
"Don't worry—I'm just doing the promotion, not entering the lottery." Nyamu instantly understood his point. "I'm not that interested in Paris, anyway."
She wasn't a fool; she knew what lines to avoid.
"That's a relief."
Hearing this, Kamigawa Saku relaxed a bit and even began to tease her.
"Though I do have to ask—aren't you a beauty influencer? How did you end up with a mall promo gig?"
"Well, the video I did at the music store actually did pretty well. So I thought I'd try more content along those lines, make some fun vlogs, and ended up landing this mall job." Nyamu briefly explained.
"Got it."
Kamigawa Saku nodded in understanding. After chatting for a few more moments, he prepared to take his leave.
"Alright, we won't disturb you while you're filming."
"Mm, see you around."
Nyamu bid them farewell without a fuss.
She'd really just come over to say hi, without plans to linger.
After watching the two of them disappear into the crowd, Nyamu pulled out her camera to review her recent footage.
"Hm? Is that…"
Pausing the video midway, Nyamu carefully examined what she'd caught on film.
It wasn't anything monumental, but she did notice, in the corner of the frame, a girl with pale green hair.
She was only visible for a few seconds, her face barely shown, just a glimpse of her profile.
The image was so blurry, Nyamu couldn't quite make out who it was.
But she had a hunch.
Could it be Wakaba Mutsumi, the daughter of famous actress Mori Minami?
...
"So, where should we head first?"
Pushing the cart, Kamigawa Saku turned to ask Nagasaki Soyo.
"Let's start with groceries."
Soyo quickly decided.
"Alright."
They passed swiftly through the household section, heading straight for the produce aisle.
"Quick question: do you think the food here is cheap or expensive?"
Surveying the wide variety of fresh vegetables, Kamigawa Saku asked the resident chef, Nagasaki Soyo.
"Pretty reasonable."
Saying this, Soyo picked up a cucumber nearby.
"Take this cucumber, for example. At the supermarket near our place, it usually costs…"
Kamigawa Saku, who had been listening intently, noticed that she suddenly trailed off. Just as he was about to ask what was wrong, he caught sight of a girl standing across from them.
She had long, pale green hair, a face as delicate as a doll's, and wore an expression as blank as a porcelain mask. In her hand, she also held a cucumber.
There was no doubt—the girl was Wakaba Mutsumi.