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On Thin Ice - Kuroo Testurou

Chapter 6: Shopping Together

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Ririko could power a spaceship with the amount of energy she has built up from excitement. I understood that she doesn’t get to hang out with her girls from track because they are so focused on practice. I won’t lie, it cheers me up to see someone so excited to spend time with me. She claims that shopping is vital for the event she’s taking me to on Friday, but she hasn’t said anything about what it is. So far, all I know is that it’s the ‘most anticipated event of the season’ or something overdramatic.

We approach the mall, which is within walking distance from Nekoma High. It’s busy, but nothing too overstimulating. Attempting to speak over the general chatter in the area, Ririko pulls my ear closer to her mouth. She’s slightly shorter than me, so it causes me to bend slightly.

“Where do you wanna go first?” She asks, excitedly.

I think for a moment before replying, “well, I’m not in this area of the city often. I’m happy for you to take the lead.”

A small squeal escapes her lips before she grabs my hand to pull me along. “I know the most perfect store. I go here for all my essential clothes.”

I let her kidnap me and take me to a second location. The store was blaring loud music. The combination of no widows plus an abundance of people made the air warm and suffocating. Despite all this, I keep a smile on my face. The last thing I want to do is dim the smile on that girl’s face. The clothes come in a variety of styles, from simple to maximalist, from gothic to coquette. Judging from the dress Ririko picked, this ‘event’ was more in the style of a college party. Although, the dress was cute and fit her perfectly when she tried it on. It was white with 3 rows of ruffles at the skirt. Although it was a mini-dress, it wasn’t too revealing or sexual. A small pink bow sat in the top-middle of the chest. The sleeves were short but covered the whole shoulder, and when she paired it with a pink shrug you couldn’t see them anyway.

“Ririko, it’s perfect for you.” I said, honestly. She had just left the changing room and was spinning whilst looking at herself in the mirror.

“Aw, (Y/N). Wait, where’s your outfit?” She looks into my empty hands.

“I… haven’t chosen anything yet.” It wasn’t that I was afraid, or had no money. I just always struggled spending money, it always made me feel guilty.

Ririko changes back into her normal clothes. “Let’s go find you something then.”

We spend a good 10 minutes looking through racks for the perfect outfit. I had started to give up hope until Ririko calls me over. She is holding a purple mini-dress with a halter neck. It’s covered in a sheer, black fabric with matching gloves. The dress sinches at the waist but stays loose and flowing at the hips. It is the perfect cross between alternative and simple.

“You want me to try this on?” I asked. She nodded energetically. I oblige and head to the rooms, where I proceed to try on the dress. When I leave, Ririko is showering me with compliments, insisting that I buy the dress. I hesitate.

“Come on, (Y/N). You’ll be so happy if you do!” She looks at me with puppy dog eyes. I think for a moment. The dress IS on sale, and it did feel great quality. Do I deserve something like this? Will anyone even like it? Ririko puts a hand on my shoulder and reassures me, “you look beautiful, (Y/N).”

I guess one dress couldn’t hurt…

After checkout, Ririko and I head out the store with a bag in each of our hands. She ended up buying a couple more things but I decided to stick with what I had. My stomach is rumbling so we should probably pick up some food and then head out.

“You hungry?” She asks, almost as if she read my mind.

Deciding as a duo, we land on a ramen spot that’s a short walk away. By the time we arrived, I could have eaten the whole menu. We find a seat and tuck in. After finishing, I sit back, holding my stomach like a pregnant woman.

“Ugh, that’s the stuff. I’m knackered now though. You think it’s time to head home?” I question my friend.

She thinks for a second, yawns and then replies, “Yeah, you're right. I got to get some full nights of sleep before Friday anyways.”

“Oh, by the way, what is this event anyway? I want to make sure I know what to expect.”

We stand and head outside, saying our thanks to the staff on the way out. Ririko lives in the opposite direction, so we finish our conversation standing on the street.

“It’s just this party that every sports player in the area goes to. A few different schools participate. Usually, it’s great fun, so I figured you would have a good time there. And you play a sport so you have an automatic invite anyways.”

Wait. That sounds familiar.

I question, “Does the volleyball team go?” God, I hope the answer is no.

She checks her phone messages and the time. Her eyes stay glued to the screen as she talks with a smile. “Of course, I said every sports player. When you get to the door you have to show your sports club ID they give you in school. Makes it all feel really exclusive.”

The club IDs are typically used for schools when they need to sign up for tournaments. I’ve never used it for anything else.

“Crap. Kuroo invited me to that and I declined. I thought we had a different thing we were going to.” Ririko perks up hearing this, but I look into the distance as I think.

“Kuroo’s best friend is the host of the party, actually. Pretty crazy guy. Kuroo probably invited you because he knows you skate.” Oh, so that’s it. He was just passing an invite from his friend. He didn’t care about inviting me specifically.

“I better head back. I’ll see you tomorrow Ririko.” I smile and wave goodbye. My bus stop isn’t far but I still decide to play some music on my headphones.

I guess it’s time to tell Kuroo I’ll be coming to that party after all.

Notes:

If you guys aren't happy with the dresses then feel free to change the design/concept! The dress isn't a major plot point so you'll be okay to ignore it. I mostly wrote this scene to give Y/N a reason to go to the party lol. And also expand on her and Ririko's friendship.