I Will Do Everything In My Power To Bring Happiness To The Enchanting Beauty Who Can No Longer Smile. - Chapter 50: Shopping.

Shopping.

“So, so! I really think this kind of slightly boyish style would suit you too, Tsubame-chan! Of course, you have that perfect balance of cuteness and elegance, but that gap, you know? That surprise factor! Especially with this street-style, boyish fashion! It’s like… how should I say it? Pushing the boundaries of what people wouldn’t expect you to wear! I mean, just imagine it! And your figure is amazing too… oh, but it might come off a bit gyaru-ish. Ideally, I’d love to tie up the shirt and show off your midriff, but that might get you cold… Ugh, it’s so hard! Everything looks good on you, it’s honestly a problem! Hey hey, Tsubame-chan, this super neat and clean outfit over here too—”

“Se-chan, I kind of feel like having one again. Want to get some donuts later?”

“Let’s eat!”

Se-chan, who had just picked up another outfit and was about to launch into another passionate rant, was halted by Shirao—this being the third time today such a scene had played out.

At present, we were out on a bit of a trip, visiting a pretty large shopping mall. There was another one closer to home, but this one was conveniently located near our next destination.

And so we were here, shopping—mainly for clothes for Se-chan and Tsubame.

“S-Sorry! I got a bit carried away again! It’s kind of presumptuous of me, isn’t it… Someone like me, giving fashion advice to Tsubame-chan, who’s a top-tier fashion model of all things…”

“No, I’m really happy. This is actually the first time a friend has helped me choose clothes.”

“R-Really? Really!? No way… Ehehe, hehe, fuhe, fuhihi, guhe, gehehehe…”

“Se-chan, your laugh is getting progressively weirder.”

Tsubame wasn’t just being polite. That much was clear from her expression. …We’ll set aside Se-chan’s laugh for now.

“Most of these clothes are styles I’ve never worn before, so it’s refreshing. If it’s okay with you, I’d love for you to show me more.”

“Yeah! I’ll do my best to pick out clothes that suit you, Tsubame-chan! Of course, I think anything would look good on you… but I want to find the ones that look especially good!”

Gripping her hands into fists, Se-chan nodded with conviction at Tsubame’s words. Then, with clothes, hats, and accessories in hand, she began explaining her choices with enthusiasm.

Tsubame quietly listened, occasionally nodding in agreement. She tried on a few hats, which only caused Se-chan to get even more excited.

Seeing the two of them like that made Shirao and me both smile without even realizing it.

“At first, I really thought it was a complete accident… but I never imagined they’d get this close. Se-chan even said she wanted to go on a double date someday—it’s nice to see that wish come true.”

“…Yeah, I thought they’d get along, but not this well. It’s a happy surprise.”

Even if we thought they’d be fine together, their interests are pretty different. Se-chan’s the type to enjoy anime, manga, games, and light novels, while Tsubame… maybe watches them when I’m not around?

Then again, we’re pretty much always together lately, so even if she does, it can’t be much. Judging from today, they haven’t talked about that kind of stuff at all.

“Rather than having shared interests like fashion, it’s more like… Se-chan knows Tsubame really well, so the conversation just never dries up.”

“Yeah. She follows all the interviews in magazines, online news, TV programs—you name it. Until now, I was probably the only one she could talk to about all that. And honestly, I’ve never been that interested in girls other than Se-chan.”

“You’ve always been the loyal type.”

“…It feels weird hearing that from you.”

As I smiled wryly at Shirao’s comment, Tsubame suddenly looked our way.

“Shigure-kun, which version of me would you rather see?”

“Me? Uh… I mean, I don’t really know much about fashion…”

“That doesn’t matter. I want to know which outfit you’d rather see me wear. Or if it’s both, then say both.”

Her straightforwardness made me choke up a little. I ignored the grinning gaze I could feel from beside me.

“…Then, well, both. I’d like to see both.”

“Got it. I’ll try on both then.”

Tsubame picked up the outfits and started walking toward the fitting rooms. After taking a step, she glanced back at me. Her eyes seemed to say Come with me… or, more accurately, it was clear that’s what she meant.

“I-I’ve got to go find some clothes for myself too! You’ll help me, right, Shirao-kun?”

“O-Of course. …But are you sure?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine! I want the first person to see them to be… you, after all.”

And so, Se-chan began pulling Shirao along. I chuckled at the sight, and Tsubame let out a soft laugh too.

“Se-chan, let me help pick out some clothes for you later, okay?”

“H-Hiyaaah! Thank you so muchhh! I’m honored beyond words! I’m touched—emotionally, spiritually, meteorologically! Let’s throw in some falling spears while we’re at it!”

Se-chan straightened her back with a dramatic pose. She was mumbling nonsense, but there was no need to rain on her parade. Preferably no spears, though.

After parting ways with Shirao and Se-chan, I followed Tsubame into the fitting room area. She entered with the clothes, and barely thirty seconds had passed when—

“Shigure-kun.”

“Hmm? What’s up?”

She peeked out from the curtain and said:

“I mentioned this earlier, but this one-piece dress is a bit hard to put on. The zipper’s in the back.”

“Oh yeah, you did mention that.”

“So… can you help me change?”

“……So that’s what this is about.”

Her logic was sound. And there was no other girl around to help—Se-chan wasn’t here. I could wait, but if I did, I might genuinely get yelled at by Shirao and Se-chan.

More than anything, though, this was Tsubame’s request.

“Alright.”

“Thanks. There’s enough space for two in here, so come in.”

“…Excuse me, then.”

“Hehe. You can be as rude as you want, Shigure-kun.”

“D-Don’t tease me like that.”

The atmosphere behind the curtain softened immediately. I even heard a small chuckle—it felt like she was being more herself now. A good thing, really, even if we were technically in public.

I cleared my throat and stepped in. The inside was bigger than I’d expected—probably meant for fittings with staff assistance.

Tsubame stood in front of the full-length mirror, gathering her long hair in one hand and lifting it—revealing the nape of her neck, something I never usually saw. I froze for a second.

“…Sorry. My hair tie snapped recently.”

“Huh? Oh, don’t worry about it. I never really thought of you as someone who wore them much.”

“I tried not to—I didn’t want to damage my hair. The one I used before was cheap, so I only wore it for gym class.”

“Makes sense.”

Tsubame was frugal. Aside from gifted brand items from promotions, she preferred practicality and cost-efficiency. The clip and necklace she wore were both gifts from her mother.

“Okay, can you help? Can you see it?”

“Y-Yeah. I can.”

“All the way down, okay? If it’s half-done, my hair gets tangled.”

“Got it.”

If I got embarrassed and messed up, Tsubame would be the one to suffer. I had to do this right.

I checked the zipper again and—

“I’m going to touch you, okay, Tsubame?”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“…Sorry, that sounded really bad out loud.”

If someone overheard us, this would sound very suspicious. Then again, just the fact that we were in a fitting room together as a guy and girl was already… something. But we weren’t doing anything improper. At least, I hoped.

I took hold of the zipper. Tsubame flinched slightly, but didn’t move beyond that. I pulled down gently—zzt—until it stopped.

“Ah, it caught.”

“Caught…?”

“Yeah. The zipper caught on my underwear.”

“…………My sincerest apologies.”

“It’s fine. I should’ve warned you. This dress always gets caught.”

The zipper had snagged—in the one place it definitely shouldn’t.

“This dress is made of thick fabric, so it’s not see-through. But it’s hot… so I’m not wearing an inner layer today.”

“R-Right. Uh… sorry. What should I do now?”

The zipper went lower than I’d realized. Probably hidden under her hair most days. Unfortunately, that meant I could now see a part of her I definitely shouldn’t be seeing.

“Try carefully moving it back and forth to loosen it. Be gentle so you don’t damage my clothes or underwear. And pull the fabric a bit too, so it doesn’t catch again.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“You’ve got this, Shigure-kun.”

I took a breath and carefully moved the zipper. Slowly, without too much force. After about ten long seconds, I finally managed to free the fabric.

But I couldn’t let my guard down. I had to make sure it didn’t snag again, which meant… I had to look, just the right amount.

I tried to stay mindful without focusing too much, carefully adjusting my gaze.

After a few more seconds—success. I’d pulled the zipper all the way down.

“I-It’s done, Tsubame.”

“Thanks. You did great.”

With the task complete, I let out a sigh of relief. My heart was still pounding. Also… the enclosed space meant her scent was overwhelmingly close.

“Alright, I’ll step outside. Take your time to change—”

“Shigure-kun.”

She called my name, and I jumped. I looked at her—and immediately looked away. The zipper being down had caused the dress to open up slightly.

“Since you’re here, want to watch me change?”

“—”

A strange, voiceless sound escaped my lips. Tsubame let out a soft chuckle, her gaze fixed firmly on me.

“I-I won’t look.”

“Really? Then let me change the question. Shigure-kun, do you want to see me while I’m changing?”

“—”

Once again, an odd noise slipped from my throat. Embarrassment and confusion swirled within me, and I nearly looked away—but her eyes didn’t allow me that escape.

“…It would be a lie to say I don’t want to.”

“…Shigure-kun, you perv.”

“T-That’s not the same thing! And frankly, that’s kind of unfair.”

“Hehe, I’m just kidding. I asked, after all… and besides, I’m happy.”

I had no words to answer Tsubame’s soft confession. She simply smiled gently—without making the slightest effort to cover her disheveled front, which was quite the compromising sight.

“Hey, Shigure-kun.”

Even then, I couldn’t respond. Because before I could say anything, I was enveloped in something warm and soft.

It was a hug.

“We didn’t hug yet today. If I don’t do it now, I’ll have to wait until we get back. And I didn’t think I could wait that long.”

She looked up at me from within my arms, letting out a small laugh. It was that mischievous smile of hers that I’d seen so many times before.

And at the same time—I realized it.

Her dress had slipped even lower, and the soft, round shapes wrapped in pure white fabric were now pressing against me, shifting gently with the contact.

“T-Tsubame, um…”

“If you want to look, it’s okay.”

Her whisper, barely audible, tickled straight through to my heart. My heartbeat thudded loudly—so loud she could probably hear it. Just as I could hear hers, racing just as fast.

I lifted my arms and held her tightly in return.

“…It’ll be a problem for the store if things go any further, so… let’s stop here.”

“Fufu. Got it. Then next time, somewhere no one will be bothered.”

“…Let’s go with next time, please.”

I somehow managed to say those words, and gently released the hug. If we stayed here too long, it really would cause trouble for the store.

“Mhm, I’m satisfied now that I got to hug Shigure-kun. I’ll save the rest for when we’re back.”

“Y-Yeah. Got it. Then I’ll wait until you’ve changed.”

“Okay. Thank you, Shigure-kun.”

Tsubame adjusted the dress that had slipped earlier. She couldn’t risk anyone seeing her like that when I stepped out.

“You’re welcome.”

Leaving those words behind, I stepped out of the fitting room—

“Ah.”

“Ah.”

“…Eh?”

My eyes met with two very familiar faces.

A short-haired male high school student, wearing piercings since it was the weekend. And a female high school student with two braided pigtails and red-framed glasses.

Of course, it was Shirao and Se-chan.

The moment they saw me stepping out of the fitting room, their eyes widened to their absolute limit.

“D-Did you just get married three times!?”

“That would require getting divorced twice first.”

“C’mon, love conquers all!”

“If laws changed that easily, the citizens would be in chaos. And it’s a misunderstanding, by the way.”

“F-F-F-Five times!? Did you really get married five times in that short span!? O-Or wait, did you do something else five times!?”

“Shirao. Sorry, but can you do something about Se-chan?”

And so, it took a little while before all the misunderstandings were cleared up.