The Handsome Girl Who Stole My Girlfriend Seems to Be After Me Now - Chapter 11: Aren't You a Girl Too?

Chapter 11: Aren’t You a Girl Too?

After that, I ended up thoroughly participating in Mizushima’s “fashion show.”

At first, Mizushima jokingly showed up in a swimsuit, but after that, Mizushima showcased seriously stylish outfits. As expected of a model, whatever she wore looked perfect on her, which I genuinely admired.

However, her choices were always somewhat boyish, opting for oversized shirts and always choosing pants over skirts.

The outfits were modest, lacking the impact of the first one. While I thought they looked good and stylish, none of them really grabbed me.

Well, I guess that’s partly because my sense of fashion isn’t great.

“Hmm, this isn’t to Souta’s taste either, huh?”

After trying five or six different outfits, even Mizushima seemed puzzled.

“Maybe I should go for something sexy after all.”

“No, let’s not go there again.”

I stopped Mizushima as she was about to try something more provocative again and voiced a question I had been thinking about.

“Isn’t it that all the outfits you’ve chosen have a similar vibe? Like, they’re all menswear-inspired or cool and stylish.”

“Well, yeah, that’s… my, or rather, Sizu’s style, you know.”

While hanging new clothes she brought from the store on the changing room’s hanger, Mizushima said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Then, with a joking yet somewhat self-deprecating shrug, she muttered,

“Uniforms aside, me wearing frilly skirts or blouses with ribbons, or anything that screams ‘girly,’ just doesn’t suit me, right?”

“Is that so? I don’t think it’s a matter of not suiting you. But what do I know?”

“Eh…?”

Mizushima looked puzzled by my offhand remark. After a moment of silence, she chuckled and waved it off.

“No, no, no. I’m known around as ‘a beauty in men’s clothing.’ That’s not my style. That’s not the me everyone wants to see.”

Her hand, holding a piece of clothing, tightened slightly.

“Why would you think girly clothes suit me?”

“Well, because you’re a girl. It wouldn’t be weird for you to dress in a girly way.”

“…!”

Mizushima looked genuinely surprised this time, her eyes wide open. What? Did I say something odd?

“Um, Mizushima…san?”

Worried I might have offended her, I hesitantly called out to her. Mizushima seemed lost in thought for a moment, then slowly looked up.

“Is that so… fufu, is that so?”

Contrary to my worries that I might have made her angry, Mizushima was somehow sporting a bright smile.

“That’s right. I am a girl, after all.”

“Eh? Yeah, of course. Why bring that up now, though…”

“Ah, sorry, sorry. It’s just that I haven’t really been told something like that directly before. It’s a bit surprising and refreshing for me.”

Waving her hand lightly, Mizushima then clasped her hands tightly in front of her chest.

“…Mm, I really like that, you know.”

Then, mumbling something to herself, she pointed her index finger straight at me.

“Alright, let’s make the next one the last outfit.”

“Is that so? Finally, this fashion show or whatever is coming to an end.”

“It’s too early to think it’s over. You have to decide which one was the best, Souta.”

Ah, right, that was the rule, wasn’t it? Shoot, I haven’t thought about it at all.

“I’ll go back to the store for a bit. Souta, could you close your eyes?”

“Huh? Why?”

“Just do it.”

No sooner had she said it, Mizushima hurried off to the store. What’s all this about, really? Well, might as well do as she says for now.

※　※　※

“Souta~, I’m done changing~”

“Okay.”

It had been several minutes since Mizushima went to pick clothes. While I kept my eyes closed, she seemed to have picked a complete outfit, come back, and finished changing in the fitting room.

“Okay, I’m opening it now.”

The fitting room curtain slowly opened.

And there she was, Mizushima appeared from behind the curtain, completely changing the vibe from the cool, boyish looks she had before.

“Ehehe… what do you think?”

Blushing shyly, Mizushima was dressed in a frilly blouse and a skirt that came above her knees, wrapped in a cardigan around her waist, completely embracing a girly fashion.

It looked like she also changed her hairstyle to match the outfit, tying part of her silky, somewhat short hair in a half-up style at the back of her head.

She had transformed into what you might call a genuinely classic beauty.

“Y-yeah… looks good?”

I couldn’t help but think she looked “cute.” I answered in a rough tone, trying to cover it up, though my voice might have cracked a bit.

Darn it, is this what they call being charmed by the unexpected? I probably shouldn’t have said it’s not strange for her to dress in a girly way…

“Really? I mean, it’s a bit embarrassing… but actually, I quite like dressing up like this. I’ve hardly worn anything like it since I started modeling.”

Mizushima sounded a bit disappointed as she said that. Although I don’t know the details, it might be that she avoids such girly outfits to not damage her image as model Sizu.

Thinking about it, being a model seems pretty tough.

“So, Souta, judge now.”

“Huh? Oh, you mean which one I liked the best?”

Mizushima asked, and I had to think.

“The swimsuit, maybe?”

“No way! That’s not an option!”

She really keeps bringing up the swimsuit…

But now that I think about it, should I really be telling her my preferences so easily? Even though I agreed to join her for this fashion show, it feels a bit like giving away secrets too freely.

Should I just pick something random? Or should I say they were all good and I can’t decide, to dodge the question…

“Well, I think…”

As I was about to speak, I looked up and saw Mizushima, who seemed as happy as a girl trying on a dress for the first time, looking at herself in the mirror.

Seeing her, different from her usual mature vibe, showing a girlishness appropriate for her age…

“…that might be the best one?”

Before I knew it, that’s what I naturally ended up saying.