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After leaving the 'R Us, I aimlessly wandered around the shopping mall. Although there were a variety of stores located inside, nothing seemed to click even from quick glances at the store. I also found myself running away whenever the clerks would run over to me just from a brief look. I finally managed to go inside to a variety store where the clerk couldn't call out to me, but I still didn't know what to pick.

"Still, they say to pick out a present, but… We won't even know who it'll go to … Choosing something that would be useful in some form, but not a nuisance to anyone is pretty difficult…" I blabbered to myself (special skill) and organized my thoughts. Then, there was a person who had been quietly standing behind me.

"Fu, fu, fu, you seem troubled."

"Ooh, Komachi. Well, I most certainly am." When I turned around, Komachi was assuming a daunting post. She then lifted a finger.

"Times like this are where expendable things are good, Big Brother."

"Expendable things?" What do you mean by 'expendable'? Like a NINJA? That's a bit suspicious, isn't it…? I tilted my head and Komachi continued.

"Yup, it won't feel depressing if there's nothing left. Throwing it away wouldn't be an issue too."

"R-Right… So with the assumption it'll get tossed, huh…"

Now just why would this brat say something so scary…? But, well, I see what she was getting at. In short, expendable things were, in other words, consumable things? Candy, tea, or daily necessities, well, stuff like that, I wonder? I see, it's just like Komachi said, they're easy to get rid of. Once I was convinced, Komachi went further. "Things you can wear are just a little heavy too. Like accessories or expensive stuff."

"Scary… My little sister's showing the face of a woman… Well, I'll see what I can find."

"Okay, good luck. I'll see you later then."

"Yeah."

Komachi dashed off looking like she had some things in mind. Remaining there, I raised my hand, saw Komachi off, and scratched my head.

"'Things you can wear are heavy', huh? Well, that sounds about right…" Heavy things didn't only trouble the giving side, but also the receiving side, after all.

"Alright, let's look for something— something that'll make Saika happy— something that'll make Saika happy— or so…" I readjusted my mood and decided to enter the closest store.

There was a store with a relaxing atmosphere in contrast to the shopping mall congested with people. After entering, I was, as usual, looking through all the items. It looked like this store was a home decor store, with many types of interior items, accessories and tableware.

I couldn't complain about having an assortment of items to browse through, but the more choices a human had, the more he's unable to act and that happened to be the very predicament I was in. "Aah… What to buy… I've been looking around for a while now, but I have no idea what's good…"

As I was grumbling to myself, a voice called out to me from the shelf across. "Ah, Hikki. You're checking out this store too?"

"Mm, Yui, huh? Yeah, well, for me, I have no idea which stores had variety goods or not though." I gently placed the miscellaneous item I picked up which had some incomprehensible Asian style to it back on the shelf.

Yui, who was watching, came up next to me and wryly smiled. "Mmm, right. Since anything could work, it's actually kind of hard…"

"Picking anything would be a bad idea, wouldn't it? Things that changed based on a person's preferences definitely never become anything worthwhile afterwards." It's not like this was limited to presents either. Things that couldn't find a consensus always ended in a dispute.

Not good, my head's ascending. "You don't need to think all that hard about it. I mean, your feelings are what's important, or like how you'd be happy from the fact they thought so much about their gift to you… That's why anything works." Yui said as she poked her index fingers together.

Well, "feelings are important" wasn't all that difficult to understand. However, just how much worth was placed in the feelings that weren't conveyed and the thoughts that couldn't reach? Besides, I felt 'it's the thought that counts' wasn't all there was to it. I let out a small sigh. "The anything part is what's getting me though… Besides, look, you wouldn't know what to do if you were given a Gunpla, right?"

Yui blinked several times and slightly averted her eyes. "Aah… Erm, that's, well, I guess so… I guess I'd end up worrying about what they thought of me instead, maybe."

"Right? It's one thing to have the person you're giving a gift to be considerate towards you. If that's how it's going to turn out, even if I don't want to, I'd have to seriously consider what I want to pick." Once you gave the gift and after a slight pause, they told you ;…Th-Thank you—', forcing themselves to be energetic, that's the moment when you'd want to die. With those imaginative thoughts being drawn in my mind, I scavenged through the shelves in dejection.

Yui broke into a smile. "You're so serious about the strangest things… In that case, I'd better think a little harder about what to pick too."

"Right, you do that. We won't know who gets what, after all."

"I guess so," said Yui. Both Yui and I placed the tableware and accessories in our hands back on the shelves. Yui then reluctantly opened her mouth. "…But it'd be nice if it did go to the right person. That is, returning the favor for my birthday, I haven't really properly given one to Hikki yet, so…"

"Eh?" I asked back, but what that was referring to came to mind. Although it felt like a rather long time since then, it was at most only half a year ago. It's likely she was talking about that present I gave to her back then. However, I felt that was just a gift I used as an excuse to settle my entirely selfish sentiment using her birthday as a cover.

"Aah, no, it wasn't that kind of thing, so don't worry about it. It was just my return gift in the first place. If we keep going back and forth, it'll never end." I felt this was also a part of my selfish reasoning. However, since I had no other reason as of now, this was the only way I could put it.

But, Yui wasn't looking at me and instead gently whispered, "It's not like, it has to end though…"

Those casual words pulled at my heart. "…I, guess so."

"…Uh huh." Both of us were quiet. A relationship that didn't end was something I couldn't imagine at all. It was probably just a dream, a delusion, or possibly an ideal; something that I didn't think could ever be real. For how beautiful it was, it was painful, and I couldn't find the words to say back to Yui. The silence was destroyed by Yui's bright smile.

"Ah, that's right. Actually, it's almost Yukinon's birthday."

"Oh yeah, I remember hearing about that." I wasn't sure of the specific day, but I believe it should've been in winter.

Yui grabbed something from the shelf and quickly put it back. After doing that a few more times, she glanced at me. "When it was my birthday, um, my present, you went to buy it with Yukinon, right?"

"Pretty much. Komachi was there too though."

"U-Uh huuh." Yui responded nonchalantly. The miscellaneous item she had in her hands, she placed it again back on the shelf and stared at it. "Then, it'd be nice, i-if you could go out, with me… Um, shopping that is…"

I looked at the shelf as well and somehow tried toying with the item Yui had in her hands from earlier. If it was just 'shopping', there wasn't a reason to refuse. I think. Just like the time when I went with Yukinoshita before, the objective this time was clear as well. We did make the promise of going out together at some point, but that, too, should've been something else. So it might be okay to be a little more easygoing regarding this.

I let out a quiet, unnoticeable sigh and lifted my face. "Mm… Shopping, huh…? Well, if it's just shopping, then whenever works for me." I struggled to consider that a date. Especially in the context our coffee outings provided.

Fuck.

Not dwelling on that. But by any other measure an outing between a sweet girl and a guy was a date, right? I found I really liked that about her.

Fuck.

"Okay…" Yui gave a short reply and looked away in embarrassment. Ahead of where she looked, she noticed Yukinoshita who seemingly came to this store to choose presents too.

"Ah, it's Yukinon. Okay, let's leave this talk for later. Heeey, Yukinooon!" Yui spoke quickly and she dashed off towards her.

"Oh, Yui-san and Hikigaya-kun." Yui placed her hands on Yukinoshita's shoulders after she turned around.

"Yukinon. Have you decided what to buy?"

"No, not yet. I received quite a bit of advice from Komachi-san, but…"

You don't say. Yukinoshita was with Komachi, huh? "I don't see Komachi anywhere though…"

"Komachi-san's over there." Yukinoshita pointed. When I looked, Komachi really was there. She was… but she was just a little odd.

"Oh, there you are. Hey, Komachi… What are you doing?"

Upon looking, Komachi was collapsed on a gigantic cushion, as if there was no response. She was spacing out, her eyes somehow hollow. But when she noticed I was calling out to her, she quickly returned to her senses.

"Ah, Big Brother. This is good! This sofa that turns people into good-for-nothings! Uwah, amazing, I'm totally going to become a good-for-nothing. Ah, not good, Komachi, at this rate, I'm going to…" Komachi mumbled and mumbled as she sank further into the sofa.

Was this what they called the power of the sofa that turned people into good-for-nothings…? "Eh, is it really that good…? Now I'm totally interested."

I want to give it a try too. As I thought about how I would collapse on the sofa with Komachi and how it would feel to have afternoon nap time with her, I tried to take a step forward only to be stopped by a voice.

"Oh, I believe that isn't necessary for Hikigaya-kun, right? You're already a good-for-nothing after all." When I turned around, Yukinoshita was smiling.

"Stop with that nice smile of yours. Did you not know? If you multiply a negative with a negative, it becomes positive."

"If you add negatives, then it just becomes a bigger negative. Did you not learn arithmetic in middle school?"

"No, wait. Think in reverse. We can also try propagating this so everyone becomes a negative. Look here, Yukinoshita. If everyone's a good-for-nothing, then the good-for-nothings will disappear."

Yukinoshita let out a big sigh. "That misguided equality mindset is just like always. As I thought, that sofa really isn't necessary for you." Listening to our helpless exchange, Komachi finally got up. "Phew. Up we go… Well, I guess so. What my brother wants is something more family oriented. As far as Komachi's concerned, rather than a sofa that made people into good-for-nothing, I want a wife that'll make my brother into a good-for-nothing Hint, hint, hint!" "Heh!? Eh, eh, no, ummm, I'm just, umm…" Yui, who had been smiling wryly from the side, tried to speak up, but her words just wouldn't come out. I'm glad… I get the feeling I'd drop dead if I were to hear anything right now…

On the other hand, speaking of Yukinoshita, she shrugged off Komachi's gaze. "Komachi-san, unfortunately, I don't believe that wish of yours will be granted. It's impossible for Hikigaya-kun."

"Eeh, really? What a bummer. I really want someone to succeed me already…"

Mmm, Komachi-chan, you've been trying to get rid of me too much lately, haven't you? I think it'd be okay if you delayed our inevitable parting just a little bit, okay? Well, I was grateful for Yukinoshita writing off Komachi's pointless appeal, but still, I wasn't quite too satisfied with what she said.

"Hey now? Could you, like, not destroy a person's dreams with just a few words?" Yukinoshita sent me a cold gaze.

"Despite what you say all the time, you're someone who actually goes through with things, aren't you?"

"Aah, I can see that. Hikki, you seem like you'd work despite complaining all the time." Yui nodded her head. Komachi turned towards me.

"There you have it, Big Brother."

An unpleasant image came to mind. "No, honestly, I really just can't get into the mood… Perhaps I'll get worked hard on mediocre pay, and as I spit out curses towards the company, I'll find myself working overtime, bringing me up to an average salary. By the time I become used to it, I'll end up giving up thinking, 'Phew, maybe this life isn't so bad after all…', and end up living a life as a healthy corporate slave. I'm just so worried and worried that I'll end up like this… I'm seriously worried about my future."

"His imagination is strangely realistic…"

"Yet, the point he's worried about is off the mark…" Yui and Yukinoshita both had disheartened expressions. Really, I had no hopes or dreams.

"That's exactly why I want to at least have some dreams. I will definitely solve one of the remaining big seven."

"I can't help, but find it mysterious how only rubbish conclusions result from someone so imaginative…" Yukinoshita let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Now, now, as you two know very well, my brother has that kind of personality. It'll be a big help to me if you don't expect too much from him." Komachi supported me with not very supportive words. "I suppose so. I've already given up."

"A-Ahahaha. W-Well, he's a lost cause." The two were saying harsh things, but only Komachi looked happy as she peeked into my face.

"Hear that! Isn't that great, Big Brother!?"

"No, no, that's not great at all. They've given up on me and think I'm a lost cause, you know."

That hopeless feeling wasn't something to scoff at. Consider at a part-job time: It was on the level of not being expected of anything

"…Aah, aaah, aah, you don't need to do anything anymore". To Komachi though, that didn't seem to be the case with her smile still intact.

"Mmm? I don't know about that. I think it's a good thing though… Fufu, oh whatever. Then we won't need this sofa huh?"

"Right. In place of a sofa, we have a fluffy fur ball rolling around at home anyway." Komachi nodded in agreement. "Aah Kaa-kun, right? But I bet Kaa-kun would be happy with this sofa though. With this, he might just yawn all day."

Yup, yup, I can see that. Just why do cats go straight for sofas and futons anyway? I thought that, but apparently that wasn't something limited to just cats.

Yui hit her hands, imagining something in particular. "That's true! I can see Sabure hopping up and down on the sofa too! Maybe I should buy it."

"Nah, I'm pretty sure he'll just sink into it… If our cat just laid down, he'd probably just sink too."

In that instant, Yukinoshita stopped her movements with a jolt. "…If the cat, laid purrfectly down…? That cat is so cute."

…J-Just now, there was an extremely, cold punny onee-san here… No, the voice was really quiet, so I might've misheard it. I looked at Yukinoshita. With a turn, she had an attentive face, looking my way.

"Hey, Hikigaya-kun, are you sure you shouldn't buy this sofa? After all, pets are a part of the family and if you treasure spending Christmas with your family, then a present would be perfect, right?"

"No, could you stop acting bashful with that 'it's perfectly logical!' elated face of yours? That theory of yours was as full of holes as beehives…"

Maybe it was something like that; it was a theory structured like a honeycomb that she was being bashful about… Just how am I going to avoid her suggestion? Komachi pulled at my sleeve.

"Ah, Big Brother. This sofa has a small cushion version. This size should be okay, right?" When I looked, there was another cushion made from the same material. Yukinoshita gently rubbed the cushion and nodded.

"I believe this size would be perfect for a cat. Right? Hikigaya-kun."

"Your criterion's becoming completely cat-centric…. Well, I'll think about it. I'll go look at other things too." I had the feeling the longer I stayed, the closer I'd be to buying that cushion just for my cat.

So I ended the note with vague words. It looked like Yui and the others respectively still had things they wanted to buy as well.

"Okay, then, see you in a bit." After I saw Yui and the others leave, I left the area as well

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-WG