Chapter 17

The next day after school, as we were walking home together like always, she suddenly turned to face me.

“Hey, my PC broke. Kazuya-kun, can you fix it?”

Her sudden request caught me off guard. But if it was about repairs, I could understand. I wasn’t exactly an IT expert, but I had some knowledge. Besides, being relied on by Rinka didn’t feel bad at all.

“Well, I can take a look at it, as long as it’s within my ability.”

When I answered, she smiled brightly.

“Then, can you come over to my place now?”

“Yeah, sure. Eh? Rinka’s house…?”

And just like that, I unexpectedly found myself heading to Rinka’s house.

Rinka’s house was in a high-rise apartment building, two stations away from where I lived.

Passing through the auto-lock entrance, I followed her lead into the elevator. I’d never even been to Misaki’s house before, so my heart was already pounding with nerves.

“I’ll bring my PC from my room, so just relax here, okay?”

After stepping inside, I was led to the living room, where I waited alone.

Sitting on the sofa, I glanced around the room. Does she like pink? The carpet, furniture, and cushions—everything was pink.

On top of the furniture, there were small figurines from the game we played, and beside them, neatly arranged plush animal toys.

She has a surprisingly cute taste.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

When Rinka walked back into the living room, she was dressed in a relaxed yet elegant outfit—a black, long-skirted one-piece dress.

Thank goodness… It’s nothing too revealing…

“So, this is my PC…”

Saying that, Rinka placed her pink-cased PC and monitor onto the table.

Judging by the label on it, it looked like she was using some pretty high-end equipment.

“Well? Do you think you can fix it…?”

“I need to check each part one by one first…”

First, I borrowed her tools and started disassembling the PC components.

I connected each part to a power source to see if they responded.

After thoroughly checking everything, I finally identified the issue—a faulty graphics card.

“Looks like the graphics card is broken. It’ll need to be replaced.”

“I see… But I don’t really know which one to buy. Should I just order something that looks good at random?”

Resting her elbow on the desk, Rinka made a slightly troubled expression.

Seeing someone who usually seemed so perfect making such a vulnerable face was somehow reassuring… and honestly, kind of cute.

But should I really leave Rinka to pick out a graphics card on her own? If she chose randomly, her games might not run smoothly anymore.

That would be concerning… With that thought, I made up my mind and spoke up.

“Then, how about we go buy one together now? The electronics store should still be open.”

“Eh? Are you sure?”

“There are surprisingly a lot of different graphics cards, and their performance varies a lot. If you don’t choose carefully, you might regret it later.”

When I said that, Rinka’s face lit up with a happy smile.

“Alright, then I’ll take you up on that! I’ll go get changed, so wait outside for me.”

“O-okay…”

She stood up and headed towards the back of the room. Following her instructions, I left the apartment and waited outside.

Standing outside, I felt my face heat up.

“I invited her…”

I couldn’t help but mutter in agony. Even if it was just in the heat of the moment, I never expected myself to say, “Let’s go together.” It was insanely embarrassing.

No, calm down. This is just an errand. Just shopping.

Just as I tried to steady my nerves, the front door opened.

“Sorry for the wait!”

When Rinka stepped out, my eyes widened in surprise.

She had changed from her casual loungewear into a stylish outfit—a white blouse with a beige pleated skirt, layered with a light cardigan, and subtly heeled pumps. Simple yet refined, and it suited her perfectly.

“How do I look? I just bought this recently…”

She brushed her hair back slightly, looking a little shy. That natural gesture was enough to make my heart race.

“Y-you look great. I think it really suits you.”

“Fufu, thanks. Alright, let’s go!”

With a cheerful smile, she started walking ahead. As I followed her, I couldn’t help but feel like… I was her boyfriend or something.