We kept browsing, no gift settled.
“Nothing’s clicking.”
“Picking your own gift is harder than expected.”
“And it’s from Yuito — I don’t want him buying anything weird.”
”…The bra-panty set you suggested earlier doesn’t count as weird?”
“That doesn’t count.”
(Her standards are opaque. If lingerie doesn’t count as weird, most things in this mall don’t.) Kano stopped — her eyes had caught a misanga (friendship-bracelet) specialty store.
“They have make-your-own.”
“Stores like this exist.”
(Misanga is gyaru-styled territory — at my high school dress code, no chance.) “Looks fun. Let’s.”
“Don’t yank my hand.”
“Sorry.”
We entered. Colorful misangas everywhere. A staff member came over.
“Welcome.”
“My boyfriend and I would like to make misangas.”
“Of course — right this way.”
The staff member’s seen-this-before face moved us to the workshop area.
(I’m sure she thinks we’re a couple.) We picked our threads and beads. She started; I struggled.
“Damn — unraveled again.”
“Yuito, still clumsy. I’m almost done.”
“You’re too good, not me bad.”
(She can do everything except sing.) She suddenly pressed against me from behind, overlapping her hands on mine.
“Let me help.”
“That makes it harder to focus.”
“Why?”
“You know why.”
(Chest against my back — cannot function.) She leans into this knowing.
“Move your hands faster or the sun will set.”
“Got it — back off.”
The staff member was beaming at us through this. (Stupid couple category confirmed.) I eventually finished — single-color, basic. She’d done multi-color with a heart pattern. Quality gap obvious.
“I’ll take this one.”
“My one — not yours?”
“Yeah. Hand-made by Yuito is the birthday gift this year.”
(That’s the format she chose, then. Mine is not great — but if she’s satisfied, fine.)
“You wear mine.”
“Got it.”
“Let me tie it on you.”
She tied it around my left ankle. Then her own left ankle.
(Birthday gift handled — relief. A heterosexual pair tied to the left ankle apparently signifies eternal love / together in the next life — I had no clue at the time.)
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Manga volume 1 released April 16, 2025!