There's this kind of satisfying feeling of going to the supermarket at night. Well, maybe it's just the air conditioner or something but yeah, going to the supermarket at night is strangely calming. I look up the list of what ingredients should I buy plus other necessary things. It's quite a short list, and I'm confident I can make it home to make dinner in thirty minutes at most. Riku is waiting for me, I have to make haste.
It doesn't even take me fifteen minutes to grab all the things on the list. Huh, seems like my prediction is off. But well, the faster I am, the better. Let's see, vegetables, done. Chopped meat, done. Spices, done. Riku's shampoo, done. Yeah, seems like I have grabbed everything. Let's pay this and go home.
However, before I can take a step towards the cashier, a figure catches my attention. Long golden hair flows, with a body covered by a white dress. Blondes in this town is rare. The first natural blondes I ever see is Asia Argento, the transfer students from my class. Well, if you squint hard enough, Kiba Yuuto's hair is a blond, but his is paler than the golden-haired Asia Argento.
Could this figure be the new transfer student? All I can see from my position is her back. Maybe I need to move so I can view her face.
Yup, it's Asia Argento. I declare after I moved to a better viewing position. She is looking at the vegetables and fruit section with a confusion etched on her face. Ah, I realized. She's foreign, maybe she's not accustomed to Japanese vegetables?
Should I approach her?
I think I should, if I don't, maybe she'll stuck here forever.
Approaching her still body, I greet her.
"Good evening, Asia Argento was it?"
She looks over to me with a startled expression, it's kinda cute actually. Her face then changes into a look of alarm, then into a little recognition, before it's settled on a confusion.
"Hanazono Rise at your service, we're in the same class," I bow a little.
After my introduction, the look of recognition stays there, and she replies with an "Ah! I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I mean we haven't talked before, so I sort of understand."
"What are you doing here, Hanazono-san?"
I show her what I am going to pay, "It's just ingredients for dinner and several others. The question is, are you having a problem?"
Argento actually has tears on her eyes before she answers with a begging tone, "H-Help me, Hanazono-san! Mother needs me to buy the ingredients for dinner, but Issei-san can't help me because he has homeworks! But I don't want to disappoint Mother, so I went to do this alone. The thing is…" she exhales a breath. "I still cannot recognize some of the Kanji and Katakana and Hiragana. Issei-san is helping me with those, but it's just so hard. So now I don't know which one should I buy."
Huh? Isn't her Japanese already good? I mean, I can understand her perfectly, and she even speaks without any weird accents! So how can't she be fluent in reading the Japanese moonrunes, then? Well, that aside, so she's confused on what to buy.
"But, Argento-san. Don't you have a list of the ingredients you need to buy? Why don't you just try to compare the kanji on the list and the kanji on the name and price tag?"
"…None of it is similar…" Argento said with a depressed tone while handing me the list that her 'Mother' needs. Who is her 'Mother' anyway? And wait, didn't she say Hyoudou can't help her? And Hyoudou is helping her in learning Japanese?
"Argento-san, it might be presumptuous of me. But can I ask what is your relationship with Hyoudou Issei? I observed that you two are always glued together. Before and after class, you always went with him everywhere. I heard people see you going home together."
Whatever reaction I expect of her, of course I have to get the most unexpected one. I mean, normal girl would deny any involvement with Hyoudou Issei because he's a pervert to the core. Does that mean Asia Argento is not normal, I mean, she's blushing and hiding her red face with her palm for god sake! It's like she's smitten by him!
"I-I-I am– I'm n-not– hauuuu!"
Oh wait, don't tell me she is! I gasp in shock. I mean, it's Hyoudou! Just stating that for the reason is enough to let people know that it is impossible. But something incredible is happening in front of me.
Well, teasing her can come later. First, I need to help her.
"Just kidding, Argento-san. Let's grab the things you need to buy. I'll help you."
It takes us ten minutes to grab the ingredients on the list that 'Mother' gave her, and another five for the queue in the cashier. After that, we left for our own destination. When I get home, I glance at the clock and realize that forty minutes has passed.
"Riku, I'm so sorry! Onee-chan got held back by some things. I'll make you the best dinner ever as an apology, okay?"
And then dinner passes without more interruptions. Here comes sleep time! Here comes Onee-chan, Riku! Prepare yourself for the warmest night you will ever feel! Onee-chan won't let you loose even just a second!