Akira sat silently in his basement lab, assuming the classic Gendo Pose—his fingers interlocked in front of his face as he stared at the holographic screen before him.
Countless jewelry blueprints floated in the air: necklaces, rings, bracelets, and more.
The problem was that every design shared the same bold, dramatic style—a wolf ring, a dragon necklace, a robotic bracelet, and even a skull pendant inspired by the Aztec Gold Coin from Pirates of the Caribbean.
Akira let out a deep sigh.
"Sigh... I can't figure out what to make. Why is this so difficult?"
Selena's amused voice echoed telepathically.
"Oh, brother. Still thinking about what to give Erika-chan?"
Akira nodded.
"Yeah. I know it should be jewelry... but I don't know what kind. And these designs... I'm pretty sure she wouldn't like any of them."
Selena replied,
"Obviously. I mean, why do you even have a skull pendant?"
Akira immediately defended himself.
"It's not just a skull. It's the Aztec Gold Coin Necklace from Pirates of the Caribbean."
Selena sighed.
"Whatever. Erika-chan definitely isn't going to like that."
Akira asked,
"Then what does she like? Can you tell me?"
Selena teased,
"Oh, come on. Aren't you her boyfriend? And you've been childhood friends for years. How do you not know her taste?"
Akira scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"I know she used to love wearing frilly dresses. These days she mostly wears those Victorian-style blouses with frills and pleated skirts... though she still wears dresses sometimes."
He looked back at the floating blueprints.
"But I don't really know what kind of jewelry she likes. I gave her that Moon Impact Glass necklace before, but that one was pretty simple. This time I want to give her a real piece of jewelry... and that's why I'm stuck."
Selena suggested,
"Why not just ask Erika-chan? I'm sure she'll tell you."
Akira hesitated.
"But then it wouldn't be a surprise anymore, would it? I've kept it secret for this long."
Selena chuckled.
"I'm pretty sure she's already figured out you're planning some kind of surprise. She just doesn't know what it is."
Akira blinked.
"How?"
Selena answered matter-of-factly.
"You're not that hard to read, brother."
Akira thought about it for a moment.
"Really...? But asking about her taste in jewelry is basically the same as telling her I'm buying jewelry."
Selena hummed thoughtfully.
"Maybe... but I don't think she'd mind."
She paused before continuing.
"How about this? Take her on a shopping date. While you're shopping together, you can casually find out what she likes."
Akira considered the idea.
"Really? Would that work? We go shopping together all the time."
Selena immediately corrected him.
"For your stuff, not hers. You've never actually tagged along while she shops for herself."
Akira lowered his head.
"That's... yeah, you're right..."
Selena continued,
"Besides, you've been avoiding her lately. I'm sure she's feeling lonely."
Akira sighed faintly.
"...You're right. I'm lonely too. I want to go hug her."
Selena let out an exasperated sigh.
"This isn't about you, you idiot... Sigh... Anyway, go ask her out on a shopping date. I'm sure she'll be happy, and you'll get to learn what she likes too. Sounds good?"
Akira immediately stood up.
"Alright. It's decided. I'll go ask her."
Without wasting another second, he left the basement and headed into the living room.
There, Erika was quietly watching a soap opera about a domineering CEO and his intern.
The moment she noticed Akira, she hurriedly switched off the television.
She looked at him curiously.
"Why are you in such a hurry?"
Akira glanced at the TV...
...then at Erika...
...then back at the TV.
After a brief internal debate, he wisely decided not to comment on what she'd been watching.
Instead, he tried to ask her out.
"Can you... um... today... I mean... would you... you know..."
Erika tilted her head.
"What is it?"
Unable to bring himself to say the word "date," Akira took the indirect route.
"About the island vacation... do you already have everything you need?"
Erika looked a little surprised.
"Why are you asking all of a sudden?"
She thought for a moment.
"I already have most of what I need. I just have to buy some sunscreen and a few other essentials."
She paused.
"As for a swimsuit... I didn't bring one from our world, so I was thinking of just wearing my school swimsuit."
Akira's eyes suddenly lit up.
"How could that be? Swimsuits are important, you know! Let's go buy one. I'll even help you choose. Let's go shopping."
Erika stared at him in surprise.
"You... want to help me choose a swimsuit?"
Akira nodded enthusiastically.
"Yep. It's a date. Let's go now. Go get ready. We don't have anything else to do today anyway."
Erika looked at him for a long moment.
A faint teasing smile slowly appeared on her face.
"Okay. If that's what you want, I'll go get ready."
She stood up and walked toward her room.
As soon as she disappeared upstairs, Selena's teasing voice echoed in Akira's mind.
"So... you're going swimsuit shopping with her."
Akira nodded absentmindedly.
"Yeah... this should help me figure out her taste..."
Then he froze.
His eyes slowly widened.
"...WAIT. SHE SAID SWIMSUITS."
---
When Erika came back, she was dressed in her favorite frilly white blouse and black pleated skirt. Akira was already waiting on the sofa, wearing a white blazer with black pants, his face slightly red.
Erika grinned.
"What? You're not going to help me choose my swimsuit now?"
Akira looked at her, flustered.
"I will keep my promise, alright... but... but... I will keep my promise."
Erika's grin widened.
"Fine, fine. If you say so."
She struck a cute pose before asking, "Now, shouldn't you say something important to me?"
Akira blinked in confusion.
"Nice pose?"
Erika glared at him.
Selena's voice echoed telepathically.
"You idiot. Tell her she's beautiful."
Akira replied,
"But she's always beautiful, though."
Both Erika and Selena froze for a moment.
Erika's cheeks turned slightly pink.
"That's not... I mean... Fine. I'll teach you how to do it first."
She looked him up and down before smiling.
"You look good. That white blazer with black pants gives you a casual but cool look."
Akira scratched his cheek with a shy smile.
"Thank you... I see. Even though I am the most handsome guy there is, hearing you say that still made me happy. I understand now."
He looked at her and smiled.
"Your outfit looks beautiful too. That Victorian-style frilly white blouse paired with your black pleated skirt makes you look both noble and modern at the same time. And your white knee-high socks with those black shoes also make—"
Erika quickly cut him off, her face bright red.
"I get it, I get it... Sigh. Next time, keep it short, alright?"
Akira nodded.
"Sure. I will."
Erika took a deep breath, grabbed his hand, and pulled him to his feet.
"Alright. What are we waiting for? Let's go."
Akira gently squeezed her hand.
"Okay."
The two of them left the house together.
Outside, Erika looked around before asking, "Wait, we're going to the mall, right? Are we taking the bus, or a taxi?"
Akira smiled.
"Why would we need either of those? Wait here."
He took out his phone and tapped the screen.
A moment later, the garage door slowly opened, and a sleek black motorcycle rolled out on its own before stopping in front of them. It looked exactly like a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R.
Erika's eyes widened.
"When did you buy a bike?"
Akira proudly climbed onto it.
"I didn't buy it. I built it myself. It has a lot of cool features, but I made it look like a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R so it wouldn't attract too much attention."
He patted the seat behind him.
"What are you waiting for? Hop on."
Erika hesitated.
"I don't mind... but what about your license? Unlike the Demon Slayer world, you actually need one here."
Akira grinned confidently.
"Did you forget? I'm the greatest hacker in the world right now. I've already taken care of it. Now get on."
Erika sighed with a helpless smile.
"Whatever you say."
She climbed onto the bike and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Akira smiled.
"Hold on tighter, okay? This bike is even faster than the one we used in the Demon Slayer world."
Erika rested her head against his back and closed her eyes.
"I won't let go. Don't worry."
Akira revved the engine.
"Then get ready."
With a loud roar, the motorcycle shot forward, popping into a wheelie before racing toward the mall.
Erika tightened her embrace as the wind rushed past them. Resting her head against his back, she quietly enjoyed his warmth.
To her, it was the most comfortable ride in the world.
---
Akira and Erika walked hand in hand through the mall, both clearly enjoying the chance to spend time together. It had been a long time since they had gone on a proper date like this.
Erika glanced around before whispering,
"Seems like we're attracting a lot of attention."
Akira shrugged with a small smile.
"Couldn't be helped. It's a handsome guy and a beautiful girl together, after all. It's only natural."
Erika sighed.
"I wouldn't attract this much attention by myself. Maybe you should put on your sunglasses."
Akira replied,
"My normal sunglasses are a magical item that helps me go incognito, but I can't use them here."
Erika said,
"Just use a normal one."
Akira put on a pair of ordinary sunglasses.
"Okay."
But, Unfortunately...
People still kept staring.
Erika shook her head.
"I guess I'll have to take drastic measures."
She wrapped both arms around one of his, almost hugging it, and smiled sweetly.
"Let's go to the swimsuit section."
Akira immediately blushed.
"Why are you suddenly so close?"
Erika looked up at him with an innocent expression.
"What? You don't like it?"
Akira held her hand a little tighter.
"No... let's go."
Smiling to herself, Erika continued walking while keeping a watchful eye on the people around them.
The swimsuit section was brightly lit, with colorful displays lining every aisle.
As Akira walked beside Erika, his face was already beginning to turn pink just from seeing row after row of swimsuits.
Pretending to be completely casual, Erika picked up a simple navy one-piece.
"How about this one? It's pretty normal, right?"
Akira nodded almost immediately.
"Yeah. That looks... safe. Good coverage. You should get that one."
Erika smiled innocently before placing it back.
Then she picked up a blue bikini that revealed a little more.
"Or maybe this? It's still modest... mostly."
Akira's ears instantly turned red.
"E-Erika... that's... a little... less fabric..."
Erika tilted her head, clearly enjoying his reaction.
"Less fabric? It's a bikini. That's kind of the point."
She held it against herself in front of the mirror, adjusting the straps playfully.
Akira immediately looked away.
"...I can see your back... and your sides... Yeah... no. Too much."
A mischievous sparkle appeared in Erika's eyes.
She returned it to the rack before picking up an even skimpier black string bikini with barely any fabric at all.
"How about this one?"
Akira's face instantly went from pink to bright crimson.
"E-Erika! That's... that's basically just strings! You can't— I mean— everyone will see— absolutely not!"
Selena's voice came telepathically, sounding half-amused and half-concerned.
"Erika-chan... please don't kill my brother."
Erika couldn't help laughing.
"You're so dramatic. It's just a swimsuit."
She held the tiny bikini against herself once more before slowly turning toward the mirror.
Akira looked as though his brain had completely stopped functioning.
His hands flailed helplessly as he desperately searched for words.
"No. Absolutely not. That one is... dangerous. For everyone. Especially me."
Erika finally gave up the teasing and put the black bikini back with a playful smile.
"Fine, fine. You're no fun."
This time, she picked up a simple red bikini.
It was still a two-piece, but noticeably more modest than the previous one.
"How about this? Just a normal red bikini. Nothing too crazy."
Akira stared at it for several seconds before slowly shaking his head.
"It looks beautiful... But no. Only I want to see you wearing that. No one else."
Erika's cheeks immediately turned pink.
"...You're unbelievable."
She looked away shyly.
"I was planning to wear a T-shirt over it anyway."
Akira still shook his head.
"Still no."
Suddenly, he pointed toward a large advertisement hanging at the end of the aisle.
"What about that one?"
Erika followed his finger.
The advertisement showed an elegant Victorian-style one-piece swimsuit in deep red and black, decorated with delicate white frills, long sleeves, and a modest skirt-like bottom that looked more like the outfit of a noble lady than ordinary swimwear.
Akira smiled.
"That suits you perfectly."
Erika looked back and forth between the advertisement and Akira.
"It's a little extravagant... and expensive too."
Akira waved his hand dismissively.
"Money is the one thing we don't lack right now. It suits you. It's elegant. It has frills. It looks like something a noble vampire lady would wear. It's exactly your style. And... it's not that revealing."
Erika smiled warmly.
"Okay. But it comes as a matching couple set. We can buy both."
Akira glanced at the men's version.
It consisted of red-and-black swim shorts with subtle white accents that matched Erika's outfit perfectly.
He nodded.
"Okay. This works."
The two of them bought the matching Victorian-style swimsuits.
Just as they were about to leave...
Erika quietly reached back and picked up the simple red bikini as well.
Akira noticed immediately.
"Why are you buying that too?"
Erika's face turned bright red.
She leaned close enough for only him to hear and whispered,
"It's only for you to see."
...
Akira.exe has stopped working.
His face went completely blank.
For several long seconds, he simply stood there in stunned silence.
Erika giggled before gently tugging on his hand.
"Come on. We still have other things to buy."
Still completely dazed, Akira allowed himself to be led away, taking continuous emotional damage with every step.
---
After leaving the swimsuit section, Akira and Erika continued shopping for everything else they needed for the island vacation. However, Akira was still dazed by what Erika had whispered earlier. Her words kept replaying over and over in his mind, making it impossible for him to focus.
Erika gently tugged on his hand and teased,
"Why are you still so dazed? Are you still imagining me in that skimpy swimsuit?"
Akira immediately snapped back to reality, his face turning bright red.
"No, no! I was thinking about something... something else. Definitely something else."
Erika smiled knowingly.
"If you say so."
She tugged on his hand again.
"Come on. We only need towels and sunscreen now, then we're done."
Akira panicked internally.
Wait... it's over already? But I still haven't figured out her taste! What do I do? What do I do?
He quickly reached out for help. To his Dear sister, who he can always rely on.
"Sis, please help me. I don't know what to do."
Selena replied almost instantly.
"I don't know, bro. You're on your own."
Akira was stunned.
His dear sister had abandoned him at the most crucial moment, as usual.
"The hell?! This whole thing was your idea! Help me here!"
Selena answered calmly.
"Bro, sometimes you have to do things yourself. If going the long way didn't work, then just ask her directly."
Akira asked,
"But how do I do that without telling her about the surprise?"
Selena suggested,
"You can just ask for her taste in jewelry and tell her it's to understand her more. It's that easy."
Akira thought about it for a moment.
"...I'll try."
He looked over at Erika, still unsure how to bring it up.
As his eyes wandered around, they landed on a jewelry store. Above its entrance hung a large advertisement featuring an elegant platinum diamond ring.
Erika noticed him staring.
"Why are you so distracted?"
Without thinking any further, Akira asked,
"Erika... what kind of ring do you like?"
Time seemed to stop.
For a brief moment, Erika couldn't process what he had just asked.
Then everything clicked at once.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Her breathing became uneven.
In a trembling voice, she asked,
"W-What do you mean...? Why are you asking that all of a sudden?"
Completely oblivious to what was going through her mind, Akira answered honestly.
"Because I want to know your taste. It's important for the future, after all."
Those words struck Erika like a tsunami.
For a split second, she thought she heard Selena's telepathic voice mutter,
"You dumbo..."
But she was far too flustered to think straight.
After gathering every ounce of courage she had, she quietly asked,
"...But... isn't that a little too soon?"
Akira blinked.
"Why would it be too soon? Wouldn't it be better if I knew now? So I can prepare for the future. It's important."
Erika's face turned completely red.
She took several deep breaths before finally calming herself enough to answer.
"I don't know... maybe... a gold or platinum ring. Something with a simple, modern design. And as for the gemstone..."
She looked directly into Akira's beautiful purple eyes, which looked as though an entire sea of stars was hidden within them.
"...Maybe something the same color as your eyes."
Akira tilted his head.
"Really? I thought ruby or sapphire would suit you better. You know... red or blue."
Erika blushed even more.
"I know... but... I like your eyes. I mean... the color of your eyes. So... I'd like that."
Akira immediately pulled out a small notebook and began writing everything down with complete seriousness.
"Okay. Now tell me what kind of necklaces you like. And bracelets. Oh, earrings too. Actually, tell me everything. What kind of jewelry do you like?"
The sweet atmosphere instantly shattered.
Erika stared at him.
Her brain finally started working properly again.
Then she remembered.
...This is Akira.
She took a deep breath...
...and firmly pinched his ear.
"Ow, ow, ow! W-What, Erika?! Why the sudden violence?!"
Still pinching his ear, Erika narrowed her eyes.
"What is this really about? Tell me first."
Akira winced in pain.
"Well... I already know what kinds of clothes you like. And I know your favorite food. But I don't know anything about your taste in jewelry. So I wanted to learn. It'll help when I buy you gifts in the future... ow!"
Erika closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath.
Then she quietly muttered to herself,
"That's right... He's an idiot. He's an idiot. He's an idiot. You have to remember that, Erika..."
Akira weakly protested,
"I'm not an idiot..."
Erika answered without hesitation.
"Shut up."
She sighed once more before finally releasing his ear.
"Fine. You want to know my taste in jewelry, right?"
Akira nodded repeatedly.
"Yes."
Erika pointed toward the nearby jewelry store.
"Then let's go inside. I'll show you."
Akira smiled brightly.
"Okay."
He rubbed his sore ear.
"And... thanks for finally letting go."
Erika smiled sweetly.
"I never said I was done."
She grabbed his ear again and began dragging him toward the jewelry store.
"Ow, ow, ow! Erika!"
Inside the store, Erika patiently showed him the styles she liked while explaining what appealed to her.
Meanwhile, Akira diligently filled page after page of his notebook with careful notes.
Afterward, they even visited a clothing store so Akira could better understand her preferences in outfits as well.
By the end of the day, Akira had gathered all the information he needed.
Erika was happy.
And because Erika was happy...
Akira was happy too.
...Although, for some mysterious reason, his ear remained a victim for almost the entire trip home.