By the way, does this fall into the category of dating?
　I came to the outlet mall for the purpose of buying shoes while I was making up with Maou, but I couldn't help but think about it.
　It's not a very s*xy thing to say from the point of view of the purpose.

　However, this kind of pseudo-deal with the pretense is often seen in dramas and manga.
　There's a possibility that Maou is fond of me.
　For that reason, once I became curious about it, a frustration came out in the corner of my mind that I couldn't shake off.

　........It seems that I'm the only one thinking about this, and Mao next to me is operating her phone with a serious expression on her face.

''I've done some research before today, and I think the new thick-soled shoes from Nice are the best.
Why?
As a result of the marathon and relay race athletes who wore the shoes set new records at competitions, their future use is being discussed. In other words, they have a proven track record of high performance, so there's no reason not to choose them.
You sure that's...

　I mean, are you going to buy a pair of shoes that you're going to use for a marathon?
　It's an elementary school field day I'm attending.

　Even if you say you're going to be serious for the kids, do you really need to pick out such a stiff pair of shoes?

It's not like there's a spring in the back of the shoe or anything, so there's no harm in buying them because they'll reduce the burden on your feet.
Well, it's true, I do.

　Come to think of it, how much do nice shoes cost.......so much!　
　
　Well, if it's as good as Marao said, this price might be justified, but I'm a bit torn.

Can I look at the others?
Yes. You're the one who buys it, Kazu, and I won't force you to.

　I was slightly worried that he would be offended by my distant rejection of the shoes I recommended, but I was relieved inwardly when he smiled back at me.
　To be honest, I'm going to choose functionality over design, so the shoes that Maou chose make sense.
　If the price was a little more affordable, I could have made an immediate decision, but since this is a great opportunity, let's take a look at various things.

　In this way, I looked at various athletic shoes for nearly 10 minutes, but in the end, the first nice shoes that Mao recommended were the best in terms of comfort and ease of use, so I bought them, although they were quite an expense.

''Admonition has gone for two........''
Well, that's why you can see Amana-chan's smile, so it's a bargain, right?
That too, I suppose.
''Well I dumped you, but I'm afraid you're recovering too quickly.

　What did I say to you that would make you give me such a stink-eye?
　I'm here to buy shoes to make sure I get the first place originally.
　There's plenty of money that I don't have the opportunity to spend on anything other than living expenses due to my daily hard work, and that's only a couple of mosquito bites for Yukichi-san.

　
　At any rate........

''Thanks to you, Maao.
You're welcome. You've done so much for us that if you're not number one, you'll be excommunicated this time.
What?

　Don't be so quick to say something scary!
　That awkward, awkward, awkward feeling you get when you go backwards, that's when you get sick to your stomach!

　In response to me, who was blatantly upset, Mao smiles with a really enjoyable smile.

''─I'm just kidding. But since we're going to do it, we're going to be serious.......right?　
'....Oh. I'll do my best.

　I was relieved to hear his words as he continued.
　I'm glad to see that a grown man is not fooling around with the idea that he's getting serious about a sporting event at a mere elementary school, a competition that won't have any impact on the competition for the championship, and that he's pushing back like this.

'Yes. I'll give you a shoe thank you like the other day and I'll give you something to help you out.
'Last time... you mean when you rescued Amana-chan who was lost?
Yeah, yeah.

　It was four months ago, but I can still remember it vividly.
　I was very upset when I found out that Amana-chan, who was supposed to be with Kuroone-she was separated from me.
　However, Kuroone-she was in even more of a hurry than I was, so I was barely able to keep my cool.

　When I was at my wits' end after searching around the mall for her, we were able to get out of this mess thanks to Mao, who happened to be visiting us and took care of Amana.

　But what was particularly impressive.........

'At that time, when you saw us, you mistakenly thought we were a family, right?
Wait, you still remember that?

　Mao protests with a red face when I mention the black history level misfire while holding back a laugh.
　I'm sorry, but it's hard to forget such a too amusing misunderstanding.

''Well, it can't be helped. It's not like I know everything about Kazu-kun's private life, and if Amana-chan misses him that much, I'd be mistaken!
Okay, okay, okay, I won't tell you anymore.

　He's going to try hard to argue with you while giving you zit eyes, but I don't think it's very often you get to choose between parent and child when there was a line between relatives and siblings.

　Even though I think so, I don't say it out loud.
　It's because if I poke around too much, I'm likely to get angry, and if I think about the possibility that she's favoring me, I don't feel uncomfortable with that misunderstanding.

　
　In the end, there is no certainty other than what he can tell you.

''So what are you going to do about it, Marao?　　　　
"You're not going to change the subject by dumping me and then going off topic... Well, I'm here in the outlet mall and I'm going to take you up on your offer.
Then you're set.

　I'm still getting a bit of a stare, but he accepted the invitation, so I pat my heart on the back for being able to thank him properly.
　So it looks like this date modus operandi is still going to continue.