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Rantaro was waiting by the outfitter store, his hands in his pockets as he leaned back onto the wall. He checked his phone, noting the time - he’s about five minutes early, but he figured that he’d need the extra time, knowing who he’s meeting with. The adventurer had promised to take one of his friends hiking, someone he had met from another class at Hope’s Peak Academy. The two had sat together at lunch a handful of times,
But as luck had it, none of his hiking gear fit that well for his friend. Then again, luck never seemed to be on Nagito’s side for long. Whenever something good would happen to him, something bad was soon to follow. Rantaro was a little hesitant to take him hiking - but he decided to go with his gut, hoping that luck would be on his side for the hiking trip.
“Ah, Rantaro…” A breathy and familiar voice caught the adventurer’s attention, his eyes glancing up to see Nagito right in front of him. He was wearing the standard Hope’s Peak uniform - seemed he didn’t have time to change - though it had a few scuff marks on it, and a tear on the right sleeve.
“Oh, heya. You make it here okay?”
“Of course… just ran into some trouble on the way here, but nothing too major.”
“Hm?”
“Yeah… happened to encounter a few stray cats on the way here. They’re usually so kind to me, but luck’s not on my side today…” Nagito held the arm with the torn sleeve, his eyes going down. “It took Tanaka coming over to get them to even leave me alone.”
“Well, at least you made it here safe. I brought you a bag for your clothes, just in case you wanna try something on first. But also so you can take it with you on the hike.” Rantaro held it up, handing it to the lucky student. Nagito took it, examining it closely, his eyes going over every part of it.
“Ah, how considerate of you… the bag seems really well made, too…” He started to fidget with the zippers on the backpack, putting the tab between his fingers as he slid it up and down.
“One of my younger sisters made it for me. She got really invested in sewing, and so one year for the holidays, she made our entire family a bunch of bags. She gave me a spare one to give to a friend, but I haven’t really been able to give it to anybody…” Rantaro gave a confident look to his friend, smiling earnestly.
“Well, even if you’ve given it to someone like me, at least it finds a good place…” As the luckster said that, Rantaro’s eyes lit up.
“Hey, what do you mean ‘someone like you,’ Nagito?” Rantaro crossed his arms as he stepped closer to Nagito, giving a look of concern. He knew his friend had struggled with self esteem, as his talks with the other members of Class 77-B had told him so, but this was the first time he had really seen it himself.
“Well, I’m sure one of your classmates would have been a much better pick than someone who’s not a true Ultimate-” Nagito was quickly cut off by a hand on his shoulder, the adventurer looking down into his eyes.
“C’mon, you don’t need to be like that… doesn’t matter whether you view your Ultimate as less worthy, you’re still a friend.” Rantaro patted his shoulder. “That’s why I invited you in the first place, y’know?”
Nagito looked up, before looking back to the bag. “...I suppose that’s the case.”
Rantaro smiled, before looking back to the store. “Here, you ready to come check it all out?” Rantaro patted his shoulder, giving him a reassuring look.
As they went inside, Nagito took in the sights of the store. It was split into three distinct sections: one for equipment, one for clothes, and a help desk. Despite how expansive the store looked, there was hardly anybody around. Rantaro motioned for Nagito to follow him, taking him right into the center of the store.
“Seems you’re really familiar with this place, huh?” The luckster commented, taking note of the many types of clothes around him.
“It’s the best outdoor store within walking distance. High quality products, somewhat affordable…” Rantaro trailed off a little, his eyes scanning over everything.
“High enough quality for your liking?”
“Sure is.” Rantaro’s eyes finally hit what he’s looking for. “Oh, hey, right… here.”
Nagito looked at where they had stopped. “These are the jackets, huh?”
“Mhm. We’ve got… hardshells, softshells, windbreakers, ponchos… and most importantly, the puffers. That’s the main one you’re gonna need for the…” By the time that he had looked back, his friend had already picked out a jacket for himself, a smile on his face. The jacket was a light, faded green, with a red line going on the sleeves and around the seams.
“How about this one? It seems rather… versatile?” Nagito was usually good at hiding stuff, but he couldn’t really hide that he was mostly interested in it for the fashion.
“Ah, that’s a windbreaker… it’s only really good for the wind, but we’re expecting some colder weather for the hike.” The luckster frowned, putting the jacket back on the rack. At least, he tried to, because Rantaro quickly intercepted his attempt. “Hey, don’t put it back so quickly. That’s still a pretty good jacket… hey, can you try it on?”
The white-haired boy nodded, quickly slipping into it. “How’s it look?”
“Looks really stellar.” Rantaro’s face lit up, walking around him to see it from all angles.
“Wow, you really think that?”
“Sure do. Matches your aesthetic a bit, especially with the red highlights.”
“Wow… I wonder how they could create a jacket that’d make even someone like myself look good.” The luckster saw Rantaro give a dismayed look. “Oh, sorry…”
Rantaro shrugs, giving an assuring look. “Hey, just keep an open mind about yourself, okay? We’ve still got something else for us to get.” He guided Nagito to the next aisle, before pointing to the bottom part.
“Boots, huh?” Nagito brought his hand to his chin, analyzing the available choices.
“Rougher pathways require more durable boots than the stuff they sell at normal stores… depending on how much of the path you wanna cover, at least.”
“Hmm? What do you mean by that?” Nagito tilted his head.
“Well, the path we’ve got planned is a little taxing. There’s a split-off point where we can stop going if it’s too much at any time… but if we go the full path, you’ll need a good pair-”
“Like these?” Rantaro was cut off by Nagito holding up a pair of lace-ups that were brown, the laces a crimson color.
“Oh yeah, that’s… the Kagarin Voyager, I believe is the name. I’ve heard plenty of good things about them, but I can’t say I’ve ever used any myself.”
“Hmm… your personal recommendation is important, though. After all, you’re the expert.”
“Well, my younger sister Saki was with me for a climb up the mountain, and she had a pair like those. And hey, they did the job. If they can handle a mountain, I’m sure they can handle our trail.”
That was more than enough assurance for Nagito, who had already taken off his own shoes, trying on the boots. He got up, taking a few steps around the area they were in to get a feel for the new boots.
“They work?” Rantaro asked, looking down.
“They feel pretty comfortable.” Nagito replied.
“That’s what their entire brand’s about. Comfort and practicality.” Rantaro smiles. “Alright, I think we’re good to go then.” The green-haired boy motioned for Nagito to follow him as they went to the register. As Nagito pulled out his wallet, Rantaro shook his head, pulling out his own instead. “Don’t worry, I’ve got the payment covered for you.”
As the two walked out, Rantaro took a moment to admire the new outfit Nagito had on as he zipped up his own jacket.
“Ready?”
“Of course.”
The two soon set off for the forest trail.