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"What about that boy?" Hannah asked. "He's pretty cute."
"I have no opinion," Diana replied.
"Really?" Hannah looked back at the aforementioned boy, her eyes scanning him from top to bottom and stayed there. "He's quite the specimen."
Diana huffed. "We're supposed to be shopping for a present for Barbara, not looking for boyfriends."
Hannah smirked. "Why not both? There's nothing wrong with a little 'window shopping'. It's what Barbara would want."
If only knowing what Barbara wanted came as easily to Diana as it did to their roommate. Diana had become closer with Hannah and Barbara as of late, and she wanted to give her a more personal gift for her birthday. Diana had asked Hannah for assistance, which she had rendered readily. The trouble was the accompanying commentary. As they made their way through the shops, Hannah felt the need to remark on every attractive person who crossed their path.
"Let's focus on Barbara," Diana said as they rounded the corner and faced the next line of shops. Nothing she had seen had jumped out at her yet. "What would be a pleasant surprise for her?"
"Well, if we could box up one of these cuties for her…"
"Hannah England, you grow more scandalous by the day."
The girls laughed and continued their shopping trip. Nothing in the clothing stores they perused matched Barbara's style, nor could they find any books that would interest her that she didn't already own.
They took a break for lunch, opting to sit outside at a sidewalk café. Hannah took advantage of the opportunity to point out more attractive boys.
"How about that one?" She gestured toward a dapper-looking young man in a suit. "You can't tell me you're not excited by that."
Diana narrowed her discerning eyes. "He looks a bit too much like Andrew Hanbridge for my liking."
Hannah groaned. "Goodness gracious, Diana. How high are your standards?" She simply couldn't fathom it. How could Diana not react to any of the boys she'd pointed out? It was almost as if… and then it dawned on her.
She nodded at a girl across the street, a beauty wearing a stylish outfit topped with a beret and reading a book. "How about her?"
Diana followed Hannah's eyes, paused, her mouth falling open slightly. "She looks interesting—I mean, interested. In her book."
"And you look interested in her." Hannah giggled. "I didn't realize bookish girls were your type. Or girls at all, for that matter." If she had known that, Hannah might've picked up a few of the literary books lying around the Blue Team dorm.
"I wouldn't say I have a type." Diana pouted. Except that couldn't be possible. Diana didn't pout .
Hannah's heart skipped a beat. Who would've thought Diana Cavendish would have such a weakness.
"And here I would've thought rambunctious, mischievous girls would be your type."
Diana sniffed. "Akko is just a friend."
"I didn't say anything about Akko." Hannah said. She smiled. "But that's good to know."
"A-anyway," Diana said. "We should get back to shopping."
Hannah giggled. "As you wish."
As they got up to leave, Hannah linked her arm with Diana's. The heiress jumped slightly, but didn't protest. She nodded mutely in acquiescence when Hannah told her they would be going to a jewelry store next.
The girls looked through the necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, waiting for something to catch their eye. Diana spotted a moonstone pendant. She recalled Barbara once excitedly recited some Nightfall trivia about moonstone, relating its significance in the franchise and expressed a desire for something made from the precious stone.
"Excellent choice," Hannah said when Diana showed her find. "Barbara will love it."
Diana went to the cash register to pay for the pendant.
"Would you like this gift-wrapped?" The cashier, a girl with an undercut and rainbow pin on her shirt, asked her as she rang the pendant through.
"Yes, please," Diana said.
As the cashier wrapped up the pendant, she glanced past Diana to where Hannah stood. "If you don't mind my saying, you and your girlfriend are an adorable couple."
Girlfriend!? Diana was baffled. She followed the cashier's eyes toward Hannah, who Diana realized she had been walking arm-in-arm with up until that point. "We-we're not—"
"Nonsense!" The cashier smiled. "It's clear she loves you from the way she looks at you."
Hannah happened to turn her head. Her eyes met Diana's and she smiled so warmly that Diana could feel her temperature rise several degrees.
"Um, thank you," Diana mumbled. She sheepishly accepted the gift-wrapped pendant and returned to Hannah.
"Are you going to keep looking?" she asked.
"Nah, I was just waiting for you." Hannah looked at Diana closely once they left the shop. "You're blushing."
Diana did feel warm. "Surely you're exaggerating."
"Did the cashier say something?" Hannah's eyes glinted with jealousy.
"Not really," Diana said. "It's just that... she assumed that you and I are... a couple. An adorable couple."
Her face grew even hotter as Hannah stared at her. Diana's heart skipped a beat when Hannah giggled.
"Is that so?" Hannah smirked. "And did you tell her we aren't dating?"
Diana found herself avoiding eye contact. "It seemed imprudent to correct her over something so minor."
"So you don't mind pretending to be my girlfriend?" Hannah put her arm around Diana's waist. "I don't suppose I could convince you to pretend a little longer?"
"H-Hannah!"
"No wonder you were so annoyed when I was talking about cute boys," Hannah teased. "You were jealous. "
"You're being ridiculous," Diana protested.
"I'm just having fun." Hannah smiled. "Unless you're shopping around for a girlfriend, in which case we could really have some fun..."
"Hannah!"