I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

Even amidst the cold indifference of snow, one couldn't help but feel a thorn in one's back.

How long is she going to maintain this state?!

P.S.: I was so confident about the theory test today, and when I opened the question bank to do a quick practice for tomorrow's exam, I found that there were so many questions I couldn't answer... My head is spinning. What am I going to do for tomorrow's exam? I never believed I was a lucky person.

Chapter 51, Section 111: Choosing a Gift is an Art

Kiyotomi and the Hikigaya siblings successfully hid under the snow of the surging crowd in the foot of the mall. Fortunately, the crowding was only temporary. The shops without promotions quickly quieted down, and most of the surging customers were there to grab bargains during the discount promotion.

Facing your own body can be difficult, especially when the person inside you is very different from yourself.

Kiyoshiro wasn't someone who habitually had a cold face; on the contrary, she often had a smiling face. So Yukinoshita would always see smiles on her body that didn't belong to her. It wasn't that the smiles were incongruous with her beauty, but rather that Hikigaya's ghost-like expression made her want to pull Kiyoshiro aside and give him a good talking-to.

However, Yukinoshita herself wasn't much better.

Her expression, as if frozen solid, and her abrupt pauses in speech, stemming from her extreme discomfort in addressing Hikigaya as "senpai," were like a high-powered refrigeration unit in a shopping mall. People involuntarily gave her a wide berth as she walked through the crowd, which unexpectedly made it easy for the four of them to get through.

Kiyoshiro originally wanted to suggest that they split up and go shopping for gifts separately. Firstly, it would be inconvenient for four people to travel together, and secondly, it would be a legitimate reason for the Hikigaya siblings to leave, giving her and her senior a chance to catch their breath. Kiyoshiro could feel Yukinoshita's movements becoming increasingly stiff.

"How about we..."

"Why don't we split up and go our separate ways?"

Komachi "thoughtfully" offered Kiyoyori the solution he had in mind.

Kiyoshi breathed a sigh of relief and was about to agree.

"Yukino-neechan, Kiyori-neechan, and brother, let's go shopping together! You're all members of the Service Club, so you can discuss the surprise for Yui-neechan some more!" Komachi grinned, pointing towards the crowded area. "Komachi, I saw something interesting earlier, so I'll head over there first!"

"Hey! Hey!"

As Komachi's older brother, Hikigaya was able to quickly guess his sister's thoughts. Although it was harmless, he really didn't want to be with two somewhat "abnormal" people today, especially Yukinoshita's "weird" smile that she would occasionally show.

Kiyoshi opened his mouth, but Komachi didn't give him a chance to object. She slipped away from the three of them and disappeared into the crowd.

"Isn't Hachiman worried about his little sister?"

Kiyoshi desperately wanted Hikigaya to catch up, but it was clear that Hikigaya had chosen to remain in place and be invisible rather than squeeze into the crowd to chase after his sister who was trying to escape.

"Well, she'll definitely be fine."

Komachi and Hikigaya are almost complete opposites; their only similarity is probably their incredibly high emotional intelligence...

Kiyoyori was well aware of this, and she sighed helplessly:

"Well, we can probably start picking out gifts now. Do Hachiman and Tachibana have any ideas?"

Choosing a gift might seem trivial to most people, but it actually involves a great deal of knowledge. For example, you need to research the recipient's preferences beforehand, from hobbies and favorite colors to favorite cosmetics and types of books. Gift-giving between girls can even be as detailed as what the recipient has retweeted on Twitter, or a picture from a magazine that they posted on social media, or something they casually mentioned wanting.

The idea that you can simply give the other person something they like is practically suicidal.

The price of the gift should be within an acceptable range for both parties.

For example, a gift for Yuihama shouldn't be too expensive. It can be of good quality, but not too pricey; it can be thoughtful, but not too burdensome. Sometimes, an overly extravagant gift can be suffocating, especially if the relationship isn't at that level. When giving a gift, you should also consider the cost of reciprocating. This doesn't mean expecting a return gift, but rather that it can be very awkward when the recipient feels obligated to give a polite gift only to find they can't afford something of equal value. This can sometimes lead to even worse consequences.

But at this moment, Kiyori and Yukinoshita faced another problem—

They need to figure out what kind of gift the other person would choose for Yuihama while choosing the gift.

This greatly improves the already challenging task of choosing gifts.

If the Hikigaya siblings had left together, they wouldn't be in this predicament. However, the observant Hikigaya stayed behind, and Kiyori and Yukino couldn't bring themselves to leave him alone.

Therefore, they not only have to guess Yuihama's preferences, but also her taste in choosing gifts.

This feels like playing the most difficult dungeon in a game.

Kiyoyori began to doubt whether he and Yukinoshita had made the right choice in picking out gifts on this day.

"When choosing a gift, you should cater to the recipient's preferences, right? Cosmetics?"

Hikigaya rested his chin on his hand, saw a cosmetics store not far away, and made a suggestion.

"Cosmetics are indeed suitable as gifts for girls, and simple skincare products are also good..." Qinglai nodded, "However, cosmetics and skincare products also depend on the brand. If the price is too low, the quality is probably not good. As for lipsticks, you also need to consider whether the color is suitable. If you are unlucky, it may be the same color as her already has."

Qinglai's family has quite a few cosmetics. After all, there are three women in the family. Bottles and jars almost fill the entire bathroom shelf. Most of her skin care products were bought by her two mothers, in sets. In order to ensure their daughter's health, both mothers buy expensive, brand-name products.

"How about clothes and such?"

Kiyoshi recalled Yuihama's trendy outfit and how she dressed casually the last time he saw her.

"I also think that things that are more practical are better."

Replenish as needed under the snow.

"Let's go check out the clothing stores first. There was a store having a promotion on the way here," Hachiman said, flipping through the map in his hand. "There aren't many stores having promotions here, so it shouldn't be as crowded as that area over there."

"Alright."

Kiyoyori glanced at Yukinoshita first, and after receiving her approval, he answered.

Even though there weren't as many people as in the crowded area, Yukinoshita still couldn't help but lean closer to Kiyoyori, and Kiyoyori took the opportunity to see this petite and dependent side of "himself".

Fortunately, Hachiman, who was leading the way, wouldn't see the unusual interaction between the two.

Kiyori Tachibana, his brows furrowed, nervously tugged at the hem of Yukino Yukinoshita's clothes, who looked helpless and had a rather complicated expression.

Her public image has completely collapsed!

Feeling a faint tug from behind, Qinglai awkwardly turned his gaze toward the crowd, only to unexpectedly spot a familiar man and woman in the throng.

That is……

Tomoya-senpai?!

P.S.: Choosing a gift is really hard, especially in the past. Attending classmates' birthday parties was something I couldn't stand... But it's better now. Last time I texted my best friend to wish her a happy birthday, and her reaction was, "You actually remembered my birthday?!" Anyway, I'll just treat that foodie to a meal.

Chapter 52, Section 112: Quiet down! You'll be discovered!

Why would someone who stays home all the time and only goes out for anime/manga be here?

Could the other party also be a loyal fan of Mr. Pan?

Kiyoshi stared in bewilderment at Aki, whose hands were laden with shopping bags. Aki's steps were unsteady yet he maintained a steady pace, as if he were racing against something. He weaved through one group of people, drenched in sweat, looking like an ordinary consumer pig engrossed in shopping. But that was precisely what was strange. There were no figure stores or bookstores nearby, and those shopping bags, which clearly belonged to clothing, were not within his shopping scope, especially since one of them was a brand that specialized in women's clothing.

Very suspicious.

"What are you looking at, Yukinoshita?"

Hikigaya looked in the direction Kiyoyori was staring, but he saw nothing but the surging crowd.

"It's nothing, let's go."

Kiyoshi turned around, seemingly unconcerned.

The girl next to Tomoya-senpai should be the other female protagonist of the game.

If Kiyoyori remembers correctly, her name is Kato Megumi, the second-year senior from Toyonosaki Academy whom he met once under the cherry blossom tree.

Speaking of which, after that day, although Kiyoyori agreed to let Aki join his club, he only met the other members once at the first members' meeting. Although that's what he said, in fact, apart from Kato Megumi, everyone in the club was an old acquaintance. The script was written by the well-known writer Kasumigaoka Utaha, and the original illustrations were unsurprisingly done by Kashiwagi Eri, Aki Tomoya's childhood friend Eriri. It seems that the two of them eased their previously stiff relationship a bit through this.

Thanks to this plan, Eriri seems to be focusing her attention on game development now, while the manga is constantly teetering on the edge of failure.

However, with Kasumi Shiko and Kashiwagi Eri as two living advertisements, the game should receive a lot of attention after it is completed.

Of course, this is all on the premise that the game can be completed on schedule.

As for that senior Kato Megumi, Kiyoyori had to admire her for never having seen anyone in reality with such talent as Akarin. This person's aura concealment was probably EX level, right?

Even so, Kiyoshi was still caught by Eriri that day and posed with Kato Megumi in many different ways for Eriri to sketch him. Although it was for work purposes, Kiyoshi could clearly hear the mournful sound of the computer keyboard behind him, as well as the deathly gaze that he could not ignore no matter what.

Fortunately, Eriri is familiar enough with Kiyoyori that she can draw her from memory even when Kiyoyori is absent. As a result, the unlucky one is Kato Megumi, who is not a person with many expressions, while Eriri is a person who strives for perfection.

However, it seems that the other party is quite enjoying it.

Kiyoyori recalled the subtle upturn of Kato Megumi's lips when she was talking to Aki.

Eriri, crisis.

While casually browsing through the dazzling array of clothes on the hanger, Kiyoshi hadn't yet found a single garment that he felt would suit Yui. Based on his sense of light, Kiyoshi subconsciously felt that Yui would prefer light and airy clothes, such as a floral dress adorned with lace, or a princess dress with a fluffy hem.

Come to think of it, she seemed quite interested in maid outfits before...

Could it be that Yuihama-senpai has a secret cosplay hobby?

The other two also seem to have hit a roadblock.

"Why don't you try on the clothes for Yuihama instead of Yukinoshita? I remember you're about the same height, right?"

Kiyoshi thought about it and realized it made sense. He grabbed a cute pink lace short-sleeved shirt and prepared to go into the changing room.

"Wait a minute!"

Beneath the snow, his face was cold, and the icy light shooting from his eyes made Hachiman and Kiyoyori feel as if they were in Antarctica.

Kiyoshi, holding his clothes in one hand, looked at himself in the full-length mirror.

She had long, black hair that reached her waist, a red shirt-style short-sleeved top tied at the waist, and a long white chiffon skirt that ran from her waist to her ankles.

Yukinoshita-senpai is as beautiful as ever today.

Even the slowest person should have realized by now that no one would allow another person to see their body. Although...

But that was just an accident.

"That's true. Yuihama's size is probably different from mine, so it's not really suitable as a reference."

Kiyoshi hung the clothes back up.

"Doesn't Yuigahama-san have any other hobbies? Even clothes, it's not just..."

Kiyoshi paused abruptly, but all three of them seemed to have realized something, and complicated expressions appeared on their faces simultaneously.

Wouldn't sending that kind of thing cause a headline like "X high school students accidentally died from poisoning, and the poison has not yet been found"?

"Isn't it nice? Yuihama-senpai should like this gift."