When Naruko promised Yosuke's father she'll buy lots of clothes, she wasn't kidding. It is highly possible that Naruko alone had spent enough to match the Clothing Department monthly revenue.
"Um… T-Thank you for your patronage, Ms. Uzumaki. Do you require anything else?"
Even the girl working as the cashier is amazed by the amount of clothes Naruko had bought. How did she get all that money?
"Yes, is it possible to deliver them to the Amagi Inn?"
"Of course, just write your name and room number here. We'll be sure to deliver it within an hour"
After giving her address to the cashier, the girl turned to Haruto.
"Thank you for accompanying me, Haruto-kun. I should get you something as well for all that trouble. Do you have anything you want to buy?"
Haruto shook his head. He doesn't really need anything in particular and it doesn't seem right to have his patron buying something for him.
The girl, however, insisted on repaying the favor.
"Unfortunately, I don't take no for an answer. Didn't your boss said he will lend you for today if I keep my promise?" Naruko smiled mischievously in response. "If you don't have anything you need, why don't I get you some clothes as well?"
After saying that, Naruko dragged him by hand back inside the department. Haruto could only go along with her will as they soon found themselves in the men's clothing section.
"Do you want to choose them yourself? Or would you like to have me pick them out for you?"
He doesn't mind either way, but it might be better to have Naruko herself decides how much she would want to pay for his clothes. So, he let Naruko do as she pleases and pick whatever she thinks would suit him.
"Alright, wait here for me, okay? I'll be back soon."
The girl soon left to choose his clothes. With nothing else to do, Haruto decided to take a seat on a stool nearby and wait for Naruko to return. All the while, pondering over the thoughts in his head.
There is no doubt that he and Naruko are related to each other. Her actions are proof that Naruko is comfortable enough to be closer around Haruto. It can even be assumed that they were close friends in the past, before Haruto lost his memory.
Aside from that, there are also things that bother him. Naruko basically said she is currently staying at the Amagi Inn, which means she is not from Inaba. Judging from her financial ability, it is safe to assume that she either comes from a wealthy family or she already has a high-paying job at her age. But Haruto doesn't see her as a typical spoiled rich daughter from a wealthy family. Instead, he looked at her as a dependable young woman who is used to taking care of herself. Besides, there is no need to buy that many clothes if she's on a vacation. The only plausible explanation would be the latter case.
If there is a high paying job which requires her to visit and stay in Inaba for an extended period of time, it would be as a private investigator to the recent serial homicide. That would explain so much. But, is it really the case? It's only a few days after the murders began, it doesn't make sense for the police to immediately request backup from a private investigator.
Haruto suddenly remembered something. Of course, there IS a connection to everything. Whether it's the murder case, the arrival of Naruko to Inaba or even his own presence, all of those things are related in a way by a certain fact.
The existence of that world inside the TV.
Yosuke and his two friends found him unconscious in that world. There was also that time when Yosuke even accused him as the murderer. When Haruto met Naruko for the first time yesterday, he also remembered she was being accompanied by the trio. That world is the reason for everything. Perhaps, he will even find his own truth in that place.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. I had a hard time finding out which would suit you best"
Naruko had returned with various types of clothes on her hands. Each and every last one of them looks expensive, numbering to tens of thousands of Yen. Haruto swiftly writes another sentence on his memo before showing it to Naruko.
Uzumaki-san, is it really alright for me to wear these?
"It's okay, you don't need to be so modest" Naruko smiled at his reaction while handing him the stacked clothes. "Now, go ahead and get changed. Make sure you return to me again while you try them on."
Haruto nodded before heading inside one of the dressing rooms nearby. Most of these clothes are uncommon and rarely used here in a rural town like Inaba, but are quite popular in the big city. It took him a while to put them all on, but the looks on Naruko's face is enough to makes the effort worth it.
He is now wearing a black waistcoat on top of a long-sleeved white shirt which was rolled up to his forearm and a striped black and white necktie. He also wears a pair of trousers and black shoes, along with a silver belt and a pair of black gloves. Even though Haruto has a slender build, the clothes did well to accentuate his figures.
"You look absolutely good in those, Haruto-kun," Naruko complimented his appearance. "I could fall for you any minute now"
Hearing her comment causes Haruto to get slightly embarrassed, which earned him a chuckle from the girl.
"I'm just kidding, I already did,"
What did she just say?
"Anyway, why don't you wear that for the rest of the day? I'll pay for your clothes first, so you should go ahead and return your previous ones back to your house. Meet me again in the food court as soon as you're done."
Because his memo pad is still inside his previous pocket, Haruto could not use his usual response. Instead, he bowed to her in gratitude while mouthing a few words as clearly as possible.
Thank you, Uzumaki-san.
"You're welcome. And please… just refer to me as Naruko."