Stealing Spree

Chapter 2599: Thrift Shop Treasure Hunt

”Kii, what do you think of those? They could really enhance the fortune-teller scene in one of the scenarios and add those mystical vibes weʼre going for. Youʼre going to put Nakanishi-senpai there, right? Sheʼll look great in it.”

Still clinging to my arm, Chiiʼs bright eyes roamed over the haphazard assortment of items filling the cramped thrift shop. Her attention quickly landed on the stack of scarves, each one displaying a burst of colors: deep reds, sunny yellows, and ethereal blues. They all swirled together as they were neatly displayed on a wooden shelf.

They had the appearance of being plucked from a festivalʼs stall, the sort that lured patrons with tantalizing ʼBuy 1, Get 3ʼ offers, only to leave them feeling tricked by a marketing ploy wherein the enticing phrases were a mere façade, masking the reality that you were still shelling out cash equivalent to their true worth.

As for those particular scarves, they bore the unmistakable marks of neglect. Most likely, leftovers from the very same stall, now abandoned to this secondhand haven.

Their vibrant hues seemed a little faded in places as if they had witnessed two years of lively festivals only to not be picked by a customer.

The price tags hanging off them offered a glimmer of hope, slashed and reduced as they invited shoppers in with the allure of bargains, disguising the fact that they were, ultimately, remnants of yesterdayʼs fashion trends.

Nevertheless, I could already picture Reira-senpai in it. A fortune-teller role would be someone draped in a hooded robe and a scarf. It could hide her naturally bursting charm that could make a guy lose reason and just thirst for her. With a scarf like that in place, sheʼd still look great despite her charm being restrained by it.

”Nice call, Chii. Letʼs grab a few. Or should I message her? See if sheʼs good with it?”

Chii nodded. And I immediately took a photo of the scarves before sending them to my favorite senior.

Almost instantly, I received a reply, ”Ruki-kun, are you imagining me in them?”

Now, thatʼs new. I never thought sheʼd reply like this. Was it because of earlier? Is she becoming more conscious of her feelings for me?

Alright. I better not assume that right away. She might be thinking differently, after all.

”Only if youʼre ready to dazzle as the mystic queen of our booth. These will ensure those idiots wonʼt be able to see past the obscurity. You could interact with them without worrying about their lecherous gazes the moment they see you. What do you think?”

Chii peeked over my shoulder, her lips curling into a playful pout. ”Kii, why are you smirking there? Are you planning something with Nakanishi-senpai?”

”Hmm? What will I plan? Iʼm just making sure our boothʼs got that extra sparkle,” I said as I put my phone back in my pocket and gave her a teasing nudge. ”Besides, youʼre the one who picked these scarves. Youʼre already stealing my heart with your eye for props.”

Perhaps not expecting that, Chiiʼs cheeks instantly flushed, ”Smooth talker. Donʼt think you can distract me that easily, Kii.”

She then flashed me a grin, her gyaru pout softening into her beautiful smile. She started piling scarves into the basket. Her picks were bold. Vibrant reds, deep purples, and a shimmery gold that caught the dim store lights. Perfect for the aesthetic we were gunning for. Reira-senpai would probably pick the vibrant red or the deep purple, but we could find more use for them.

As we walked away from that shelf, I noticed Kushii hovering near a corner stuffed with old books and trinkets, the likes of what old people collect. Porcelain figurines, faded silver spoons, faulty compasses, rusty binoculars or telescopes, wooden music boxes and even Christmas snow globes.

Her dark eyes scanned the shelves like she was on a mission. She pulled out a tarnished brass compass, turning it over in her hands with a quiet focus. ”This could be for the explorer scene,” She murmured, almost to herself. ”It looks… authentic.”

”Yo, Kushii, thatʼs dope!” The energetic gyaru, An-rin, called from across the store, her arms now draped with a feather boa sheʼd found who-knows-where. ”Youʼre, like, nailing the vibe! Onoda-han, tell her sheʼs a genius!”

She turned to our direction and hollered at us.

I shook my head and Chii pulled on my arm before giving Kushii a nod. ”Mhm. Sheʼs right, Kushii. That compass is perfect. Add it to the pile. Youʼve got an eye for this stuff.”

Kushiiʼs cheeks pinked slightly and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before placing the compass in the basket.

”Thanks,” She murmured softly. But then she realized how she was acting and hurriedly turned her head away. She also straightened her back, trying to compose herself.

Really, sheʼs still too conscious of her confession to me. Where was the Kushii who could even tease me before?

Ah. Right. Itʼs my fault, no? I mean, what happened inside their tent back at the camping trip mustʼve been burned in her mind. Hence, this reaction. Sheʼs recalling it every time she sees my face.

I glanced at Chii, who tilted her head as if she had no idea what was happening to her friend. This girl was the culprit for it. She had the girl stay with us when she and Hana went to try and get more intimate with me.

I flicked her forehead, causing her to pout. She then asked why I did it but instead of answering, I dragged her away, letting Kushii and An-rin explore the store by themselves while we also continued shopping.

Ten minutes later, the basket was starting to weigh a bit, but I didnʼt mind. Carrying the load was my job today. Literally and figuratively. I adjusted the prop bag on my shoulder, scanning the store for anything else that might fit our festival booth. The interactive adventure booth needed to pop, and these quirky finds were exactly what would sell the experience.

After these, we still needed to go to those decor shops to buy wallpapers. As for wood. Well. I guess Iʼll buy those this weekend and carry them to the location myself.

Predictably, An-rin was already onto her next treasure. Carrying a battered top hat, she plopped it on her head with a dramatic twirl after finding us returning from a corner.

”Onoda-han, Iʼm giving, like, mysterious ringmaster vibes! Whaddaya think? Should I wear this while Iʼm hyping the crowd?”

I tilted my head, pretending to size her up. ”Ringmaster, huh? We donʼt have a circus scenario, An-rin. Where will you use that? If you pair that with the feather boa, youʼd look like a circus escapee. But sure, toss it in. Weʼll make it work.”

Not backing down, she stuck out her tongue and dropped the hat into the basket. ”Haters gonna hate, but Iʼm slaying this look!”

Chii snorted, tying a scarf around her neck like she was auditioning for a drama club. ”An-rin, youʼre gonna scare the audience before we even start. Keep it chill.”

”Chill? Me? Never!” An-rin struck a pose, making Kushii roll her eyes, though I caught the faintest smirk on her face.

As we moved deeper into the store, the aisles got narrower, and the dust tickled my nose. I spotted a shelf of old props. Fake swords, a plastic crown, even a dusty crystal ball that looked like itʼd been swiped from a fortune-tellerʼs table.

I grabbed the crystal ball, holding it up with a grin. ”Girls, check this out. With this, Reira-senpaiʼs fit is complete.”

Chiiʼs eyes lit up. ”Oh, Kii, thatʼs perfect! She can now do the whole ʼI see your futureʼ shtick!”

Then, she took the ball from me, cradling it dramatically and lowering her voice to a fake-spooky whisper. ”Beware… your fate is… crepes for dinner!”

An-rin burst out laughing, nearly knocking over a stack of vintage records. ”Yo, Chii-chan, youʼre hired! Thatʼs gold!”

Kushii, ever the quiet observer, picked up a fake quill pen from the same shelf. ”This could go with the crystal ball. For, like, ancient prophecy vibes.”

”See? Kushii also got the vision,” I said, tossing the quill into the basket. ”Weʼre building a whole cinematic universe here.”

Suddenly, we heard a voice echoing from near the door. We turned around and found the shopkeeper whoʼd been eyeing us from behind the counter cluttered with porcelain cats.

”You kids making a movie or somethinʼ? Thatʼs a lot of junk youʼre piling up.”

”Nah, just prepping for a school festival booth. Can we get a discount if we buy all of these?”

The shopkeeper grunted, adjusting the glasses perched on her nose. ”Well, sure. If your total comes to more than 10,000, Iʼll give you a 10% discount. Anyway, that crystal ballʼs been here longer than youʼve been alive. They say itʼs cursed. You have to pay me if you want to return that another day.”

”Cursed? Whoa. Onoda-han, letʼs take it and try it out later!” An-rin energetically exclaimed as she grabbed the ball from Chii.

This girl… I could already imagine what sheʼs planning for our sleepover. Scaring each other? Wonʼt they huddle next to me if they all get scared? Wait. Thatʼs… quite an ideal scenario. For a pervert like me, that is.