Chapter Forty-Five: Things Only Lovers Can Do

Thanks to Kurumi’s reminder, Su Mo finally snapped back to reality. His gaze fell upon Origami, who was kneeling on the floor, and he found her manner of doing things rather overwhelming. Every time he spent time with Origami, he couldn’t help but question whether he was truly a pervert, for Origami seemed even more skilled than he was—a true veteran, her driving skills unmatched and leaving him utterly defeated.

“Origami, you—this, this…” Su Mo stammered, calling out to her, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her, and he had no intention of helping her up either.

Seeing this, Kurumi’s face was full of dissatisfaction. How could he fall so easily? Was it love he felt for her? Clearly, he was lusting after her body. Disgraceful!

In the face of Origami’s provocation, Kurumi kept a smile on her face, though the corners of her mouth twitched twice. In truth, Kurumi was a proud person; for her to imitate Origami’s shameless, bottomless methods was impossible. Yet, she had to retaliate, refusing to let Origami outshine her.

So, after picking out an outfit in the lingerie store, Kurumi headed for the fitting room. Before long, the curtain of the changing room was drawn open.

Kurumi stepped out, slightly shy, dressed in a set of black silk lingerie with almost no fabric, barely covering the essentials and exposing swathes of pale, supple skin. Yet, paired with her mesmerizing beauty, the effect was visually stunning—enough to make anyone’s heart race.

At that moment, Su Mo felt fortunate that Kotori had cleared out all the customers ahead of time. Otherwise, if anyone else witnessed this breathtaking scene, it would have been a terrible loss.

“How is it?” Kurumi asked, looking at Su Mo as she slowly walked to Origami’s side.

Standing together, the two looked like models at a high-end lingerie fashion show. It was impossible to judge who had the upper hand, for each possessed her own unique charm.

Of course, no matter who won or lost, Su Mo didn’t suffer at all. He was the true victor, laughing to the last, and today’s date had been well worth the price—a true feast for the eyes.

To avoid offending either of them, Su Mo could only say, “Both are beautiful. I like them very much!”

“All right, since we’ve chosen our outfits, let’s leave here quickly,” Su Mo hurriedly called out, seizing the moment. He feared that if things went on, it would really turn into a lingerie show. Though he enjoyed it, being caught between the two was rather uncomfortable. So, after they changed back into their clothes, he dragged Kurumi and Origami out of the lingerie shop.

Having settled their inner wear, they couldn’t neglect their outer clothes either. Su Mo led Kurumi and Origami on a frenzied shopping spree through the mall. In this regard, all women seemed to have maxed out their shopping talents; after half a day, Su Mo was about to collapse from exhaustion.

While Kurumi and Origami competed to pick out clothes—

In the midst of it, Su Mo didn’t hesitate to find a moment to slip away.

“Phew~ This is too much,” Su Mo sighed deeply, watching Kurumi and Origami continue their fashion show, then scanning other parts of the mall.

They were in the largest shopping mall in Tenguu City, which housed every major fashion brand from around the world.

As before, what was usually a bustling place was now devoid of a single soul. They didn’t even know whom to pay after finishing their shopping, but this saved Su Mo a large sum of pocket money, since in the end, everything would be reimbursed by Ratatoskr. Su Mo certainly didn’t lose out.

Spotting a women’s accessories shop next door, Su Mo’s eyes lit up.

He had spent the whole day shopping with Kurumi and Origami. Since he’d already bought so many things for them, perhaps he should bring back some gifts for Tohka and the others as well. With this thought, Su Mo couldn’t help but walk into the accessories store.

Inside, the shop was filled with a dazzling array of trinkets—from hair clips and bands for girls to all sorts of bracelets and decorations.

“Tohka is a foodie and probably wouldn’t care much for these things. Buying them for her would be pointless; it would be better to bring her some soybean powder bread instead,” Su Mo chuckled. Tohka was the easiest to satisfy among them. As for the others, “Yoshino would like a hat—she seems fond of wearing them, so that’s perfect. And for Shido, a music box would be fitting, especially since she’s performing at the upcoming school festival.”

In no time, Su Mo had picked out a creamy yellow round sunhat adorned with a red ribbon tied into a bow—utterly adorable. The music box was even simpler, barely requiring any effort.

“What should I get for Kotori?” Su Mo pondered. His little sister lacked for nothing, but when his eyes fell upon a certain item, they suddenly brightened. “Of course—a headband! Kotori always wears that black silk ribbon; who knows if she has a spare. I’ll just give her another in the same style.”

So, after a round through the accessories shop, Su Mo managed to find a headband identical to the one Kotori usually wore.

Having chosen the gifts, Su Mo returned to the clothing store.

Kurumi and Origami were now each laden with bags, but Kurumi quickly opened her shadow barrier and dumped everything inside, much like a massive spatial ring. Origami, meanwhile, asked Su Mo to have Ratatoskr staff send her purchases home.

“Where to next?” Kurumi asked, brimming with excitement.

“Let’s go to the movies!” Su Mo replied without hesitation. In fact, that had been their plan from the start, though it had gotten derailed by a string of unexpected events.

Origami naturally had no objection, continuing to cling to Su Mo’s arm, her manner intimate.

When they arrived at the cinema, it was as empty as ever.

Wait—no, at the entrance stood Reine, half-asleep, serving as the ticket seller. Without giving them a chance to choose, she handed them three tickets and staggered away.

“Today is certainly interesting,” Kurumi said with a meaningful smile. Clearly, this date was turning out rather bizarre.

In reality, everywhere they went, Ratatoskr had cleared the area in advance. Of course, nobody present mentioned this fact.

Su Mo understood, so he simply laughed it off.

He led Kurumi and Origami into the screening hall, only to discover that it was already filled with people.

But Su Mo quickly noticed that everyone seated there was a Ratatoskr staff member. After they sat down, he even saw Kotori, Reine, Tohka, and Yoshino seated in the row behind them.

“Hi…” Yoshino, upon seeing Su Mo, seemed about to greet him, but Kotori immediately covered her mouth and shot Su Mo a knowing glance.

Witnessing this, Su Mo was utterly speechless.

What on earth was going on? Was today Ratatoskr’s private movie screening?

Ignoring Kotori and the others, Su Mo sat between Kurumi and Origami. The three quietly watched the movie, paying no heed to the environment around them.

When the film began, Su Mo realized it was an animated feature.

The story was classic: a prince rescued a sleeping princess from an evil dragon, and in the end, a kiss awakened her, leading to a happily-ever-after. It was a typical Andersen fairy tale, with warm, wholesome imagery. Though Su Mo found it rather dull, everyone else seemed thoroughly engrossed.

He could even hear Tohka and Yoshino discussing behind him.

“Why did the prince kiss the princess at the end? That’s… so strange,” Yoshino’s face was flushed. During the movie’s only kiss scene, she’d shyly covered her eyes—so adorably innocent.

Tohka, already well-versed in such matters, patted her chest and explained in a senior-to-junior tone, “Because the prince likes the princess! This is something only lovers do, only with someone you like.”

“Really?” Yoshino nodded in confusion, thinking to herself that her favorite people were Yoshinon and Su Mo.

With that thought, her blush deepened, and she stole a glance at Su Mo sitting in front of her.

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