"Speaking of which, Haruto-kun, what exactly are you doing in a women's clothing store?"
Haruno asked the key question.
Shizuka finally reacted as well.
Indeed, what was Haruto, a teenage boy, doing in a women's clothing store?
However, Shizuka wasn't suspicious or upset in the slightest.
To her, it was as if she viewed Haruto through rose-colored glasses.
Such an exceptional boyfriend was truly one of a kind. If her boyfriend was in a women's clothing store, there had to be a reason!
Simply put—Shizuka was in full-blown love mode.
Haruto glanced at Haruno, silently taking note of her little tricks. At that moment, the curtain of the fitting room was pulled open.
Beatrice, dressed in a sailor uniform, stepped out.
Seeing the three people standing outside, she froze for a moment before instinctively retreating back into the fitting room.
Then, peeking out from behind the curtain, she cautiously and curiously observed Shizuka and Haruno.
Her reaction was so adorably timid that it was practically illegal. For a moment, both Shizuka and Haruno felt their hearts melt.
"This is my friend's daughter," Haruto explained. "She's a little shy, so don't mind her."
"My friend has been busy with research lately and doesn't have time to take care of her, so they asked me to look after her. Since her wardrobe isn't quite suited for daily wear, I brought her out shopping for some clothes."
Haruto gave a version of the truth that was close enough.
Haruno raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Haruto's friend was a married woman?
And from what he was saying, she had gone abroad for further studies?
How odd!
Meanwhile, Shizuka waved her hands dismissively.
"It's fine! Kids being shy is normal! Since we don't have anything else to do, why don't we join you?"
As she looked at the adorable Beatrice, something stirred in Shizuka's heart.
She wasn't old yet, definitely not!
But at her age, most of her high school classmates were already married with children. She had been invited to several baby showers and naming ceremonies. After seeing so many of her peers settling down, she couldn't help but feel a bit tempted herself.
And now that she was dating Haruto who was practically the perfect boyfriend, she had already started considering the idea of having a child in the future.
Seeing Beatrice now only amplified that feeling.
Beatrice, however, was startled by Shizuka's intense gaze and shrank further behind Haruto.
What a strange woman!
Haruto reached out, gently taking Beatrice's hand and pulling her forward.
The sailor uniform fit her perfectly, making her look both elegant and incredibly cute. The only problem was her signature spiral hairstyle, which didn't quite match the outfit.
Haruto considered whether he should take her to a salon for a makeover.
"Betty, this is Shizuka Hiratsuka, and this is Haruno Yukinoshita. Be nice to them."
He deliberately avoided having Beatrice call them by any formal titles. Not only was it inappropriate for their ages, but it would also be unfair to Beatrice.
It was better for them to just be friends.
Shizuka, however, continued to gaze at Beatrice with shining eyes.
Beatrice quickly hid behind Haruto again.
If this were before, she would have just zapped this weird human with a weak Mana Shock.
But after studying the Foundation's regulations, she knew she wasn't allowed to use "abnormal abilities" on regular humans.
She also couldn't reveal the existence of such abilities in public.
Without her magic, Beatrice really did seem like a shy child.
Seeing her reaction, Shizuka finally realized that she had been staring too intensely.
She let out an awkward laugh and said, "As a gift for our first meeting, let me pay for the clothes. They look adorable on her."
With that, she went ahead and settled the bill.
Haruno watched the interaction, feeling genuinely surprised.
So Haruto had been out taking care of a child, not out on a date with some other girl?
To be honest, when she first entered the store, she had been fully prepared to see her younger sister on a date with Haruto.
But then Haruto suddenly locked eyes with her.
They exchanged a brief but meaningful glance.
Haruto:Miss Haruno, being manipulative isn't exactly a good trait, you know.
Haruno:Well, it's not my fault that a certain student council president is such a playboy.
Just then, Shizuka returned after paying.
Haruto smiled and said, "Since we're being considerate to each other, why don't I pay for your outfit, Shizuka? It's only fair."
Shizuka was briefly stunned before quickly nodding with a delighted smile. She might be financially well-off, but this wasn't about the money.
This was a gift from her boyfriend!
How romantic!
She was in love!
She eagerly pulled Haruno along to pick out some clothes.
Haruto scanned the store and quickly spotted a black A-line dress. It seemed perfect for Shizuka. A-line dresses were designed to emphasize curves and highlight mature charm. And Shizuka had an amazing figure.
Haruto knew this firsthand—after all, he had personally measured it.
An outfit like this would be the perfect match for her professional, intellectual aesthetic.
He picked up the dress and held it out.
Beatrice glanced at the neckline and the hips of the dress.
Then she looked down at herself.
And then…
Haruto suddenly felt a sharp pinch at his waist.
It didn't hurt, but he was momentarily baffled.
Wait, what?
Pinching someone's waist, is that some kind of universal girl skill? Do they just unlock it once they reach a certain age?
Beatrice usually relied on magic to deal with people, so why was she using this technique now?!
Though, to be fair, it wasn't painful at all.
Just then, Shizuka and Haruno returned.
Judging from their expressions, they hadn't found anything they liked. Haruto handed over the A-line dress.
Shizuka happily accepted it, but as she unfolded it, her face turned slightly red.
She usually wore business suits and a lab coat. She had never worn anything this…sensual.
But since Haruto had picked it out…
She walked into the fitting room.
A short while later, she emerged.
The fitted black dress hugged her curves, highlighting her figure to perfection.
It was simply stunning.
And since she was already wearing black stockings…
Gulp!
Haruto and Haruno gave a thumbs-up.
It was a unanimous approval!
In the end, the dress was packed up, and Haruto paid for it as a gift.
Holding the dress, Shizuka looked so happy that her smile practically reached her ears.
Watching her friend fall head over heels, Haruno rolled her eyes internally. Then, with a smirk, she struck again.
"By the way, Haruto-kun, shouldn't you be in class right now? It's not time for dismissal yet."
A sneak attack!
Shizuka turned to Haruto in concern.
After all, he had a history of skipping classes.
If he were still at Sobu High, she wouldn't have been too worried. But now that he was at the prestigious Shuchiin Academy, things were different.
Their strict rules might lead to serious consequences.
Haruto simply shrugged.
"I joined Shuchiin's student council on my first day there. Student council members can take leave whenever they need to. And honestly, I already know all the material they teach, so I don't really need to attend classes."
Haruno's lips twitched.
Since when was it that easy to join Shuchiin's student council?
However, Haruno immediately recalled that the current president of the Shuchiin Student Council was from the Shinomiya family.
And the Shinomiya family was, in fact, an external organization under the Foundation.
Thinking about it this way, everything made perfect sense.
Haruno somewhat regretted giving this guy an excuse to show off.
Meanwhile, Shizuka, like a young girl hearing about her boyfriend's impressive achievements, had stars in her eyes.
The group continued strolling around for a while, casually purchasing a few things.
Eventually, they arrived at a restaurant on the corner of the shopping district.
"This is a newly emerging restaurant, 'Umbrella Restaurant,' a Michelin seven-star establishment."
"The menu here covers multiple cuisines, including dishes from multiple countries. Luckily, I made a reservation."
Shizuka smiled as she spoke.
Originally, she had been a little disappointed that she couldn't take Haruto here as soon as it opened.
But unexpectedly, they happened to run into each other today.
Even though they had only been dating for a short time, she already knew a lot about Haruto.
For example, she knew he was from China.
As luck would have it, this newly opened restaurant specialized in his home countries dishes, and it was said to be quite authentic.
Hearing Shizuka's words, Haruto immediately understood her intentions.
Their gazes met, and the atmosphere between them seemed to be crackling with electricity.
Meanwhile, Haruno's expression grew somewhat complicated.
After all, this 'Umbrella' restaurant was actually a front for a Foundation cover facility. There was even a Foundation site directly beneath it.
Turning her head, she saw the two of them exchanging loving glances.
Haruno felt like her mental state was about to collapse.
The atmosphere between them was so blatantly romantic, yet they still insisted on claiming they weren't in a relationship just to protect Shizuka's identity and reputation.
This was basically like luring a dog inside just to slaughter it!
If that was the case, they might as well just be open about it. If they admitted it right here and now, Haruno wouldn't feel nearly as tormented watching them flirt like this.