Chapter 25 My spoiled fujoshi

​We continued walking through the mall until we passed an anime hobby shop. Honestly, I don't usually buy from physical stores because I have a regular supplier online where I can easily use my card. But she insisted on going in, practically dragging me through the door.

​"Come on, Daniel, just for a bit!" she pleaded.

​"I said no. It's embarrassing to go in there; we're too old for this," I countered.

​To be honest, I felt uncomfortable because the shop was full of teenagers. I felt a bit "over the hill" to be seen in a place like that. It's not that I'm ashamed of being an otaku, but I was mostly worried about what my companion might do inside.

​Sure enough, she started picking out items, absolutely delighted as she grabbed BL (Boys' Love) collections, completely oblivious to the people watching her.

​"Hey, if you get drool on those, they're definitely going to make you pay for them."

​I was also feeling awkward because a saleslady was hovering right behind us, following our every move. I couldn't help but feel irritated.

​I know it's their job to watch the customers, but it's really uncomfortable for people like us—especially since many otakus are introverted and shy. It felt like they didn't trust us, which made it impossible for me to actually look at the merchandise or choose anything properly.

A moment later, Lea approached me, holding out her selections as if expecting me to shoulder the cost of the items she had spent several minutes carefully choosing. she looked at me with puppy-dog eyes while heading toward the cashier.

​The sheer nerve—to drag me inside, pick out a bunch of stuff, and then expect me to pay for it all.

​"Are you serious? You want me to pay for your hobbies?"

​"Pleaseee! They're cheap, and I'm afraid Daniel might run out of stock!"

​I leaned in and whispered to her, our heads close together as I gave her a stern look and a piece of my mind.

​"You came in here without any money? No wonder you were dragging me in."

​She didn't have an answer; she just kept smiling at me as if she fully expected me to cough up the cash. Tsk. She had no intention of listening to my complaints.

​She was pushing her luck, so I just acted cold and shook my head, pretending I hadn't heard her. I figured she could deal with paying for the things she took.

​To force my hand, she suddenly spoke up loudly, ensuring everyone in the shop could hear her.

​"Of course, you're not a stingy boyfriend, right? Especially since you just got your salary. You wouldn't deny your otaku girlfriend a simple thing that would make her happy, would you, honey?" she said, acting all sweet and clingy.

​That immediately caught the attention of everyone inside, especially the salesladies. Since they knew nothing about our real dynamic, they genuinely thought we were a loving couple. Now, all eyes were on me, waiting to see what I'd do next.

​"Ehem..."

​I started breaking into a sweat. I was trapped between my pride and the embarrassment of looking like a cheapskate boyfriend. Even though I had no intention of treating her, I ended up handing over the money on the spot.

​"Forgive me, Zero Two... looks like my Figma will have to wait," I whispered in my head.

​We left the shop with her bags in hand. From the look on her face, she was thrilled with how things turned out. I felt a surge of irritation because this girl had clearly played me by putting me in an awkward spot.

​"Don't be mad anymore. I promise I'll make it up to you next time," she said.

​"Oh... really? When exactly?"

​"When I have a job, of course! Hello? I'm still a student, I don't have extra money for stuff like this," Lea replied.

​She had the gall to say that while I was literally carrying a pile of BL manga that proved she definitely spends money on her whims. I didn't bother pointing it out, though. Even if I got mad, the damage was done—the items were paid for. I just told her to stop pointing at things.

​She heard me loud and clear and nodded with a smile, but a moment later, she suddenly stopped in her tracks and ducked into another shop.

​I let out a long sigh and whispered a prayer, "God, please give me a mountain of patience for this girl." I was moments away from literal tying her up just to keep her out of stores.

​"Seriously, Lea? Do you plan on making me your human ATM?"

​"Wait, Daniel, this is the last one. Please!" she begged.

​She grabbed a keychain from a shelf and showed it to me. They were little fish toys, and for some reason I couldn't explain, I felt a wave of annoyance. I winced in disappointment—probably because I couldn't help but remember that story she told me about the fish in the aquarium.

​I figured she was showing it to me just to tease me, but she really insisted I buy it for her, even after I refused several times.

​"Look how cute they are! Let's buy them, please."

​"Since when have fish been 'cute'? And you already have way better keychains than that," I snapped.

​A second later, she grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the cashier, forcing the issue. I couldn't exactly shake her off with all the salesladies watching us.

​"Come on, Daniel. I'll give you one as a gift to make it up to you for today," she said.

​"Tsk. Make it up to me? I'd appreciate a gift a lot more if the money for it actually came from your own pocket."

​I don't know if she even considers the logic of things or if she just doesn't care about the details as long as she gets what she wants. I was basically buying a keychain for myself.

​I sighed, realizing we'd be stuck in that shop forever if I didn't just give in. I didn't want her to keep taking advantage of me, but since it was cheap, I agreed just to get it over with.

​Unbelievable. It was like being with a child. Honestly, I didn't expect this; I should have just taken her to a simple arcade center instead.

​"Wait, don't go thinking I owe you one just because you 'gave' this to me," I muttered.

​"It's okay, you don't need to pay me back for my gift," she replied.

​"Tsk. 'Gave it to me'?! Why you...! I should just strangle this shorty," I grumbled internally.

​Before I even finished paying at the counter, she had already attached one of them to her wallet. She beamed at me like a kid, holding it up to show it off.

​I couldn't bring myself to stay mad or say anything mean to ruin the moment. I could see she was genuinely happy, and who was I to kill that smile over something as trivial as a small amount of money?

​To us collectors, money is just a tool to acquire the things that complete our desires and bring us inner joy—the things that calm us down and make us truly smile.

​That's the genuine smile of a collector, and I saw it in Lea the moment she got those simple keychains.

​Collecting isn't just measured by quality or how expensive an item is; it's about how much it means to you. If you can view it as something important, that's where its true value lies—a simple object that can be worth more than any diamond.

​"Isn't it cute? A little feesh?" she said with a grin.

​A few minutes after we left the shop, she suddenly stepped in front of me, blocking my path. I smirked, though I felt a bit nervous—I was half-expecting her to point at another store.

​"Daniel, I just remembered," she said, looking puzzled. "Who is Elisa?"

​"Huh?"