Chapter 094: Damn It, I Have To Buy At Least Two Buckets Of Popcorn!

After lunch, Hikigaya and Juke walked into another clothing store. This time, Juke wanted to shop for herself, so Hikigaya sat down in the rest area to relax.

"Hey, why did you sit down right away?"

"No, even if I came along, I'm not confident in my fashion sense. I doubt I can be of much help. Can't you just pick something yourself?"

"It's okay." Juke grabbed Hikigaya's arm and pulled him up. "You just need to share your thoughts with me."

"I get it, I get it. Now, can you please let go?" Hikigaya replied helplessly. Giving his opinion wasn't that difficult, but being dragged around the store was exhausting.

He followed Juke as she picked out clothes from the display racks, occasionally holding them up to herself.

"This one."

Juke selected a white trench coat, smiling at something that crossed her mind. Then she grabbed a blue shirt and a black pleated skirt before heading into the fitting room.

"No peeking~" Juke playfully poked her head from behind the curtain.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Hikigaya rolled his eyes. Peeking would only make him seem like a pervert. Why would anyone do something so stupid?

Soon, Juke emerged from the fitting room, wearing the white trench coat that exposed her slender, lotus-like calves. If it weren't for her distinctive hair, she might've looked like a pure, innocent girl.

"How is it?" Juke asked, tucking her hands into the pockets and opening the trench coat with flair.

"Uh... It suits you pretty well," Hikigaya admitted with a nod.

"Thanks," Juke replied before glancing at her legs with a slight frown. "But I'm not really used to this style. It doesn't feel like me."

"Then why did you try it on?" Hikigaya's mouth twitched. After all this effort, she didn't even like it?

"I didn't have a choice," Juke sighed. "If I go with my usual style, Ichinose and the others might feel uncomfortable."

Even buying clothes, she had to consider her friends. It wasn't that Ichinose and the others would judge her, but Juke didn't want to feel out of place. And to fit in, she had to make compromises.

"That's pretty rough," Hikigaya nodded sincerely. He couldn't imagine changing himself just to fit in.

"Whatever. Let me show you what my real style looks like." Juke dashed back to the fitting room with a bundle of clothes. As she disappeared behind the curtain, she called out with a mischievous smile, "You can peek this time if you want."

"Wouldn't even think of it." Hikigaya rolled his eyes again. He was certain Juke was just teasing him. If he dared to look, he'd probably get punched.

Moments later, Juke stepped out of the fitting room again. This time, she wore a tight white T-shirt paired with blue fitted jeans and a white canvas belt buckled into a large heart shape.

Hikigaya blinked, a bit stunned. She didn't look like a flashy hot girl at all. Instead, she looked energetic and a little wild, like someone with natural charm.

"How do I look?" Juke leaned forward, her delicate body curving as her hand slid along her thigh, emphasizing her perfect figure.

"Uh… It suits you really well," Hikigaya stammered, his face turning red. It was like her style fit his taste perfectly.

Juke grinned proudly and struck a few more poses. But then, she dashed back into the fitting room to try on more outfits.

More than an hour later...

"How about this one?" Juke asked, striking another pose.

"Yeah, suits you pretty well." Hikigaya responded with a tired expression. His brain was already numb from offering comments on outfit after outfit.

"Ugh, so perfunctory," Juke pouted before checking her phone. "Whatever. Time's running out, so let's wrap things up for today."

"Finally," Hikigaya sighed in relief. There was no way she was going to buy all the outfits she tried. Right?

To his surprise, Juke brought both the white trench coat and the wild, casual outfit to the checkout.

"Wait," Hikigaya frowned. "You said one didn't suit you and the other was inconvenient to wear. Why buy them?"

The cashier stifled a giggle, clearly amused.

"Because when a girl buys clothes, her boyfriend should only compliment her," Juke shot him a glare.

Hikigaya felt awkward. He wasn't even her boyfriend. How was he supposed to understand her reasoning?

After the shopping spree, they headed to the cinema. Hikigaya waited in the lobby while Juke bought tickets. She returned with two cups of milk tea and a bucket of popcorn held between her hands.

"Why didn't you come help me?" Juke asked, frowning.

"Oh, sorry." Hikigaya took the popcorn and one of the drinks. He felt a little bad that Juke was treating him to everything.

"My points are running low this month," Juke admitted. "So, it's not as good as eel rice, but you'll have fun watching the movie with me, I promise."

Hikigaya's lips twitched. So, she really was a hot girl after all. But if she wanted him to enjoy the movie, why not buy two portions of popcorn?

"Can't you ask Ichinose for more points?" Hikigaya asked, a bit concerned.

"It's fine. If I asked, Ichinose would agree. But everyone else is saving up, so I'd feel guilty splurging alone."

Hikigaya could relate. Using class funds felt like freeloading, and the guilt gnawed at him every time. Ichinose's kindness was truly frightening in its generosity.

"Alright, let's go," Juke urged.

They entered the theater and found their seats. Juke had picked the middle seats, right next to each other.

As Hikigaya settled down, he struggled to figure out where to place the popcorn. If he kept it in his lap, Juke couldn't reach it. But if he handed it to her, he'd feel awkward reaching over to grab some.

"Here," Hikigaya awkwardly handed the bucket to Juke.

Juke looked at him, then twisted her body towards him, tilting her head as she delicately picked up a piece of popcorn and ate it.

"What are you doing?" Hikigaya's mind went blank.

"It's inconvenient to hold it. And I invited you, so you should hold it and eat too," Juke said with a huff.

As the movie began, Hikigaya couldn't concentrate. Juke's entire body leaned towards him, practically lounging against the armrest like a lazy cat. Her beautiful face was so close he could feel her breathing.

And when she spoke, her crystal lips moved just inches from his hand. It was impossible to focus on the movie at all.

An explosion boomed across the theater, startling Hikigaya out of his thoughts. Juke, meanwhile, looked completely engrossed, eyes shining with excitement.

"Damn it," Hikigaya muttered. "I really should've gotten two buckets of popcorn."

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