The Golden Pear [YA - Featured]

♫~Notes 30~♫

'Chocolate Sundae with double dark topping, cream, and strawberries for half!' If Freya didn't keep her mouth tight shut, her drools would water the floor.

"Do you want one?" Kagetsu asked, looking sideways into her eyes.

Her face widened with a shock. 'Oh, no!' She shook her head, grabbing him and dragging away. 'Keep it together, baka!'

She stopped by a sportswear shop, and a spark of an idea inspired her how to change the subject. From her trusted and now ripped bag, she took out her communication notebook and wrote, "Do you study martial arts? Which one was that move from? It was cool."

A blush spread over her nose, but her excitement was genuine.

"Oh, that one. Well, I don't learn any, but I do heavy lifting and squats and body-building stuff like that. Perhaps a bit boxing here and there." He scratched behind his neck. "And about that technique,"—Kagetsu looked around as he was searching for hints—"I picked it from a manga."

Freya stared at him before her face twisted with a wide grin. And then she bent down, holding her stomach. 'M-Manga?' She laughed, entering the coughing phase soon enough.

"Oh, man! Sorry!" Kagetsu kneeled next to her with a plastic cup of water from a nearby fountain.

She took a few sips when she calmed down. Some people gave them worried glances, but they continued without interacting.

"What the heck. You have a wonderful voice, and you can't laugh," the boy mumbled, crushing the cup before throwing it into a bin for sorted waste.

"It's okay," she wrote. "I haven't laughed for a long time."

"Yeah, but still... can't we do something?" He scratched his cheek, and Freya pulled him into the hall. So he wouldn't dwell on this.

As the minutes ticked away, nearing the eighth hour, their stomach rumbled, reminding them neither had breakfast and why they went shopping.

"Let's grab something simple." Kagetsu spotted a small stand selling hot-dogs. "I always wanted to try one." The girl followed him, smiling under his childish behavior.

'Lucky person who wins his heart and trust.'

She stood next to him, pointing at what she wished on her hot-dog. Kagetsu got himself a chili-dog with ketchup, mustard, double chili, onion rings, vegetable, and another portion of sauce. Needless to say, his face turned red, as if he bit somebody's head off.

His companion picked a less decorated hot-dog, but she savored every morsel. 'Did I ever have one?' She stuffed her mouth in an unladylike manner, but she didn't care.

With their stomach satisfied, they found a place selling bags. 'Which to choose...' Freya checked each with her eyes before picking any to inspect it further. 'There are too many!' Long rows of shelves showcased every shape and proportion.

'I need something for daily use.' However, most of them looked like she should close them into safe and never take them out for how fragile they seemed. 'So annoying!' At last, she picked one.

It had a similar size to her old one, an adjustable strap, two small pockets inside, and a pocket with a zipper for her phone or wallet.

There was a pseudo golden chain outside, but nothing she found too fancy or snobbish. These chains seemed to be fashionable in the recent weeks, so she would be in for once. She turned, heading to Kagetsu, whom she saw in front of a tall mirror.

'What is he doing?'

He stood there, twisting his waist to see how the handbag suited him. His serious expression measured the item from all sides until he noticed Freya with a raised eyebrow.

In that instant, the child came back and scratched behind his head. "I was... you know... we have almost the same height, so I thought I would check if it would be good."

She smiled as he placed it back. "So, you picked one?"

Her teeth flashed through her grin as she pushed the bag forward. As Kagetsu reached to get it, her face froze in sheer shock. She pulled back, staring at the price tag. 'That much!' Horror and coldness escaped her body, sending chills down her spine.

"Let's take it."

Freya leaped away like a scared animal, and Kagetsu followed her. She held the handbag as if her life depended on it, fencing her arms to keep it from his reach.

"H-Hey, it's not expensive,"—his face turned long and paled as the realization hit him—"but it is for you, right? 'Cause you are..." He stepped backward.

Freya lowered her arms, not noticing they brought unwanted attention. She nodded.

"I've said..."

She shook her head, returning the bag in its place.

"... it's okay. It's not an issue."

She still refused.

From the speakers sounded an announcement of the starting sale, but neither listened to it as Kagetsu spoke the first thought that came to his mind. Freya's face widened in response, with a mixture of confusion and shock and perhaps a hint of denial.