The Handsome Boy I Saved from Getting Beaten on the Train… Turned Out to Be the “Prince” of an All-Girls School - V2 Chapter 04: She's Gone Full Elegant Mode~!!

Chapter 04: She’s Gone Full Elegant Mode~!!

“So! Let’s each pick an outfit the other would look good in. I’ll pick one for you, and you pick one for me!”

“Alright. I’m in.”

After our little fashion showdown earlier, this was the compromise we settled on.

We’d choose clothes for each other—like little gifts.

And the rule was simple: no complaining about what you get.

“Okay, I’ll go first! Here it is—Saito’s perfect look!”

“…Huh. Tried it on, and… this is actually kind of solid.”

Surprisingly, what Rei picked wasn’t one of her usual chaotic, over-the-top fashion choices.

It was a casual twist on a classic butler-style outfit.

Crisp long-sleeve shirt, sharp and clean, with a light vest layered over it.

The material was light and breathable—summer-friendly—and the shirt had roll-up sleeves with button straps. Practical and stylish.

“Saito, you’ve got good height and broad shoulders from working out, so I figured something formal would really suit you.”

“Yeah, but like… my pecs are totally buried under this vest.”

The outfit was definitely better than expected.

No question—it looked good.

But if I had to nitpick?

Way too little muscle on display.

Even though the vest was thin, it completely erased the glorious outline of my hard-earned chest gains.

“That’s why I said no lewd stuff! I even picked a pinstripe vest on purpose—to flatten out your chest!”

“Also, this vest is kinda tight across the chest… Feels like it’s gonna pop.”

My well-trained pecs were on the verge of launching that top button straight into orbit.

Meanwhile, the waist area still had plenty of room.

“Uu… You’re cheating. You’re still cool, even with the vest trying to hide it.”

“I see. So instead of going the obvious route with thin, clingy clothes, you aimed for something more refined. A look that hints at the body underneath—subtle, elegant, mysterious. Genius move, Rei. Much appreciated.”

“That is… not the effect I was going for, but… well, if you’re happy, then I guess it’s fine…”

“Alright, my turn. This is what I picked for you!”

We walked over to another store, and I handed Rei a simple white one-piece dress.

“Ehhh… Something this girly and proper? I dunno… I don’t think it suits me…”

She went into the fitting room, changed, and came out—shy, fidgety, clearly unsure.

“…”

“S-Saito? I-Is it that bad? So bad you can’t even say anything?”

“…It’s good.”

“Fweh?”

She looked up, completely confused.

I’d gone totally silent because—

Honestly?

She looked too good in it.

So good, I forgot how to speak.

“Rei, you’ve got sharp, defined features, so I totally get why you usually go for that cool, princely vibe. But with your height and slender frame, you look amazing in that long one-piece.”

“Eh… uh… fwha…”

“And since it’s summer and the dress is white, you obviously need a white sun hat to go with it—maybe some cute mules too. Excuse me, miss—do you have a hat that would match this dress?”

“How about this one?”

The sales clerk who’d been helping us during the fitting instantly stepped in with a suggestion.

It was a wide-brimmed hat in the same shade of white as the dress, topped with a single sunflower for a pop of color.

The matching mules had little sunflower accents too—a perfect set.

“Yeah, that’s perfect. Total summer vibes. We’ll take the whole set.”

“Your girlfriend’s lucky. You’re such a thoughtful boyfriend.”

“Oh, uh—she’s not my girlfriend…”

“Ha-heh…”

Rei turned bright red, like a freshly boiled octopus, and just froze.

She let herself get dressed up like a life-sized doll, not even reacting to the clerk’s comment.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

“Yup. This outfit doesn’t feel too hot either.”

Since we’d gone through all that effort, Rei and I decided to walk around town in the outfits we picked for each other.

The shop owner who’d helped Rei even let me use the fitting room to change. Real classy of him.

“Y-Yes, indeed.”

…Wait?

“Why are you suddenly talking like that, Rei?”

“I haven’t the faintest idea what you mean. I-I’ve always spoken this way, hohoho.”

…Did she just drop a watashi (I)?

“Come on. You’re clearly forcing that fancy lady act.”

Her way of speaking was way too forced.

On the outside, she looked exactly like a refined rich girl—

Which just made the awkwardness hit harder.

Ah… so that’s what this is.

“You don’t have to change how you act just because of what you’re wearing, Rei.”

“But, I-I mean… you gave me this outfit because you wanted me to be that kind of girl, right? I’m not great at it yet, but I’ll try really hard!”

“No, I picked it because I thought it’d genuinely look good on you. If it’s not your thing, then… sorry.”

“R-Really? I can believe that? Even though a dress like this would totally suit Rinna-chan more… You’re saying it’s okay if I just stay the way I am?”

“Of course. It’s not like I’m trying to mold you into my dream girl or anything.”

“…Hearing you say it that bluntly kinda stings in a different way.”

Huh?

Why is she pouting now?

Wasn’t I trying to reassure her?

Okay—time to pivot.

“W-Well, anyway… thanks for the outfit, Rei. It’s not something I’d normally pick for myself, so it feels kinda refreshing.”

“Same here. Thank you… for dressing me up so cute.”

She gave a little spin, the white one-piece fluttering around her as she smiled—shy, but sweet.

And maybe because she was still feeling a little embarrassed,

She tugged the brim of her hat down just a bit more—

Which only gave her this elegant, mysterious vibe that made her look even more enchanting.

“Thinking about how it’d look on you… imagining you wearing it while I picked it out… It was actually kind of fun.”

“Me too. And also… knowing you chose this dress because ‘a long dress would help hide the scars on my legs’… That thoughtfulness really came through. It made me happy.”

“I see…”

So she noticed.

I’d picked what looked like a simple white one-piece, but it wasn’t just about style.

“Spending time choosing something while thinking about the other person… It made me feel genuinely happy.”

“Yeah… same here.”

Wondering how they’ll react.

Will they like it? Will it make them smile?

That moment of imagining it—

That’s what makes giving a gift feel so special.

“Gifts are tools used to establish social hierarchy. As a member of the Kujou family, you must never let something as petty as a present sway your emotions.”

But they were wrong.

I’m not like them.

“Saito?”

“Ah… it’s nothing.”

Rei peeked up at me, looking a little worried at my sudden silence.

Guess my expression must’ve gone serious for a second, remembering what those people used to tell me back when I was a kid.

“Really?”

“Yeah. Oh—right. Speaking of presents… Remember those gloves I gave you during the athletic event? You can totally toss those now.”

Sasaki-san from the fan club had looked genuinely horrified after seeing Rei carefully vacuum-seal those old, sweaty gloves like they were some kind of sacred relic.

“Those gloves are my favorite, so no way I’m throwing them out. Also, I still have the shorts you gave me too.”

“You’re really making me question my fashion sense here…”

“Of course, getting something fancy like today’s outfit made me happy. But in the end, the gloves meant just as much—because you picked them out for me.”

Well… if they’re that important to her, then I guess it’s fine.

In the end, what counts as a treasure is something only the person themselves can decide.

Still, today’s outfit probably cost, like, a hundred times more than those gloves…

So even this can’t beat the mighty gloves, huh?

“But man… after buying that gift, my wallet’s totally wiped out. I really need to find a summer job.”

Then again, finding a decent part-time gig at sixteen isn’t exactly easy.

“Oh yeah, didn’t you say you were looking for a summer job, Saito? I’ve actually got the perfect one in mind. Want to try it?”

“Huh? You’ve got a lead, Rei?”

“Yup. A job where you hang out with me at my place.”

“That’s not a job!”

I really should’ve known better than to ask…

“I’ll pay you 10,000 yen a day. No—make that 20,000.”

“…Hah?”

“Meals included. Plus, nap time with me.”

“…Does it come with a travel allowance? No—wait! No no no! Rei, seriously, don’t go spending money on stuff like that!”

The offer was so good, I nearly said yes on instinct.

“Because I don’t want your time being eaten up by some part-time job! If it means we get to hang out less, then I’d rather just buy your time myself—it’s faster that way!”

Nope, nope… That’s not okay.

Especially since the money would definitely be coming from her mom, Suzune-san.

That would just make me feel way too guilty.

“That’s a no. I’d feel weird if money got involved in our hangouts. I want to spend time with you, Rei—because I want to. So don’t worry, I’ll make sure to save time for us.”

“Really? I still kinda thought it was a good idea…”

Rei mumbled, clearly not ready to give up on her plan just yet.

Alright, time to change the subject.

“Come to think of it… I’ve been feeling eyes on us for a while now.”

“Now that you say it, yeah. A bunch of guys walking by keep sneaking glances. When I dress up all princely, it’s usually girls who stare, but this feels different.”

People passing us were clearly doing double takes.

Some casually turned back after walking by—pretending to look at something else, but their eyes were glued to Rei.

And yeah… it was almost all guys.

“It’s because you look amazing in that dress. From behind, you’re this elegant lady in white—and from the front, you’re just… stunning.”

“T-That’s… you’re totally overhyping it, Saito…”

“I’m not. I’m just telling the truth.”

Rei was flustered and panicking, but even that shy reaction somehow looked graceful—and honestly, really cute.

In fact, all those guys who saw her from behind and thought “Whoa, is she a beauty?”

Would speed up just to catch a glimpse of her face—

Only to stop dead in their tracks, stunned, completely captivated by her.

And of course, what came next was always the same:

They’d shoot me a glare sharp enough to kill, like I’d committed some unforgivable crime just by walking next to her.

“That’s why I said—hold onto my arm properly, okay? If you walk around dressed like that by yourself, some guy’s definitely gonna try to hit on you.”

“Okay… I will.”

Rei quietly leaned in closer, gently wrapping her hand around my arm.

We walked like that for a while, neither of us saying anything.

…Crap.

Sure, I managed to steer the conversation away from the whole “I’ll pay you to hang out with me” thing,

But now I probably sounded like some super possessive boyfriend.

This is just like when Rei got all jealous and told me not to wear tank tops.

We’re literally doing the same thing—just flipping the roles.

Still… I mean, come on!

I was just trying to protect her from random creeps! That’s a reasonable excuse… right?

I was still busy trying to justify myself when suddenly—

“Rei-sama has fallen from grace~~~~!! Kyuuu…!”

Out of nowhere, a high school girl standing right in front of us let out a dramatic scream—

Then collapsed to the pavement like a puppet with its strings cut.

Her school uniform looked very familiar.

“Sasaki-san!?”

“She’s unconscious! Hey—stay with me!”

I rushed over to help her—Rei’s fan club president and the commander of her personal guard—

All while trying to wrap my head around the bizarre phrase I’d just heard for the first time in my life.

“Seiso Ochita (fell from grace)”…?

What even is that supposed to mean…?

-:+:-:+:-:+:-:+:-:+:-:+:-:+:-+:-+:-+:-+:-+

If you look up “Seiso Ochita” online, you’re probably gonna stumble onto some seriously brain-melting, questionably safe content.

So, good kids—do not search it. You’ve been warned.

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They really keep me going!